Mark's new venture

Peter Mark, whose 36-year career at the Virginia Opera ended with his dismissal in November, is organizing a new company, Lyric Opera Virginia, which is to stage a mixture of popular operas and musicals.

In its first season, beginning next fall, Lyric plans to present Verdi's "La Traviata," a condensed (or "jewel box") version of Bizet's "Carmen" and the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "The King and I" in Virginia Beach, Newport News, Richmond and Northern Virginia, and to take a shortened version of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" on tour.

The company projects an operating budget of $2.5 million, reports Elisabeth Hulette of The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk):

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/01/ousted-director-starting-new-virginia-opera-company

Among Lyric Opera Virginia's backers are several former Virginia Opera board members, the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Kristen Green reports:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2011/jan/10/mark-forming-new-diversified-opera-company-ar-763905/

In launching the new company, Mark is "taking his revenge" on the Virginia Opera, The Washington Post's Anne Midgette writes:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/09/AR2011010904108.html