Opera at the movies along side of big Hollywood blockbusters? The Metropolitan Opera is bringing opera to a larger audience through HD broadcasts.
Is Opera in the movie theaters a good thing? The Metropolitan Opera is increasing the number of televised live performances to movie theaters from 6 to 8 in their 2007/08 season. Is this good for the opera world, or are we just over comercializing the artform?
Personally, the perspective of a singer, this is actually great for the artform. Many people might say that opera is a dying art, only for old people and rich people. I think that what the Met is doing, by bringing opera to the masses is actually similar to what Broadway has been doing for years, and replaces what it lost when the Met stopped touring. It is building a larger audience thus making it more accessible to everyone.
When you tell someone you are going on vacation to New York City, you are usually asked, “What are you going to see on Broadway?” Every major city and many smaller ones are visited by Broadway touring companies. Touring is for opera is often more expensive and more difficult than a Broadway show, however, since you have to move a large orchestra, singers, sets, etc. An added problem is time off for the cast. For singers to remain in prime vocal health, many of the larger roles require time for vocal rest between performances, making opera less cost effective. While a Broadway show that can have 7 or 8 performances in a week, often the opera at most can have 3 or 4.
With today’s video and audio capabilities, however, we can now bring the opera to a larger audience, at a reasonable price. No, it is not the same as sitting in a live performance, but with the video technology, you are actually “closer to the action” than you would be if you were sitting in the front row at the Met. Furthermore, in bringing the opera to the big screen, it peaks the interest of the watcher to check out their own local companies, and perhaps sells more tickets for the local theater. More tickets sold at the local theater, more money in donations and gifts equals more shows at the local theater, with better quality production and singing, which means more jobs for singers. It is a win/win for everyone involved, and it keeps the artform alive!
