Happenings at PAC

Written By: Mary Adair Trumbly - Highlands PAC | Issue: Winter 2024

Our three great internationally-recognized performance series – The MET Opera, the National Theatre of London, and Great Art on Screen – are once more bringing the show biz dazzle to these quiet winter months.

The MET Opera, the National Theatre of London, and Great Art on Screen are all on the calendar during January and February.

The MET Opera, screened on Saturdays at 12:55 P.M. (with pre-opera discussions at 12:30 P.M.) launches with Verdi’s Nabucco on January 6. Ancient Babylon comes to life in this classic Met staging of biblical proportions. Baritone George Gagnidze stars as the imperious king Nabucco, alongside soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, reprising her thrilling turn as his vengeful daughter Abigaille. Mezzo-soprano Maria Barakova and tenor SeokJong Baek are Fenena and Ismaele, whose love transcends politics, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy repeats his celebrated portrayal of the high priest Zaccaria. Daniele Callegari conducts Verdi’s exhilarating masterpiece.

On January 27, join us for Bizet’s Carmen. Acclaimed English director Carrie Cracknell brings a vital new production of one of opera’s most endur-ingly powerful works, reinvigorating the classic story with a staging that moves the action to the modern day and finds at the heart of the drama issues that could not be more relevant today – gendered violence, abusive labor structures, and the desire to break through societal boundaries. Dazzling young mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina leads a powerhouse quartet of stars in the complex and volatile title role, alongside tenor Piotr Beczała as Carmen’s troubled lover Don José, soprano Angel Blue as the loyal Micaëla, and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Daniele Rustioni conducts Bizet’s heart-pounding score.

Great Art on Screen is shown Fridays at 5:30 P.M. Join us on January 19 for Titian: The Empire of Color. Winning over popes and emperors with his iconic, revolutionary works, Titian succeeded in becoming one of the artists that symbol-ized the entire Renaissance. Titian was an extraordinary master of color and a brilliant entrepreneur, innovative both in a painting’s composition but also in how to sell it. In only a few years, Tiziano Vecellio became the official painter of Venice and the utmost artist sought after by the richest and most influential Courts in Europe.

On February 9, it’s Borromini & Bernini – A journey into the great beauty of Baroque Rome, when the city was the center of western art and where every ambitious painter, sculptor and architect had to be. This is the story of the most famous artistic rivalry of all time, the one between Borromini and Bernini, but also the story of Borromini’s rivalry with himself: a genius so absorbed by his art that he turns it into a demon that devours him from the inside.

And finally, there’s the National Theatre, screened on Saturdays at 1:00 P.M.

On February 3 it’s Skylight, one of the most successful NT Live titles of all time,featuring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy.Skylight was captured live from the West End in London in 2014, where it became one of the biggest selling shows of all time. Academy Award nominees Nighy and Mulligan star in this intense play where ideologies and passion collide. Stephen Daldry (The Audience) directs David Hare’s (Straight Line Crazy) award-winning play, with Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game) in the supporting cast. This production garnered a host of 5-star reviews across the national press.

On February 24, join us for Vanya. Andrew Scott boldly takes on eight sepa-rate roles in this fresh take on Chekhov’s classic play, earning rave reviews from critics and audiences.Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation, which explores the complexities of human emo-tions.Filmed live during its sold-out run in London’s West End, Vanya promises to be one of our biggest screenings.

Tickets are available at HighlandsPerformingArts.com.