What: Met Opera HD Live in Cinemas will present The Exterminating Angel on this coming Saturday, November 18; at 12:55 pm (2 hrs 40 min with 25 min intermission). Most of the participating theaters will rebroadcast the Saturday performance once or twice on the following Wednesday, November 29. Use this link to find participating theaters near you; put in your city and state into the address box (not your zip code). The next In Cinemas live transmission will be December 9, when Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel will be broadcast as a holiday treat for both children and adults; note that this is a rebroadcast and not live.
The dinner party begins in The Exterminating Angel. Photo by Ken Howard; courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.
Why You Should Go:
1. It is a new opera that you are not going to see produced near you anytime soon. There have been two previous productions in Europe (Salzburger Festspiele, August 2017; Royal Opera, May 2017); both were well-received.
2. It is based on the highly acclaimed movie of the same name, directed by Luis Bunuel . It will be interesting to compare the opera with the movie.
3. The opera’s plot revolves around a dinner party for wealthy opera goers. The servants are compelled by some inexplicable force to leave, but the guests find that they cannot. Polite society begins to break down. Despite the disturbing theme, there are comic elements.
4. The composer/co-librettist is Thomas Ades, who has received praise for his choral works, chamber music, and operas; his last opera, The Tempest, is a previous success; Ades will also conduct this performance. A discussion of the opera by Ades and his co-librettist/director Tom Cairns in given in the video at the bottom of this post
5. The cast is headed by coloratura soprano, Audrey Luna, playing Leticia; she is known for her high range. She is the only singer to play this role thus far, having done so in the two previous productions. Overall, there are 15 solo roles in this opera for a highly regarded ensemble cast.
6. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
7. You can take your popcorn, candy, and soda into the theater, unlike opera houses.
Reviews (additional reviews listed in sidebar):
Composer/co-librettist/conductor Thomas Ades and co-librettist/director Tom Cairns discuss The Exterminating Angel (YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ7-PanwJCI; the Metropolitan Opera).