And the work begins

I've started working on the preliminary Great Ticket Scramble for the 2009/10 season. I've told you before how very complicated this is. We can do Broadway whenever there's a wim, but in the classical, opera and concert world, the opportunities to experience great singers is oh so limited. Of course, we will supplement our season with rush tickets, especially at the Metropolitan Opera, and possibly at City Opera (I vow not to be an opera snob this year). These are most of my must-sees and some wish-to-sees (a couple are a done deal):

9/16 La Diva Renee opens NY Phil season, Avery Fisher (PBS broadcast)
9/21 Tosca – Opening Night, Met Opera - Plaza Cast?
9/26 Helen Mirren in Phedre,DC Shakespeare
10/1-5 Gone to London, something at Convent Garden or West End
10/13 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
10/14 Tosca, The Met
10/16 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
10/19 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
10/22 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
11/5 Thomas Hampson, Avery Fisher
11/14 Christine Ebersole, Kennedy Center
11/22 Richard Tucker Gala, Avery Fisher Hall
12/1 Il Trittico, The Met
12/10 Elektra,The Met
12/20 Stephanie Blithe, Met Orchestra,Carnegie Hall
1/6 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
1/9 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met – Live in HD Broadcast
1/15 Der Rosenkavalier, The Met
2/13 Sweeney Todd, Signature Theatre, Arlington
2/23 Attila, The Met
3/6 Sweeney Todd, Signature Theatre, Arlington
3/16 Hamlet, The Met
3/26 Sweeney Todd, Signature Theatre, Arlington
4/3 Porgy & Bess, WNO – Kennedy Center
4/4 Sweeney Todd, Signature Theatre, Arlington
4/5 Elijah – BSO (Brewer, Blithe), Carnegie Hall
4/19 Armida, The Met
4/22 Frederica von Stade, Carnegie Hall
4/28 Oedipus Rex(Meier, Griffey, Petrenko, Timchenko), Avery Fisher
5/6-8 Sondheim at 80, NSO Pops – Kennedy Center
5/8 Bernadette Peters, Minneapolis
5/16 Deborah Polaski, Met Orchestra,Carnegie Hall
6/3 Susan Graham & Saint-Saens’s Organ Symphony, Avery Fisher
6/18 Patti LuPone's Coulda Shoulda Woulda, Minneapolis
6/24 Beethoven’s Missa solemnis(Brewer, Blythe, Groves, Owens), Avery Fisher