by Lisa Putnam

Created on: January 20, 2011   Last Updated: January 21, 2011

Many opera first timers are a little less than enthusiastic about what they are in for.  Some opera newbies might imagine a large man throwing out music notes that could break glass, while others might picture a fat woman donning a helmet with horns and blond braids.  If you are brave enough to try out a different style of entertainment, you may realize that opera is not all that different at all, and you may just enjoy it!  Before heading out to a night of passionate music with talented musicians, take a moment to learn what everyone should know about one of the greatest art forms available today.

Think Short and Famous (instead of long and ambiguous)

Even opera connoisseurs admit that some operas are easier to enjoy than others.  Instead of choosing something that someone outside the world of opera wouldn’t recognize, like Gotterdammerung, go for an opera that is popular, such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, or Madame Butterfly.  These operas are popular for a reason: They have themes that are still entertaining to most people today and are relatively short, especially when you consider that Gotterdammerung is around 5 hours long!

Operas Aren’t Expensive

Tickets to the opera will cost more than a $10 movie ticket, but, in an age where people spend $100 to see their favorite pop singer, opera tickets are cheap and usually start around $20 a seat.  Sure, the front and center tickets may cost $150, but forget the old movies with women and their opera glasses.  Most opera houses are relatively small and all the seats are good enough to see the musicians – no spectacles or concert screens needed.

Wear Business Attire

Many opera newcomers stick out at the opera house for two vastly different reasons.  Some pull out their cocktail dresses and tuxedos and find themselves overdressed, while others would fit in better at a backyard barbeque.  Unless you are going to some kind of gala event, the dress code is almost always business attire.  Business attire usually means wearing a suit or a long-sleeved dress shirt with a tie, slacks, a blazer, dress shoes, and well groomed hair.  Women’s business attire consists of a conservative yet fashionable dress, pant suit, skirt suit, blouse with a medium length or longer skirt or dress slacks, and heels or other dress shoes.  Don’t wear jeans, shorts, flip-flops, mini skirts, or anything else that you would wear to the beach or

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