‘Proms in the Place’Opera at Supervalu

A perfomance of the classic opera will be beamed live from the Royal Opera house in London to Waterloo Place.

Minister Ni Chuilín revealed it was one of a number of events she was hoping to attend in the coming months.

She is also due to visit the city for the London 2012 Peace One Day concert in Ebrington in June featuring Massive Attack amongst others.

Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House explained the idea behind the La Bohème broadcast- which will be sponsored by oil firm BP.

“The BP Summer Big Screens are one of the highlights of the Royal Opera House’s Summer Season. Live screenings of Royal Ballet and Royal Opera performances are relayed direct from the main auditorium to huge screens in London and around the country,” he said.

The Royal Opera House describes the Puccini classic as one of the most loved of all operas.

“It is a touching story of tragic young love whose special appeal Royal Opera audiences always find irresistible. Beautiful melody and rich orchestral colour make any revival a treat, and there is the thrill of a cast of internationally acclaimed singers,” it states.

“Sharing the roles of the tragic young lovers Mimì and Rodolfo are the star pairings of Anja Harteros with Joseph Calleja and Angela Gheorghiu with Roberto Alagna.

“The classic production brings to life Paris of the 1830s from the bare student garret to a bustling street, from a packed café to a snowy dawn on the edge of the city where a tragic truth is finally revealed. It is a lively staging and a potent musical drama, whether with the full forces of the Royal Opera Chorus in the merry bustle of Act II , or the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House evoking the changing atmospheres and shifting passions of Act III.

Under conductors familiar to Royal Opera audiences, Semyon Bychkov and Maurizio Benini, the potent combination of Puccini’s great music and intense passion from opera stars in live performance will once more show why this great work is so popular, famous and eternally touching,” it states.

You can see it in Waterloo Place on May 17 when the performance will be relayed live around the the UK as part of the BP Summer Big Screens.

Former Culture Minister Nelson McCausland originally submitted a bid of £650,000 for the open air cinema screen in Waterloo Place to show major cultural and sporting events in Londonderry during the 2012 Olympiad.

A 25 square metres video display with a computer controlled playout and audio system has since been erected and is now a permanent feature in one of the city’s most prominent public spaces.