Tannhäuser in HD at The Grand!

Ellsworth, Maine - The “Live in HD” high-definition simulcast series of productions from The New York Metropolitan Opera continues its 2015 – 2016 season at The Grand on November 7 at 12 pm with a presentation of Richard Wagner’s early masterpiece Tannhäuser. The opera stars today’s leading Wagnerian tenor, Johan Botha, in the daunting title role of the young knight caught between true love and passion. Tickets are $27.00 for adults, $25.00 for Grand members and $20.00 for students (15 and under).

“The Met: Live in HD,” the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live transmissions offering a significant portion of the Met season to DownEast and MidCoast Maine communities, continues its tenth season with this electrifying Met production. History, myth, and invention come together in Tannhäuser to create a unique and powerful drama. The title character was a real 13th-century Minnesinger who inspired a legend that Wagner used as the basis for the opera. He notably added the character of Elisabeth, based on the historical Saint Elisabeth of Hungary, wife of the Landgrave of Thuringia. The opera’s score went through several revisions after the original performances, most importantly when Wagner added the Venusberg ballet for the 1861 French premiere. Now South African operatic tenor Johan Botha is ably supported in this production (by the Austrian actor/director Otto Schenk) by the Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Elisabeth (adding another Wagner heroine to her Met repertoire after her acclaimed Sieglinde in the Ring a few seasons ago), Swedish operatic baritone Peter Mattei (fresh On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal) and American mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as the love goddess, Venus. Schenk's production team includes Costume Designer Patricia Zipprodt, Lighting Designer Gil Wechsler, Choreographer Norbert Vesak and Set Designer Günther Schneider-Siemssen. The Met's Wagnerian maestro James Levine conducts.

“The Met: Live in HD series” is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Global corporate sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg. Transmission of The Met: Live in HD in Canada is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr. The HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home builder®.

For more information on the Met opera at The Grand, including the next opera in the series Lulu to be screened on Saturday, November 21, please call the box office at 207-667-9500. For more information on events at The Grand visit The Grand website at www.grandonline.org or follow The Grand on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Grand-Auditorium/112755987339