London’s Covent Garden opened with a string of disastrous technical disasters that marred opening performances of the hall. “According to those on the front line, machinery is not to blame. The more uncomfortable explanation is this: to maintain public confidence in the controversial redevelopment, the ROH’s executive director Michael Kaiser was obliged to claim last year that the £214 million project was absolutely on schedule and tickety-boo. the building was therefore obliged to start producing performances before it was truly ready to do so.” – Daily Telegraph (UK)