the abused and unhinged heroine

Wed, 04/30/2025 - 1:15pm

A scene from Strauss's "Salome." (Photo by Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera)

Elza van den Heever in the title role of Strauss's "Salome." (Photo by Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) Photo 2: A scene from Strauss's "Salome" with Elza van den Heever in the title role. Photo: Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera Photo 3: A scene from Strauss's "Salome." Photo: Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera

A scene from Strauss's "Salome." (Photo by Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera)

ROCKLAND — A live broadcast from New York City’s Metropolitan Opera of Strauss’s one-act tragedy Salome will be presented Saturday, May 17, at 1 p.m., at the Strand Theatre. An encore will be screened Tuesday, May 27, at 1 p.m.

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts his first Met performances of Strauss’s white-hot one-act tragedy, which receives its first new production at the company in 20 years.

"Claus Guth, one of Europe’s leading opera directors, gives the biblical story—already filtered through the beautiful and strange imagination of Oscar Wilde’s play—a psychologically perceptive, Victorian-era setting rich in symbolism and subtle shades of darkness and light," said the Strand, in a news release.

Headlining the new staging is soprano Elza van den Heever as the abused and unhinged heroine, who demands the head of Jochanaan, sung by celebrated baritone Peter Mattei. Tenor Gerhard Siegel is Salome’s lecherous stepfather, King Herod, with mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as his wife, Herodias, and tenor Piotr Buszewski as Narraboth.

This opera is sung in German, and has an approximate running time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, with no 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.

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.