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DAYTON — Penny Wolff watched the Metropolitan Opera's lavish production of "Romeo et Juliette" live on Dec. 15 from the comfort of Showcase Cinemas Dayton South.

"It's grand," said Wolff of Kettering. "If you can't be there at the Met, you might as well be here in the theater. You get to see the facial expressions, see the emotions."

"The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD" series is one of many music, sports and entertainment events being broadcast into movie theaters nationwide by National CineMedia's Fathom division. Recent NCM Fathom events also have included a Garth Brooks concert live from Kansas City and Celine Dion's "A New Day" show, prerecorded in Las Vegas.

"It allows local fans and entertainment enthusiasts to see performances and programs that they might not ordinarily have the opportunity to see," said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom, based in Centennial, Colo.

In the Dayton area, NCM Fathom events are presented at Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20 at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek and Showcase Cinemas Dayton South in West Carrollton.

"To be able to sit in a comfortable seat with a tub of popcorn in your lap and experience opera, it's a much more laid-back, casual affair," said Shaun Yu, program director for WDPR-FM, Dayton Public Radio Classical 88.1. "But the artistry is just as brilliant."

Tickets for NCM Fathom events range from $10 for Garth Brooks to $22 for the Metropolitan Opera.

"A $20 ticket is a heck of a lot easier on the pocketbook than a trip to New York with the hotel and the tickets and the flight," Yu said.

The big-screen experience is enhanced by sharp, high-definition images and dynamic digital surround sound. "It's almost better than being there because they simulate it so well that you have a feeling of more intimacy with the stage than you do when you're at the Met," said Marilyn Gans of Oakwood.

Tom Bankston, general and artistic director of Dayton Opera, hopes that people won't trade the experience of seeing opera in person at the Schuster Center. "But if this primes people a little bit more to enjoy and makes opera more accessible, it's a great thing," he said.

NCM Fathom has distributed alternative entertainment programming to movie theaters since 2002, using National CineMedia's Digital Content Network.

"In its simplest form, there's a digital projector that sits next to the film projector, and there's a secure network that delivers via satellite either live or prerecorded programs to movie theaters, which are either presented live as they happen or are stored on local servers in the movie theaters and then played back," Diamond explained.

Alternative programs typically are presented during off-peak hours, such as on weeknights or weekend afternoons.

"We don't think in our wildest dreams that alternative programming is going to replace good movies like 'I Am Legend' and a few others," said Bill Towey, senior vice president of operations for National Amusements. "But what we do see it as being is a method for us to draw new audiences to our theaters and fill times that aren't already being filled with regular showings of films.

"It brings our theaters to the point of making them a community entertainment destination," Towey said.

Based in Dedham, Mass., National Amusements operates Showcase and Cinema de Lux brand cinemas.

NCM in July entered into a digital network affiliate agreement with National Amusements, helping to expand its number of presenting live theaters to more than 330.

"We see live events as being very, very strong," Towey said.

Locally, Showcase Dayton South sold more than 50 percent of the available seats for Celine Dion on Dec. 17.

"We've probably done 40, 50 concerts and the demand just continues to grow, both from a fan perspective and from an industry perspective," Diamond said.

"It's a terrific way for artists to reach out and have a direct connection to their fans. And it's a great way, and a convenient and affordable way, for fans to come and see their favorite artists."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen

@DaytonDailyNews.com.

What: NCM Fathom Events

Where: Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20, 2651 Fairfield Commons, Beavercreek

Cost: Varies by event

Tickets: Available at the theater box office or online at Fandango.com

More information: Call (937) 431-9418 or visit www.regalcinemas.com

What: NCM Fathom Events

Where: Showcase Cinemas Dayton South, 195 Mall Woods Drive, West Carrollton

Cost: Varies by event

Tickets: Available at the theater

box office or online at MovieTickets.com

More information: Call (937)

435-1806 or visit www.showcase

cinemas.com

Upcoming

big-screen

events

Tuesday: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Hansel and Gretel" live

Next Sunday: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Hansel and Gretel" encore

Jan. 12: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Macbeth " live

Jan. 13: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Macbeth" encore

Jan. 24: "Spirit of the Marathon" sports film event

Feb. 1-7: "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" in digital 3-D film event

Feb. 16: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Manon Lescaut " live

Feb. 17: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Manon Lescaut" encore

March 15: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Peter Grimes" live

March 16: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Peter Grimes" encore

March 22: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Tristan und Isolde " live

March 23: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "Tristan und Isolde" encore

April 5: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "La Boheme " live

April 6: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "La Boheme" encore

April 26: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "La Fille du Regiment " live

April 27: The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD — "La Fille du Regiment" encore

For information on other upcoming events, visit FathomEvents.com.