The 2016-17 Season of ‘The Met: Live in HD’ Commences October 8 With The Series’ 100th Transmission, a New Production of Wagner’s ‘Tristan und Isolde,’ in Cinemas Nationwide
Fathom Events and the Metropolitan Opera Bring 10 Live Transmissions from the World-Class Met Opera Stage to Audiences Across the U.S.
DENVER – July 20, 2016 – Fathom Events and the Metropolitan Opera celebrate 11 years of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Live in HD series with “The Met: Live in HD 2016-17 Season” on the big screen. The series kicks off on October 8 with the 100th live presentation featuring Tristan und Isolde. With five brand-new productions, three operas new to the series and the return of all-time favorites such as Don Giovanni and La Traviata, this season will bring New York City’s prestigious Metropolitan Opera to audiences nationwide. Each live event takes place on a Saturday, with a pre-recorded encore broadcast the following Wednesday.
In addition to the incredible opera presentations, moviegoers will go behind the scenes with the talented artists that make the Met one of the most renowned opera houses in the world. Backstage access includes special interviews with cast and crew and other features exclusive to the Live in HD series.
Tickets for “The Met: Live in HD 2016-17 Season” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the events in 675 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“‘The Met: Live in HD’ makes world-class opera performances accessible to audiences worldwide, in an intimate, up-close and personal environment,” Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said. “We are proud to continue this partnership with the Metropolitan Opera and excited to launch this season with the 100th broadcast, which is a true milestone.”
“The Met: Live in HD 2016-17 Season” planned schedule is as follows:
Saturday, October 8, 2016 – 12:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. CT/ 10:00 a.m. MT/ 9:00 a.m. PT
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Wagner) – New production
The season begins with a new production of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle in his first Live in HD performance. Nina Stemme stars as Isolde—a touchstone role she has sung with major opera companies around the world. Her Tristan is Australian heldentenor Stuart Skelton, who sang Siegmund in the Met’s Ring cycle in 2013. The cast also includes Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangäne and Evgeny Nikitin as Kurwenal (both in Met role debuts), with René Pape reprising King Marke, a role he has sung to acclaim in three previous Met seasons. The staging, by Mariusz Treliński (who directed the 2015 Met double bill of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle), is a co-production with the Festival Hall Baden-Baden, Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera and China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) Beijing.
Wednesday, October 12 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
DON GIOVANNI (Mozart)
Simon Keenlyside makes his Met role debut as the unrepentant seducer in Tony Award-winner Michael Grandage’s staging of Mozart’s masterpiece. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads a cast that includes Hibla Gerzmava as Donna Anna, Malin Byström as Donna Elvira, Serena Malfi as Zerlina, Adam Plachetka as Leporello, Matthew Rose as Masetto, Kwangchul Youn as the Commendatore and Rolando Villazón in his Live in HD debut as Don Ottavio.
Wednesday, October 26 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of DON GIOVANNI
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, December 10, 2016 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
L’AMOUR DE LOIN (Saariaho) – Met Premiere
One of the most highly-praised operas of recent years, which had its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 2000, Kaija Saariaho’s yearning medieval romance L’Amour de Loin (Love from Afar), has its Met premiere this season. The production is by Robert Lepage, co-produced with L’Opéra de Québec, where it premiered to acclaim last summer, in collaboration with Ex Machina. Debuting Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki leads the performance, which stars Susanna Phillips as Clémence, Eric Owens as Jaufré, and Tamara Mumford as the Pilgrim who carries messages of love between them.
Wednesday, December 21 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of L’AMOUR DE LOIN
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, January 7, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
NABUCCO (Verdi) – First time in HD
Met Music Director Emeritus James Levine conducts Verdi’s early drama of Ancient Babylon, Nabucco, with Plácido Domingo adding a new role to his repertory as the title character. Liudmyla Monastyrska sings the tour-de-force role of Abigaille, Nabucco’s willful daughter, with Jamie Barton as Fenena, Russell Thomas as Ismaele and Dmitri Belosselskiy as the prophet Zaccaria, the role of his 2011 Met debut.
Wednesday, January 11 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of NABUCCO
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, January 21, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE (Gounod) – New production
The electrifying team of Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau reunites for a new production of Gounod’s opera based on the Shakespeare play. Damrau makes her role debut as Juliette in Bartlett Sher’s new production, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Elliot Madore sings Mercutio and Mikhail Petrenko sings Frère Laurent. Sher’s staging is a La Scala production, initially presented by the Salzburg Festival, where it premiered in 2008.
