Angela Gheorghiu In Director's Chair (Literally) For Cinema News

Angela Gheorghiu with Sergei Polunin and
Lauren Cuthbertson celebrate the launch
together. (Photo: Nigel Norrington)

"More than 700 cinemas across the world will screen performances from Covent Garden as part of Royal Opera House Cinema, a new venture that was launched yesterday evening. Angela Gheorghiu with Sergei Polunin and Lauren Cuthbertson celebrate the launch of The Royal Opera House's cinema season. It is the first time that Royal Opera and Royal Ballet productions have been broadcast by ROH exclusively. The 2011/12 programme will feature ten shows, five broadcast live and five recently recorded. Tony Hall, ROH chief executive, said: 'What we love about cinema is making what we do here available to as many people as we can – great art, great opera and ballet should be for everybody. If you are thinking, that sounds a little bit pie, it’s also great fun and why shouldn’t people enjoy themselves as they do here too.' The season will open with Faust on September 28 and also includes Adriana Lecouvreur, Tosca, Cendrillon, Il Trittico, Madame Butterfly and Rigoletto, all by the Royal Opera, and the Royal Ballet’s productions of The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet and La Fille Mal Gardee. Soprano Angela Gheorghiu will star in the first three opera productions of the cinema season, taking the title roles in Adriana Lecouvreur and Tosca and playing Marguerite in Faust." [Source]