L.A. Opera to host free outdoor screenings of 'Il Postino'
Los Angeles Opera will host two free outdoor screenings of its current production of "Il Postino" in downtown L.A. and Costa Mesa, in response to what it says is strong demand for tickets for the world premiere production starring Plácido Domingo.
The opera, written by Daniel Catán and based on the popular 1994 movie, will screen at California Plaza in downtown L.A. at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa at 7 p.m. on Monday. Both outdoor screenings are free and no tickets are required for entry.
Both public screenings will feature a performance of "Il Postino" recorded at Saturday's matinee performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
This marks the first time that L.A. Opera has produced outdoor screenings, following in the footsteps of the Metropolitan Opera, which broadcasts certain productions to Times Square in New York.
Christopher Koelsch, the chief operating officer of L.A. Opera, said the company was considering the possibility of adding another performance of "Il Postino" but the logistics were too complicated. He said the screenings will allow "a larger group to see it than would otherwise be able to."
L.A. Opera said there are 300 remaining tickets for the final three performances of "Il Postino," which runs through Oct. 16.
The downtown L.A. screening is being co-produced by Grand Performances, an organization that provides free performing-arts events at California Plaza, and will accommodate up to 5,000 attendees. The Costa Mesa screening is being presented as part of OCPAC's Free for All series.
L.A. Opera said that it is actively pursuing an eventual DVD release of "Il Postino." The company said the DVD won't appear before the 2011-12 season so that the current production can travel to the Theater an der Wien in Vienna and the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, both of which are co-producers on the opera.
-- David Ng
Photo: "Il Postino," with Domingo and Charles Castronovo, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times
POETIC JUSTICE!!
After all the discourse about illegal immigration etc., we have in Los Angeles and "THE O.C.", the FIRST projection of a "Spanish Language" Opera (maybe ANY opera) by Mexican composer Daniel Catan! Yes we Latinos/Hispanics have Operas too! and not just new ones!!
Posted by: Humberto Capiro | October 04, 2010 at 08:46 PM
I only wish they would have filmed Freyer's Ring and sold it on video. To say it was monumental is an understatement.
Posted by: Emanuel Meza | October 04, 2010 at 09:20 PM
I also wish Freyer's Ring were released on video!
Posted by: GP | October 05, 2010 at 02:04 AM