The Metropolitan Opera remains closed for the foreseeable future (predicted to be opening some time after June this year) but opera lovers need not fret, the longestablished New York-based opera house continues to offer daily productions every evening completely free of charge. These are pre-recorded, rather than live, but offer excellent HD quality as they were originally filmed to be screened in movie theatres. The selected archives are available for 23 hours on a daily basis from 12:30am until 11:30am the following day. To view their schedule go to: metopera.org and plan out your operatic soirées in advance.
If you’re serious about musicals you can subscribe to BroadwayHD.com which provides a huge selection of the best stage productions from the West End, Broadway and beyond, for your entertainment. Monthly costs are $8.99 but the first week is free if you want to try it out for size. Some of the most famous productions include The King and I (Lincoln Centre Theatre, 2015), 42nd Street (West End, 2017), Oklahoma (Starring Hugh Jackman in the West End, 1998), Into the Woods (Regents Park, London, 2010), and Carousel (New York Philharmonic concert staging, recorded for Live From Lincoln Centre, 2013) name a mere few of the extensive line up they have on offer.
Another fantastic website for theatre streaming is whatsonstage.com. Here, you will find all the necessary information telling you what stage shows, musicals, operas and plays are available to stream. Make your selection and you’ll be redirected to a streaming site such as YouTube where you can then begin watching for free. As this is regularly updated you’ll find new links on a daily/ weekly basis so you will be spoilt for choice. Examples of some of the most popular productions include Shakespeare’s Globe’s Romeo & Juliet or Richard II, a cruise line’s hour long rendition of Disney’s Frozen or Tangled, this year’s digital version of the Edinburgh Festival, Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti by Opera North, Alan Seymour’s The One Day of the Year and Only The Brave - A New Musical, Ghost Quartet featuring Dave Malloy. 71
