But the first two productions, a mediocre "La Traviata" and the New York premiere of "Prima Donna" (2009), a debut opera by the eccentric pop-music celebrity Rufus Wainwright both staged this month at the Brooklyn Academy of Music do not augur well for its artistic future.
The performances of the 25 finalists were as diverse as ever with emotional ballads, mock opera, classic pop and a half-hearted attempt at some hybrid-rap.