‘Aida’ Returns to the Met Opera Through Archaeologists’ Eyes

Michael Mayer is directing the Met’s first new production of Verdi’s classic in nearly four decades, aiming for something fresh yet enduring.

When the director Michael Mayer set out to stage Verdi’s “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera, he knew the stakes were high. Audiences had grown attached to the house’s grand, gaudy, long-running production, and he was resigned to the fact that any replacement might be greeted with skepticism.

This classic opera, a love story set against war between ancient Egypt and Ethiopia, is beloved for a reason, Mayer said. “We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he added. “But we also felt we had something new to say.”

As Mayer sketched out his new “Aida,” which opens at the Met on Tuesday as its annual New Year’s Eve gala production, he thought back to his fascination as a child with Tutankhamen, pyramids and archaeology. He wanted to infuse the staging with a sense of wonder and adventure.

He decided to include a group of archaeologists from the early 20th century, played by actors in panama hats and safari helmets. (They resurface throughout the production, uncovering the story of “Aida” as they hunt for treasure.) And he worked with the set designer Christine Jones and a team of animators to create a look that blends traditional pieces — vast tombs, imposing statues, towering columns — with vivid digital projections.

“I wanted it to feel,” Mayer said, “as though the hieroglyphics were coming alive.”

But getting this “Aida” to the stage was not easy.