A new production of Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m., at the Strand Theatre, kicks off 2025-26 season of The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live high-definition cinema simulcasts from New York City.

"Following triumphant Live in HD performances in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Verdi’s La Traviata, and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Nadine Sierra summits another peak of the soprano repertoire as Amina, who sleepwalks her way into audiences’ hearts in Bellini’s poignant tale of love lost and found," said the Strand Theatre.

In his new production, Rolando Villazón retains the opera’s original setting in the Swiss Alps but uses its plot to explore the emotional and psychological valleys of the mind.

"Riccardo Frizza takes the podium for one of opera’s most ravishing works," said the Strand. 

The cinema season includes three additional new productions: Bellini’s I Puritani, directed by Charles Edwards and acclaimed for its gorgeous melodies and virtuoso vocal fireworks;  Wagner’s Tristan Und Isolde led by electrifying soprano Lise Davidsen and directed by the visionary Yuval Sharon; and  the Met premiere of El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, a magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank. 

Revival productions of Puccini’s La Boheme, Strauss’s Arabella, Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin will also be featured this season. 

For the winter holidays, a special encore screening of the abridged, English-language version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute is scheduled. And for Valentine’s Day, join us for an encore of Massent’s Cinderella in a 90-minute, English language adaptation. 

Details about all performances can be found on the Strand Theatre website at www.RocklandStrand.com.                                                                                

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

This season’s series at the Strand is generously supported by Edward Jones financial advisors.                                                               

Tickets are available online at www.RocklandStrand.com; by calling the box office at (207) 594-0070; or at the walk-up box office one hour prior to each opera showtime. Tickets are $32/Adults, $27/Strand Members, and $15/Students. Tickets for encore presentations are $27/Adults, $22/Strand Members, and $10/Students. Season tickets are also available.

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