Since we were just talking about opera in class, I thought it would be cool to write about a fairly new program at the Met called “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD.” In this program, a few operas are chosen to be transmitted live in select movie theaters. There are a bunch of cinemas in the five boroughs, as well throughout the country and overseas, that transmit live and encore performances. The best thing about the program is how cheap ticket prices are. An adult ticket only costs about twenty dollars, while an adult ticket for a live show at the Metropolitan Opera can easily go over 400 dollars. This is definitely the way to go if you’re a fan opera on a tight budget.
The whole point of “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD,” which is currently in its fifth season, is to attract a wider audience to opera. Many people may not be able to afford a ticket, or can’t get to the Met, or just may not want to spend so much money on a show that they may not be able to follow/understand (if it’s in a different language). I think this program is great because it provides an answer to all of these excuses that people may have for no going to an Opera performance. It’s also a great way for someone to become more familiar with opera before taking the plunge and going to a live performance at the Met.
Some people may argue that nothing can compare to seeing the performance live with your own eyes and actually being in the Met. I do agree with this argument, but if you have a choice of watching it in a movie theater or not watching it at all, I would definitely choose to watch it at a movie theater.
Anna Netrebko in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale"
This season, “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” has 12 live transmissions, including Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, and others.
The Official Site for the “Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD” program
Well, a pair of the best tickets in the house are actually closer to $300-350, but that is still a hefty chunk of change for a three hour cultural vacation. I have not seen the Met HD-theater productions, but I have been to others, and they are GREAT. I highly recommend them if you want to see an opera. But I hope you might also get to the live productions from time to time. If you made a plan to see a live opera ONCE a year, and did it every year, you would gradually amass a considerable experience. Good post.