It's been more than 10mos since theatres across the country closed their doors due to the pandemic

[Klaralven]

12. At most, 4.7% of the population of the New York metro area attend the Metorpolitan Opera annually

It puts on about 220 performances annually in a hall seating 3850. There are over 18 million in the New York metro area. So if every seat in every performance were filled with a unique opera goer, only 4.7% of the population could attend physically.

Actually, given season ticket holders, repeat attendance by other opera fans, and the tickets bought by tourists, I'd bet that way less than 1% of the NY metro population attend the Met in a given year.

Public funds should not be devoted to subsidizing entertainment for the elite.

Now maybe the Met does break even from ticket sales, donations, etc. but other elitist, high-culture institutions do not.