By Ron Aiken [Free Times, 8 April 2009]

In Charleston, the symphony orchestra has reduced the salaries of its musicians and staff by cutting its concert season by two months. In New York, the Metropolitan Opera has slashed its 11 scheduled performances to eight. Plans for new museums in Nevada and Ohio have been put on indefinite hold. In California, the Sacramento Ballet cancelled the remainder of its 2009-10 season, while the Baltimore Opera has filed for Chapter 11 protection and, further north, the 67-year-old Connecticut Opera has closed for good.