Welcome to the Met!
(Metropolitan Opera)
Almost every country has a theatre which is well known worldwide. In Italy, it is the famous La Scala, the opera house in Milan. In Russia, it is the Bolshoi theatre. In the USA - the Metropolitan Opera or simply the Met as theatre-goers call it.
The theatre is well-known for the amazing singers, conductors, choreographs and dancers who come there from all over the world.
The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883, and its first building used to be on Broadway and 39th Street. After more than 80 years, the new Metropolitan Opera House was opened at the Lincoln Center in September 1966.
All theatre lovers who come to New York visit the Metropolitan Opera. Though this theatre has approximately 3 800 seats, all performances are sold out. That´s why it tries to open its doors to opera lovers throughout the world via opera broadcasts. Thus, more than four million people could view a performance of La Bohème in 1977. That performance was the beginning of a regular series of televised productions. Since then the theatre has made more than 70 complete Met Performances available to a huge audience around the world. Many of them are also available on video, laserdisc, and DVD. In December 2006, the company started The Met: Live in HD, a series of performance broadcasts shown live in cinemas around the world.
The Metropolitan Opera, like many other theatres in the world, performs most operas in their original language. For those who speak English, Spanish, or German, there is a unique system of simultaneous translation known as Met Titles.
If you get the chance to visit New York one day, go to the Metropolitan Opera. You will have an unforgettable experience!