OPERA

Landmark Theatres will show a recording of the L.A. Opera production in L.A., New York, Chicago and other key U.S. cities May 11.

By Diane Haithman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Following in the footsteps of Metropolitan Opera’s highly popular movie theater broadcasts, Los Angeles Opera will make its first foray into theaters next month to present "The Plácido Domingo 40th Anniversary Gala Concert" in 21 venues throughout the U.S.

The concert, recorded Friday at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, will be screened at 2 p.m. on May 11 at Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

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The concert features arias and duets performed by Domingo and soprano Patricia Racette, accompanied by the L.A. Opera Orchestra under the direction of music director James Conlon.

Unlike the planned Los Angeles Opera concert presentation, the Metropolitan Opera offers live rather than recorded performances of full-length operas to international theaters. Now in its second season, the Met's Live in HD Series has expanded from six to eight broadcasts per season. So far, Los Angeles Opera has no plans for live performance broadcasts, said spokesman Gary Murphy.

The project to be announced today by Domingo, the company's general director, was unveiled Friday night by Marc I. Stern, L.A. Opera chairman and chief executive, at a dinner gala on the Music Center plaza following the concert performance. Stern also said in a statement that the screenings would add to the opera company's recent efforts to reach audiences beyond those who are able to attend live performances, including this season's "Great Performances" telecast of its production of "Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny," DVD releases of "Mahagonny" and "La Traviata" and the upcoming second season of "L.A. Opera on Air," broadcast locally on KUSC and nationally on WFMT.

Other opera companies and opera houses -- including San Francisco Opera and Milan's La Scala in partnership with other Italian opera houses -- are also placing their product in movie theaters in hopes of expanding the opera audience: In March, San Francisco Opera began offering taped shows to about 200 theaters, and La Scala presents seven taped productions per season in 30 U.S. theaters.

diane.haithman@latimes.com