The Metropolitan Opera: The Flying Dutchman (2020): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2020, The Metropolitan Opera: The Flying Dutchman is a notable film directed by Gary Halvorson, running about 165 minutes.

What it’s about. François Girard, whose revelatory 2013 take on Parsifal set the recent Met standard for Wagner stagings, now unveils a spellbinding new vision of the composer's tale of a cursed sea captain doomed to sail the open ocean for eternity. With sweeping sets by John Macfarlane, Girard’s new production turns the Met stage into a rich, layered tableau reminiscent of a vast oil painting. Valery Gergiev conducts a brilliant cast led by bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin as the Dutchman, with German soprano Anja Kampe making her anticipated Met debut as the devoted Senta, whose selfless love is what the Dutchman seeks. Bass Franz-Josef Selig is her father, Daland, and tenor Sergey Skorokhodov is her deserted former lover, Erik. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to more than 2,200 theaters in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Who’s in it. The Metropolitan Opera: The Flying Dutchman stars Franz-Josef Selig as Daland, David Portillo as Steersman, Evgeniy Nikitin as Dutchman and Mihoko Fujimura as Mary, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Metropolitan Opera: The Flying Dutchman page.