Money quote:

"The day of a Luciano Pavarotti or a Placido Domingo selling out a performance on their own is no more. The future of opera is going to be secured through presenting combinations of star artists, an attractive repertoire and acclaimed directors."

$aith our impre$ario. In other word$, you're f*cked if you think the voice alone can $ell this product we call 'opera'. And that'$ Peter Gelb, folk$.

Meanwhile:

Peter Gelb, the company’s general manager, said he expects the number of people who attend live Met performances in movie houses next season to match the cumulative audience for all 225 performances in the Met auditorium: about 800,000 people. Mr. Gelb also said he expects the series to make a profit, a word not often heard in the opera world.

Succeeding seasons will likely see more movie viewers than actual bodies in the Met auditorium. Which brings us to our trivia question: guess which constituency Gelb will cater to more and more. (The first traditionalist to e-mail Sieglinde with the correct answer wins a prize: a pack of beef jerky for the next Met simulcast.)