The Met: Live in HD Tickets on Sale Now for 2011-2012 Season

National CineMedia (NCM), the operator of the largest digital in-theater network for cinema advertising, entertainment and events in North America, today announced an agreement with the Metropolitan Opera (the "Met") to bring the Emmy® and Peabody award-winning The Met: Live in HD series to U.S. movie theaters for the 2011-12 Met season.

The sixth season for this cinema event will feature 11 live operas broadcast to 163 U.S. markets in more than 630 select movie theaters through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network beginning with the Met premiere production of Donizetti's Anna Bolena starring Anna Netrebko in the title role on Saturday, October 15 at 12:55 p.m. ET. Each live performance will take place on a Saturday, with nine evening pre-recorded encore presentations taking place the third Wednesday after each live performance.

Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and schedule, please visit the website (theaters and participants are subject to change). Ticket prices vary by location.

"NCM continues to expand the number of movie theaters for our transmissions across the country, which is good news for the nation's opera lovers," said Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager and executive producer of the broadcasts.

The Metropolitan Opera and Fathom, NCM's entertainment and events division, present the 2011-12 season of The Met: Live in HD featuring live transmissions of 11 titles including the aforementioned Met premiere of Anna Bolena and the world premiere of The Enchanted Island; five new productions including Don Giovanni, Faust and Manon. Other titles in the sixth season of The Met: Live in HD include the final two installments of the Ring cycle, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung; Verdi's Ernani and La Traviata; Philip Glass's Satyagraha; and Handel's Rodelinda.

"Fathom and the Met have created a new paradigm for millions of fans nationwide through one-of-kind opera experiences, broadcast live from the world's foremost arts stage directly into local, community movie theaters," said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom. "This new agreement marks yet another milestone for The Met: Live in HD series by giving opera fans the opportunity to enjoy these magnificent, live performances in the comfort of their local theater through the 2011-2012 season."

Approximately 1,600 theaters in 51 countries around the world are participating in The Met: Live in HD this season. New countries participating in the series this season include China, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Morocco, and the territory of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from The Neubauer Family Foundation. Bloomberg L.P. is the global corporate sponsor of The Met: Live in HD. The HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America's luxury home builder®.

The 2011-12 The Met: Live in HD series planned schedule* is as follows:

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
ANNA BOLENA (Donizetti) - Met Premiere Production
Anna Netrebko opens the Met season with her portrayal of the ill-fated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king. She sings one of opera's greatest mad scenes in this Met premiere production by David McVicar. Ekaterina Gubanova is her rival, Jane Seymour, Ildar Abdrazakov sings Henry VIII, and Marco Armiliato conducts.

Wednesday, November 2 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of ANNA BOLENA
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, October 29, 2011 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
DON GIOVANNI (Mozart) - New Production
Mariusz Kwiecien brings his youthful and sensual interpretation of Mozart's timeless anti-hero to the Met for the first time, under the direction of Tony Award®-winning director Michael Grandage and with Music Director James Levine conducting. Marina Rebeka, Barbara Frittoli, Ramón Vargas, and Luca Pisaroni also star.

Wednesday, November 16 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of DON GIOVANNI
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, November 5, 2011 - Noon Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Pacific
SIEGFRIED (Wagner) - New Production
In part three of the Ring cycle, Wagner's cosmic vision focuses on his hero's early conquests, while director Robert Lepage's revolutionary stage machine transforms itself from bewitched forest to mountaintop love nest. Gary Lehman sings the title role and Deborah Voigt's Brünnhilde is his prize. Bryn Terfel is the Wanderer. James Levine conducts.

Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
SATYAGRAHA (Glass)
The Met's visually extravagant production is back for an encore engagement. Richard Croft reprises his acclaimed interpretation of Gandhi in Philip Glass's unforgettable opera, which the Washington Post calls "a profound and beautiful work of theater."

Wednesday, December 7 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of SATYAGRAHA
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, December 3, 2011 - 12:30 p.m. Eastern / 9:30 a.m.
RODELINDA (Handel)
Renée Fleming, sensational in the original 2004 run of Stephen Wadsworth's much-heralded Met premiere production, reprises her portrayal of the title role. She's joined by Stephanie Blythe and countertenor Andreas Scholl, and Baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducts.

Wednesday, January 4 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of RODELINDA
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, December 10, 2011 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
FAUST (Gounod) - New Production
With Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, René Pape as the devil, and Marina Poplavskaya as Marguerite, Gounod's classic retelling of the Faust legend couldn't be better served. Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff updates the story to the first half of the 20th century with a production that won praise in London last season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts on the heels of his Don Carlo success.

Wednesday, January 11 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of FAUST
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, January 21, 2012 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
THE ENCHANTED ISLAND (Handel, Rameau, Vivaldi & others) - World Premiere Production
Inspired by the musical pastiches and masques of the 18th century, this world premiere work showcases arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others. Eminent conductor William Christie leads an all-star cast headed by David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato and Plácido Domingo. Devised and written by Jeremy Sams, The Enchanted Island is directed and designed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch.

Wednesday, February 8 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of THE ENCHANTED ISLAND
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, February 11, 2012 - Noon Eastern / 9 a.m. Pacific
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG (Wagner) - New Production
With its cataclysmic climax, the Met's new Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage, comes to its resolution. Deborah Voigt stars as Brünnhilde and Gary Lehman is Siegfried-the star-crossed lovers doomed by fate. James Levine conducts.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
ERNANI (Verdi)
Angela Meade takes center stage in Verdi's thrilling early gem. Marcello Giordani is her mismatched lover, and all-star Verdians Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ferruccio Furlanetto round out the cast.

Wednesday, March 14 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of ERNANI
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, April 7, 2012 - Noon Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Pacific
MANON (Massenet) - New Production
Anna Netrebko's dazzling portrayal of the tragic heroine in Laurent Pelly's new production travels to the Met from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Piotr Beczala and Paulo Szot also star, with the Met's Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi on the podium.

Wednesday, April 25 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of MANON
(Available in select theaters only)

Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 12:55 p.m. Eastern / 9:55 a.m. Pacific
LA TRAVIATA (Verdi)
Natalie Dessay puts on the red dress in Willy Decker's stunning production, in her first Violetta at the Met. Matthew Polenzani sings Alfredo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky is Germont, and Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

Wednesday, May 2 - 6:30 p.m. local time
Encore presentation of LA TRAVIATA
(Available in select theaters only)

*Programs and casting subject to change. For more details on the operas, please visit the Met's website at www.metopera.org/hdlive.

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation's largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM's theater advertising network covers 175 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 18,100 screens (16,800 digital). During 2010, over 690 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place. The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of nearly 700 locations in 165 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 42 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.nationalcinemedia.com or www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About the Metropolitan Opera

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company's repertory. 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. For more information about the Metropolitan Opera, please visit www.metopera.org.