The Metropolitan Opera at Orcas Center

||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER |||

This spring, watch incredible performances from The Metropolitan Opera at Orcas Center! Filmed live in HD, these on-screen events feature a diverse sampling of the world’s best performers at the height of their careers – giving you the best seat in the house from the
comfort of your own island!

Tuesday, May 14th at 12pm: Carmen (Bizet) Bizet’s masterpiece of the gypsy seductress who lives by her own rules has had an impact far beyond the opera house. The opera’s melodic sweep is as irresistible as the title character herself, a force of nature who has become a defining female cultural figure. Carmen was a scandal at its premiere but soon after became a triumphal success and has remained one of the most frequently staged operas in the world.

Tuesday, May 21st at 12pm: La Forza Del Destino (Verdi) Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Verdi’s grand tale of ill-fated love, deadly vendettas, and family strife, with stellar soprano Lise Davidsen as the noble Leonora, one of the repertory’s most tormented—and thrilling—heroines. Director Mariusz Treliński delivers the company’s first new Forza in nearly 30 years, setting the scene in a contemporary world and making extensive use of the Met’s turntable to represent the unstoppable advance of destiny that drives the opera’s chain of calamitous events.

Tuesday, May 28th at 12pm: La Rondine (Puccini) Puccini’s bittersweet love story arrives with soprano Angel Blue starring as the French courtesan Magda, opposite tenor Jonathan Tetelman as Ruggero, an idealistic young man who offers her an alternative to her life of excess. Maestro Speranza Scappucci conducts Nicolas Joël’s Art Deco–inspired staging, which transports audiences from the heart of Parisian
nightlife to a dreamy vision of the French Riviera. Soprano Emily Pogorelc and tenor Bekhzod Davronov complete the sterling cast as Lisette and Prunier. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.

Tuesday, June 4th at 12pm: Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Extraordinary soprano Asmik Grigorian tackles the demanding role of Cio-Cio-San, the loyal geisha at the heart of Puccini’s devastating tragedy. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman stars as the callous American naval officer Pinkerton, whose betrayal destroys her. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong reprises the role of the steadfast maid Suzuki, and baritone Lucas Meachem is the American consul Sharpless. Acclaimed maestro Xian Zhang takes the podium on May 11 to conduct Anthony Minghella’s vivid production.

Ticket prices range from $10-$63. Tickets available online at www.OrcasCenter.org by phone at 360-376-2281 ext 100, or in-person at the Box Office Tuesday-Friday 10am – 3pm.