Cultural Advent

Sorry for the long silence over the past couple weeks. We've been busy little cinema elves hard at work on some new and exciting developments, ("Which," she sagely noted, "shall all be revealed in due time.")

One that I can discuss, however, is that we're considering bringing in some absolutely stunning HD presentations of some of the best opera, ballet, and Shakespeare performances from around the world. Personally, I love the concept. I take my older daughter to the ballet in Philadelphia a couple of times a year (the younger is still too young, but I hope to bring her as well someday) and we get all excited about it and have a fantastic time, however, it's extremely expensive and a great deal rests on the seats I happen to choose/spring for. Too close and we're looking at toes, legs,

and bums, too far and I'm holding her up on my lap hoping she can see enough to stay engaged, too far off to one side and a portion of the stage is hidden. Obviously, nothing can replace the experience of attending a performance in person, of experiencing it without the interference of a lens, steadicam and editing crew; this is why live performance has stayed strong in spite of film, but this is exciting because the HD cameras can record beautiful images so close to the performers, much closer than any real life experience can put you. It's also appealing because, like many Americans, I'm unlikely to personally visit the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow anytime soon to see their performance of Coppelia, take a trip over to Milan to see The Magic Flute at La Scala, and then make one final stop in London to see As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe Theater before jetting home, as much as I'd like to.

Anyway, all you Shakespeare lovers, ballet fans and opera aficionados, what do you think? Would you enjoy coming out for a night of HD cultural programing at Cinema 16:9? What would you be interested in seeing? Should we attempt the hat

trick of stuffing a world of famous theaters and performances into our tiny theaters? Please, share your thoughts!