Hi-def Met Opera back at Foothills
By Patrick Dewey
Opera fans can wait out the long winter before next summer’s Glimmerglass Festival and head to the Foothills Performing Arts Center at 24 Market Street in Oneonta for high-definition streams of productions from New York City’s Metropolitan Opera.
This year’s premier performance comes at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 11, with a production of Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice.” The opera is a modern take on the Greek legend of Orpheus, who uses the power of music to try to rescue his lover, Eurydice, from the underworld. The Met says the opera is one of the first takes on the legend to be told from a female-centered perspective, casting the character of Eurydice as its lead.
The December 11 simulcast replaces a previously-scheduled December 4 performance, postponed because of production issues.
Geoffrey Doyle, Director of Operations at Foothills, said the local arts venue began offering The Met: Live in HD in 2012 when then-Executive Director Huemac Garcia first raised the idea.
“It’s great to be able to offer Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in our area,” Mr. Doyle said. “People here can see these one-of-a-kind productions without traveling to Manhattan.”
Foothills extends its The Met Opera: Live in HD season into Spring 2022 with seven additional broadcasts, including productions of Cinderella, Rigoletto, Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Carlos, Turandot, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Hamlet. At each simulcast, Oneonta restaurant Soda Jerks will offer soup and sandwiches. Doors open one hour prior to each performance.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors. Patrons can find schedule specifics at foothillspac.org or through the Foothills Facebook page. The venue requires masks for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. Foothills will arrange seating to accommodate social distancing protocol.
Mr. Doyle said The Met Opera: Live in HD adds variety to the Foothills line-up.
“Having flexibility in what we do at the center and being able to offer different events for different walks of life is a joy,” he said. “It promotes the longevity for Foothills. I have a lot of opportunities to meet wonderful people and get to know my community.”