Meeting held Tuesday morning, June 18; name removed from Web page

By Peter Alexander July 18 at 5:55 p.m.

The Central City Opera Company (CCO) called all members of the company, administrative staff and festival personnel, to meetings held simultaneously at the Teller House in Central City and the company’s office in Wheat Ridge at 9:30 a.m. this morning (July 18).

According to the internal message that was passed to Sharpsandflatirons anonymously, board co-chairs Roopesh Aggarwal and Heather Miller had the following update for all CCO personnel: “Effective immediately, Pamela Pantos’ employment with the Opera has ended and we thank her for her work. We wish her the best in her future endeavors and will begin a search immediately for a new President and CEO.“

The announcement comes in the middle of the company’s summer season of three operas in the Central City Opera House. The three productions—Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Rossini’s Otello—will continue in rotating repertory through the originally announced final date, Sunday, Aug. 6.

The board’s announcement indicates that members of the administrative staff will take on additional duties. Scott Finlay will be Chief External Affairs Officer and Margaret Williams will be Interim Operations Officer. Both will report directly to the board of directors.

Pantos’ name has been removed from the “Who Are We” listing on Central City Opera’s Web page, and the updated assignments have been posted.

Although no one said so on the record, it was widely believed that the previously reported dispute between the opera company and the American Guild of Performing Artists (AGMA) was a result of Pantos’ administrative style and reflected her wishes. Central City Opera and AGMA subsequently signed a contract that resolved the dispute.

Tickets for remaining performances this summer may be purchased here. Three productions have been announced for summer 2024—Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Puccini’s La fanciula del West and Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors will be presented in Denver Dec. 23 and 24.

NOTE: The original version of this story said that upcoming seasons had not yet been announced for Central City Opera. In fact, the listing in the final paragraph above is correct.

All comments on this article must be approved before they will be posted. Personal attacks and name calling against anyone currently or formerly employed at Central City Opera will not be allowed. There are varying opinions on what has unfolded at CCO, but in this context personal attacks serve no purpose.