This is a coordinated effort between OPERA America, the League of American Orchestras, Theatre Communications Group, and Dance/USA. The objective is to flood our representatives with requests to restart negotiations and get an agreement made as soon as possible for the benefit of the entire arts sector and specifically the opera community.

WHY?

• Because of the pandemic and in the interest of public health and in compliance with local health advisories, businesses and nonprofit organizations within the arts sector had to cancel various performances, educational programs, and other public events/activities.
• The creative economy is an important and unique contributor to the overall economy, as well as to state and local economies. It provides millions of jobs and tax revenue, and contributes to the overall quality of life for individuals and families in the U.S. and abroad.
• The unexpected loss of event-dependent revenue and declines in charitable contributions is negatively impacting the ability of various businesses and nonprofit organizations in the arts sector to provide important public programs and initiatives.
• Program initiatives established in the last relief package, the CARES Act, helped various businesses and nonprofit organizations in the arts sector to keep its artists and important employees in their payrolls.
• Unless Congress provides additional relief, many businesses and nonprofit organizations in the arts sector will be forced to make more drastic decisions, including letting go of their employees or closing their operations entirely.

UPDATED TALKING POINTS?(Please consider the following statements when personalizing your letter.)

• Expand the duration of pandemic unemployment benefits, and improve guidelines for implementation for independent opera workers with a mix of W-2 and 1099 income to receive full support.
• Expand resources under the Paycheck Protection Program, raise the $10 million cap on loan amounts, eliminate the 500-employee cap for nonprofit organizations, and provide dedicated funding available to nonprofit organizations. Extend the duration of Paycheck Protection Program, and expand eligibility for the program. Clear guidance on loan forgiveness is urgently needed.
• Provide loan forgiveness for nonprofits through the Main Street Lending Program and the Economic Stabilization Fund, and ensure eligibility for nonprofit employers with more than 500 employees that have been left out of current relief provisions.
• Fully fund the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and eliminate the $1,000 per employee cap imposed by SBA so businesses with one or very few employees can access funds.
• Provide additional forgivable emergency assistance loans, tax credits, and other forms of support to nonprofit organizations of all sizes and to self-employed workers, sole proprietors, and small LLCs to offset fixed overhead costs such as rent, utilities, insurance, and debt service.
• Approve substantial funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services as they administer dedicated COVID-19 relief that uniquely address the operational needs of cultural organizations. Expand waivers for public/private matching requirements to apply to all active FY2019 and FY2020 NEA grant awards, and allow current grantees to reallocate funding for general operating support that helps to address COVID-19 economic losses.
• Include the arts sector in infrastructure investments needed to renovate, refurbish, and adapt to post-COVID-19 public health and workplace safety protocols.

If you know Dr. Nic, you know his love of opera knows no bounds. He sat down with The San Diego Union-Tribune recently to talk about his passion for opera and how you can grow your passion as well. You can read the full article here. Also, here is a link to the vast archive of wonderful SDO podcasts that Nic has recorded over the years and that he discusses in the article.

How can the Chicken Dance help you sing? Our dear friend, mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, shows you how everyone''s favorite wacky dance can actually give you better singing technique. Grab your kids, your straw, find some place with a bit of room...and dance like no one is watching!

But wait! There''s more! If you film yourself dancing and post it to our Facebook page, we''ll pick our favorite one and have you join us to see Emily when she sings with us next season! Watch the full video here.

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and tomorrow is the day when we exercise this important right.

Susan B. Anthony fought tirelessly for the right for women to vote, for which she was arrested and jailed. Her struggle helped pave the way for the passage of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the passing of this amendment.?

To commemorate, and to remind us of the importance of voting, San Diego Opera, ADA Artist Management, Austin Opera, Berkshire Opera Festival, Minnesota Opera and Opera Colorado commissioned The Trial of Susan B Anthony.?

This important song cycle is sung and acted by mezzo-soprano Adriana Zambala whom you may remember performed the role of Paula in?our production of?Florencia en el Amazonas. All text in this 30-minute program is taken directly from the trial of Susan B Anthony and Ms. Zambala performs multiple roles, including the judge, the prosecuting and defense attorneys, a witness, and Susan B. Anthony herself in this brief and moving piece outlining the activist's quest for justice.

Please enjoy this FREE digital event that is available online through November 8. The 30-minute program will be available on ADA's YouTube channel until November 8 at 11:59 p.m.?And please don't forget to vote.

There is also a talk back moderated by tenor Lawrence Brownlee which you can watch?here.

Aging Magician is a new music-theatre work that is a haunting exploration of time, youth, and the peculiar magic of ordinary life. With a dazzling transforming set, mystical music, a tour-de-force performance by Rinde Eckert, and the acclaimed Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Aging Magician is an exciting and mesmerizing examination of the arc of life. This production, developed by the creative team at Beth Morrison Projects, one of the most innovative influencers in the world of opera, is not to be missed! March 13-14 at the Balboa Theatre for only three performances.

The Opera Hack live stream on Wednesday?was a huge success.? The winning teams discussed their projects and answered questions from the live audience. In case you missed it, you can watch the video by clicking the image above and read a recap from The San Diego Union-Tribune??here.

Mezzo-soprano Emily Fons last performed with us as Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro in 2018 and returns to us as part of the 2020-2021 season as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Since June, Ms. Fons has been teaching private vocal lessons to SDO Education youth via Zoom, and is also creating instructional videos for SDO Education partners including La Maestra Center for Youth Advancement and the Logan Memorial Educational Complex (formally Memorial Preparatory). Take a look at her first instructional lesson at this link.?We hope you love it as much as our students did!

The artisans of the San Diego Opera Costume Shop are keeping their hands busy making cloth masks. These masks are being donated to migrant farm workers and their families through an organization called Salud Para La Gente. There are over 10,000 farm workers in our area that are on the front lines ensuring our food supply is not disrupted. The Costume Shop has a goal of sending 1,000 masks and are on track to send 200 this week!

While staying at home, we''re all missing the transformational power of experiencing opera live and in-person. As an alternative, we''ve compiled a few ways for you to bring the power of opera in to your homes:

• The Metropolitan Opera is offering free encore presentations from their Live in HD series available to stream on their website each day.  You can find the full schedule here.
  
• For those with young ones in the house that are looking for something educational to do today, check out our Kidz Vidz on the opera The Daughter of the Regiment. Adults will like it too. Then, tune into The Metropolitan Opera stream of the opera at 4:30 PM west coast time. That''s around two and a half hours of edutainment!
• If you're home with middle and high-school aged children, good luck! But if you're looking for something educational to do with them, we have some great lesson plans based on the California Science and Music Standards. These lessons combine music education with biology and physics and can be accessed here. We hope this gets you through a few days of homeschooling with a fun and educational project.  
• Beth Morrison Projects will be presenting free streaming of their "Opera of the Week" through their website.  First up is Dog Days by David T. Little, composer of Soldier Songs seen at San Diego Opera in 2016.
  
• Catch up on some of the 100''s of entertaining videos we have created over the years on our YouTube page.  Featuring everything from interviews with singers, conductors and directors to educational videos on voice-types and the stories of different operas.  Who knows, you might learn something new!
• Wiener Staatsoper is making past productions available for free via their digital streaming platform.
  

To top it all off, if you are in need of an adult beverage or two, here is a link to make a perfect "Quarantini" while you are at home practicing social distancing.  

We are here for you and our box office is still open and staffed for your phone calls Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM and can be reached at (619) 533-7000 or at tickets@sdopera.org.