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If you're an opera fan desperate to attend the gala reopening event of Moscow's Bolshoi Theater but can't quite take the time of swing the fare to Russia (or...even if you could get there, land a ticket, which is invitation-only and not being sold to the public), YouTube (News - Alert) may be ready to help.

Tonight's concert – the most exclusive event of the Moscow cultural season – may be by invitation-only (Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev will be a guest) but YouTube has apparently been invited. Google's (News - Alert) video-streaming property will be broadcasting the event to the rest of the world via live cinema relays, according to AFP news.

“Fans around the world are looking forward to the reopening of the Bolshoi Theater after its reconstruction,” said Yury Khazanov of YouTube in a joint statement with the Bolshoi Theater.

Sergei Filin, the head of the Bolshoi's ballet troupe (the iconic theater is the site of both the Bolshoi Ballet and the Bolshoi Opera) said the historic theater was “delighted” that the event will now be open to hundreds of millions of people across the world...at least over their monitors.

“We wanted our joy to be shared by as many people as possible from all corners of the world,” said Filin.

The Bolshoi Theater, a historical building located in central Moscow, was closed for refurbishment in 2005. Repairs ran both overschedule and overbudget (the tally is believed to be up to $800 million), as the building, which dates back to 1824, was found to be in worse condition than initially feared.

The opening gala, a performance of Glinka’s opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila,” may be viewed here.