Metropolitan Opera Live will be streaming an almost five-hour opera in The State Theatre Saturday afternoon.
Saturday’s showing of Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal” will mark the third-to-last live-streamed opera of this academic year.
“[The show is] a heavily Christian opera about a knight looking for the Holy Grail,” Susan Boardman, retired Penn State music professor, said.
The live stream is sent via satellite and is streamed to thousands, she said.
Boardman said seeing the performance at The State Theatre is exciting because viewers get to see set changes, the chorus of more than 100 singers and interviews from the people involved in the opera.
“It’s as though you [have] the very best seat in the house,” she said. “It’s a terrific opportunity for students because they get to see the best singers in the world.”
The State Theatre has been streaming the Metropolitan Operas for four seasons, Richard Biever, executive director, said.
The operas are different each year and “seem” to be expanding because “it’s been highly successful,” he said.
Biever said that the live-streamed operas have been well received in the community.
“It’s a way of introducing people to [opera] in a friendly way,” he said. “[This show] will excite the audience.”
The opera is kind of mystical and like a fairytale, Biever said.
He said that “Parsifal” has been revamped into a more contemporary style.
Ted Christopher, artistic director of Penn State Opera Theatre, said he has been to several live showings and that they are “extraordinary.”
Christopher said that it is more practical to see the shows at The State Theatre and it is a more flexible setting that allows snacks.
“It’s just a wonderful opportunity to get to see opera performed at the highest levels,” he said. “I think [viewers are] getting the best vantage point possible.”
This is a great chance for students in the School of Music and Theatre, Christopher said. After the live stream, Boardman said she holds a discussion section for students. As a provost emeritus teaching scholar, she said that she receives a stipend to help enrich the lives of those in the School of Music.
Boardman said she reimburses any student who comes to the show, attends the lecture and turns their ticket into her.
The State Theatre will be streaming two more operas this semester from the Metropolitan, including “Francesca da Rimini” in March and “Giulio Cesare” in April.
The operas that are streamed are shown in their original language but have subtitles, Boardman said.
“Parsifal” is a nearly five-hour long opera and begins at noon Saturday. Tickets are still available and are $22 for general admission, $20 for seniors, $18 for students and $15 for those 15 years of age and under.
To contact Susan Boardman about the after-performance discussion email sdb5@psu.edu
