Superheroes are born in times of crisis.
Emberlight Festival proudly launches a new collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera with a special HD encore presentation of Mason Bates and Gene Scheer’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay — one of the Met’s most ambitious, visually spectacular, and widely celebrated new operas in recent years.
Based on Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, the opera follows two young Jewish cousins — refugee artist Joe Kavalier and Brooklyn writer Sam Clay — as they create an anti-fascist comic-book superhero on the eve of World War II. As Nazi occupation tightens across Europe, their fictional hero becomes both an act of artistic resistance and a desperate attempt to awaken America to the growing catastrophe overseas.
Blending soaring lyricism, cinematic orchestration, electronic soundscapes, and comic-book fantasy, composer Mason Bates’ electrifying score moves seamlessly between war-torn Prague, bustling 1940s New York, and the dazzling imagined world of superheroes and escapism. Director Bartlett Sher’s production transforms the Metropolitan Opera stage into a living graphic novel through massive projections, towering sets, and breathtaking visual effects created by 59 Studio.
Conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the production stars baritone Andrzej Filończyk as Joe Kavalier and tenor Miles Mykkanen as Sam Clay.
COMPLIMENTARY PRESHOW COCKTAIL HOUR
Before the HD broadcast, audiences are invited to a special happy hour and behind-the-scenes conversation hosted by Miles Mykkanen, who appears in the production as Sam Clay. Beginning at 6:00 pm, Miles will share stories from inside the creation of the opera, discuss the challenges and excitement of bringing a world-premiere work to the Met stage, and answer audience questions before the broadcast begins at 7:00 pm.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay © 2026 The Metropolitan Opera
MORE ART TO DISCOVER
No passport required, no front-row ticket needed — just an open mind and a love for the arts. Art on Film is a brand-new Emberlight series that brings legendary performances, iconic documentaries, and visionary works of art to the big screen and transports audiences beyond the boundaries of live, in-person productions.
Whether it’s a hit show from Broadway or a film that redefines storytelling, Art on Film offers a window into the broader artistic world and brings you face-to-face with the magic, creativity, and cultural impact of global artistry, right here in Ironwood.
