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Opera Invades The Movie House
We have some discussion today about Opera houses bringing their wares to movie theaters. We get the following scoop from the yodeling caves of Yahoo:
For opera lovers who balk at paying 180 pounds ($270) for a seat in the stalls, or anyone seeking a night out at the movies with a difference, opera houses are increasingly looking to film to boost audiences.
“We genuinely believe this is another way for people to get access to the art form in a less intimidating way,” said Gillian Brierley, head of marketing at Glyndebourne, southern England, which holds an annual opera festival notoriously difficult to get tickets to.
“Now for 10 pounds you can try it. We have very high attendance figures during the festival, but we have an aging audience and need an audience of the future. And obviously it is less of a risk to pay 10 pounds,” she said.
On one side of the coin I am glad that people who want to check out the opera are able to do so in the comfort of their local movie theatre. People don’t always have an opera house in their city so making “big city” productions available on film is a great way to introduce the art to those that may not be able to see it due to issues of cost or location.
On the other side of the coin, I think Opera is something that should be experienced live. Stage productions big and small have a power to them, because you are part of it as an audience member. Seeing it on a screen just isn’t the same as the stage. You see the shadow of the thing, which may be entertaining – but it isn’t the full experience.
What do you guys think? Would you be interested in seeing an opera at the movie theatre? Do you think this is a slippery slope that will hurt the art in the long run, or a legitimate means to introduce the art to those that may not have a chance otherwise?
For those interested in the full story – check out the source article.
Doug, they have already started doing this in Buffalo. I’m not really an opera fan, but it does come in handy when I want to take a classy lady out for a night. It’s a much cheaper alternative to faking culture.
Why is this a news item? They’ve been doing it here in Canada for a year…and in the States at Regal cinemas for longer. (Ditto for ballet)
Yeah, the Regal near me has been showing Operas on the big screen from the Met for a long time, but I’m glad to see the trend is branching out.
I think this is great and I hope they start doing it near me. I’ve always been interested in Operas and have so few chances to get exposed to them. I can in no way afford to travel or buy tickets to a live one. I know it’s not the same, but at least it’s better than nothin.
I always make it to at least one performance at the L.A. Opera, and the Met will always have my money, but all of the live shows I’ve gone to are almost better than the real thing. Sometimes you get a host like Renee Fleming or Deborah Voigt who are real stars and not some tossaway soprano who needs a gig, you can see the crew working backstage, close-ups on gestures and expressions you never would have seen from the family circle seats, interviews, ‘Doctor Atomic’ had a History Channel-esque special on Oppenheimer, an intermission countdown, and all of it for the smallest fraction of an orchestra ticket.
But when Karita Mattila fucking OWNED her last aria at the end of ‘Salome’, I was so disappointed I wasn’t part of the screaming crowd when they cut to black. That performance was easily on the same level as Joan Sutherland when she did Lucia back in the ’70s.
It’s an affordable alternative to the real thing, you get a lot for it, but there’s one thing they never show: the chandeliers going up. :) The experience is a totally different thing. The ticket price is a great incentive and if it wasn’t for that, I probably never would have been introduced to how incredible ‘Peter Grimes’, ‘Macbeth’, and ‘La Fille du Regiment’ are. (Florez took a curtain call after “Ah Mes Amis…”! Nobody does that at the Met!)
Okay, shutting up. But seriously, I love the live shows, it’s great to have them when I’m on the other side of the country, but everyone needs to see it live once. (If you’re around L.A. actually, ‘Carmen’ was outstanding.)