ROCKLAND — A live broadcast from New York City’s Metropolitan Opera of Rossini’s effervescent comedy Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) will be presented at the Strand Theatre on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m. An encore will be screened Tuesday, June 10, at 1 p.m. 

The Met’s 2024–25 Live in HD season comes to a close with a live transmission of this revival production. Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina headlines a winning ensemble as the feisty heroine, Rosina, alongside American tenor Jack Swanson, in his Met debut, as her secret beloved, Count Almaviva. Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky stars as Figaro, the ingenious barber of Seville, with Hungarian bass baritone Peter Kálmán as Dr. Bartolo and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov as Don Basilio rounding out the principal cast. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts Bartlett Sher’s madcap production. 

This opera is sung in Italian, with English subtitles.

Approximate running time is three hours, including one intermission. 

The Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning Live-in-HD series has increased accessibility to Met performances for audiences around the world. Met artists serve as hosts for the series, providing background on the operas, introducing exciting behind-the-scenes features, and conducting live interviews with stars, crew, and production teams.

The Strand’s 2024-25 Met Opera Live-In-HD season is generously supported by Camden Law and Edward Jones.                                                               

Reserved seats are offered for the live transmissions, with general admission seats offered for the encore presentations. Ticket prices for the live broadcasts are $30/Adults, $25/Strand Members, and $15/Students, including college students with ID. Tickets for encore presentations are $25/Adults, $20/Strand Members, and $5/Students. 

Tickets are available online at www.RocklandStrand.com, by calling the box office at (207) 594-0070, or at the walk-up box office when the theater is open for shows and one hour prior to the opera showtime.

The Strand Theatre is located at 345 Main Street, Rockland.