Philly Opera announces transformation -- and keeps tradition

Over the last few years, Opera Philadelphia has been working on becoming the very model of a modern opera company. It's explored new formats -- an opera about Andy Warhol in an old warehouse -- while continuing its commitment to tradition -- Verdi's "Don Carlo" at the Academy of Music. It's gotten grants for innovative outreach projects, like Hip H'opera in inner-city schools, and a composer-in-residence program. It's met with critical and public acclaim. And yet, for all of its success, it had ...