Live Cinema

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current production of Carmen by The Royal Opera on Wednesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m., and again on Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in London and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.

Carmen is the best-known work by French composer Georges Bizet, and one of the most famous operas in the entire art form – numbers such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song have permeated the popular consciousness as little else has. The opera’s heady combination of passion, sensuality and violence initially proved too much for the stage, and it was a critical failure on its 1875 premiere. Bizet died shortly after, and never learned of the spectacular success his Carmen would achieve: the opera has been performed more than five hundred times at Covent Garden alone.

This ever-popular opera is given a fresh point of view in Barrie Kosky’s highly physical production, originally created for Frankfurt Opera. The Australian director is one of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, whose Royal Opera debut with Shostakovich’s The Nose in 2016 was greeted with delight. For Carmen he has devised a far-from-traditional version, incorporating music written by Bizet for the score but not usually heard, and giving a new voice to the opera’s endlessly fascinating central character.

For this production, Jakub Hrůša conducts the following cast:

MORALÈS - Gyula Nagy
MICAËLA - Kristina Mkhitaryan
DON JOSÉ - Francesco Meli
ZUNIGA - David Soar
CARMEN - Anna Goryachova
FRASQUITA - Jacquelyn Stucker
MERCÉDÈS - Aigul Akhmetshina
ESCAMILLO - Kostas Smoriginas
DANCAÏRO - Pierre Doyen
REMENDADO - Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
VOICE OF CARMEN - Claude de Demo

This screening runs approximately 3 hours 50 minutes including one intermission and an onscreen introduction.

NOTE: Carmen is sung in French with English surtitles. 

Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students/Youth) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. For group ticket sales, please call 509-876-1662. Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks will be available for purchase, and may be taken into the theater.

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current production of Carmen by The Royal Opera on Wednesday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m., and again on Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in London and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.

Carmen is the best-known work by French composer Georges Bizet, and one of the most famous operas in the entire art form – numbers such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song have permeated the popular consciousness as little else has. The opera’s heady combination of passion, sensuality and violence initially proved too much for the stage, and it was a critical failure on its 1875 premiere. Bizet died shortly after, and never learned of the spectacular success his Carmen would achieve: the opera has been performed more than five hundred times at Covent Garden alone.

This ever-popular opera is given a fresh point of view in Barrie Kosky’s highly physical production, originally created for Frankfurt Opera. The Australian director is one of the world’s most sought-after opera directors, whose Royal Opera debut with Shostakovich’s The Nose in 2016 was greeted with delight. For Carmen he has devised a far-from-traditional version, incorporating music written by Bizet for the score but not usually heard, and giving a new voice to the opera’s endlessly fascinating central character.

For this production, Jakub Hrůša conducts the following cast:

MORALÈS - Gyula Nagy
MICAËLA - Kristina Mkhitaryan
DON JOSÉ - Francesco Meli
ZUNIGA - David Soar
CARMEN - Anna Goryachova
FRASQUITA - Jacquelyn Stucker
MERCÉDÈS - Aigul Akhmetshina
ESCAMILLO - Kostas Smoriginas
DANCAÏRO - Pierre Doyen
REMENDADO - Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
VOICE OF CARMEN - Claude de Demo

This screening runs approximately 3 hours 50 minutes including one intermission and an onscreen introduction.

NOTE: Carmen is sung in French with English surtitles. 

Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students/Youth) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. For group ticket sales, please call 509-876-1662. Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks will be available for purchase, and may be taken into the theater.

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current production of Macbeth by The Royal Opera on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 13 at 2:00 p.m. A portion of the proceeds ($1/ticket) will be donated to the Walla Walla Symphony.

Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’. With his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.

The warrior Macbeth fights on the side of the King of Scotland – but when a coven of witches prophesy that he shall become king himself, a ruthless ambition drives Macbeth and his wife to horrific acts. Murder makes Macbeth king, and intrigue and butchery are the hallmarks of his brief, doomed reign. The witches make another prediction, which also comes true: Macbeth and his lady lose their lives, and justice is restored.

Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production for The Royal Opera is richly hued, shot through with black, red and gold. The witches – imagined by designer Anthony Ward as strange, scarlet-turbaned creatures – are ever-present agents of fate. Lloyd depicts the Macbeths’ childlessness as the dark sadness lurking behind their terrible deeds. The Royal Opera’s production uses Verdi’s 1865 Paris revision of the opera, which includes Lady Macbeth’s riveting aria "La luce langue."

