The Magic Flute Encore

Showcase Cinemas is bringing The Magic Flute to the big screen on Saturday, December 12, as part of the Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series. It's an encore screening of the production, which means it's a second chance to catch the performance if you missed the original broadcast.

For those who aren't familiar, the Live in HD series is how the Met broadcasts its performances from New York to cinemas around the country. This particular screening is part of a season celebrating 20 years of the program, so it's a bit of a milestone year for the whole thing. The series usually runs live events on Saturdays at 1 PM, and then follows them up with encore presentations on Wednesdays at 1 PM at select locations. This one falls into that encore slot, though it's showing on a Saturday this time.

As for the opera itself, The Magic Flute is one of Mozart's most famous works—a fairy tale with a mix of comedy and singing that's usually a crowd favorite. Seeing it in a cinema is a different experience than going to the opera house; you get the close-ups and the scale of the production on a large screen, which can be a great way to get into it if you've never seen a full opera before. It's a long piece, so it's the kind of afternoon that takes up a good chunk of your day.

The screening starts at 1 PM at Showcase Cinemas, so you'll want to be there a little early to get settled. If you're interested, you can find tickets and more details on the Showcase Cinemas website.