Lady M

A Welcome from the Directors

Dearest Audience, 

Heartbeat Opera was founded on the principle of meeting restrictions with creativity and imagination. In our six seasons, we’ve innovated across all aspects of opera to show that the art form can pack a potent punch even when it is produced on a leaner budget. We are proud that The New York Times celebrated this core belief, calling our productions “icy vodka shots of opera instead of ladles of cream sauce.”

Today, we are facing our biggest restriction yet—the inability to share opera in a physical space. The world is out of joint. We are devastated by the human toll of this crisis. We deeply feel the threat it poses to the livelihood of artists and of the performing arts world. And so we ask ourselves: what good can we do in a time so full of fear and uncertainty?

We believe it is our duty to seize this moment and find new modes of creating together. This is why we decided not to cancel Lady M, but to move it into virtual space. The passion to express ourselves prevails. We take pride in providing work for artists during this time of financial hardship. We relish the opportunity to connect with you, our audience. And we see this experimentation as vital research for an unpredictable future – useful both for Heartbeat’s own grasp of what future collaborations can look like, but equally for the opera industry at large. 

In conceiving these Virtual Soirées, we wanted one easy ticket price: $30 per household. But as you can imagine, ticket revenue will only cover a small portion of what it costs to create Lady M. Moreover, we usually do a substantial amount of our season fundraising during the run of our spring production. This year, we will be reaching far fewer audience members than normal. And so we ask for your generous support. Please donate to The Tomorrow Fund and help ensure that Heartbeat can continue to make powerful opera tomorrow. And tomorrow. And tomorrow... 

Macbeth memorably says: “Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.” The current crisis, as all-consuming as it appears now, will be temporary, and we will be able to perform for you in a physical space once again. We cannot wait for that day to come! In the meantime, be our guest here, in cyberspace. Have a glass of wine, and discover what 21 fearless artists have created for you, each from their own home, driven by a deep desire to collaborate across “social distance”. We hope the curiosity, passion, and urgency in this work reaches you.

With gratitude and love, 

Louisa and Ethan