ROCKLAND — Tickets are now on sale for the Met's Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning Live in HD series' 2017-18 season, which begins on October 7 with the company's new production of Bellini's Norma. Now in its 12th season, the series brings New York City's prestigious Metropolitan Opera to movie theater audiences nationwide. Featuring new talent as well as seasoned veterans, The Met: Live in HD 2017-18 season features ten transmissions, including five new productions, two of which are Met premieres. The Strand Theatre will broadcast each live event on a Saturday, and re-broadcast an Encore performance on a following Tuesday.

In addition to the opera presentations, audiences will go behind the scenes with the leading artists that make the Met one of the most renowned opera houses in the world. Backstage access includes special interviews with cast and crew and other features exclusive to the Live in HD series.

Tickets for The Met: Live in HD 2017-18 season can be purchased online at www.RocklandStrand.com; by calling the box office at (207) 594-0070 (Monday-Friday, noon - 4pm); or at the theater when it is open for scheduled shows.

Tickets for the Live broadcasts are $27/Adult, $15/Student. Encore performance tickets are $23/Adult, $5/Student, and are sold Day of Show only, at the box office 90 minutes prior to showtime. Student ticket pricing is available to college students with ID. A Ten-Performance Season Ticket Package is $255. Handling fees apply to phone and online sales.

NORMA (Bellini) – New production

Saturday, October 7, 2017 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, October 17 – 1:00 pm

The season opens with a new production of Bellini's bel canto tragedy Norma, starring Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role, which she has sung to acclaim at the Met in 2013, as well as at the Canadian Opera Company, San Francisco Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Lyric Opera of Chicago—making her one of the world's leading interpreters of the iconic title character. Joyce DiDonato co-stars as Norma's colleague and rival, Adalgisa, opposite Joseph Calleja as Pollione and Matthew Rose as Oroveso. Carlo Rizzi conducts and Sir David McVicar directs the new production.

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE (Mozart)

Saturday, October 14, 2017 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, October 24 – 1:00 pm

Met Music Director Emeritus James Levine conducts Tony Award®–winner Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's masterpiece, Die Zauberflöte. Golda Schultz makes her Met debut as Pamina with Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, Charles Castronovo as the fairy tale prince Tamino, Markus Werba as the bird-catching Papageno, Christian Van Horn as Sprecher, and René Pape as Sarastro. The holiday presentation of The Magic Flute, an abridged staging sung in English for families, was the first Live in HD performance to be transmitted. This is the first time the full-length German opera will be seen in the series.

THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (Thomas Adès) – Met premiere

Saturday, November 18, 2017 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, November 28 – 1:00 pm

The Exterminating Angel has its Met premiere this season, conducted by the composer, Thomas Adès. The 2016 opera, co-commissioned by the Met and sung in English, is based on the screenplay by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza for the acclaimed 1962 Buñuel film. Directed by the librettist Tom Cairns, the ensemble cast features Audrey Luna as Leticia Maynar; Amanda Echalaz as Lucia de Nobile; Sally Matthews as Silvia de Ávila and Sophie Bevan as Beatriz, both in Met debuts; Alice Coote as Leonora Palma; Christine Rice as Blanca Delgado; Iestyn Davies as Francisco de Ávila; Joseph Kaiser as Edundo de Nobile; Frédéric Antoun in his Met debut as Raúl Yebenes; David Portillo as Edmundo; David Adam Moore in his Met debut as Col. Álvaro Gómez; Rod Gilfry as Alberto Roc; Kevin Burdette as Señor Russell; Christian Van Horn as Julio; and John Tomlinson as Dr. Carlos Conde. The Exterminating Angel is a co-commission and co-production with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Royal Danish Theatre; and Salzburg Festival, where the production premiered in 2016.

TOSCA (Puccini) – New production

Saturday, January 27, 2018 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, February 6 – 1:00 pm

James Levine conducts a new staging of Puccini's dramatic tragedy, directed by Sir David McVicar. Sonya Yoncheva and Vittorio Grigolo star as the heroine Tosca and her lover Cavaradossi, with Bryn Terfel as the villainous Scarpia.

