| Anna Bolena takes in $2 million |
| Monday, 17 October 2011 11:08 | |||
 The Met: Live in HD kicked off its sixth season Saturday with a live transmission of Anna Bolena, starring Russian Opera star Anna Netrebko. The stream had an estimated attendance of about 90,000 viewers across North America grossing $2 million. The performance was seen live on more than 850 screens. An estimated additional 90,000 people saw it live on 625 screens in 28 countries in Europe, and nine countries in Latin America, two countries in the Middle East, and Russia. This opera was the first Live in HD transmission to be seen in eight new markets, including Russia, Italy and Israel; the series is now seen in 54 countries around the world.
In addition, delayed screenings in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and encore performances in North America and Europe, are expected to boost worldwide attendance of Anna Bolena to 235,000. The Met: Live in HD is the Met opera's award-winning series of live transmissions to movie theaters around the world. The series has expanded its worldwide distribution to more than 1,600 theaters in 54 countries, making it the largest global audience the initiative has ever reached. Anna Bolena, a new production by David McVicar, is based on the tragic last days of Anne Boleyn. The play is a musical and dramatic showpiece for many of history's greatest singers. In addition to Anna Netrebko, the cast featurs Ekaterina Gubanova as Jane Seymour, Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII, Stephen Costello as Percy, and Tamara Mumford as Smeaton. The performance was conducted by Marco Armiliato. The live transmission, hosted by soprano Renée Fleming, was directed by Gary Halvorson.
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