Antonio Pappano conducts a cast led by Serbian baritone Željko Lučić as Macbeth, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth (one of her signature roles) and Italian bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Banquo.

NOTE: This production is sung in Italian, with English surtitles. This screening has a runtime of approximately 3 hours, 20 minutes, including one intermission and an on-screen introduction.

This production is performed by the Royal Opera, filmed live in London, and rebroadcast to select theaters.

Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students/Youth) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. For group ticket sales, please call 509-876-1662. Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks will be available for purchase, and may be taken into the theater.

"Bernstein Centenary" is a mixed program honoring the creative genius of Leonard Bernstein as part of the special worldwide centennial celebration of works created in response to his music.

Continuing his distinctive creative collaborations beyond the world of dance, Wayne McGregor’s new ballet "Yugen" incorporates designs by artist Edmund de Waal, and is set to Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” Liam Scarlett’s ballet "The Ages of Anxiety" is set to Bernstein’s “Symphony No 2” with design by John Macfarlane. Christopher Wheeldon collaborates with award-winning fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu to create the costumes for the world premiere of "Corybantic Games."

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current production of Macbeth by The Royal Opera on Wednesday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 13 at 1:30 p.m. A portion of the proceeds ($1/ticket) will be donated to the Walla Walla Symphony.

Verdi’s life-long love affair with Shakespeare’s works began with Macbeth, a play he considered to be ‘one of the greatest creations of man’. With his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi set out to create ‘something out of the ordinary’. Their success is borne out in every bar of a score that sees Verdi at his most theatrical: it bristles with demonic energy.

The warrior Macbeth fights on the side of the King of Scotland – but when a coven of witches prophesy that he shall become king himself, a ruthless ambition drives Macbeth and his wife to horrific acts. Murder makes Macbeth king, and intrigue and butchery are the hallmarks of his brief, doomed reign. The witches make another prediction, which also comes true: Macbeth and his lady lose their lives, and justice is restored.

Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production for The Royal Opera is richly hued, shot through with black, red and gold. The witches – imagined by designer Anthony Ward as strange, scarlet-turbaned creatures – are ever-present agents of fate. Lloyd depicts the Macbeths’ childlessness as the dark sadness lurking behind their terrible deeds. The Royal Opera’s production uses Verdi’s 1865 Paris revision of the opera, which includes Lady Macbeth’s riveting aria "La luce langue."

Antonio Pappano conducts a cast led by Serbian baritone Željko Lučić as Macbeth, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth (one of her signature roles) and Italian bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Banquo.

NOTE: This production is sung in Italian, with English surtitles. This screening has a runtime of approximately 3 hours, 20 minutes, including one intermission and an on-screen introduction.

This production is performed by the Royal Opera, filmed live in London, and rebroadcast to select theaters.

Reserved seating tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students/Youth) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. For group ticket sales, please call 509-876-1662. Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Beer, wine, popcorn, and snacks will be available for purchase, and may be taken into the theater.

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth on Wednesday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m and again on Sunday, May 27 at 2:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in Stratford-Upon-Avon and rebroadcast internationally to select screens. A portion of each ticket sale will benefit Shakespeare Walla Walla.

This contemporary staging of Shakespeare’s darkest psychological thriller marks both Christopher Eccleston’s RSC debut and the return of Niamh Cusack to the Company. Eccleston is known for portraying the Ninth Doctor in the British television series "Doctor Who" and Matt Jamison in the American drama series "The Leftovers" on HBO.

"Bernstein Centenary" is a mixed program honoring the creative genius of Leonard Bernstein as part of the special worldwide centennial celebration of works created in response to his music.

Continuing his distinctive creative collaborations beyond the world of dance, Wayne McGregor’s new ballet "Yugen" incorporates designs by artist Edmund de Waal, and is set to Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” Liam Scarlett’s ballet "The Ages of Anxiety" is set to Bernstein’s “Symphony No 2” with design by John Macfarlane. Christopher Wheeldon collaborates with award-winning fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu to create the costumes for the world premiere of "Corybantic Games."

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current Royal Shakespeare Company production of Macbeth on Wednesday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m and again on Sunday, May 27 at 2:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in Stratford-Upon-Avon and rebroadcast internationally to select screens. A portion of each ticket sale will benefit Shakespeare Walla Walla.

