Athena Cinema announces upcoming events celebrating music and film on Jan. 31 and Feb 1

The Athena Cinema will host two special events on the weekend of Jan. 31 celebrating the intersection of film and music. A Speakeasy Soirée will feature Eddy/Meyer Trio, a local jazz band playing live music to a rare collection of short films from the silent era on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. The second event is a patron appreciation reception taking place prior to the Metropolitan Opera live broadcast of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess on Feb. 1.

A Speakeasy Soirée features a collection of short films including everything from fantasy to animation, slapstick and more. Specific films include a claymation piece by Willis O’Brien (King Kong) distributed by Thomas Edison, the work of George Melies (including A Trip to the Moon), Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin and many more.

Tickets for A Speakeasy Soirée are on sale now for $10. Pre-seating starts at 6 p.m., with the performance beginning at 7 p.m. The event will have an intermission.

“We have been looking for the right time to present this short collection for many years,” Athena Director Alexandra Kamody said. “When you consider that an estimated 75-90% of silent films are lost, it is really amazing that we get to screen these films.”

On Feb. 1, a patron appreciation event prior to The Met: Live in HD screening of Porgy and Bess begins at 11:45 a.m., with light refreshments being served. The streaming will begin at 12:55 p.m.

The event is in celebration of the patrons and partnering sponsors who collaborated to bring the world-renowned art events to Athens, Kamody says.

The Met: Live in HD is the Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody Award and Emmy Award–winning series of opera performances transmitted live from the stage of the Met into movie theaters worldwide. The series brings the experience of extraordinary opera performances live from the Metropolitan Opera to Athens. The season features 11 live transmissions starring the greatest artists in opera. All The Met: Live in HD performances feature intermissions.

Porgy and Bess, the Gershwins’ modern American masterpiece, performs at The Met for the first time in almost three decades and stars bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Angel Blue in the title roles. Director James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row, a setting vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants.

Admission to The Met: Live in HD is $18, and $8 for students and children. Ohio University students are offered free admission, courtesy of Arts for OHIO.

The Met: Live in HD series is sponsored by Ohio University Associate Professor Emeritus of Classics and World Religions’ George Weckman, OHIO’s Performing Arts Series, and the College of Fine Arts.

A cash bar with beer, wine, and signature cocktails with local spirits from West End Distillery, crafted by Nicholas Littlehouse, will be offered at both events.