The Met Opera Returns To Guild Hall

The Met’s “Live in HD” Series Returns to Guild Hall on October 16, with Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov,” followed by the historic premiere of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” on October 23, and “Eurydice” on December 4.

“The Met: Live in HD,” the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of high-definition live cinema transmissions, will begin its 15th season this month. Guild Hall has announced that it will present the first three simulcasts in the John Drew Theater, including an encore transmission of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” on October 16, followed by the historic premiere of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” on October 23, and “Eurydice” on December 4.

Each opera will be preceded by “Behind the Screen” with Bel Canto Boot Camp in the John Drew Theater. BCBC’s co-founders, Rachelle Jonck and Derrick Goff, will explore this fall’s “Met: Live in HD” repertoire, uniting the rich traditions of the past with the exciting productions in today’s opera house. “Behind the Screen” is free with suggested donation, and includes a complimentary cup of coffee from the eAT Coffee Bar in the main lobby.

“We are delighted to welcome back ‘The Met Opera Live in HD,’ one of Guild Hall’s most beloved signature series,” says artistic director Josh Gladstone. “We haven’t shared this excellent content with the community since ‘Met Under Moonlight,’ presented at Main Beach this past spring, so coming back indoors with these dynamic, brand new productions is a welcome return to a semblance of normalcy and beauty. We applaud our partners at The Metropolitan Opera for their brave resilience during the pandemic, and we join the chorus of worldwide opera fans who can now revel once again in the gorgeous work of world-class artists, all on the big screen with robust cinema sound and in shining, crystal high definition.”

The schedule:

Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” — Revival

Live in HD: October 9, at 12:55 p.m.

Run time: 160 minutes

Sebastian Weigle (Conductor); David Butt Philip (Grigory), Maxim Paster (Shuisky), Aleksey Bogdanov (Shchelkalov), René Pape (Boris), Ain Anger (Pimen), Ryan Speedo Green (Varlaam).

Stephen Wadsworth (Production), Ferdinand Wögerbauer (Set Designer), Moidele Bickel (Costume Designer), Duane Schuler (Lighting Designer)

Bass René Pape reprises his tremendous portrayal of the tortured tsar caught between grasping ambition and crippling paranoia, kicking off the 2021–22 Live in HD season. Conductor Sebastian Weigle leads Mussorgsky’s masterwork, a pillar of the Russian repertoire, in its original 1869 version. Stephen Wadsworth’s affecting production poignantly captures the hope and suffering of the Russian people, as well as the title ruler himself.

Plus: “Behind the Screen” with Bel Canto Boot Camp: The Russian Chorus – Saturday, October 16 at 11 a.m.

Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” — Met Premiere

Live in HD: October 23, 12:55 p.m.

Libretto by Kasi Lemmons

Run time: 175 minutes

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Conductor); Angel Blue (Destiny/Loneliness/Greta), Latonia Moore (Billie), Will Liverman (Charles)

James Robinson and Camille A. Brown (Production), Allen Moyer (Set Designer), Paul Tazewell (Costume Designer), Christopher Akerlind (Lighting Designer), Greg Emetaz (Projection Designer), Camille A. Brown (Choreographer)

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Grammy Award–winning jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s moving memoir. The first opera by a Black composer presented on the Met stage and featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells a poignant and profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown — two of the creators of the recent production of the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” — co-direct this new staging. Baritone Will Liverman, stars as Charles, alongside sopranos Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta and Latonia Moore as Billie.

Plus: “Behind the Screen” with Bel Canto Boot Camp: Opera Today and Tomorrow – Saturday, October 23 at 11 a.m.

Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice” — Met Premiere

Live in HD: December 4, 12:55 p.m.

Libretto by Sarah Ruhl

Run time: 183 minutes

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Conductor); Erin Morley (Eurydice), Jakub Józef Orliski (Orpheus‘s Double), Barry Banks (Hades), Joshua Hopkins (Orpheus), Nathan Berg (Father)

Mary Zimmerman (Production), Daniel Ostling (Set Designer), Ana Kuzmanic (Costume Designer), T.J. Gerckens (Lighting Designer), S. Katy Tucker (Projection Designer), Denis Jones (Choreographer), Paul Cremo (Dramaturg)

The ancient Greek myth of Orpheus, who attempts to harness the power of music to rescue his beloved Eurydice from the underworld, has inspired composers since opera’s earliest days. American composer Matthew Aucoin now carries that tradition into the 21st century with a captivating new take on the story. With a libretto by MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Sarah Ruhl, adapted from her acclaimed 2003 play, the opera reimagines the familiar tale from Eurydice’s point of view. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium, leading Aucoin’s evocative music and an immersive new staging by Mary Zimmerman. Soprano Erin Morley sings the title role, opposite baritone Joshua Hopkins as Orpheus and countertenor Jakub Józef Orliski as his otherworldly alter ego.

Plus: “Behind the Screen” with Bel Canto Boot Camp: Setting Orpheus and Euridice – Saturday, December 4 at 11 a.m.

Tickets for all performances of “The Met: Live in HD” at Guild Hall are $23 ($21 for Guild Hall members/$16 students). Guild Hall is at 158 Main Street, East Hampton. For more information, visit guildhall.org.