L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Donizetti)

Saturday, February 10, 2018 – 12:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, February 20 – 12:00 pm

Donizetti's comic gem L'Elisir d'Amore, staged by Bartlett Sher, stars Pretty Yende as the spirited Adina, with Matthew Polenzani as Nemorino, the simple peasant who falls in love with her. Davide Luciano makes his Met debut as the role of Adina's arrogant fiancé, Belcore and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo sings the role of the magic potion-peddling Doctor Dulcamara. Domingo Hindoyan makes his company debut conducting.

LA BOHÈME (Puccini)

Saturday, February 24, 2018 – 12:30 pm

Encore: Tuesday, March 6 – 12:30pm

An exciting young cast stars in Franco Zeffirelli's classic production of La Bohème, the most-performed opera in Met history. Sonya Yoncheva stars as Mimì opposite Michael Fabiano as the passionate writer Rodolfo. Susanna Phillips reprises the role of the flirtatious Musetta and Lucas Meachem sings the role of her lover, the painter Marcello. The cast also features Alexey Lavrov and Matthew Rose as Rodolfo and Marcello's friends Schaunard and Colline and Paul Plishka as Benoit and Alcindoro in this performance, led by Marco Armiliato.

SEMIRAMIDE (Rossini) – First time in HD

Saturday, March 10, 2018 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, March 20 – 1:00 pm

Angela Meade makes her Met role debut as the title character in Rossini's Semiramide, which has not been seen at the Met in 25 years. The opera will be conducted by Maurizio Benini and features Elizabeth DeShong as the Commander of the Assyrian army Arsace, Javier Camarena as an Indian king Idreno, Ildar Abdrazakov as the prince Assur, and Ryan Speedo Green as the high priest Oroe.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE (Mozart) – New production

Saturday, March 31, 2018 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, April 10 – 1:00 pm

Phelim McDermott returns to the Met staging Mozart's comedy Così fan tutte, led by David Robertson. Set in the 1950s on Coney Island, the cast features Amanda Majeski as the conflicted Fiordiligi; Serena Malfi as her sister, Dorabella; Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara as their feisty maid, Despina; Ben Bliss and Adam Plachetka as the sisters' fiancés, Ferrando and Guglielmo; and Christopher Maltman as the cynical Don Alfonso. Così fan tutte is a co-production with the English National Opera.

LUISA MILLER (Verdi) – First time in HD

Saturday, April 14, 2018 – 12:30 pm

Encore: Tuesday, April 24 – 12:30 pm

James Levine conducts a revival of Luisa Miller, which has not been seen at the Met since 2006. The opera stars Sonya Yoncheva as a peasant girl Luisa opposite Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo in Verdi's tragedy about a young woman who sacrifices her own happiness in an attempt to save her father's life. The cast also features Plácido Domingo as Luisa's father Miller, with Olesya Petrova as Federica, and Alexander Vinogradov in his Met debut and Dmitry Belosselskiy as Walter and Wurm respectively, the ruthless men determined to tear Luisa and Rodolfo apart.

CENDRILLON (Massenet) – Met premiere

Saturday, April 28, 2018 – 1:00 pm

Encore: Tuesday, May 8 – 1:00 pm

Massenet's enchanting opera Cendrillon, based on Cinderella, premieres at the Met conducted by Bertrand de Billy and directed by Laurent Pelly, whose Met credits include staging Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment and Massenet's Manon. Joyce DiDonato adds another role to her Met repertory as the title character, a role she has sung to acclaim at the Grand Teatre del Liceu, Santa Fe Opera, and Royal Opera, Covent Garden. The cast also stars Alice Coote as Prince Charmant, Stephanie Blythe as the evil stepmother Madame de la Haltière, Kathleen Kim as the Fée, and Laurent Naouri as Pandolfe. Cendrillon is produced in association with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie, Brussels; and Opéra de Lille. This production was first performed at The Santa Fe Opera.

For more information, visit www.rocklandstrand.com. Tel: (207) 594-0070 EX 3 Email: info@rocklandstrand.com. Strand Theatre, 345 Main Street, Rockland, ME 04841