New York, NY (August 16, 2006) – In a move to attract new audiences and widen its appeal, the Metropolitan Opera will hold its first-ever Open House on Friday, September 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free event will provide a rare look behind the scenes and offer the public a chance to attend, free of charge, the final dress rehearsal of this season’s opening night production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, conducted by James Levine and directed by Anthony Minghella. The multifaceted event kicks off the Met’s 2006-07 season and launches a series of initiatives to bring in a broader public and to present opera as a more approachable art form.
Tickets for the Open House are required and will be available free of charge at the Met Box Office starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 20, on a first-come first-served basis, with a limit of two tickets per customer. Admission to the Schwartz Gallery Met is free, with no tickets required.
The Open House is part of new General Manager Peter Gelb’s plan to reinvigorate the Met and make it a vital and more accessible cultural destination. Funding for the Open House has been generously provided by Agnes Varis, a managing director of the Met’s Board of Directors, and her husband, Karl Leichtman.
Among the free events are:
· The final dress rehearsal of the American premiere of Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella’s new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.
· A panel discussion on stage with members of the cast and production team following the rehearsal.
· The behind-the-scenes set preparations and changes before and during the performance, with commentary and explanations from the Met technical staff.
· A rare opportunity for audience members to see what the best opera singers in the world see – to stand on the vast and historic Met stage and look out on the 3,800-seat Metropolitan Opera House.
· A first look at the new Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met, located in the Met lobby. The gallery opens with its “Heroines” exhibition, inspired by the season’s six new productions. Some of today’s most innovative and provocative artists have produced works for this inaugural show, including Cecily Brown, John Currin, Barnaby Furnas, Makiko Kudo, Richard Prince, and Sophie von Hellermann.
· A chance to meet some of the creators of the new Madama Butterfly production and see their work close up in the lobby. International fashion designer Han Feng will present a display of her costumes for Madama Butterfly, puppeteers from the Blind Summit Theatre will demonstrate the Bunraku-style puppets used in the new production, and members of the Met’s scenic and carpentry shop will present production sketches, set models and scenic elements for the new Madama Butterfly.
· Archival exhibits in the Met lobby showcasing famous performers and productions with costumes and memorabilia from nearly one hundred years of Madama Butterfly performances at the Met.
· A raffle for free opera tickets and other Met items.
Schedule of Events
9:00 a.m. House doors open
9:45 – 11:00 a.m. Preview of stage technical preparations with introduction and commentary by Met technical staff
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Madama Butterfly final dress rehearsal (with one intermission)
2:00 p.m. Question-and-answer session on stage with performers and production team, followed by audience stage tour
3:00 – 5:00 p.m Designer Han Feng presents costume displays and Blind Summit Theatre give puppet demonstrations in the Lobby
5:00 p.m. House closes
All Day Lobby Activities
-Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met: “Heroines” exhibit
-Production sketches, set models, and scenic elements display
-Archival exhibits of memorabilia from Madama Butterfly at the Met
Highlights of the Met’s 2006-07 Season
The new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, directed by Anthony Minghella and conducted by Maestro James Levine, opens the season on September 25. Soprano Cristina Gallardo-Domâs, hailed for her portrayal of Cio-Cio-San, plays the title role, with Marcello Giordani as Pinkerton, Dwayne Croft as Sharpless, and Maria Zifchak as Suzuki. The world premiere of Tan Dun’s The First Emperor takes place on December 21, 2006, directed by Zhang Yimou, with the composer conducting and Plácido Domingo in the title role. Four more new productions feature Met directorial debuts: Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Maurizio Benini conducting and Bartlett Sher directing; Puccini’s Il Trittico with Maestro Levine conducting and Jack O’Brien directing; Strauss’s Die Ägytische Helena with Fabio Luisi conducting and David Fielding directing; and Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Maestro Levine conducting and Mark Morris directing. An abridged, English-language version of Julie Taymor’s hit production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute inaugurates a new annual series of winter holiday family entertainment beginning December 29.
In addition to the Open House, Mr. Gelb’s initiatives to revitalize the Met include new $15 tickets in the Family Circle section (formerly $26); the new Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met to exhibit contemporary art; original new content on the web site, the house program, and the radio broadcasts; and a groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with the Lincoln Center Theater that provides renowned composers and playwrights/librettists the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater.
For further information, please contact the press office or visit www.metopera.org.