Man Plunges 80 Feet to His Death From Balcony of N.Y. Opera House

A man fell to his death Saturday from the top balcony of the Metropolitan Opera House during an intermission in a performance of Verdi’s “Macbeth,” which was being broadcast nationally on radio, authorities said.

The 82-year-old man, who was a regular opera-goer, fell about 80 feet onto an aisle in the orchestra section midway between the stage and the rear of the hall, said Johanna Fiedler, a Metropolitan Opera spokeswoman.

It was not known if the man, identified as Bantcho Bantchevsky, jumped or fell, said police Sgt. Ed Burns.

The incident occurred as many of the 4,000 people at the matinee performance waited in their seats for the start of the opera’s final act, officials said.

Bantchevsky “was sitting on the railing during the second intermission of the opera, ‘Macbeth,’ when he went over the side,” Burns said. “Everybody in the opera house knew him.”

The seats near where the man landed were empty, and no other injuries were reported, Fiedler said.

“There was terrible screaming by people who saw the body coming down,” said Sophie Blecker of Great Neck. “It’s a horror.”

The remainder of the performance was canceled. Radio listeners were told the broadcast would be curtailed because of an emergency.