"Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD" Now Playing at a Theater Near You.

Tickets on Sale Now for Live, High-Definition Broadcasts of Met Operas in Movie Theaters Nationwide; National CineMedia is Exclusive U.S. Partner

Mozart's The Magic Flute Kicks Off the Series of Six Broadcasts on December 30

NEW YORK & DENVER -- Tickets for the Metropolitan Opera's first live high-definition broadcasts into movie theaters are on sale now at participating movie theaters and online. As part of the company's efforts to build a larger audience around the globe, the Met is launching "Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD," a series of six performances to be broadcast live via satellite into movie theaters across the country. The series kicks-off with the December 30 matinee performance of the Met's new, 100-minute, English-language version of Mozart's The Magic Flute, directed by Julie Taymor and conducted by Met Music Director James Levine.

Through U.S. cinema partner National CineMedia, "Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD" will be broadcast into select AMC, Cinemark and Regal Entertainment Group (Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards) movie theaters in North America that are equipped with satellite-based digital High-Definition (HD) projection systems. The number of presenting theatres in the series increases incrementally (from 56 locations for The Magic Flute; to 87 locations for I Puritani; to 111 locations for The First Emperor, Eugene Onegin, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) and Il Trittico) during the series run from December through April, 2007. Tickets are available now for $18.00 adults and $15.00 children at most participating theatre locations and online at http://www.metoperafamily.org/hdlive (ticket-on-sale dates vary by theatre, so please check the Web site carefully for more information on tickets and participating theater locations).

"Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD" Broadcast Schedule:

* The Magic Flute (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) - Saturday, December 30 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT

* I Puritani (Vincenzo Bellini) - Saturday, January 6 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT.

* The First Emperor (Tan Dun) - Saturday, January 13 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT.

* Eugene Onegin (Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky) - Saturday, February 24 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT.

* Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) (Gioachino Rossini) - Saturday, March 24 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT.

* Il Trittico (Giacomo Puccini) - Saturday, April 28 at 1:30 PM/ET; 10:30 AM/PT.

(For more details on each opera, please visit http://www.metoperafamily.org/hdlive)

"The Met has launched an array of new initiatives that are designed to broaden the public appeal of opera," says Peter Gelb, the Met's General Manager. "The company's new media partnerships and expanded union agreements provide unprecedented distribution opportunities and better ways to reach new audiences. The HD movie broadcasts provide a front row seat to the unique spectacle of live opera."

"Our theaters have always presented the best that Hollywood offers, and we are excited to be able to bring U. S. audiences the best in opera and other areas of arts and entertainment through the technology of our Digital Content Network," said Tom Galley, chief operations and technology officer of National CineMedia. "This Metropolitan Opera series is a unique opportunity for people to experience world-class opera in their local community, plus the movie theater environment and affordable ticket price make these events something that the entire family can enjoy. If you've never had the pleasure of attending a live opera performance before, this is the perfect opportunity to see why this magical art form has captured audiences' imaginations for generations."

About National CineMedia, LLC 

National CineMedia, LLC is a venture of AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA, Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), three of the world's leading theatrical exhibition companies. The company develops pre-feature entertainment; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services; and alternative forms of entertainment content for distribution across the approximately 13,000 screens operated by its owner theater circuits and other theater affiliates. Over 11,000 of these screens are part of NCM's Digital Content Network (DCN), one of the world's largest in-theater digital distribution networks. The network provides content and advertising to 150 U.S. markets, including 49 of the top 50, reaching an estimated 525 million movie patrons annually. For additional information, please go to www.ncm.com or www.BigScreenConcerts.com.

About the Met

Under the leadership of new General Manager Peter Gelb, the Met has launched many initiatives to connect the company with a larger audience. They include: a first-ever free Open House that offered the public an opportunity to attend the final dress rehearsal of Madama Butterfly; an extensive Madama Butterfly transit advertising campaign in New York City during the month of September; $15 tickets (formerly $26) in the Family Circle section; the new Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket program that offers 200 orchestra seats deeply discounted to $20 for weekday performances, available at the box office two hours before curtain; the new Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met exhibiting contemporary art; a groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with the Lincoln Center Theater that provides renowned composers and playwrights the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater; and dynamic new content on the web site, the house program, and the Saturday matinee radio broadcasts heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

The Met recently announced the use of advanced distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world. On September 25, "Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius" launched as a 24-hour satellite radio channel broadcasting live and rare historical performances. The Met presents free live streaming of performances from its website once every week with support from RealNetworks.