First Nighter: As Opera, Anna Nicole Goes Bust

In a way you can't fault underfunded New York City Opera general manager and artistic director George Steel for scheduling Anna Nicole, the Richard Thomas/Mark-Anthony Turnage opera (or maybe popera), now at BAM, as the opening for what could be the revamped company's swan-song season. It will be if the $20 million needed isn't raised pronto. Steel undoubtedly figured the ripped-from-the-headlines story of the late gold-digger with the big treasure chest would likely be hot box-office. He must h...