Home About Archives RSS Feed

Fat Lady Sings

Staff Reports

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The final note has apparently sounded for the Berkshire Opera Company. The 26-year-old company filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

According to the Boston Business Journal, the company filed for Chapter 7, which its says usually results in liquidation, and its assets were less than $50,000. Its liabilities are reportedly $100,000 to $500,000.

The company once had grand plans, buying the Mahaiwe back in 2000 for $435,000 as a permanent home. Its $15 million grand plans to renovate the historic theater, however, ran almost immediately into financial trouble and it sold off the theater two years later.

Things continued to go downhill from there as the state's economy faltered and the audience for classical performances declined. The company's last season was in 2008; no performances were attempted in 2009. BerkshireFineArts did a story on its economic woes early last year.

There's still hope for opera lovers; the Mahaiwe offers a number of performances simulcast live in high-definition from New York City's Metropolitan opera.

Tags: music, opera      

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Clarksburg Joining Drug Prevention Coalition
Pittsfield Road Cut Moratorium
Adams Lions Club Makes Anniversary Donations
2nd Street Second Chances Receives Mass Sheriffs Association Award
Swann, Williams College Harriers Compete at NCAA Championships
MassDOT Advisory: South County Road Work
ACB College Financial Aid Event
The Nutcracker At The Colonial Theater
McCann First Quarter Honor Roll
Pittsfield Looks to Update Zoning for ADUs

 


Bill Schmick separates the bull from the bears in his weekly columns on investing and market wrap-ups.



Categories:
advertising (10)
agriculture (1)
arts (7)
automotive (5)
awards (16)
banking (41)
Beacon (1)
broadband (1)
business (52)
chamber (25)
closing (5)
development (23)
dining (5)
domestic animals (2)
energy (6)
entertainment (2)
federal (4)
finances (5)
food (5)
fundraiser (3)
green (2)
grocery (5)
hospitality/hotel (5)
housing (0)
insurance (3)
investment (6)
jobs (35)
labor (17)
laws (4)
Legislature (3)
manufacturing (9)
media (8)
medical (4)
networking (33)
new (22)
pricing (1)
projects (2)
promotion (6)
publishing (13)
radio (2)
real estate (8)
retail (29)
technology (13)
training (5)
transportation (1)
volunteer (1)
website (2)
wholesale (7)
workshops (6)
Archives:
Tags:
Winstanley North Adams Walmart Williamstown Sales Tax Qualprint Berkshire Enterprises Currency Wall Street Statistics Jobs Merger Nbt Bank Adams Bj's Sabic State Pittsfield Tricks Of The Trade Store Opening Crane & Co. Breakfast Baldwin Excelsior Berkshire Chamber Of Commerce Auction Social Media Small Business Great Barrington Statistics Unemployment Unemployment Expansion Talkberkshires Wmeco
Popular Entries:
Chamber Drive Nets Donation for Shelter
Pittsfield Jobless Rate at 7 Percent
State Added 12,700 Jobs in July
State Jobless Holds Steady at 7.6%
Excelsior Brings Greeting Card Co. To North Adams
Cranwell Voted Best For Meetings
Super Duper Wally World
Baldwin Brings Berkshire-style Talk to Florida
Chamber Sets Free Workshop on QR Codes
Quality Printing Buys Marketing Franchise
Recent Entries:
Biz Briefs: Mr. Tire, Tax Holiday, Business Directory
Berkshire Eagle Parent Mulling Newspaper Sales
Digitial First Puts Vermont News Buildings on the Market
Berkshire Chamber, Neal Hosting Facebook for Business Workshop
Winstanley Wins Big at Annual ADDY Awards
Eggs & Issues Event Focuses on Rail Cars, Development
State Unemployement Rate Drops Slightly
New Biotech Firm Setting Up in Pittsfield
Crane Museum Opens Retail Store
License Commission Approves River Street Package Move