After the 2021 season that was truncated, challenged and adapted Greenbrier Valley Theatre sits dark for a short while. While the staff is busy working and preparing for the 2022 season ahead, there is no live music being rehearsed, no dance steps being practiced, and no lines being memorized. Even with all of this being said, that does not mean there isn’t exciting art happening at GVT.

GVT kicked off 2022 by presenting Verdi Classic Rigoletto..

The Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series is still ongoing through the next handful of months. GVT kicked off 2022 by presenting a brand new adaptation of Cinderella on January first and is gearing up for the Verdi classic Rigoletto on January 29.

Not only does the MetHD Series make the art form more easily accessible, it also brings it closer to home.

Producing Artistic Director Matthew Scott Campbell believes that the collaboration between the Metropolitan Opera and different venues around the country is beneficial for multiple reasons. Not only does the MetHD Series make the art form more easily accessible, it also brings it closer to home.

“We’re always looking for different ways to access different arts,” says Campbell. “We’re in a small community, and not everyone has the ability to travel, or the funds to travel to see a show at The Met.”

There is a certain aura that still surrounds opera – only the best of the best put on long ball gowns and tuxedos to attend an evening at The Metropolitan. Maybe you believe that opera music is simply not interesting or too “stuffy.” Organizations like The Met and GVT are working to break down those barriers and stigmas. With opportunities like The MetHD Series, it has never been easier to jump in and attend a screening in downtown Lewisburg.

Two more MetHD operas will be played in March at GVT before its official 2022 season opens in April…

“Here you get the opportunity to see the best performers in the world do what they do best, in the comfort of a space that you already know,” said Campbell.

Two more MetHD operas will be played in March at GVT before its official 2022 season opens in April, with more scheduled to round out the Mets season. Tickets to The MetHD series are $22 for general seating and $20 for students. Tickets can be bought online at gvtheatre.org or by calling the box office at (304) 645-3838. More information, including opera synopses can always be found on the website, as well.

– Josh Lapping, HashtagWV #139. February 2022.