Listen to this articleMichael Ballam announced today with “sincere regret” that the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre will cancel its 2020 season. The founding general director said the decision was made after “careful consideration and consultation with health and government officials.”
“It is abundantly clear that even with the best-laid plans for social distancing, quarantine and sanitizing, it is impossible to guarantee the safety of our Company members and our patrons during this pandemic,” he said.
Nearly 300 talented performers and theater professionals were scheduled to begin arriving in Logan from all over the country this week to begin preparations for more than 150 performances, concerts, workshops, and events.
“We are well aware of the significant economic engine and magnet for tourism we are for northern Utah and are sensitive to the adverse effect this will have on the region,” Ballam said. “We have done all we can to preserve the 2020 season but have chosen not to move forward due to insurmountable health risks.”
He and the Company “look forward to a bright future ahead,” he said.
Ballam posted a video recollecting his first “stage performance” on the Festival’s website:
Visit www.utahfestival.org for more information.
