Ridgefield Playhouse To Screen National Theatre's THE SEAGULL Starring Emilia Clarke And More

This December will see more great stage performances broadcast to the big screen of The Ridgefield Playhouse.

From The National Theatre in HD is The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, in a version by Anya Reiss, on Friday, December 16, 2022 at 6:30pm. Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Me Before You) makes her West End debut in this 21st century retelling of Anton Chekhov's tale of love and loneliness, directed by Jamie Lloyd.

Then on Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 12:30pm, The MET Opera Encore in HD presents the world-premiere production of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts's The Hours, adapted from Michael Cunningham's acclaimed novel. Soprano Reneģe Fleming makes her highly anticipated return to the Met, along with soprano Kelli O'Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as the opera's trio of heroines. Both screenings are courtesy of the FirstLight Home Care Classical Series, Underwritten by Liz & Steven Goldstone, and Sabina Slavin. National Theater in HD is also presented with support from Whistle Stop Bakery.

Following his critically acclaimed five-star production of Cyrano de Bergerac, Jamie Lloyd brings Anya Reiss' adaptation of Anton Chekhov's classic play, The Seagull to stage. Captured live from London, Emilia Clarke of Game of Throne's fame makes her West End debut and "is dazzling in this brilliant reimagining." (The i) She appears alongside a cast including Tom Rhys Harries (White Lines), Daniel Monks (The Normal Heart), Sophie Wu (Fresh Meat) and Indira Varma (Game of Thrones). A young woman is desperate for fame and a way out. A young man is pining after the woman of his dreams. A successful writer longs for a sense of achievement. An actress wants to fight the changing of the times. In an isolated home in the countryside, dreams lie in tatters, hopes are dashed, and hearts broken. With nowhere left to turn, the only option is to turn on each other. Don't miss your chance to this "brave, compelling and powerful" (Guardian) production on the big screen! The next presentation from National Theatre in HD at The Ridgefield Playhouse is Much Ado About Nothing, screening on Friday, January 13, 2023 at 7:30pm. This William Shakespeare romcom of sun, sea and mistaken identity is directed by Simon Godwin, with Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) and John Heffernan (Dracula) leading the cast.

Soprano Reneģe Fleming makes her highly anticipated return to the Met in the world-premiere production of The Hours from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, adapted from Michael Cunningham's acclaimed novel. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway and made a household name by the Oscar-winning 2002 film version starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman, the powerful story follows three women from different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and their roles in society. The opera takes place in a single day. Clarissa is in New York City in 1999. Virginia is in Richmond, England, in 1923. Laura is in Los Angeles in 1949. The exciting Met premiere radiates with star power, with soprano Kelli O'Hara as Laura Brown and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Virginia Woolf joining Fleming as Clarissa Vaughan as the opera's trio of heroines. Phelim McDermott directs this compelling drama, with Met Music Director Yannick Neģzet-Seģguin on the podium to conduct Puts's poignant and powerful score. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for 17 Grammy Awards and has won four times. O'Hara is a seven-time Tony Award nominee who won Best Actress in a Musical in 2015 for her performance as Anna Leonowens in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of The King and I. DiDonato has also won multiple awards including the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo. The New York Times says, "Puts's work is attractive and skillful" as these three divas give voice to The Hours. Up next from The Met Opera is Umberto Giordano's Fedora on Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 12:30pm. The exhilarating drama returns to the Met repertory for the first time in 25 years, with soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role.

For more information or to purchase touchless print at home tickets ($25, Members & Seniors $20, Students $15, Children 18 & under FREE), go online at www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org or visit or call the box office at (203) 438-5795. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge Road, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT and is committed to keeping the arts alive and available to all.