Metropolitian Opera Live in HD presents 'The Hours'

Whitefish Theatre Company and the Whitefish Performing Arts Center are co-presenting the third live on-screen performance of the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD 2022-2023 season. Kevin Puts’s world premiere production of “The Hours” will be shown at 10:55 am Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center in Whitefish. The approximate run time is 3 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission. Tickets are sold only at the door which will open at 10:30 am. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, paid by cash or check only. Call 406-862-5371 to inquire about 10 student scholarships.

Adapted from Michael Cunningham’s acclaimed novel and inspired by Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” “The Hours” was made a household name by the 2002 Oscar-winning film starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. Sung in English with subtitles, “The Hours” follows three women from three different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and their roles in society. “The Hours” includes discussions and themes of suicide and mental illness.

The opera takes place in a single day. Clarissa Vaughan, played by Renée Fleming, is in New York City in 1999. Virginia Woolf, played by Joyce DiDonato, is in Richmond, England in 1923. Laura Brown, played by Kelli O’Hara, is in Los Angeles in 1949.

Soprano Renée Fleming, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, has an extensive Met repertoire, including nearly 250 performances in 22 roles. She also has a legendary career boasting four Grammy Awards and a Tony Award nomination. Renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who has won three Grammy Awards, has extensive Met credits, consisting of nine Live in HD appearances that include Handel’s “Agrippina” in 2020 and Rossini’s “Le Comte Ory” in 2011. Lastly, Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Kelli O’Hara returns for her third Met production that include her debut in “The Merry Widow” in 2014 and “Cosi fan tutte” in 2018. Acclaimed Maestro Carlo Rizzi conducts the performance, while David McVicar, director of many Live in HD performances such as Verdi’s “Don Carlos” and “Il Trovatore” and Puccini’s “Tosca”, directs the production. Film and TV actress Christine Baranski will host this transmission with an exclusive look behind the scenes.

Food and beverage will be available for purchase. This opera is the third of 10 Metropolitan Opera Live in HD performances offered from November 2022 to June 2023. Visit www.whitefishtheatreco.org to read about the entire Met Opera Live in HD season or call 406-862-5371 for more information.