**MEDIA ADVISORY**

The Emmy Award-winning series The Met: Live in HD continues with
LA DAMNATION DE FAUST starring Marcello Giordani, Susan Graham and John Relyea
Conducted by Met Music Director James Levine

Tape delay to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

10 HD cameras to capture the excitement of live performance for moviegoers;
The Met: Live in HD performance of La Damnation de Faust hosted by star Susan Graham

WHAT: The Met’s third season of the Emmy Award-winning The Met: Live in HD continues with a special transmission of La Damnation de Faust, hosted by Faust star, acclaimed mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.

“Techno-alchemy arrives at the opera” with Robert Lepage’s “innovative production” that features “stunning use of video imagery,” writes The New York Times. “James Levine conducts Berlioz’s sumptuous score, seemingly with a lightning bolt instead of a baton” proclaimed Variety. “High-tech circus meets grand opera,” hailed the Associated Press.

Noted director Robert Lepage makes his Met debut with a technologically innovative new production of Hector Berlioz’s masterpiece, La Damnation de Faust, which opened at the Met November 7. Music Director James Levine conducts the first staging of the work at the Met since 1906, with Marcello Giordani in the title role, Susan Graham as Marguerite, and John Relyea as Méphistophélès.

Lepage has reconceived the production he originally created for Japan's Saito Kinen Festival and the Opéra National de Paris. The new staging features enhanced media and technology that was not previously available — some of which was developed by Lepage and his Quebec-based company, Ex Machina. The entire production team is making its Met debut: set designer Carl Fillion, costume designer Karin Erskine, lighting designer Sonoyo Nishikawa, the choreographers Johanne Madore and Alain Gautier, and video designers Holger Foerterer and Boris Firquet.

In this innovative production, performers' movements, as well as their voices, will set video projections in motion. "Because I was interested in finding a meeting point between the theatricality of opera and the cinematic world,” Lepage said, “I have to create this kind of portal where those two ways of telling stories would meet. The whole idea is not to create images that are overwhelming and overpowering, eclipsing the music. On the contrary, all the visuals should be triggered by the music.” Lepage used similar technology for KÀ, his multi-media work for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Met audiences will see more of his unusual approach when the director unveils his new production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, beginning in the 2010-2011 season.

“La Damnation de Faust is an opportunity for us to set the basis of the visual language and the technologies and interactive technologies that are going to be used in the Ring,” he says.

During the intermission of the two act opera, HD cameras take movie-goers backstage for a rare behind-the-scenes view of the Met with host Susan Graham. The live transmission is directed for telecast by Barbara Willis Sweete; Jay Saks is audio producer.

La Damnation de Faust marks the fourth performance of the season as part of The Met: Live in HD series and will be transmitted live from New York via satellite into 477 movie theaters performing arts centers, universities and museums across the U.S. The performance will be shown live in high-definition in movie theaters throughout the Americas and Europe.

Over 100 locations in Canada will exhibit the event as well as the following locations: the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, Mexico, the Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano in San Jose, Costa Rica, the Cine Teatro 25 de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and at Caribbean Cinema in Puerto Rico. The series continues in the U.K., Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Dubai, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Hungary, Greece, Peru, and Latvia.

La Damnation de Faust is the season’s third The Met: Live in HD event to be transmitted live to Europe. The Met’s Opening Night Gala starring Renée Fleming kicked off The Met: Live in HD in the Americas with over 75,000 attendees at movie theaters in the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Argentina.

Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $25 for concessions. More information on session times and the 10 theaters in New Zealand committed to the new series is available at www.nzmetopera.com or by going directly to each cinemas website:

AUCKLAND: Rialto Cinema, Newmarket Sat 14th Feb 7.30pm, Sun 15th Feb 2pm, Wed 18th Feb 10am

AUCKLAND: Bridgeway Cinema, Northcote Thu 12th Feb 1pm, Sat 14th Feb 10.30am, Sun 15th Feb 5pm, Mon 16th Feb 10.30am, Wed 18th Feb 2pm

TAURANGA: Rialto Cinema Thu 12th Feb 10.20am, Sun 15th Feb 5pm, Wed 18th Feb 2pm

HAMILTON: Victoria Cinema Fri 13th Feb 7pm, Sun 15th Feb 4pm, Wed 18th Feb 10am

HAVELOCK NORTH: Cinema Gold Sun 8th March 3.30pm, Thurs 12th March 1.00pm

PALMERSTON NORTH: Cinema Gold Sun 15th Feb 3.30pm, Thu 19th Feb 1pm

WELLINGTON: Penthouse Cinema Sat 14th Feb 10am, Sun 15th Feb 6pm, Wed 18th Feb 10am

NELSON: Suter & State Cinemas times still TBC

CHRISTCHURCH: Rialto Cinema Sun 15th Feb 2pm, Wed 18th Feb 10am

DUNEDIN: Rialto Cinema Sun 15th Feb 2pm, Wed 18th Feb 10am

ENDS

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