As the weather (hopefully) begins to cool, Upper West Siders can continue looking forward to great outdoor activities through the end of summer. Wrapping up August and blending into September, the Metropolitan Opera will be offering eleven consecutive evenings of free outdoor screenings as part of its 2023 Summer HD Festival.

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Featuring five years of filmed Met Opera performances, the festival will offer something for any opera-inclined audience member to enjoy. Screenings will include classics such as Verdi’s La Traviata, a contemporary adaptation of Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours, and Grammy-winning jazz composer Terence Blanchard’s debut opera, Champion. Missing Shakespeare in the Park already? The festival will also include operatic adaptations of Hamlet and Falstaff. Or, for the musical theatre aficionado in your life, catch the screening of Puccini’s La Bohème – the inspiration for Rent.

If you’re opera-averse and not interested in giving this broad mix of filmed performances a chance to change your mind, the Met will be kicking off the festival with a special screening of Moonstruck, co-presented with Film at Lincoln Center. Join 2,500 other audience members to watch Cher and Nicholas Cage in John Patrick Shanley’s classic rom-com-dram, described by Roger Ebert as “a romantic comedy founded on emotional abandon and poignant truth.” (Per Playbill, the Met is currently in talks with Ricky Ian Gordon about potentially adapting the iconic film as an opera).

Screenings begin with Moonstruck on August 25, and will run every evening through Labor Day. Per the Met’s website, the festival will carry on rain or shine – but in the case of thunder and lightning or high winds, canceled events will not be rescheduled. Advanced tickets or reservations are not required, and seating will be first-come, first-served. The entire festival is free! Details here.

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