The Metropolitan Opera's Production of ROMEO ET JULIETTE Comes to The Ridgefield Playhouse in HD

The Ridgefield Playhouse and Atria Senior Living Classical HD Series present an encore in HD screening of Gounoud's Roméo et Juliette on Sunday, June 30 at 4pm. The electrifying team of Vittorio Grigolo and Diana Damrau reunites for a new production of Gounod's opera based on the Shakespeare play. Damrau makes her role debut as Juliette in Bartlett Sher's new production, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Elliot Madore sings Mercutio and Mikhail Petrenko sings Frère Laurent.

The production, by director Bartlett Sher, has already won acclaim for its vivid 18th-century milieu and stunning costumes during runs at Salzburg and La Scala. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the sumptuous score. This screening is part of Atria Senior Living Classical Series underwritten by Jeanne Cook, Liz & Steven Goldstone, and Sabina & Walter Slavin, with support from Whistle Stop Bakery.

Two warring families in old Verona are ordered on pain of death by the Prince to put aside their differences and end the skirmishes for the sake of their city. However, the families, the Capulets and Montagues have other ideas. When the only son of Lord and Lady Montague, Romeo, spots the daughter of the Capulets, Juliet at a party they are instantly besotted with each other and vow not to let their families get in the way of true love.

Diana Damrau displays glittering coloratura virtuosity and Grigolo delivering passionate longing and a moving rendition of the famous aria "Ah! lève-toi, soleil!" On the podium, maestro Gianandrea Noseda draws a wealth of orchestral color from Gounod's lush score. This opera is notable for the series of four duets for the main characters and the waltz song "Je veux vivre" for the soprano. Coming off a hit with Faust, Gounod turned to his two librettists for that opera Jules Barbier & Michel Carré to create Romeo et Juliétte which premiered at Théâtre-Lyrique Impérial du Châtelet in Paris on 27 April 1867 and later became a staple in the repertoire of the Opéra Comique. The librettists stuck fairly close to Shakespeare's script, apart from nixing a few scenes that don't include the protagonists and changing the ending so that when Julietté wakes up in the tomb Romeo is not quite dead yet, and therefore the two can share one last duet before dying together.

The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world. The Ridgefield Playhouse offers free tickets to The Metropolitan Opera in HD series to students 18 and younger as a way for parents to introduce their children to the arts. FREE tickets are also available to students 18 and younger for live and encore HD screenings of The Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre of London.

For tickets ($25 | Members & Seniors $20 | Students $15 | FREE for students 18 and under) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.

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