Wednesday, January 25 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, February 25, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
RUSALKA (Dvořák) – New production
Kristine Opolais stars in a new production of the opera that first won her international acclaim, Dvořák’s fairy-tale opera about the tragic water nymph Rusalka. Sir Mark Elder conducts Mary Zimmerman’s new staging, which also stars Brandon Jovanovich as the human prince who captures Rusalka’s heart; Katarina Dalayman as Rusalka’s rival, the Foreign Princess; Eric Owens as the Water Sprite, Rusalka’s father and Jamie Barton as the duplicitous witch Ježibaba.
Wednesday, March 1 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of RUSALKA
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, March 11, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
LA TRAVIATA (Verdi)
Sonya Yoncheva brings her acclaimed interpretation of the doomed courtesan Violetta Valéry to Live in HD audiences for the first time, opposite rising American tenor Michael Fabiano as her lover, Alfredo. Thomas Hampson sings one of his most acclaimed Met roles as Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s disapproving father, in a revival of Willy Decker’s staging conducted by San Francisco Opera Music Director Nicola Luisotti.
Wednesday, March 15 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of LA TRAVIATA
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, March 25, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
IDOMENEO (Mozart) – First time in HD
James Levine conducts a rare Met revival of Mozart’s Idomeneo, set in the aftermath of the Trojan War. Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s classic production, which has its first Met revival in over a decade this season, stars Matthew Polenzani in the title role. The cast also includes Elza van den Heever as Elettra, Nadine Sierra as Ilia, Alice Coote as Idamante and Alan Opie as Arbace.
Wednesday, March 29 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of IDOMENEO
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT/ 10:55 a.m. MT/ 9:55 a.m. PT
EUGENE ONEGIN (Tchaikovsky)
Anna Netrebko reprises one of her most acclaimed roles as Tatiana, the naïve heroine of Tchaikovsky’s opera, adapted from Pushkin’s classic novel. Dmitri Hvorostovsky stars as the title character, who rejects Tatiana’s love. Robin Ticciati, Music Director of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducts the revival of Deborah Warner’s staging, which opened the Met’s 2013-14 season. Alexey Dolgov sings the role of Onegin’s friend-turned-rival, Lenski, with Elena Maximova as Tatiana’s sister Olga and Štefan Kocán as Prince Gremin.
Wednesday, April 26 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of EUGENE ONEGIN
(Available in select cinemas only)
Saturday, May 13, 2017 – 12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT/ 10:30 a.m. MT/ 9:30 a.m. PT
DER ROSENKAVALIER (R. Strauss) – New production
The Met’s first new production since 1969 of Strauss’s rich romantic masterpiece is conducted by Sebastian Weigle and directed by Robert Carsen, whose most recent Met production was the hit 2013 staging of Falstaff. Renée Fleming sings one of her signature roles as the Marschallin, opposite Elīna Garanča in her first North American performances as Octavian, the impulsive young title character. The cast also includes Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs, Erin Morley as Sophie, Marcus Brück in his Met debut as Faninal and Matthew Polenzani as the Italian Singer. Der Rosenkavalier is a co-production with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Teatro Regio di Torino.
Wednesday, May 17 – 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of DER ROSENKAVALIER
(Available in select cinemas only)
About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 885 locations and 1,348 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.
About The Met: Live in HD
The Met: Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 2,000 theaters in 70 countries, makes the Met the world’s leading provider of alternative cinema content and the only arts institution with an ongoing global series of this scale. When the series launched in 2006, the Met was the first arts company to experiment with alternative cinema content. Since then, the program has grown every season, with more than 20 million tickets sold to date.
The Met: Live in HD series has increased accessibility to Met performances for audiences around the world. With a global average ticket price of $23 in the 2015-16 season, the series has made world-class performances accessible to millions of opera lovers each season.
Met stars serve as hosts for the HD series, conducting live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes features.
Tickets for the 10 transmissions in the 2016-17 Live in HD season will go on sale on July 20, 2016 in the U.S. and Canada, with Met Members offered priority before tickets are made available to the general public. International ticket sales dates and details on ordering tickets for the 2016-17 Live in HD series vary from country to country and will be announced separately by individual distributors.
The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Global sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Transmission of The Met: Live in HD in Canada is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr.
