The Ridgefield Playhouse Will Screen The Metropolitan Opera Production of Philip Glass's AKHNATEN

The Metropolitan Opera production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten comes to the big screen in HD at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, December 1 at 12:55pm in an extra special encore presentation featuring a live Q&A on The Playhouse stage during intermission with The Met Opera's Susan Gomez Pizzo, Solo Ladies Wardrobe Supervisor, and Louis Valantasis, Principal Men's Wardrobe Supervisor. They will discuss the role of costumes in the Met's dazzling productions! Phelim McDermott, whose productions include the hugely successful Satyagraha by Philip Glass, returns to the Metropolitan Opera with a new staging of Glass's Akhnaten, conducted by Karen Kamensek in her Met debut. Anthony Roth Costanzo sings the title role of the Egyptian pharaoh who attempted to inspire his people to adopt a new religion, abandoning the worship of the old gods for that of a single deity. In her Met debut, J'Nai Bridges sings the role of Nefertiti, Akhnaten's bride, and Dísella Lárusdóttir is Queen Tye, the pharaoh's mother This event is part of the Classical Series underwritten by Jeanne Cook, Liz & Steven Goldstone, and Sabina & Walter Slavin, with support from Whistle Stop Bakery.

Ms. Gomez-Pizzo has had a career in wardrobe for more than 30 years. She has worked on Broadway as supervisor, assistant supervisor and star dresser - working with elite Broadway stars such as Julie Andrews, Vanessa Williams and Richard Dreyfuss. Gomez-Pizzo joined the Metropolitan Opera in 2007 as Solo Ladies Wardrobe Supervisor where she has had the privilege to work with all of today's great opera divas, including Natalie Dessay, Anna Netrebko, Deborah Voigt and Renee Fleming. Part cheerleader, part coach and part confidant, Louis Valantasis began his career at The Met in September 2001 and became the Principal (or solo) Men's Wardrobe Supervisor in 2012. He has attended to some of the world's greatest opera stars including Placido Domingo; Jonas Kaufmann; Juan Diego Florez; Roberto Alagna; Vittorio Grigolo; Dimitri Hvorostovsky; Juan Pons; Feruccio Furlanetto and Aleksandrs (Sasha) Antonenko.

One of the staging's distinctive visual features of this production is provided by the Gandini Juggling Company, whose movements are perfectly choreographed with the orchestral score. This production of Akhnaten was originally created by LA Opera, Improbable, and English National Opera, where it premiered, winning the 2017 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production.

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.