Anthony Minghella’s breathtaking production has thrilled audiences ever since its premiere in 2006. One of the world’s foremost Butterflys, soprano Kristine Opolais, takes on the title role, and Roberto Alagna sings Pinkerton, the naval officer who breaks Butterfly’s heart. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.
ESTIMATED RUN TIME: 2 HRS 40 MINS
Soprano Anna Netrebko’s dramatic and vocal skills are on full display as Leonora, the Verdi heroine who sacrifices her life for the love of the title troubadour. Tenor Yonghoon Lee sings the ill-fated Manrico, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is his rival, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is the mysterious gypsy with a troubled past. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s gritty, Goya-inspired production.
ESTIMATED RUN TIME: 2 HRS 41 MINS
Nina Stemme, one of opera’s greatest dramatic sopranos, takes on the title role of the proud princess of legendary China. Tenor Marco Berti is Calàf, the brave prince who sings “Nessun dorma” and wins her hand. Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.
ESTIMATED RUN TIME: 2 HRS 18 MINS
Beloved American soprano Renée Fleming joins Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece of unrequited young love. The opera’s sweeping dramatic arc of this opera—youthful longing, rejection, regret, a desperate plea that comes too late—is perfectly mirrored in Tchaikovsky’s achingly beautiful music and in the gorgeous lighting of this strikingly minimal production.
RUN TIME: 2 HRS 49 MINS
When Pete the Cat gets caught rocking out after bedtime, the cat-catcher sends him to live with the Biddle family to learn his manners – and boy are they square! But for the groovy blue cat, life is an adventure no matter where you wind up, so the minute Pete walks in the door, he gets the whole family rocking. The whole family, that is, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet earth. As the end of second grade approaches, Jimmy has a lot of tests, and the last thing he needs is some groovy cat in his life, changing his family and turning everything upside down. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class during the last week of school, it turns out Pete is the perfect friend to help him out. Together, they set out on a mission to help Jimmy conquer second grade art, and along the way, they both learn a little something new about inspiration. Join Jimmy and Pete on an adventure of friendship, all the way to Paris and back in a VW Bus.
(Approximately 50 minutes in length, recommended for grades PreK – 3) Curriculum Connections: Communication and Language Arts, Literature-Based, Music, Relationships & Family.
Theatreworks USA’s production of PETE THE CAT at the Lucille Lortel Theatre for 2017 Free Summer Theatre. Featuring: Adante Carter, Matt Dengler, Brandi Porter, Kyle Sherman and Sam Tedaldi.
When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic inter-planetary field trip! But when rivalries both old and new threaten to tear the students apart, our young heroes must learn to pull together or risk getting forever lost in the solar system… Hop on the Magic School Bus for a ride in Theatreworks USA’s new musical adaptation based on the original book series published by Scholastic.
(Approximately one hour in length. Recommended for grades K-5). Curriculum Connections: Communication and Language Arts, Music, Science, Social Studies.
Soprano Anna Netrebko sings her first Met Aida, with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili as her formidable rival Amneris. Aleksandrs Antonenko is the warrior Radamès, and Nicola Luisotti takes the podium for the Met’s monumental production.
Run Time: 3 hrs 36 mins
Saint-Saëns’s biblical epic Samson et Dalila stars Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna in the title roles; the pair was last seen together by HD audiences in the acclaimed 2010 transmission of Bizet’s Carmen. Laurent Naouri co-stars as the High Priest, with Elchin Azizov as the Philistine King Abimélech and Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Old Hebrew. Darko Tresnjak, the Tony Award–winning director of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, makes his Met debut directing the first new Met production of the opera in 20 years. Sir Mark Elder conducts.
Run Time: 3 hrs 4 mins
Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Verdi’s timeless tragedy La Traviata. Directed by Michael Mayer, this new production features a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Diana Damrau is the doomed heroine Violetta, opposite Juan Diego Flórez as her lover, Alfredo, and Quinn Kelsey as Alfredo’s protective father, Giorgio Germont.
Run Time: 3:32
For the first time at the Met, Anna Netrebko sings the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur, the great 18th-century actress in love with the military hero Maurizio, sung by Piotr Beczała. Gianandrea Noseda conducts Cilea’s tragedy, directed by Sir David McVicar, with the action partially set in a working replica of a Baroque theater. The cast also features Anita Rachvelishvili as the Princess of Bouillon, Adriana’s rival for Maurizio’s affections; Ambrogio Maestri as Michonnet, Adriana’s faithful friend; and Carlo Bosi as the duplicitous Abbé.
Adriana Lecouvreur is a co-production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Wiener Staatsoper; San Francisco Opera; and L’Opéra National de Paris.
Run Time: 3:58
