‘1984’ ticket sales defy poor reviews

The reviews were largely awful, but ticket sales have been strong for Lorin Maazel’s opera version of “1984” at the Royal Opera House in London.

“It is both shocking and outrageous that the Royal Opera, a company of supposed international standards and standing, should be putting on a new opera of such wretchedness and lack of musical worth,” Andrew Clement wrote in the Guardian after the May 3 premiere.

Andrew Clark of the Financial Times wrote: “The only reason we find this slick perversion of Orwell on the Covent Garden stage is because super-rich Maazel bought his way there by stumping up the production costs.”

The strong box office -- the house was nearly sold out for the third straight time Wednesday night -- may reflect bargain-basement pricing: The top ticket for “1984” is $95, compared with $330 for “Otello,” “Die Walkuere” or “Un Ballo in Maschera.”