Since 2005, the Metropolitan Opera has presented high-definition simulcasts of operas. Plus, they don’t let you take popcorn into the Met. Just as you can enjoy the best Shakespeare movies without missing the live element, you can revel in the total sensory experience of the Met Opera HD at one of the best New York movie theaters. But is it the same as seeing it live? It depends. Recorded live, these state-of-the-art transmissions from Lincoln Center (home of Lincoln Center Festival) feature crisp, close-up images and immersive sound, so you can catch each and every high C and flutter from a sumptuously embroidered robe.

Unless you can afford unlimited tickets to the Met, this is a great deal: the best seat in the house to classical music masterpieces by Puccini, Wagner, Verdi, Mozart and other operatic giants.

You may know it as the Met Opera HD broadcasts, but its official name is The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera’s series of high-definition simulcasts to cinemas around the world.

Hd met opera schedule