If you are in the 20-40 age range and have never been to an Opera, and never really had the desire... this review is for you.
I attended my first Opera show at the Edmonton Opera, for Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. I had no clue what to expect, and any expectations I did have were completely wrong.
Let me start by saying... it is not boring. I promise you that. It is actually 2 and half hours of beautiful talent, amazing voices, and a symphony orchestra that just captures you. You do not need to know Italian, or German, or French. There is a large screen above the stage that actually translates the important parts, so you know what's happening. But it's not a full translation so you can still enjoy the beauty of the Opera. Yes, I just said "Beauty of the Opera". There were moments where I was actually so engrossed in the performance that I forgot to watch the screen. But it was easy to figure it out.
And what do you wear to the Opera? Well I went on Saturday, which is opening night. You should definitely dress up, most definitely no jeans. But how far you want to go with dressing up is completely up to you. There were lots of dresses, from knee length to gowns. I would suggest making sure your dress is not strapless or spaghetti strap, or wear a cardigan over it. Maybe it's okay, but I really didn't see anyone wearing those type of dresses. There were also plenty of women in dress pants. Men were mostly wearing suits, and there were even some tuxedos! What a great place to come to see people wearing their best. That's one thing I often think about, is how in the "olden" days it seems women always wore dresses and men always wore suits. It's kind of nice to have an excuse to dress up in this age of yoga pants and jeans.
You should try to arrive a bit early, and enjoy a coffee or wine. You'll have to be in your seats before the show start time, or else they'll usher you to the top balcony until intermission.
I sat on the first balcony, right side, and it was definitely a good view. Just a heads up... the seats, while they look comfy, are not. Your tailbone will be screaming for relief just moments before intermission.
While I feel I cannot comment too much on the quality of the show itself, as it was my first opera, I will say that it definitely captivated me, and I felt that the performers were quite talented. Some more so than others, I think. I felt that some of the voices didn't throw as well as the others, kind of a muffled sound. Some other people I was with felt the same, one of which had been to the Edmonton Opera before. I still enjoyed the show.
You should really give the Edmonton Opera a shot. I think Edmonton is pretty lucky to have an Opera, and we should try to make use of it and enjoy it as much as we can. read more