As a dramatic art form, opera thrives on desperate situations and narrow escapes. So too does the San Diego Opera, which has been pulled back from the brink of dissolution by a two-week reprieve and a last-minute $1 million gift from a board member.

Financial problems led the company to announce in March that it would close down at the end of this, its 49th season, after the final production of Massenet's Don Quixote on April 13. General Director Ian Campbell cited a decline in contributions and ticket sales, saying "The demand for opera in this city isn't high enough."

But during a board meeting last Monday, a group of board members was able to pass a two-week extension of the deadline for closure, according to Board President Karen Cohn.

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