It Almost Makes Me Want to See an Opera


Look how cute this drawing is. It's the ad for an opera they ran last fall at the Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston.

Now, why don't I like opera? I love the costumes. The music I don't mind. And ... the costumes are gorgeous. The plots are awful, but other people seem to get past that. And you'd think it wouldn't matter compared to, you know, the costumes.

There's a little bit of the ballpark effect -- you have to shell out fat ducats to have a bad view of something. Even if you're sitting right in the orchestra pit, you can't see very well at the big venues. Is this helped by opera glasses and a high-roller balcony? Someone will have to fill me in.

Also it might help if I understood Italian.

Comments

  1. SoletrainJanuary 15, 2009 at 8:43 AM

    You don't have to understand Italian. Most opera houses now have those LED banner things that have the English translations. The problem is that if you're reading the English, you're not watching the stage, which you've correctly identified as just about the only reason to go to the opera.

    ReplyDelete
  2. fashiongirlJanuary 15, 2009 at 1:28 PM

    Actually they all have supertitles now, but you're better off just reading the summaries than knowing exactly what they are singing. I was so upset to find out my favorite aria was about the heroine's shoe. On cost, they usually sell standing room only or last minute tix at the box office on the cheap. If you're still worried about the expense, try renting one on NetFlix to see if you like them. I love opera.

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