The Metropolitan Opera opened its 2009-10 season with Giaccomo Puccini’s Tosca on Oct. 10, with Swiss director Luc Bondy taking over the reins from legendary film and stage director Franco Zeffirelli, and adding some interpretations of his own. At the end of the performance, the audience erupted with applause for the performers, but when director Bondy appeared on stage, many booed.

That sound instantly reverberated across the world – it was also broadcast live by high-definition satellite to more than 500 movie screens, including Century Cinema at Del Monte Center, as part of The Met: Live in HD program, now in its fourth year.

The boos didn’t bother Met General Manager Peter Gelb – after making it his mission to reinvigorate the opera company’s years-long slumping sales, market reach and cultural relevance – he’s happy so many got to react.

A major component of Gelb’s game plan is the live satellite broadcasts. By making pricey opera more accessible, The Met, under Gelb, and National CineMedia, the leading satellite broadcaster of special events, have struck gold by adding, as with a performance of Romeo and Juliet, up to 100,000 movie theater attendees to their live audience of 3,800.

At the packed encore screening of Tosca Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Century Cinemas, audiences were treated to a sumptuously big, crisp picture, top-rate performances magnificently magnified with multiple camera angles and surround sound, and interviews with key people in the production. That’s access even The Met’s audiences don’t get, for 20-something bucks. San Francisco Opera and Italy’s legendary La Scala are now considering getting in the HD satellite game. Opera is in play, and is coming to a local theater near you.

TURANDOT premieres live 10am Saturday, Nov. 7, and AIDA is encored 6:30pm Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Century Cinemas, 1700 Del Monte Center, Monterey. $24/adult; $22/senior; $16/child. (800) 326-3264, www.cinemark.com