Skip to main content
Phoenix Conservatory of Music

Music Without Borders

Cinema Serenades: Popcorn and Opera Delights

Welcome opera lovers! (And a special welcome to those who have yet to decided!).
I am pleased to announce my exciting new online lecture series starting Fall 2024:

OPERA and POPCORN

An Exciting Online Lecture Series exploring upcoming Metropolitan Opera HD Simulcasts to your local Cineplex Theatre

Did you know that, since 2006, the Metropolitan Opera (New York) has broadcast via satellite live opera performances in high-definition to movie theaters around the world? If you haven’t attended one of these Saturday afternoon screenings, then you are in for a treat!

Opera began as an elite courtly entertainment in 17th-century Florence, Italy. Today, opera is anything but elitist. The Saturday-afternoon Metropolitan Opera simulcasts are presented in movie theatres around the world. Boring? No – thrilling, as they combine brilliant music, audacious singing, fantastic sets and costumes, along with fun backstage interviews with the divas and conductors. You can enjoy the performance in the company of other music lovers, while you nosh on your favorite concession treats (something you cannot do inside an opera house). Buying a Cineplex theater tickets costs a fraction of what a seat inside the Metropolitan Opera would cost – or any opera house for that matter.

Opera is often sung in foreign languages. Of course, the MET performances are subtitled in English, which keep you connected and informed throughout – no fear.

You may be asking yourself: Isn’t the opera simulcast a bit overwhelming for a non-musician? How do you know what to listen for? That’s where I come in. Opera and Popcorn is an online lecture series presented by me, Joe Ringhofer – aka, The Phoenix! I have been giving opera talks to general audiences for more that 40 years. I bring the composer, story, and music to life in a fun and engaging way. Before each lecture, each participant will be sent a Fun Fact Sheet that simplifies the plot, while sharing a few hot tips about the music. During my presentation, we will view short performances of some of the main musical numbers. This means that if you choose to attend the Cineplex simulcast a few days later, you will arrive pumped and ready to enjoy the experience. Even if you cannot attend the theater showing, you will enjoy the Sunday-evening presentations in an of themselves.

Here’s what you need to know about Opera and Popcorn…

  • The course includes 7 90-minute lectures covering the seven scheduled HD MET opera simulcasts, plus, an introductory bonus lecture: Opera 101: Getting Started
  • Each of the 8 lectures (7 + 1) takes place online, using a web platform that I have been using since 2008 for all of my online teaching
  • My live presentations will take place online on Sundays, from 7 – 8:30 PM Eastern (with a 5-minute Intermission)
  • The night before each lecture, participants will receive the classroom link, as well as a Fun Fact Sheet, which they may choose to print off for future reference
  • Every lecture is recorded. At the end of the evening, I will send everyone a password-protected link to the lecture. This way, if someone misses our Sunday evening session, or, if they would like to review my presentation, they may do so.
  • The tuition cost for the 8 lectures is $140 CAD (7 x $20, plus one free introductory lecture)

There are a limited number of spaces available for the live online Sunday-night lectures. Early registration/payment will secure you a spot.

Opera lecture schedule including Cineplex dates

Lecture 1: Sunday, September 15, 2024, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Opera 101: Getting Started:  This will be a fun and breezy introduction to opera – it’s origins, components, traditions, scandals (!), along with some history on the Metropolitan Opera. I’ll share with you my experiences (in Toronto, Stratford, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, Bayreuth, Frankfurt, Vienna, Parisand why I keep coming back for more.

Lecture 2: Sunday, September 29, 2024, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
The Tales of Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach): Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 1 PM Eastern

Lecture 3: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Tosca (Giacomo Puccini): Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 1 PM Eastern

Lecture 4: Sunday, January 19, 2025, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Aïda (Giuseppe Verdi): Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 12:30 PM Eastern (note earlier start time)

Lecture 5: Sunday, March 9, 2025, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Fidelio (Ludwig van Beethoven): Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 1 PM eastern

Lecture 6: Sunday, April 20, 2025, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
The Marriage of Figaro (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart):  Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 1 PM Eastern

Lecture 7: Sunday, May 11, 2025, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
Salome (Richard Strauss): Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 1 PM Eastern

Lecture 8: Sunday, May 25, 2025, 7-8:30 PM Eastern
The Barber of Seville (Giacchino Rossini):  Cineplex Presentation: Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 1 PM Eastern

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Is the tuition cost per person?
No – it’s for the household. Some of you may wish to Chromecast my presentation on your Smart tv. That way, the family can share in the experience for one low price. If you live alone, and would like to have a neighbor over to share in this experience, I don’t have a problem with that. For this reason, I am not offering a Senior or Student fee for the course. Of course, music teachers can write-off the cost as part of their professional development. What can I say? It’s the best I can do.

Are the Cineplex movie tickets included?
Alas, no. Neither your Cineplex ticket, nor your concessions treats are included here.

How can I locate a Cineplex theatre near me that will be showing the opera?
Check out https://www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/theater-finder/ Or, look up the listing for your local Cineplex. In Toronto, at least pre-Covid, most theatres were sold out, so you may wish to purchase your movie tickets in advance. I will be attending the operas at the Galaxy Theatres in nearby Collingwood, Ontario, where you might have 50 people in the audience. You are welcome to join me “up here”, after which you can explore the beauty of Collingwood and neighboring Blue Mountain (ski resort).

Can I buy just one or two lectures in your series?
No. I am a one-man operation. I cannot fathom the administrative demands if I offered

an à la carte lecture menu. Plus, I want to create an online community – a group of music lovers enjoying a shared common experience.

Am I obligated to attend every Cineplex presentation?
Based on the lectures you attend on Sunday nights, attend all, or, only the operas that ignite your imagination and passion.

Do I have to have a computer to attend your online lectures?
No. I have students attending classes on their tablet and smartphone. Of course, you will need a secure internet signal.

Am I required to “participate” in any way during your presentation?
No. There is a Chat Box in which you can type a question or comment if you wish.

You need to sign in using your name when entering the online classroom, but you do not require to be seen. Once we get started, I always ask people to turn off their microphones and cameras to preserve broadband.

Can I sign up for the course at the last minute?
Maybe – it just depends if the cyber classroom is already full. Once I have your payment, your spot is secured. If the course is “full”, you can still sign up and enjoy the recordings of my presentations.

Are your presentations kid-friendly?
That depends on the kid. For example, the course would appeal to some of my young students (12-13 years) who have completed music history courses with me in the past. While some of the operas that I will be discussing will contain intrigue, murder, passion, and more, they can and will be presented “tastefully”.

A SINGLE WARNING:

The one opera that is not appropriate for children, nor even for some adults (?), is Richard Strauss’ 1905 masterpiece Salome. While inspired by a biblical tale, the story (based on an infamous play by Oscar Wilde) leans heavily into lust, obsession, and compulsion – ending with a gruesome beheading. Need I say more? True confession: when I maintained a CD collection of more than 1,200 discs, I owned ten different recordings of this awesome work. It is an opera for which I have gone out of my way to see in Toronto (several times), Detroit, Montreal, and New York. The music soars, growls, uplifts, transports – ultimately shattering the senses. The storyline and all of the characters are absolutely riveting!