We are practically giving it away, as we do every summer. It’s our Live at the Met Summer Encore Series, featuring the recently-ended season’s most popular shows – each for only $15.
Not only a wonderful chance to re-enjoy many of the productions you saw at full price, this is also a great way to introduce tentative friends to the rich and fascinating world of opera.
Saturdays at 10am. Get your espresso drink at concessions, and watch in cool comfort.
Here they are, at a glance:
ANNA BOLENA Donizetti
3 hr 10 min, Sat. June 16, 10am
Anna Netrebko opened the Met’s 2011-12 season with her portrayal of the ill-fated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king, singing one of opera’s greatest mad scenes. Marco Armiliato conducts.
LE COMTE ORY Rossini
2 hr 25 min, Sat. June 23, 10am
Bel canto sensation Juan Diego Flórez sings the title role of this vocally dazzling comedy, in Bartlett Sher’s Met premiere production.
DON GIOVANNI Mozart
3 hr, Sat. June 30, 10am
Mariusz Kwiecien is the world’s most famous lover in Michael Grandage’s elegant new production, led by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN Offenbach
3 hr, Sat. July 14, 10am
Joseph Calleja stars in the tour-de-force title role of this fictionalized take on the life and loves of the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. Met Music Director James Levine conducts.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Donizetti
2 hr 25 min, Sat. July 21, 10am
Mary Zimmerman’s hit production is staged as a Victorian ghost story. Conductor: Marco Armiliato
DER ROSENKAVALIER Strauss
3 hr 20 min, Sat. July 28, 10am
Strauss’s comic masterpiece of love and intrigue, starring Renée Fleming. Edo de Waart conducts.
Brian Bedford as Lady Bracknell. Don't get her mad.
We’ve talked about THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and THE CHERRY ORCHARD here, so, thrilled as we are to be bringing them to our huge screen from Broadway and London, we won’t go on about it. But: once you’ve seen EARNEST on 6/6, you will want to join us for a TONY AWARDS PARTY on 6/12, if only to root for Brian Bedford as Best Actor for his brilliant turn as Lady Bracknell.
So here’s something else exciting. The Metropolitan Opera’s amazing program of satellite transmissions, The Met: Live in HD, is very popular here at the Lark, with most live broadcasts selling out. But we know there’s an audience we’ve yet to reach: people who maybe love theater and musicals but haven’t quite made it over to opera yet, or people on fixed incomes for whom the ticket prices pose a challenge.
Is this you? Then you’ll want to know that starting in June we have the Met’s Summer Encore Series, six of the most popular and accessible shows from the past season, for only $15 each.
Simple gestures movingly convey a child's curiosity, concern and tenderness.
We start with Puccini’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY on Sat, 6/18 at 10am. The insanely beautiful, colorful staging of Anthony Mighella’s production and the music – you’ve heard the heart-piercing aria “Un bel di vedrema,” even if you don’t know it – make this a great introduction if you’re new to opera, or new to opera onscreen. Film-goers know Minghella from THE ENGLISH PATIENT). The production is also graced by the astonishing work of London’s Blind Summit Theatre, which created Cio-Cio San’s puppet child. Read about the production here.
Cio-Cio San and her puppet son. Puppeteers are fully visible but go unnoticed.
Who can resist a story about a sassy girl who can’t stay out of trouble? Generations of boys and girls alike have loved Beverly Cleary‘s books, which have sold over 75 million world-wide (in other words, nowhere near JK Rowling, but neck-and-neck with Dan Brown). Now on screen at the Lark is the G-rated RAMONA AND BEEZUS. Great fun for kids who’ve read the books; might inspire those who haven’t. And while we’re speaking of summer family films, there are three more to go in our Family Film Fridays series: Fridays at 10am through 8/13, see family favorites for $1 (12 and under), $5 general.
Oh, Ramona’s not enough of a trouble-maker for you? Not enough sass? Try Carmen, then. The last in the Met’s Live in HD summer greatest hits series, this most-loved opera of all time is given lean yet delicious new life in Director Richard Eyre’s fresh production. Eyre says CARMEN “is about sex, violence, and racism and its corollary: freedom. It is one of the inalienably great works of art. It’s sexy, in every sense. And I think it should be shocking.” Come see for yourself on Wednesday, 7/28 at 6:30pm or Saturday, 7/31 at 10am.
