The Audition 2008-09 Met Opera - Live in HD!
Sunday, April 19 at 3pm
Don’t miss a special screening of the new documentary The Audition. Hosted by star soprano Renée Fleming, this exclusive addition to the Metropolitan Opera’s acclaimed Live in HD series offers a backstage look at the intense pressures young opera singers face as they struggle to succeed in one of the most difficult professions in the performing arts.
The feature-length film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke, documents the dramatic final week of the 2007 competition of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, where each year thousands of hopefuls compete for a cash prize, the chance to sing on the storied Met stage — and the opportunity to launch a major operatic career. The documentary crew, which had unprecedented access to the singers, judges, and events backstage at the Met, filmed as these aspiring young artists handled the pressure, drama, excitement, and heartbreak of pursuing their dreams.
Following the screening a panel of former National Council Audition winners will discuss how this vital program was essential to launching their careers. In addition to Fleming, singers including Susan Graham, Nathan Gunn, Ben Heppner, and Deborah Voigt will share their personal stories of how they went on to become major artists thanks in part to the foundation established by winning the Auditions.
Like many Met artists who have participated in this prestigious competition — including Deborah Voigt, Stephanie Blythe, Ben Heppner, Nathan Gunn, and Fleming herself, among many others — the singers who made it to the semi-final and final rounds in New York City have stories that are themselves operatic: tales of struggle and sacrifice, guided by a passion for their art. The judges narrowed down the field to 22 semi-finalists and then 11 finalists. As the stakes get higher - the pressure becomes more intense. The film focuses on three very different tenor contestants: Michael Fabiano, a fiery 22-year-old is grappling with his inner demons; Alek Shrader, a 25-year-old with movie-star looks attempts to sing nine high Cs in the fiendishly difficult aria that made Pavarotti a star; and Ryan Smith, at the age of 30, and with little formal training, is pursuing his dream of an operatic career. The Audition is both a suspenseful competition narrative and a revealing backstage look at what it takes to make it as an opera singer.
As a bonus feature, the transmission of the documentary ends with a panel discussion moderated by Fleming, with fellow National Council winners Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson, filmed on location at the Met. The panelists reminisce about their own past participation in the competition and talk about how the experience was instrumental in launching their own international careers.
Live simulcast from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House to the Walter Reade Theater, specially equipped with high definition screens and surround sound. A special presentation by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera.
Please note: Program and casting subject to change. Running times are approximate.
Click here to see the line-up for the entire 2008-09 season.
