The Met: Live in HD 2014 Summer Encores at Orcas Center

— from Artha Kass —
Mark your calendars! The Met: Live in HD 2014 Summer Encores begin at Orcas Center! Six stunning presentations back on screen this summer commencing with Rigoletto – the Met’s bold production set in Las Vegas, featured on 60 minutes.

On Saturday, July 12, Orcas Center kicks off the Met Summer Encores, featuring select performances from the groundbreaking Live in HD series. The 2014 Summer Encores series will offer screenings of six popular Live in HD transmissions: Verdi’s Rigoletto (July 12), Puccini’s La Rondine (July 26), Verdi’s Otello (Aug 2), the Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island (Aug 30), Gounod’s Roméo and Juliette (Sept 6) and Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West (Sept 13). Encores are Saturdays at 7:30 pm

FAQ about The Met: Live in HD and the Summer Encore series:
Q. How did the idea of The Met: Live in HD start?
A. The program was developed as a way to reach existing audiences and to introduce new audiences to opera through new technology. The Met has an 80-year tradition of broadcasting live performances to millions of radio listeners globally on the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. This offered the springboard for the Live in HD program. Most of the HD transmissions are also simulcast on radio.

Q. How many people at the Met are involved in producing the Live in HD presentations? What are their various roles?
A. There is a huge team of people involved in bringing Met performances to the big screen. This includes everyone from stagehands and stage managers to the singers, chorus and orchestra, audio and video technicians, cameramen, producers, scriptwriters, hosts, and people in charge of marketing and distribution of the series.

Q. Is this program just for opera fans?
A. The Met: Live in HD is for everyone. The productions are chosen to represent a variety of styles and the full range of the Met repertoire and artists. They all feature great storytelling, great singing, and extraordinary production values. Many people tell us that it is a perfect, low-risk way to introduce a reluctant opera goer to the art form.

Q. How are the operas chosen for the series? Are there some operas that might be more “challenging” for a general audience than others?
A. Various factors play a part in choosing the repertoire for Live in HD, including the music, the composers, the performers, a Met favorite, etc. In general, opera, when it’s presented at the highest level both musically and theatrically, appeals to a very broad audience.

Q. What happens during intermission of the live transmissions?
A. The Live in HD events are enhanced by specially produced features that offer audiences a look behind the scenes. These include live interviews with singers, directors, designers, and stage technicians, as well as documentaries and other short features. In the past seasons, the intermission features have been hosted by Met stars like Natalie Dessay, Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Patricia Racette, and Deborah Voigt.

Q. How do the singers feel about performing in these live transmissions?
A. The artists involved are excited to be a part of this initiative and reach worldwide audiences. It is as important to them as it is to the Met to keep opera one of the most thrilling art forms, relevant to our time, and a part of the cultural mainstream.

Q. Where can I obtain a list of the featured operas, performance dates, start times, synopses and cast lists and venues?
A. Detailed information is available on our website at metopera.org/LiveinHD. You may link to any of the cinema partner websites from the Met website so if you’re off island you might attend a performance at another location.

• July 12 -Verdi’s Rigoletto
• July 26- Puccini’s La Rondine
• Aug 2-Verdi’s Otello
• Aug 30-Baroqu pastiche The Enchanted Island
• Sept 6 -Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette
• Sept 13- Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West

Please note:
Encores screen Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm Tickets for all Met: Live in HD Encores are $18, $13 for students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon – 4 pm. For more information about Orcas Center 2014 season events, please visit www.orcascenter.org.