Verdi's Il Trovatore launches new opera season on the big screen

Soprano Anna Netrebko's dramatic and vocal skills are on full display in her next new role at the Met-Leonora, the Verdi heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of a gypsy troubadour.

Tenor Yonghoon Lee sings the ill-fated Manrico, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is his rival, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is the mysterious gypsy with the troubled past.

Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar's Goya-inspired production of Il Trovatore, which is on for a limited screening.

Live backstage interview

The intermission content is hosted by Susan Graham and includes a live backstage interview with Anna Netrebko, who has starred in more HD transmissions than any other singer, special highlights video of Netrebko's greatest on-screen moments, an interview with Met General Manager Peter Gelb, previewing the tenth anniversary transmissions, and interviews with the stars of the Met's new production of Verdi's Otello, directed by Bartlett Sher and seen live in Nouveau cinemas from 14 November.

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.

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 70 countries this season, the largest global audience the initiative has ever reached.

In celebration of 10 years of The Met: Live in HD being screened on cinemas around the world, including Cinema Nouveau, the new season presents 10 opulent, full-length operas, including six new productions, and a special encore.

Stars serve as hosts

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. 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.

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 and Gateway Commercial in Durban; V&A Waterfront Nouveau in Cape Town; Ster-Kinekor Somerset Mall in Somerset West and Garden Route Mall in George; Rosebank Nouveau and Ster-Kinekor Bedford Centre in Joburg; and at Brooklyn Nouveau in Pretoria.

For booking information on The Met: Live in HD season, go to www.cinemanouveau.co.za or www.sterkinekor.com. Download the Ster-Kinekor App on any Nokia, Samsung Android, iPhone or Blackberry smartphone for updates, news and to make bookings. Follow on Twitter @nouveaubuzz and on Facebook at Cinema Nouveau. For information, call Ticketline on 0861-Movies (668 437).

For more opera on the big screen and the latest film releases, go to www.writingstudio.co.za