By Chana Ya'ar
For the first time ever, a free live broadcast of the premier of Carmen at Masada will take place in three locations around Israel.
The open-air screenings of the lavish production – the largest ever in Israel – will make the opening night of the opera available to thousands of Israelis and tourists.
Carmen is being produced as a performance of the third Israeli Opera Festival at Masada, which opens on June 7.
The screenings, which are offered through the courtesy of the Marc Rich Foundation – are set to take place in the following locations:
1. Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) in the north,
2. Amphitheater on the Netanya Promenade (behind the Park Hotel) in the central region, and
3. Plaza of the Be'er Sheva Museum in the south.
The public is asked to be seated by 8:00 p.m., with the performance scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. And to end at about 1:00 a.m.
During the intermission, viewers will be taken “behind the scenes” and will enjoy the privilege of watching interviews with the performers.
The opera, to be conducted by Maestro Daniel Oren, will be sung in French with Hebrew and English subtitles appearing on the screen.
More than 50,000 tourists, visitors and local citizens are expected to attend the Israeli Opera Festival at Masada in the specially-erected Opera Village at the foot of the wind-swept Judean fortress of Masada.
"Opera should be enjoyed by everyone, and the majesty of the Masada setting makes this production of Carmen even more exciting,” said Hanna Munitz, general director of the Israeli Opera House. “By extending our invitation to those who cannot come to the festival itself, for whatever reason, we are able to reach out to an even wider audience, excite people's attention and bring them closer to the fascinating world of opera.”
