Want to see an opera? Go to the movies.

Several years ago, I spent two wonderful weeks in July in Vienna, Austria and the surrounding countryside. While I was there, I saw parts of several major orchestral performances and an opera, and I didn't pay a single Euro for it.

Every summer, the city government of Vienna sets up a film festival-type event in the Rathauspark, the area in front of city hall. It consists of a drive-in sized movie screen, hundreds of chairs, and food vending stands from restaurants all around the city. And then ever night a different film is shown, free to the public. But these aren't your typical movies. Instead they show performances of some some the world's greatest symphony orchestras, operas and ballets. You can stay for just a part of it, walk around, get a bite to eat, and enjoy some of these great bits of culture without spending any more than the fare to get there on the tram.

I thought it was a real shame that there wasn't something similar in Boston, or any other city that I had heard of. Granted, I have never done any research into similar programs, but considering it was such a novel concept to me, I'm going to assume it's not happening all over the US.

But that could be changing. According to a New York Times article, movie theaters across the country may soon be showing classic TV shows, concerts and performances of all kinds, and even live sports events. Certain theater companies have apparently been experimenting with this kind of content already, and getting some mixed reviews.

There have been some complaints due to technical difficulties and people feeling as though they didn't get their money's worth. However, one company called National CineMedia started showing simulcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and had 300,000 people attend during 2007. They're projecting more than a million people to come to these performances in 2008. These are certainly not insignificant numbers.

I'm well aware that the theaters are only doing this because of the bottom line; there just isn't as much draw for people to go to the movies anymore. But at the same time, I can't think how beneficial this could be to a whole new population of the country that has never experienced these enduring pieces of culture. Sure, I'm a big fan of the symphony and would pay $40 for a seat in the back of the top balcony. But how many people feel the same way? Probably not tons. And so these people will probably choose to simply never experience these bits of culture. But for $20 and a close-up view of all parts of the stage, I think the audience would be significantly larger.

My one opinion: I'd challenge the theaters to charge even less money. Perhaps they won't be able to afford live simulcasts, but I'm sure there are plenty of other performances they could find and that people would want to see. And if it's appealing to watch a concert for $20, it only makes sense that it would get an even larger audience at $10.

I have no doubt the theaters will make plenty of profit on these new shows, but the ability to facilitate an ongoing interest in the arts could have a far greater impact that these companies think.