COT YouTube Contest Ask Public To Upload Videos For Free Tix

On Monday, March 2, 2009, Chicago Opera Theater (COT) began a YouTube Contest encouraging the public to upload videos of their own creation answering the question "Why Do You Deserve Free Tickets to Chicago Opera Theater?"

The contest is found here: https://www.youtube.com/group/COTfreeopera.

The top three winners chosen by the public will receive two free subscriptions to COT's 2009 Spring Festival Season (April 18-May 26). The subscriptions have been underwritten by members of Chicago Opera Theater's Board of Trustees. All runner-up video entries will receive two passes to the final dress rehearsal of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito so everyone is a winner!

Chicago Opera Theater kicked-off the contest by creating the first video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsH1R8T1dXc

"We feel social media isn't just about setting up stagnant fan pages, but about actively engaging our current and potential audiences through video previews or backstage peeks," said General Director Brian Dickie. "With this YouTube contest we are now asking the public to create content and tell us why they want to come to Chicago Opera Theater. It's the logical next step in connecting with our fans!"

Chicago Opera Theater has been a leader in Web 2.0 initiatives beginning with creating one of the first blogs in the performing arts community: Brian Dickie, Life as General Director of Chicago Opera Theater. Started in April 2005, Brian Dickie's blog was recently named one of Chicago's Best Blogs (by the Chicago Tribune) and is featured on InsideTheArts.com and The Huffington Post Chicago.

Chicago Opera Theater has active fan pages on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Yelp, Flickr, and Going.com. COT began "tweeting" on Twitter this past fall. All of these pages are found at ChicagoOperaTheater.org under Behind the Arias: http://www.chicagooperatheater.org/arias/arias.html.

The contest begins on March 2nd, 2009 and ends on April 1st, 2009 at 10am (CST). The 3 videos that have the most favorites by the close of the contest will be the 3 winners.

Entering the Video Contest:

Grab a phone, webcam or a video camera and shoot a video to tell us why you deserve to come to Chicago Opera Theater for FREE!
Make sure your video is three (3) minutes or less in length.
Go to https://www.youtube.com/group/COTfreeopera
Click Join This Group.
Click the Add Videos link.
Then tell your friends to add your video to their Favorites!

Rules:
The COT Free Opera Contest will run from March 2, 2009 through April 1, 2009 at 10am (CST). Chicago Opera Theater will contact subscription ticket winners on April 1, 2009 via YouTube asking for name, address, phone number and email. The winners must reply by April 8, 2009 at 10am (CST) to claim their tickets or they will be forfeited. Runner-up winners of the passes to the final dress rehearsal will be contacted after April 8, 2009 via YouTube asking for name, address, phone number and email. Final dress rehearsal passes are subject to availability.

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER

Founded in 1974 by Alan Stone, Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, outreach, education and young artist programs.

Since Brian Dickie's appointment as General Director in 1999, COT has evolved as an opera company that is young, fresh, and colorful - an image well suited to its surroundings at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

Chicago Opera Theater's 2009 Spring Festival Season runs April 18th through May 26th at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The season opens with Mozart's La clemenza di Tito (April 18-May 1), followed by Peter Brook's Tony Award winning adaptation of Bizet's masterpiece called La Tragedie de Carmen (May 2-15), and closes with the Chicago Premiere of Britten's Owen Wingrave (May 16-26). For more information on the 2009 Spring Festival Season, visit ChicagoOperaTheater.org or call 312.704.8414.

Chicago Opera Theater, 70 East Lake Street, Suite 815, Chicago, IL, 60601, 312.704.8420, ChicagoOperaTheater.org

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