With a perfect record of predictions for the 2010 World Cup, Oktopus Paul was one among many remarkable performers we had the privilege of witnessing during this exhilarating series of sporting events. The Lark Theater presented three of the games live on the big screen, with two sold-out houses. It is thrilling to watch a live sporting event here in the dark on the very big screen with a house full of like-minded fans and an up-close view of the action. Today, Paul goes into well-earned retirement. But we will continue to bring you live sporting events; next up, Super Bowl 2011.
Meanwhile, it’s summer, and these breezy, fog-conditioned days won’t last forever. Come in and cool down with us Friday mornings through mid-August at Family Film Fridays, where tickets are only ONE DOLLAR for kids 12 and under, and only FIVE DOLLARS for everyone else. See our website for details on this and more.
And there are three more Met Opera greatest hits coming your way in the next few weeks: LA BOHEME, TURANDOT, and CARMEN. If you haven’t had the amazing experience of the Met onscreen – or if you haven’t seen one or all of these brilliant productions – we hope you’ll take this opportunity. We don’t need a psychic octopus to know you’ll enjoy your experience.
Poor April. First that silly old King Numa Pompilius moves it from second to fourth place in the calendar by inserting January and February, back in 700 BC… and then along comes T.S. Eliot… oh, and the IRS…
Well, fortunately the Lark Theater is here to put things right. We start with the action thriller Taken, starring Liam Neeson, now playing. Mick LaSalle of the SF Chronicle says, “the level of skill that went into Taken is masterly…. There are different kinds of creativity. Taken evinces the creativity of expert craftsmanship.”
The creativity of expert craftsmanship… that reminds us… Have you seen Man on Wire? Ends 4/9. In lean times, reasons for supporting the arts can fall out of focus. That’s when we in the arts non-profit sector start shuffling around, spouting phrases like “economic importance of the creative sector”, “community-enhancement”, “jobs in the arts”, “tourism”, and so on. Forget it. Philippe Petit’s astonishing act of pure courage and grace says “art for art’s sake” like nothing else we can imagine – and I, for one, don’t want my arts any other way.
The Metropolitan Opera has put out a documentary about a group of people who aspire to a less literal lofty height. The Audition features the finalists of the Met’s National Council Auditions as they compete in this career-launching contest. We’re showing a premiere simulcast on 4/19, and an encore 4/22. Directed by Susan Fromke, who brought us Grey Gardens and Christo in Paris.
Sure, we subscribe to Netflix. But we know there’s nothing like film on the big screen – especially movies that were made for the big screen. In observance of this fact we’re showing The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz this month. No late fees! Details here.
Like so many, we were shocked and saddened at the passing of Natasha Richardson. We celebrate the work of this elegant and adventurous actress with Widow’s Peak, 4/17 – 4/21.
And that’s not all! Details on our Big Night event, Youth Film Festival, Twilight, and Live at the Lark Music events coming soon. Stay tuned…
As always, there’s lots going on here at the Lark. The Moore-o-Nettes’ Marionette show (Saturday, 3/21) is almost sold out. Great to see so much local enthusiasm for this special form of performing art, which is so deeply traditional and yet which invites such wildly original creativity. We always welcome an opportunity to use our space – designed for film but also a beautiful concert setting – in a new and different way.
In Met Opera news, our live transmission and first encore performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly sold so quickly that we had to add a second encore, coming up on Wednesday, 3/18 at 7:00pm. The insanely beautiful, colorful staging of this production and the music – you’ve heard the heart-piercing aria “Un bel di vedrema,” even if you don’t know it – make this a great introduction if you’re new to opera, or new to opera onscreen. Just days later we’ll be showing the next opera in the Met’s season, La Sonnambula with soprano Natalie Dessay. There are still tickets available for the encore presentation on Sunday, March 22. The New Yorker magazine had an interesting profile of Dessay in its March 2 issue which will give you some juicy background if you’re already planning coming to the show, and probably convince you to come if you weren’t. Here’s a run-down.
Also upcoming is that family classic you have to see at least once on the big screen, The Sound of Music; some great live music; and our annual Youth Film Festival. Please check our website for details: www.larktheater.net. You can find us on Facebook too!
We welcome your comments and suggestions below.
