ROCKLAND — The Strand Theatre’s 2024-25 season of The Met: Live-in-HD performance transmissions from New York City’s Metropolitan Opera kicks off with Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffman on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. An encore will be presented on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 1pm.

Offenbach’s fantastical opera Les Contes d’Hoffman stars French tenor Benjamin Bernheim in the title role of the tormented poet. Joining Bernheim is American soprano Erin Morley as Olympia, South African soprano Pretty Yende as Antonia, and French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine as Giulietta to complete Hoffmann’s trio of lovers. Marco Armiliato conducts Bartlett Sher’s evocative production, which also features American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as the Four Villains and Russian mezzo-soprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in her company debut as Nicklausse.

The Live-in-HD cinema season will include three new productions: the Met premiere of Grounded by Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori, Verdi’s Aida directed by Michael Mayer and starring American soprano Angel Blue, and Strauss’s Salome led by South African soprano Elza van den Heever in the title role and directed by Claus Guth. 

Season highlights include the return of Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen in Puccini’s Tosca and Beethoven’s Fidelio, and rising Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina as Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will conduct three of the transmissions. In addition, an encore of Mozart’s The Magic Flute will be presented for the holiday season.                                                               

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.

This season’s series is generously supported by Camden Law.                                                               

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. Walk-up box office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 12-4:30pm, and Wednesday and Friday from 3-5:30pm, plus when the theater is open for scheduled shows and one hour prior to each opera showtime.

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