Met Opera skips this season, 1st Black composer opens `21-22
(WorldNews Entertainment)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Opera will skip an entire season for the first time in its nearly 140-year history and intends to return from the pandemic layoff next September with the company`s first presentation of a Black composer, Terence Blanchard`s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” This season was to have started this week, but the company announced June 1 it had pushed back opening night until Dec. 31. In all, 218 performances of 23 operas were lost, raising total cancellations to 276 since the 2019-20 season was cut short by the novel coronavirus on March 12. The orchestra`s international tour next June also was wiped out. Met General Manager Peter Gelb said additional losses projected...