LA Opera will offer free live simulcasts Saturday evening of its season-opening production of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Santa Monica Pier and in Hacienda Heights.
The simulcasts will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Santa Monica Pier and William Steinmetz Park, 1545 S. Stimson Ave. in Hacienda Heights.
The performance will be transmitted live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion using seven high-definition cameras and shown on large LED screens with English and Spanish subtitles, according to LA Opera.
The production will mark Domingo Hindoyan’s first performance as LA Opera’s new music director. He will conduct a new staging directed and designed by Thaddeus Strassberger, with choreography by Antonio Najarro, officials said.
The cast includes Rihab Chaieb in the title role, Joshua Guerrero as Don José, Kathleen O’Mara as Micaela and Liam James Karai as Escamillo.
“Carmen,” set in Seville, follows a woman whose relationship with a soldier, Don José, deteriorates after she becomes involved with a bullfighter, Escamillo.
The Santa Monica Pier event will be LA Opera’s 13th “Opera at the Beach” simulcast. The Hacienda Heights presentation, called “Opera in the Park,” will mark the first time the company has brought its annual simulcast to that community, officials said.
Both events are being presented with support from Los Angeles County.
“Free events like this make the arts more accessible and create opportunities for Angelenos to come together and enjoy something special,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement last month.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district includes Hacienda Heights, said the event would provide an opportunity for San Gabriel Valley residents to experience opera in their own community.
Admission is free, and tickets are not required. LA Opera encouraged attendees to register in advance for parking information, event updates and a free gift.
Pre-show activities at both locations will include family crafts, balloon art, face-painting, performances by local artists, giveaways and food vendors, officials said.
At William Steinmetz Park, festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will also include lawn games and caricature portraits. Free parking will be available at the park.
At the Santa Monica Pier, gates to the viewing area will open at 4 p.m. Attendees can reach the pier by public transit using the Metro E Line’s Downtown Santa Monica Station.
Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and arrive early. Outside alcoholic beverages and pets will not be permitted.
Additional information is available at LAOpera.org/Beach and LAOpera.org/Park.