For (Canadian) lovers of Opera: Met HD opera simulcasts move into more cinemas

I just came across this at CBC.ca: New York Metropolitan opera simulcasts move into more cinemas in Canada.

New York's Metropolitan Opera is expanding its live high-definition simulcasts in cinemas after a successful launch last December. Canadian cinema chain Cineplex is to add 40 new screens to the program, which involved live broadcasts in 2006-7 of operas such as The First Emperor and Mozart's The Magic Flute.

What's on tap? Well, there's alot, including lots of Puccini, some Zefferelli, Heppner, Levine...well take a look:

* Dec. 15: Gounod's Roméo et Juliette starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, and conducted by Plácido Domingo.
* Jan. 1: Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, starring Christine Schäfer and Alice Coote in a new English-language production by Richard Jones, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.
* Jan. 12: Verdi's Macbeth, starring Lado Ataneli in a new production directed by Adrian Noble, conducted by James Levine.
* Feb. 16: Puccini's Manon Lescaut, starring Karita Mattila and Marcello Giordani.
* March 15: Britten's Peter Grimes, starring Anthony Dean Griffey and Patricia Racette in a new production directed by John Doyle and conducted by Donald Runnicles.
* March 22: Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, starring Deborah Voigt and Canadian tenor Ben Heppner.
* April 5: Puccini's La Bohème, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas in Franco Zeffirelli's production conducted by Nicola Luisotti.
* April 26: Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez in a new production directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Marco Armiliato.

Price? Under $20.