Royal Opera House Presents MADAME BUTTERFLY

Jaffrey's River Street Theatre (RST), a project of The Park Theatre, announced today their premiere schedule of The Royal Opera & Ballet which is being added to their expanding Stage to Screen series. The River Street Theatre is currently the exclusive venue presenting the Royal Opera House HD screenings in northern New England.

Madama Butterfly, the classic yet timeless Puccini opera of love and betrayal, begins the Royal Opera House offerings with 2 showings (Sunday, April 23 and Monday April 24, both 1:30pm) of the high definition screening of the London stage production. Madama Butterfly first debuted at Milan's Teatro all Scala in 1904.

This Royal Opera House production of Madama Butterfly (filmed this month) received rave reviews:

"the whole evening is outstanding." -UK Guardian

"a great score has rarely been better served." -TheArtsDesk.com

"Ermonela Jaho is unforgettable in the lead role of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's production of Puccini's opera." -UK Independent

Madama Butterfly is followed by George Balanchine's ballet Jewels (in its 50th year celebration) on May 14 & 15, The Dream, Frederick Ashton's delightful ballet interpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream on June 25 & 26 and finally, Verdi's thrilling Shakespeare-inspired opera, Otello on July 23 & 24.

The Royal Opera House has been world renowned for almost 300 years and whose earliest productions came from George Frideric Handel who had a very close relationship with the venue until his death in 1759. The current theatre is home to The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

"We are so proud to be able to present these breathtaking productions of opera and ballet from London's Royal Opera House. This special series at the River Street Theatre is another sampling of the programming that will fill the new Park Theatre in Jaffrey after its completion. We hope area fans, as well as students and teachers, will come to the RST to experience these exclusive screenings," said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre. "This series is a wonderful complement to our existing RST Stage to Screen offerings of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company," added Jackson.

Tickets for all Royal Opera House screenings are $20 each (students and teachers with ID, $15). Due to the intimate size of the River Street Theatre, it is highly recommended that tickets are purchased in advance. Call the Box Office at 603-532-8888 or go towww.theparktheatre.org to purchase tickets with any major credit card.

The River Street Theatre is located in downtown Jaffrey, New Hampshire at 6 River Street. The River Street Theatre is sponsored by: Grove Street Fiduciary, Coca-Cola, the Board of Trustees of the Park Theatre, Janet S. Grant, Betty Locke, Owen Houghton and the James F. & Fernande Kelly Charitable Trust.