Saturday, 30th January at 6.00pm
Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, which is one of the most spectacular productions in the Metropolitan Opera’s repertory, returns to Irish screens on Saturday, January 30 at 6.00pm. Swedish dramatic soprano Nina Stemme sings her first Met performances in the demanding title role of Puccini’s Chinese ice princess, whose riddles doom every suitor to seek her hand. The audience at ODEON Waterford on January 30 will have the opportunity to experience Franco Zeffirelli’s visually stunning production LIVE by satellite from the stage of the Met in New York.
Turandot will be the second in the Met’s barnstorming Spring 2016 programme of live opera screenings, which opened in early January with a production of Bizet’s Pearl Fishers that was a sell out in many Irish venues. The broadcast heralded a series of Met screenings for the New Year that includes some of the best known music in opera, including Puccini’s well known and much loved ‘Nessun Dorma’ which will feature in the final act of Turandot. With two further Puccini operas yet to come (Madame Butterfly and Manon Lescaut), Queen Elizabeth I and her Tudor court portrayed on stage in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux; and the intense drama of a daughter’s quest for vengeance in Elektra by Richard Strauss; this year’s Spring programme from the Met at ODEON Waterford is packed with colour and excitement.
While joining New York audiences in their appreciation of the on stage action, those attending live screenings in Ireland can also see ‘behind the scenes’ during intervals and scene changes, and view live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams.
Irish audiences from Tralee to Letterkenny will have the opportunity to see these productions live from New York to their local venue on selected Saturdays from January to April, and tickets are on sale nationwide and through www.classicalartsireland.com/tickets.

Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
Taken during the rehearsal on October 26, 2009 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
For more information see www.classicalartsireland.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter (@ClassicalArts or with the hashtag #MetHDIrl).