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The Metropolitan Opera's Opening Night Gala performance of Puccini's Tosca, which kicks off the Met season on Monday, September 21, at 6:30 PM, will be transmitted onto multiple screens in Times Square and to a large screen at Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza where the live performance will be experienced by thousands of people for free. The outdoor transmissions of the Met's opening have been a popular attraction for thousands of New Yorkers since the new tradition was begun in 2006, part of a series of audience initiatives launched by new General Manager Peter Gelb and Met Music Director James Levine.
The new production stars soprano Karita Mattila, Marcelo êlvarez, and George Gagnidze and is conducted by James Levine. Luc Bondy makes his Met debut as director, with sets designed by Richard Peduzzi (Met debut), costumes by Milena Canonero, and lighting by Max Keller.
Admission to the Lincoln Center Plazacast is free, but tickets are required. Three thousand free tickets, limited to two per person, will be available beginning at noon on Sunday, September 20, at the Met Box office only.
The Times Square relay of the Opening Night Gala is free, and tickets are not required. Approximately two thousand seats will be available for the public on a first-come first-served basis, with additional standing room provided. A number of giant screens in Times Square, including the Panasonic, Reuters/Nasdaq and MTV screens, will carry the live performanceThe Tosca production premiere will also be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 and XM Channel 79.
The performance will be streamed live on the Met's website, www.metopera.org.
