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With all live performances sold out, the Metropolitan Opera is streaming “Lincoln in the Bardo” on YouTube free this Saturday.
Lifted by celebrity endorsements, strong social media interest and favorable reviews, the Metropolitan Opera’s world premiere of “Lincoln in the Bardo” quickly sold out all nine of its performances this fall.
It is an unusually strong showing by a new opera, even one based on a book as popular as George Saunders’s 2017 novel, and it presented a quandary for the Metropolitan Opera. Given the inflexibility of its long-planned season schedule — not to mention the schedules of its sprawling, starry cast — the Met couldn’t simply pop a few more performances on the calendar. And Met executives had not included “Lincoln” on its roster of performances to be simulcast to 1,900 cinemas in 53 countries as part of its Live in HD series.
Paul Cremo, the director of the Met’s opera commissioning program, said: “We are really excited that people are getting to see it for free across the country and around the world, as well as people who wanted to see it again and couldn’t get tickets. There’s a lot of interest in it.”
There are risks. This was an ambitious undertaking: A technical rehearsal on Wednesday night required eight cameras in the hall and a line of big rigs along Amsterdam Avenue, including one that housed a small master control room crammed with 12 people, including Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager. The $1 million cost of the transmission will be covered by Met donors.
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