NEW YORK—The New York City Opera has locked out its performers for its first rehearsal on Monday after two major unions failed to come to an agreement on Saturday night.
The rehearsals were for the upcoming spring season and the breakdown of negotiations puts the season in jeopardy unless an agreement can be made soon, reported Crain’s, citing executives with the city opera.
The executives said they had to cancel Monday’s rehearsal because they would have to pay performers for the time, said General Manager George Steel. “As we have said countless times, we have to transition to the model that most opera companies use—paying people only for the work that they do,” he said.
Rehearsal for the first production, “La Traviata,” was scheduled for Monday, with the first performance planned for Feb. 12 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
