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A First-of-its-kind Collaboration
Royal Ballet and Opera (UK) and New York Metropolitan Opera (USA) join forces for their cinema seasons
For the first time, the UK's Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO) and the USA's New York Metropolitan Opera (The Met) are joining forces for their cinema seasons on their respective home turfs, giving more audiences in both the UK and USA the opportunity to see much loved opera and ballet productions from each company.
The first-of-its kind collaboration will increase the reach of each company to hundreds more cinemas in new markets. As a result of this partnership, RBO's cinema partner Trafalgar Releasing will broadcast The Met's Il Barbiere di Siviglia to a larger number of screens in the UK than are currently carrying The Met, while Fathom Events, The Met Opera's cinema partner in the US, will broadcast The Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker. Both productions will be broadcast to more than five hundred cinemas.
Over the holidays, US audiences will be enchanted by The Royal Ballet's festive classic, The Nutcracker. Created by Peter Wright in 1984, this much-loved production was recorded in 2023 and will be screened in US cinemas, just in time for Christmas, on 22 and 23 December 2024. The cast includes Royal Ballet soloists Sophie Allnatt as Clara and Leo Dixon as her enchanted Nutcracker. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince are performed by Royal Ballet Principal dancers Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Marcelino Sambé.
A scene from Peter Wright's The Nutcracker. Photo © 2024 Alice Pennefather
On Tuesday 3 June 2025, UK audiences will be transported to the sun-drenched streets of eighteenth-century Seville as Bartlett Sher's witty production of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia comes to the big screen. The Met's cast features former Royal Opera Jette Parker Young Artist, Aigul Akhmetshina as Rosina, Jack Swanson as Count Almaviva in his Met debut, Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Figaro, Peter Kálmán as Dr Bartolo and Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio, all led by Italian conductor Giacomo Sagripanti.
A scene from Act II of Rossini's 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' at New York Metropolitan Opera. Photo © 2006 Ken Howard
Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera said:
We're absolutely delighted to be working with The Metropolitan Opera to improve access to some of the world's best ballet and opera. This first of its kind partnership will unlock audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, so even more people can enjoy performances from our world-class companies in their own hometowns.
Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera said:
This partnership will result in more opera lovers in the UK enjoying the Met and more ballet lovers in the US enjoying The Royal Ballet, a positive development for both of our companies.
Further information: rbo.org.uk and metopera.org
Posted 6 December 2024 by Keith Bramich