This contemporary staging of Shakespeare’s darkest psychological thriller marks both Christopher Eccleston’s RSC debut and the return of Niamh Cusack to the Company. Eccleston is known for portraying the Ninth Doctor in the British television series "Doctor Who" and Matt Jamison in the American drama series "The Leftovers" on HBO.

Manon’s brother Lescaut is offering her to the highest bidder when she meets Des Grieux and falls in love. They elope to Paris, but when Monsieur G.M. offers Manon a life of luxury as his mistress she can’t resist. With the Lescauts’ encouragement Des Grieux cheats at cards in an attempt to win Monsieur G.M.’s fortune. They are caught. Manon is arrested as a prostitute and deported to New Orleans, followed by Des Grieux. On the run, Manon dies from exhaustion.

Kenneth MacMillan’s source for Manon was the 18th-century French novel already adapted for opera by Massenet and Puccini. The premiere was given on March 7, 1974, with the lead roles danced by Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. The ballet quickly became a staple of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, and a touchstone of adult, dramatic dance.

The Live Cinema Series continues with a screening of the current Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Romeo and Juliet" on Wednesday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in Stratford-Upon-Avon and rebroadcast internationally to select screens. A portion of each ticket sale will benefit Shakespeare Walla Walla. 

Shakespeare’s most famous story of love at first sight explodes with intense passion in this contemporary production with heartbreaking consequences. Set in a world very like our own, this "Romeo and Juliet" is about a generation of young people born into violence and ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents. Erica Whyman directs this production with Karen Fishwick (Juliet) and Bally Gill (Romeo) in the title roles.

Swan Lake has had a special role in the repertory of The Royal Ballet since 1934. This Season The Royal Ballet creates a new production with additional choreography by Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett. While remaining faithful to the Petipa-Ivanov text, Scarlett will bring fresh eyes to the staging of this classic ballet, in collaboration with his long-term designer John Macfarlane.

Prince Siegfried (Vadim Muntagirov) chances upon a flock of swans while out hunting. When one of the swans turns into a beautiful woman, Odette (Marianela Nuñez), he is enraptured. But she is under a spell that holds her captive, allowing her to regain her human form only at night.

This breathtakingly-beautiful Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar-winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the "City of Light" in 1945. An American GI’s chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer in Paris becomes the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war.

"An American in Paris" features the gorgeous music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin, stunning designs, and show-stopping choreography by Christopher Wheeldon ("Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", The Royal Ballet). With a record-setting 28 five-star reviews from critics, "An American in Paris" is an “old-fashioned, big-hearted spare-no-expense Broadway romance” (The Wall Street Journal).

This breathtakingly-beautiful Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar-winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the "City of Light" in 1945. An American GI’s chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer in Paris becomes the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship and love in the aftermath of war.

"An American in Paris" features the gorgeous music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin, stunning designs, and show-stopping choreography by Christopher Wheeldon ("Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", The Royal Ballet). With a record-setting 28 five-star reviews from critics, "An American in Paris" is an “old-fashioned, big-hearted spare-no-expense Broadway romance” (The Wall Street Journal).

Down on his luck in the suburbs, John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men. Unknown to him, it’s the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating Falstaff’s comeuppance amidst a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos. For a fat Englishman, a Welshman and a Frenchman, the only way is Windsor. David Troughton returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company as John Falstaff, following his recent title role in Titus Andronicus. Filmed live in Stratford-upon-Avon and rebroadcast to select theaters.

Following its record-breaking, sell-out run in London’s West End and national tour, the critically-acclaimed musical Funny Girl comes to a cinema near you, featuring Sheridan Smith in “an unforgettable star turn” (The Times). Funny Girl is semi-biographical, based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedienne Fanny Brice (a role made famous by Barbara Streisand on Broadway and in the 1968 film adaptation), and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nick Arnstein (Darius Campbell).

Under the watchful gaze of his young assistant, and the threatening presence of a new generation of artists, Mark Rothko takes on his greatest challenge yet: to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting.

Award-winning stage and screen actor Alfred Molina reprises his critically acclaimed performance as the American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. He is joined by rising star Alfred Enoch of US television drama series "How to Get Away With Murder" as his assistant Ken. MGC Artistic Director Michael Grandage directs this production which went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best Play.