These grand operas, filmed at the iconic Metropolitan Opera House, feature some of the world’s most talented singers, conductors, composers, orchestra musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers and dancers. With these exclusive productions, Cinema Nouveau continues to give local audiences the opportunity to witness these spectacular ‘live’ broadcasts on the big screen, in full digital projection, at various sites across South Africa. Past productions have received critical acclaim and gained recognition around the world.

Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, with a searing performance from star soprano Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth, launches the new season, on Saturday, 8 November for a limited season. The next transmission will be the Met’s spirited new production of Mozart’s masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) on Saturday, 22 November, conducted by Met music director James Levine. Carmen, the much-loved opera from Bizet, can be seen on the big screen from Saturday, 29 November and Rossini’s popular Il Barbiere di Siviglia can be seen from Saturday, 20 December.

On Friday, 20 February 2015, Susan Stroman makes her Met debut directing a new production of Lehár’s The Merry Widow, with Renée Fleming in the title role and Andrew Davis conducting.

Two double bills of one-act operas also receive new productions this season: Iolanta, with Anna Netrebko in the title role, and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, conducted by Valery Gergiev and directed by Mariusz Trelinski, release on Saturday, 21 March 2015.

The last production of this season, releasing on Saturday, 23 May 2015, sees Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, conducted by Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi and directed by David McVicar, receive its first new Met production in 45 years.

The 2014/15 season was announced by Met general manager Peter Gelb and Met music director James Levine. “With a mix of new offerings, a few repertory rarities, and solid casting of our mainstay revivals, this should prove to be a stimulating season for the Company and for our audiences,” said Gelb.

The Met: Live in HD, the Met’s award-winning series of live transmissions to cinemas around the world, has expanded its worldwide distribution to more than 2000 theatres in 69 countries this season, the largest global audience the initiative has ever reached. The Met was the first arts company to experiment as an alternative content provider, beginning on a modest scale in 2006. Since then, its programme has grown every season with more than 16 million tickets sold to date.

Met opera stars serve as hosts for each of the Live in HD series, conducting live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes features. Altogether the worldwide HD audience is given an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera at one of the world’s great houses.

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Global corporate sponsorship of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg.

Each of these entertaining operas is a glorious production that will be screened exclusively at Cinema Nouveau and select Ster-Kinekor theatres countrywide, including: Gateway Nouveau, Durban; V&A Waterfront Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor Blue Route in Cape Town; Rosebank Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor Bedford in Johannesburg; and at Brooklyn Nouveau, Pretoria. Their release onto the big screen affords South African lovers of opera the unique opportunity to become an integral part of these ‘near-live’ and breath-taking performances.

To view a trailer of the new season, click here.

For booking information on The Met: Live in HD season, visit www.cinemanouveau.co.za or sterkinekor.mobi, or phone Ticketline on 0861 668 437. Alternatively, follow them on Twitter and visit and like Cinema Nouveau’s Facebook page.