The new director of Long Beach Opera talks about making more with less. “There are people who are really comfortable with being very elite and exclusive and get wrapped up in the cachet of it all — the red carpets and the evening wear. I don’t think that’s helping sustain the art form. It alienates younger generations who don’t care about that glitzy “opera star” opera. I talk to my friends who aren’t in the opera world. Their point is: “If you produce something compelling and accessible and resonant with the real world, then your company is worth investing our time and money in.” That has been my biggest wake up call in the last year.” – Voice of Orange County