The Metropolitan Opera: Live In High Definition Series 2007-08 Season Tickets On Sale Now

National CineMedia Triples The Number Of Presenting Theatres In The U.S. To Over 330

November 13, 2007

Tickets are now on sale to the general public in the U.S. for the critically-acclaimed The Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition series, featuring eight LIVE operas and pre-recorded Encore presentations that begin on December 15th with Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, conducted by Plácido Domingo. For the 2007-08 The Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition season, National CineMedia and its NCM Fathom entertainment division have tripled the number of LIVE presenting theatres to more than 330 and expanded their Digital Broadcast Network – the largest digital in-theatre high definition network in North America – to include participating AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc., Georgia Theatre Company, Goodrich Quality Theaters, Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres and select performing arts center locations in the United States, including the Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), Rose Theatre (Port Townsend, WA), Society of the Four Arts (Palm Beach, FL), State Theatre (Traverse City, MI), State Theatre (State College, PA), and the Strand Theatre (Rockland, ME). Tickets for the critically-acclaimed The Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition series, presented LIVE via satellite, can be purchased at participating theatre box offices, online at www.metopera.org/hd or by calling 1-800-Met-Opera (1-800-638-6737). Movie theatre ticket prices are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for children (prices may vary by location for independent performing arts centers and cinemas, so please check with your local theatre for specific ticket prices). For a complete list of presenting theatre locations, please visit the website (theatres are subject to change, and not all participating LIVE theatres will offer the pre-recorded Encore presentations, so please check the theatre list carefully). The 2007-08 schedule for Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition is as follows: Saturday, December 15, 2007 (1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT) Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Launching the new HD season, Anna Netrebko returns from her star turn last year as Elvira in I Puritani to sing the role of the tragic heroine. Earlier this season, The Associated Press called her performance as Juliette at the Met, “Striking…sparkling on her high notes…and rising to great heights of dramatic expressiveness.” French tenor Roberto Alagna reprises one of his most famous portrayals, which The Associated Press described as “ardent and ultimately winning.” Of their partnership, The New York Times simply stated, “You are not going to hear much better singing than this today.” The legendary Plácido Domingo, who himself sang the role of Roméo at the Met in 1974, conducts this classic example of French grand opera. Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Roméo et Juliette (Available in select theatres only.) Tuesday, January 1, 2008 (1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT) Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, the Met’s holiday entertainment offering starring Christine Schäfer and Alice Coote in a new English-language production by Richard Jones, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, a timeless children’s favorite, features a sophisticated score, and this intriguing new staging will appeal to audiences of all ages. Sunday, January 6, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Hansel and Gretel (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, January 12, 2008 (1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT) Verdi’s Macbeth starring Maria Guleghina and TBA, directed by Adrian Noble and conducted by Met Music Director James Levine. The composer’s longstanding affinity for Shakespeare is explored in the Met’s new production. The New York Times praises Macbeth as a “grimly effective, intriguingly playful production” and Ms. Gulgehina’s performance as “chillingly powerful.” Sunday, January 13, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Macbeth (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, February 16, 2008 (1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT) Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, starring Karita Mattila and Marcello Giordani, and conducted by Met Music Director James Levine. The story of the magnetic attraction between two young lovers is the perfect vehicle for this charismatic pair of singers. Sunday, February 17, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Manon Lescaut (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, March 15, 2008 (1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT) Britten’s Peter Grimes, starring Anthony Dean Griffey and Patricia Racette in a new production directed by John Doyle and conducted by Donald Runnicles. A haunting theatrical journey that features what may be 20th century opera’s most impressive tenor role. Sunday, March 16, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Peter Grimes (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, March 22, 2008 (12:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. CT / 10:30 a.m. MT / 9:30 a.m. PT) Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, starring Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner, and conducted by Met Music Director James Levine. One of world’s most celebrated Wagnerian sopranos and the leading Tristan of our time star in this much-anticipated revival at the Met. Sunday, March 23, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of Tristan und Isolde (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, April 5, 2008 (1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT) Puccini’s La Bohème, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas in a Franco Zeffirelli production conducted by Nicola Luisotti. A magnificent cast comes together for this iconic production of the Puccini favorite. Sunday, April 6, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of La Bohème (Available in select theatres only.) Saturday, April 26, 2008 (1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. MT / 10:30 a.m. PT) Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez, directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Marco Armiliato. Experience what The Times of London calls an “the operatic show of the season” in a dazzling new production that also features four-time Tony Award®-winning stage legend Zoe Caldwell. Sunday, April 27, 2008 (3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. PT) Encore presentation of La Fille du Régiment (Available in select theatres only.) Programs and casting subject to change. For more details on the operas, please visit the Met’s web site at www.metopera.org/hd. More than 600 venues in North America, Australia, Europe, and Japan are participating in the Met’s groundbreaking series during the 2007-08 season – triple the number from last year – and several independent cinemas, performing arts organizations, and universities in the U.S. will be presenting the series for the first time. Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition has expanded its worldwide distribution to include 13 different countries, with newcomers Australia, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and Belgium joining the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Japan for the second season. Through this significant global expansion, Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition is expected to reach a global audience of up to 1 million for the entire series. The Met’s inaugural series of High Definition transmissions in the 2006-07 season captured international headlines, reaching 325,000 audience members around the world who attended performances relayed into movie theaters worldwide — including both live and encore presentations. The series launched in December 2006, and by the final opera event in May of 2007, National CineMedia had expanded the number of presenting theatres in the U.S. to 113 locations (151 screens), reaching a total U.S. audience of approximately 200,000 for the entire series.

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