More Than 25,000 Viewers Watch Washington Opera Simulcast

"We are thrilled to have seen so much interest in this simulcast and this great opera, La Bohème," said Plácido Domingo, General Director of WNO, who saw the simulcast as an opportunity to generate new opera fans nationwide, particularly among younger generations. "The event has opened many new eyes to the world of opera, and we hope to continue showing them everything it has to offer.

Our new production of La Bohème was a wonderful way to begin communication with audiences who may have been unfamiliar with the opera to this point." Domingo is a longtime advocate for sharing opera with new audiences and has done so through initiatives such as WNO's Generation O program, Opera Look-In for elementary schools, and the Opera Insights series for all audiences. Mariusz Treliński's edgy, contemporary version of La Bohème was the perfect production with which to foster new opera fans.

Treliński updated Puccini's timeless tale of ambition, love, loyalty, and loss, setting the production in the 21st century and featuring a cast of talented, young, and captivating artists. The theme and setting of this La Bohème resonate well with younger audiences, many of whom recognized the story from the acclaimed Broadway musical Rent. The simulcast is a milestone for WNO and for the opera world, as it brought together what may have been the largest ever one-time audience for an opera performance. WNO has produced two simulcasts in the past (Porgy and Bess in 2005 and Madama Butterfly in 2006), but yesterday's matinee marked the first time that a free opera performance has been brought into schools and public housing via satellite.

La Bohème was shown Sunday to a full house at the Kennedy Center, from which it was simulcast to 31 high schools, colleges, and universities across the country and to the Washington Monument on the National Mall. In addition to the 31 schools across the country experiencing the simulcast, audiences living in public and other assisted housing developments in eight cities nationwide were also watching the drama unfold from the Kennedy Center. The partnership between WNO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the most recent extension of WNO's effort to increase access to opera.

Audiences in New York, Memphis, Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Fe, and Washington, D.C., were all part of this event through the efforts of HUD and its facilities in these communities. With an audience of 14,000 also watching from the Washington Monument on D.C.'s National Mall, a total estimated audience of more than 25,000 heard the voices of leads Vittorio Grigolo and Adriana Damato, playing Rodolfo and Mimì, as they told the classic story of love and hardship in a new, contemporary setting. Maestro Plácido Domingo made a surprise visit to the National Mall during the intermission and was greeted with thunderous applause as he thanked everyone for coming out to support the company and its efforts.

"This simulcast is such a great way to bring opera and the arts to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to see a world-class performance like this one," said Roy A. Bernardi, Deputy Secretary of HUD. "By working with Washington National Opera, we have the opportunity to expose many people to an art form that they may not be familiar with, while letting them know that there are many wonderful career opportunities in the field." -- www.dc-opera.org