Bill Cosford Cinema brings Milan opera to Miami

Interested in seeing an opera, but not sure where to start? Through Dec. 20 and in collaboration with Emerging Pictures, the University of Miami’s School of Communication will bring the sweet songs and sights from Milan’s La Scala Theatre to the University of Miami’s Bill Cosford Cinema by means of eight opera broadcasts filmed in high-definition. This semester kicked off the season with Giuseppe Verdi’s thrilling dramatic Italian opera La Traviata.

Blyth Daylong, the Assistant Dean for Operations and Scheduling in the School of Communication, said, “Emerging Pictures provides content to us that we show at the Cosford. One of the things they started doing was partner with a number of TV stations and opera companies in Europe to make these broadcasts available. When things become available to us, we try to show as much variety as we can.”

La Traviata, which was shown the weekend of Sept. 12, told the tragic tale of Violetta Valéry and her love with Alfredo Germont, entwining issues of passionate love and family honor together in a mix of tragedy even more heart-wrenching than most Italian operas.

“I was really happy with the production of La Traviata,” said David Tayloe, a graduate student studying vocal performance. “Opera is still a live performance-based art form, so to see it on the screen brings it to life when we are so far away from the venue,” he said.

The series includes comedic and dramatic operas including Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan Tutte, Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Verdi’s Don Carlo.

Many students are looking forward to the diverse selection of operas chosen for the season, including Shawn Mlynek, a graduate student studying vocal performance. “The selections give the audience a comprehensive look at the history of opera by showing examples from the different eras,” he said. “I think that people’s conception of opera is changing from the stereotypical fat singer wearing horns on her head to the new generation of true singing actors.”

Alan Johnson, the director of the Frost Opera Theatre, said, “These screenings of opera…have exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of audience and interest.”

Carey Goldenberg may be contacted at cgoldenberg@themiamihurricane.com.

If You Go:

What: Opera series

When: Now through December

Next up: La Bohème Sept. 25 -27

$12 for all

Where: Bill Cosford Cinema

Cost: General Admission- $20

Seniors, UM Employees, UM Alumni & Non-UM Students – $18

UM Students- Free

Must have ID for discounted prices.