Met Opera to Livestream 'Lincoln in the Bardo' Free on YouTube

The Metropolitan Opera will stream Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's opera "Lincoln in the Bardo" free worldwide on its YouTube channel on November 14 at 8 p.m. ET. The broadcast stays available through midnight ET on November 18.

The stream is the first of its kind for the Met on YouTube. It supports the company's $1.5 billion Make the Met Forever fundraising campaign. Viewers can donate and interact via live chat during the broadcast.

From November 20, the recording moves to Met Opera on Demand, where it will sit behind a range of paid viewing options. The free window, in other words, is four days long. After that, access costs money.

Author George Saunders, whose novel is the source of the opera's story, will introduce the broadcast. The intermission feature is a documentary about the making of "Lincoln in the Bardo" produced by Dua Lipa's global cultural platform, Service95.

Why is the Met giving it away?

The final performances of the run are completely sold out, and that demand is the stated reason for going free. General Manager Peter Gelb said: "With the final performances of our run completely sold out, we decided to share Lincoln in the Bardo for free with our global audience. Opera is being transformed by powerful new works like Lincoln in the Bardo, and we hope our efforts will be rewarded with donations to our Make the Met Forever fundraising campaign."

Note the structure of the gesture. A free stream of a sold-out show costs the Met little in lost ticket revenue. What Gelb promises in expanded access, he pairs with an explicit ask for donations. The campaign, not the cast, is the beneficiary the company names first.

Who is on stage?

Lileana Blain-Cruz directs the production. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. The cast:

• Baritone Peter Mattei as Lincoln
• Soprano Christine Goerke as the Reverend
• Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as Miss Elise Traynor
• Tenor Jonah Hoskins as Bevins
• Bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as Vollman
• Soprano Janai Brugger as Mrs. Hodge
• Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as Mrs. Baron
• Tenor Joshua Blue as Thomas Havens
• Craig Colclough as Mr. Baron
• Everett Sobers as Willie

What does the critical reception tell viewers?

OperaWire's review was unambiguous: "Contemporary opera is a tough gamble that audiences often take for granted. In an age where opera budget cuts mean fewer operas presented per season, new opera that gets put on the stage has to face greater pressure to prove its worth. 'Lincoln in the Bardo' is amongst those that definitely does. Solid story structure, a brilliant production, and, above all, a glorious score imbued with life by a fantastic cast make this a must-see showcase at the Met."

One review, from one outlet, is a limited evidence base. But a sold-out run plus a first-of-its-kind YouTube stream is measurable demand that the Met itself is now betting on.

What does this change for opera audiences? For four days, anyone with an internet connection can watch a new American opera the Met's own house could not seat everyone for — a test of whether free global reach converts into paying supporters.