Athena Cinema to bring The Met Opera Live to the big screen for the 2019-2020 Season

The Athena Cinema and the College of Fine Arts are excited to announce the “The Met: Live in HD” 2019-2020 season at the Athena Cinema presented by The Ohio University Performing Arts Series with support from George Weckman & Arts for OHIO.

“We believe this series will delight and surprise opera fans of all ages, and introduce new fans to these extraordinary productions,” said Alexandra Kamody, director of the Athena Cinema.

“The Met: Live in HD” is the Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning series of opera performances transmitted live from the stage of the Met into movie theaters worldwide.

Beginning its 14th season, “Live in HD” debuts at the Athena for the first time on Oct. 12 with the Met’s production of Puccini’s “Turandot,” starring Christine Goerke in the title role, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

The season features 10 live transmissions starring the greatest artists in opera, including five new productions: the Met premiere of Philip Glass’s groundbreaking 20th-century opera “Akhnaten,” starring Anthony Roth Costanzo as the title pharaoh, conducted by Karen Kamensek; Peter Mattei in the title role of Berg’s “Wozzeck,” in a new staging by acclaimed visual artist and stage director William Kentridge, conducted by Nézet-Séguin; a new production of the Gershwins’ classic American opera “Porgy and Bess,” last performed at the Met in 1990, starring Eric Owens and Angel Blue, directed by James Robinson and conducted by David Robertson; the Met premiere of Handel’s “Agrippina,” starring Joyce DiDonato in a contemporary staging by Sir David McVicar that promises to resonate with modern audiences; and a new take on Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer,” starring Sir Bryn Terfel in the title role.

In addition to “Turandot” and the five new productions, audiences will have the chance to see Massenet’s lush French masterpiece “Manon;” the return of Anthony Minghella’s inspired vision of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” with Paulo Szot as Sharpless; Anna Netrebko in the title role of Puccini’s “Tosca;” and Diana Damrau and Jamie Barton as the dueling queens of “Maria Stuarda,” the second opera of Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy.

The Athena Cinema will also offer a special holiday encore of “The Magic Flute,” the company’s first-ever “The Met: Live in HD” transmission from 2006. The abridged, English-language version of Mozart’s classic fable features a winning ensemble, including Matthew Polenzani as Tamino, Nathan Gunn as Papageno, and René Pape as Sarastro. Julie Taymor’s cherished production will be shown on Dec. 7.

Tickets are $18 general admission, students and children are $8, and the Athena is offering a limited number of free admissions to Ohio University students thanks to a special agreement with Arts for OHIO. The tickets are available on first-come, first-serve basis, and students must have valid student ID.

To engage families and younger audiences during the holiday season, the presentation of “Magic Flute” will be offered at a special price of $12.50 regular admission, with students and children admission only $8.

The Athena is offering two season subscription options to the “MET: Live in HD” series. First, with the purchase of a full season (ten operas), guests get free admission to the “Magic Flute” screening event on Dec. 7. The second option offers those who purchase nine operas, receive the tenth show free.

This series is made possible with the support of George Weckman, the Ohio University Performing Arts Series, the College of Fine Arts, and Arts for OHIO. 

Further information and movie trailers can be found on the Athena Cinema website here: http://athenacinema.com/metopera/.