A Little Night Music: Opera in the Parks
It's
a free, three week music fest in June with star performers
and beautiful music filling the air courtesy of the Metropolitan
Opera Company.
Here's
your opportunity to experience the operatic quality of Met
performances in a relaxed park setting. Bringing the sounds
of opera to delighted audiences, this company reaches its
goal of making the finest opera performances available to
everyone.
The
people who attend are those who cannot afford to attend
the Met or prefer the more informal atmosphere or just love
opera and will go out of their way to hear it where and
whenever they can.
The
performances are staged on the portable Carlos Moseley Music
Pavilion. This amazing traveling theater was specifically
designed for the Met and the New York Philharmonic to take
to the streets. The acoustics in this 68' by 118' large
stage are complemented by speakers placed throughout the
seating area.
The
troupe provides a little night music throughout the metropolitan
area. Parks usually included are:
- Central
Park in Manhattan
- Cunningham
Park, Queens
- Miller
Field in the Gateway National Recreation Area, Staten
Island
- Marine
Park, Brooklyn
- New
Haven Green, New Haven, Connecticut
- Pelham
Bay Park, the Bronx
- Brookdale
Park, Montclair, NJ
- Buccleuch
Park, New Brunswick, NJ
- Cooper
River Park, Pennsauken, NJ
For
those not familiar with the performances, the advice is
- GET THERE EARLY! Free performances by the Met are a very
popular way to spend an evening and spots on the grass are
often gone by 3 PM for the 8 PM opening. Even the area away
from the main seating gets settled early. Many have favorite
spots on the surrounding lawns and hills staked out well
in advance.
If you
plan on listening to the performance on the radio, you'll
be disappointed since no stations are broadcasting these
events.
For
the complete repertoire and casting see the Met
in the Parks official site.
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