The Met: Live in HD Summer Schedule Announced

Elina Garanca as Carmen and Roberto Alagna as Don José in Bizet’s “Carmen.”
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Taken at the Metropolitan Opera during the dress rehearsal on December 28, 2009. Ken Howard photo.

Orcas Center is excited to announce the 2013 Summer Encore line up from the Met: Live in HD, opening at Orcas Center on Friday June 28 at 7:30 pm with the most popular Metropolitan Opera production of all time, Bizet’s Carmen. All Summer Encores have a shorter run time than the regular season screenings and are shown on Friday evenings at 7:30 pm.

Peter Gelb, Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Opera and creator of the Met: Live in HD phenomena, has selected five of the most popular Met productions and added a sixth which stars one of the great divas, the audience favorite Renee Fleming.

• June 28: Carmen—Elina Garanca is Carmen the seductive gypsy of the title. It “is about sex, violence, and racism-and it’s corollary: freedom,” says British director Richard Eyre.
• July 12: Il Trovatore—This stirring production of Verdi’s intense drama which is considered to be the composers most melodically rich score.
• July 26: Armida—Rossini’s mythical story of a sorceress who enthralls men in her island prison. Armida is a fanciful and magical tale with an epic, enchanted quality and a tremendous visual element. Renee Fleming stars.
• August 2: La Traviata—Natalie Dessay puts on the red dress to star as Verdi’s most beloved heroine, the Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry, in Willy Decker’s stunning production. The beauty, brutality and a sense of menace iare at the core of this pared down brilliant production.
• August 30: Turandot—Franco Zeffirelli’s breathtaking production of Puccini’s last opera and a favorite of the Met repertoire. The story of the ruthless Chinese princess of the title whose hatred of men is so strong that she has all suitors who can’t solve her riddles beheaded.
• September 6: Il Barbiere de Siviglia—One of the most beloved operatic comedies of all time, Rossini’s Barber of Seville is directed by Barlett Sher. Superstar tenor Juan Diego Florez is joined by American superstar Joyce DiDonato.

Tickets for the Summer Encores from The Met: Live in HD are $18 for adults, $13 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 2013 season events, please visit www.orcascenter.org.