Met is a major star at movie houses
- December
- 14
1:54 am Live Theater
Click photo to enlargeA scene from Gounod’s %26quot;Romeo et Juliette%26quot; in a production by the Metropolitan Opera that will be shown live at theaters from Provo to Ogden.%26laquo;1%26raquo;
When New York City’s Metropolitan Opera began broadcasting live opera to movie theaters last year, The Los Angeles Times proclaimed that a new art form was born. That might be debatable, but something else is certain: The new way of experiencing opera is exploding in popularity - and raising many questions for producers of live opera.Last year, Utahns could see live, high-definition productions from the Met only at Cinemark 24 in West Jordan. For the 2007-08 season, six movie theaters - scattered from Provo to Ogden - are participating. The program’s expansion in Utah reflects the overall growth of the Met’s initiative to broaden its audience and take advantage of new technologies. More than 600 venues in North America, Australia, Europe and Japan will run the broadcasts - triple the number from last season.
It’s not the only sign that the old-school world of opera is crashing the digital generation’s party. Other technology-based initiatives at the Met include broadcasts over satellite radio, live audio streams of opera performances on www.metopera.org, and digital downloads of opera recordings through Rhapsody’s online music service.
In press materials, Met general manager Peter Gelb had this to say: “Now, in the 21st century, a new generation of opera lovers in Kansas City, Norway, Australia - or almost anywhere in the world - will be able to collectively enjoy opera at their hometown movie theater, Advertisementwith giant screens, state-of-the-art sound and subtitles.”
But if Utahns can hear and watch Metropolitan Opera stars, see the Met’s expensive sets and costumes and hear the Met’s house orchestra in high definition, will companies such as Salt Lake City’s Utah Opera and Logan’s Utah Festival Opera suffer? Or will increased opportunities to attend opera build interest and increase attendance at live productions here and around the world?
Christopher McBeth, Utah Opera’s artistic administrator, isn’t sure.
“I don’t think you can ever re-create the live experience,” he said. “You can have the best sound system in the world. But to really feel in your seat the vibrations of the strings or low brass - or the overtones of the voice that cannot be re-created on speaker systems - that visceral experience can only be found in a live theater situation.”
But McBeth sees positives in the Met’s new program - a chance to break down barriers and give people a new way of approaching opera.
“Some people might be a little scared of going to the theater . . . getting dressed up, not knowing how to act, wondering if they’ll fit in,” he says. “This puts it in a familiar environment, making it something familiar and very safe. From that standpoint, I really like it.”
Richard Reese of Pleasant View attended last year’s broadcasts for a different reason and has already signed up for the new season. Reese needs no gentle introduction to opera - he’s a devout fan who has attended productions around the globe, including at the Met. He goes to the movie-theater broadcasts because he simply can’t get enough opera. He was pleasantly surprised by his enjoyment level while seeing operas at Jordan Landing last season.
Reese said he and his wife had paid hundreds of dollars each to attend the Metropolitan Opera in the past. When they saw last year’s productions advertised at %26#36;18 (adult seats are %26#36;22 this season), they couldn’t pass up the chance.
Once inside the movie theater, Reese was caught off guard by excellent sound reproduction, visual images and sightlines. He liked running into old friends and fellow opera lovers, but was also pleased to meet opera first-timers who were “very, very enthusiastic and overwhelmed.” He enjoyed the backstage tours and artist interviews that filled intermissions.
For the Reeses, the program’s expansion will put an end to 100-mile round trips to West Jordan - they will attend this season’s shows at Tinseltown 14 in Ogden. And they’ll keep their Utah Opera tickets.
“I think opera is a very stimulating and rich experience for the audience,” Reese said. “I think that the more exposure people have to it, the more engaging it becomes.”
Gelb also believes his company’s fledgling program will attract new audiences for opera companies everywhere.
“Opera, when it’s working at its best both musically and theatrically, appeals to a very broad audience of music and theater lovers,” Gelb says. “The stories are timeless, and audiences enjoy and appreciate the genius of these composers and their ability to stir emotions.”
McBeth is all in favor of finding new ways to entice people to the opera - with one caveat.
“We’re probably not going to start allowing popcorn in the Capitol Theatre,” he said. “I love breaking down barriers, but I’m not willing to go that far.”
Big voices, big screen
* THE METROPOLITAN OPERA’S 2007-08 season of live opera broadcasts to Utah movie theaters begins with Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” Saturday at 11 a.m. at the theaters listed below. An encore performance is Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. The production stars soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Roberto Alagna, with baritone Nathan Gunn as Mercutio. Plácido Domingo conducts.
* TICKETS ARE %26#36;22; %26#36;20 for seniors; %26#36;15 for children. They can be purchased at www.fathomevents.com/details.aspx?eventid=664 and at participating theaters: Tinseltown 17, Layton; Tinseltown 14, Ogden; Cinemark 16, Provo; Century 16, Salt Lake City; Century 16, Sandy; and Cinemark 24, West Jordan.
* HERE IS THE REST of the season:
Jan. 1, 11 a.m.: A new production of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”
Jan. 12, 11:30 a.m.: A new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth”
Feb. 16, 11 a.m.: Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut”
March 15, 11:30 a.m.: Britten’s “Peter Grimes”
March 22, 10:30 a.m.: Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde”
April 5, 11:30 a.m.: Puccini’s “La bohème”
April 26, 11:30 a.m.: A new production of Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment”
* FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit www.metoperafamily .org/metopera/broadcast/ hd events.aspx
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