By Kate Skinner
“Opera is a unique form; it combines singing, great music, and drama. It has got it all,” said Jane Van Valkenburg, the director of music ministries at First Presbyterian Church in Bryan. For her, classical music and a love of the performing arts are reasons enough to go and see an opera performance.
To see a live performance, a fairly large time commitment, travel expenses, and ticket prices are to be expected. Alternatively, The Met Live in HD is a live-streamed opera performance offered from the convenience of local movie theaters that saves you time and money, but still offers the experience of an opera performance. With “productions chosen to represent a variety of styles and the full range of the Met repertoire and artists...[The Met Live in HD is] a perfect, low-risk way to introduce a reluctant opera goer to the art form,” according to the Met's website. As a participating location, the Cinemark Theatre in College Station brings this experience to the Brazos Valley.
Van Valkenburg explains The Met Live performances are her preferred method of viewing. “It’s so close up, something you can’t get in a live performance. Watching [The Met Live in HD] gives you a unique emersion experience.” She went on to suggest that new opera-goers be sure to experience Puccini’s La Bohème, the story of love and poverty that inspired the popular musical Rent.
The eighth season of The Met Live is currently underway, and offers a variety of titles for individuals to enjoy. Typically, live performances are shown locally at 11:55am on Saturdays, while the encore is shown at 6:30pm on the following Wednesday. Dvořák's Rusalka,or “Song to the Moon,” will be performed on February 8, with an encore performance shown February 12.
Other performances include:
Borodin's Prince Igor live March 1, encore March 5
Massenet's Werther live March 15, encore March 19
Puccini's La Bohème live April 5, encore April 9
Mozart's Così fan tutte live April 26, encore April 30
Rossini's La Cenerentola live May 10, encore May 14
Visit www.metoperafamily.org for further information regarding The Met Live in HD experience and titles. Tickets can be purchased at www.fathomevents .com. Live events are $22, encore showings are $20.
