WEAVING A NEW WEB: It’s no secret that opera fans skew older – it’s one of the most classical of art forms and takes a certain level of cultural knowledge to appreciate. But that’s not keeping either of our North Texas opera companies from trying to develop a younger fan base. That thought occurred to me as I was checking out Fort Worth Opera‘s The Scoop Web site. It’s a slick site with an embedded audio player playing some opera favorites, photos from previous shows and video, including the one I’ve embedded above of General Director Darren Woods discussing the opera’s financial position.

The Dallas Opera is doing its best to use the Web to its advantage, too, with its site. It’s got a an impressive collection of video on it as well – all the more to hook the opera newby who’s on the fence about buying a ticket. Additionally, Dallas Opera is reaching out through its young professionals group, Amici di Opera. The group gets together to discuss the next opera on the agenda to better prepare the unfamiliar. On Monday, the group meets to break down La boheme ahead of its Friday opening.

The point is, the better the operas can reach a new audience using the tools the youngsters are using, the better the chance of them developing a fan base that can support them into the future. (Why else would both groups have Facebook pages?) The good news for those considering giving opera a try is: you’ve never had more ways to scout out what you will be in for than you do now.

DTC ADDS A BLOG: Also making strides on the Web is the Dallas Theater Center, which launched a blog this week that focuses on its current production, In the Beginning. Lee Trull posted a collection of some of the funnier comments that audience members have made during the Act II/talkback portion of the show. My favorites:

“I’m disappointed that you addressed all these questions but you said nothing about Cain needing God’s protection from other people. What other people? Isn’t he like the third person ever?”

and

“I didn’t know Chamblee Ferguson was a rabbi.”