Opening Nights are always special at Teatro alla Scala as it reigns in a new season and brings out some of the most famous celebrities in Italy. It also provides star studded casts and some of the richest performances in the whole season. As a result, this occasion can sometimes be difficult to get into. For some it may be extremely expensive and for some it is a question of getting a ticket as the performance is always sold out.

Luckily La Scala has continuously presented its opening nights in many platforms and made it accessible to everyone around the world. This year Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will not be the exception.

One way to see opening night will be in cinemas as La Scala will broadcast the opera all over Italy in cinemas and will show it in Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Russia live. For those in the United States , Australia, North Korea, Latin America, and Northern Europe, the opera will be shown in a pre-recorded version at another date.

For those not able to attend cinemas, the opera will also be shown on all the major European Television stations including RAI 1, RAI 1 HD, ARTE CHANNEL, ZDF, RTP,  ČESKÁ TELEVIZE, MTVA, and RSI. A pre-recorded broadcast will be shown on RAI 5 and NHK TV in Japan.

Finally for those not able to watch the opera RAI-RADIO3 and the Euroradio Network will make the broadcast available to listen in Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United States.

Finally the opera will be streamed for free in many museums, outdoor venues and theaters in Italy for free and will be available to all.

Teatro alla Scala will open on Dec. 7 with music director Riccardo Chailly conducting Puccini’s masterpiece. The opera will star rising soprano Maria Jose Siri, Bryan Hymel and Carlos Alvarez. Alvis Hermanis will direct a new production after his acclaimed productions of Zimmermann’s “Die Soldaten” and Verdi’s “I Due Foscari.”

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