New York, NY and Centennial, CO (August 9, 2007) – The Metropolitan Opera’s critically-acclaimed series of operas transmitted live, in high definition, into movie theaters around the world is anticipated to reach between 300 and 400 movie theaters and performing arts center locations in the United States – nearly triple the number of venues from last season – through a renewed deal with National CineMedia (NCM). “The Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition” series will be expanding in 2007-08 from six to eight live opera transmissions, beginning on December 15, 2007, with Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón.
Through this agreement, NCM’s FATHOM entertainment division will present the Met’s HD series in theater locations across the country, including participating AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc., Georgia Theatre Company, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters. Other new affiliate locations will soon be added to NCM’s digital network – the largest live, digital in-theater network in North America – allowing additional movie theaters and performing arts centers across the country to present the Met series and other in-theater events.
“We are very pleased by the enthusiastic reception to the Met’s HD series, which has increased the opportunity for audiences around the world to experience the art form in a new way,” said Met General Manager Peter Gelb. “Our new agreement with NCM will bring the excitement of live opera to many more people in more cities nationwide.”
“We are delighted by the success of this series and are excited to be expanding our exclusive U.S. partnership with the Met,” said Tom Galley, NCM’s executive vice president and chief operations and technology officer. “The Met’s “Live in HD’ series is a perfect example of how high-quality, alternative content can be successfully distributed in movie theaters, bringing premium entertainment to patrons in communities large and small.”
For the first time this season, Met Opera members can take advantage of an advance ticket sale offering for all “Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition” in-theater events at the majority of participating locations in the U.S. Advance ticketing for the 2007-08 season is subject to availability and begins on Friday, October 19, exclusively for Met Opera members at the $125 level or above. Ticket sales to the general public in the U.S. begin Friday, November 9. Tickets in the U.S. are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $15 for children. For information on tickets and membership, visit Metopera.org/HDLive or call 1-800-Met-Opera (1-800-638-6737).
The Met’s inaugural series of High-Definition transmissions in the 2006-07 season captured international headlines, reaching 325,000 audience members around the world who attended performances relayed into movie theaters worldwide—including both live and encore presentations. The series launched in December 2006 and, by the final opera event in May of 2007, NCM had expanded the number of presenting theaters in the U.S. to 113 locations (151 screens), reaching a total U.S. audience of approximately 200,000 for the entire series. Of the groundbreaking series, The Los Angeles Times wrote: “The Met’s experiment of merging film with live performances has created a new art form. This venture may be the most significant development in opera since the supertitle.”
The Met’s in-theater event schedule in 2007-08 includes: Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (December 15), starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón and conducted by Plácido Domingo; Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (January 1), starring Christine Schäfer and Alice Coote in a new English-language production by Richard Jones, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski; Verdi’s Macbeth (January 12) starring Lado Ataneli in a new production directed by Adrian Noble; Puccini’s Manon Lescaut (February 16), starring Karita Mattila and Marcello Giordani; Britten’s Peter Grimes (March 15), starring Anthony Dean Griffey and Patricia Racette in a new production directed by John Doyle and conducted by Donald Runnicles; Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (March 22), starring Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner; Puccini’s La Bohème (April 5), starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas in Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic production conducted by Nicola Luisotti; and Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment (April 26), starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez in a new production directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Marco Armiliato. Met Music Director James Levine conducts Macbeth, Manon Lescaut, and Tristan und Isolde.
About National CineMedia, Inc.
NCM LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK), and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest movie theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre-feature program; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC’s national network includes approximately 14,000 screens of which approximately 12,200 are part of the company’s Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC’s DCN covers 154 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2006, approximately 550 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres owned by the NCM LLC founding members (excluding Loews). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 44.8% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. For additional information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.
About the Met
Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera has launched many new initiatives to connect the company with a larger audience. The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world. New audience development initiatives include free open houses that offer the public access to final dress rehearsals of new Met productions; reduced ticket prices, including an immensely popular new rush ticket program; and the new Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met exhibiting contemporary art. As a result of these efforts, the Met experienced its first box office increase in five years during the 2006-07 season: total ticket sales increased by 7.1% from the previous season, with 88 performances selling out compared to 22 the season before. In 2007-08, the Met will debut seven new productions, the most the Met has presented in one season in 40 years.
Building on 76 years of international Saturday radio broadcasts – now heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network – the Met recently began to use advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world. In addition to the Met’s live transmissions, which were later broadcast on PBS’s new “Great Performances at the Met,” the company recently launched Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius, a 24-hour satellite radio channel broadcasting both live and rare historical performances. With support from RealNetworks®, the Met began free live streaming of performances on its website. For more information, please visit: www.metopera.org.