Entertainment: Met Opera streamed live at your local cinema

I’m very happy to highlight a great opportunity to imbibe some sublime art in an affordable, accessible way. Anthony Minghella’s production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at New York’s Metropolitan Opera is being streamed live to cinemas in HD this Saturday evening. Event cinema has been steadily growing in popularity over the last 10 years and having tried it myself I can heartily recommend it.

I saw Boris Godunov streamed live from the Royal Opera House last week; my chums wouldn’t have wanted to splash out for the train fare and tickets for the real thing, so it was a fun, convenient way to witness Bryn Terfel’s lustrous bass-baritone. The cinema was still atmospheric (sold out with a friendly crowd), it cost under £20 and I was home before 10.15pm.

The Met Opera is one of the world’s most revered opera houses, and Minghella’s production (premiered in 2006) is in fact renowned for cinematic visuals, featuring “visual richness” and “striking spectral puppeteers” according to bachtrack.com. This version drew praise from the New York Times for conductor Karel Mark Chichon’s performance which “kept the drama flowing inexorably forward without stinting on Puccini’s lushness.”

Puccini deals in highly emotional drama with beautiful melodies so this would serve as a fine first-ever-opera. This screening is therefore an easy way to broaden one’s horizons this weekend, or to see a new interpretation of the hugely popular opera if you are a fan already.

Met Opera: Madama Butterfly HD Live stream,
Saturday 2 April, 5.55pm, Duke’s At Komedia £8-£30
Cineworld, Eastbourne, £14.20 to £19.50