Fantastic! Your opera-loving friend thinks it would be a great idea to take you to an upcoming performance. You’re shaking with fear all night long. It’s tough to hide the dread you feel at the thought of this opera outing, but summon your courage – you can make your friend happy and actually enjoy the evening!
Part 1
Step 1. Prepare in Advance.
Get ready ahead of time. A useful way to cope with the evening is to bring along a few things to keep you occupied. Here are some suggestions:
- Bring small candies or gum to quietly chew or suck on. Something sweet in your mouth will help you manage the sour experience. Unwrap them in advance (to avoid noise).
- Pack tissues to quietly sneeze or cough. During the opera, any sound will seem very loud, and people will start turning to look at you.
- Sneak in a small notebook and pen. You can jot down thoughts to pass the time. If you enjoy drawing, sketch the audience or the singers.
- Before this grand evening, ask your friend what language the opera will be in and bring a mini-dictionary of that language. You can play a game of "guess the word's meaning" to keep busy.
- Bring a dark-colored mp3 player and headphones, so they go unnoticed. If your friend catches you, you’ll be in trouble.
Step 2. Dress Smartly and Elegantly.
Dress smartly and elegantly. Going to the opera at least gives you a wonderful opportunity to look your best. Strut around in your evening attire during intermissions and look as graceful and cultured as you can.
Step 3. Examine the Costumes.
Look closely at the costumes. The costumes in the opera are incredibly rich. Appreciate them, especially the materials. Consider how realistically the costumes look and if there’s one that particularly inspires you for your own wardrobe.
- You can also analyze the set design. Think about the work that went into creating it and the creative ways of moving and operating the decor. Consider the composer. Trying to figure out what the composer was thinking while writing this opera can be fascinating. The program may provide clues, and you might even construct a whole picture of the composer’s mood at that time: did they have personal issues that shape the storyline, and what lesson or themes emerge?
Step 4. Decide Which Performer Would Make a Good Actor.
Decide which performer could excel outside of the opera. Opera requires excellent acting as much as singing. Choose one of the singers you think could transition well into acting if they stopped singing.
Step 5. Mentally Tune Out.
Mentally tune out. Retreat into your thoughts for a bit of mental gymnastics. If you enjoy meditating, take this opportunity to meditate right in your seat. This is a chance to think about things you usually don’t have time for: a gift list for friends and family, how to tackle a cluttered work inbox, and whether you should buy those new shoes you saw in the shop window on the way to the theater. Or, if you prefer, think about absolutely nothing, using this time for complete mental relaxation – you don’t need to understand what you see, no one is talking to you, and there are no complex tasks in front of you, so take advantage of it! Sit up straight, relax, and enjoy.
- Stay relaxed and calm. You will appear interested in the performance while actually thinking of other things (or nothing at all!).
- Don’t let yourself doze off. That would look bad – even worse if you drool – you’d lose your friend’s trust.
Step 6. Try to Embrace the Spirit of the Performance.
Try to embrace the spirit of the performance. Open the program and read about what the opera is about. It might intrigue you. You might even find yourself interested in how they convey the story through music. At the very least, understanding the plot will help you follow along, and by the end, you might even enjoy it!
- If there’s no program with commentary, you can look up information about the opera online before the outing or in the lobby on your smartphone before entering the auditorium.
- Ask your friend about the opera's story. Find out what they find remarkable about it and try to understand their perspective while the performance unfolds. You might become so intrigued that it makes the whole evening interesting.
- Remember that opera performers train for many years, and those who perform on stage are the best in their art. Do your best to soak in the spirit of the evening while admiring the skills of those on stage.
Step 7. Observe.
Observe. Half the enjoyment of the opera is the artistry of how the singers communicate with the audience. In plays, there’s no guy on stage saying “Yeah, I like that girl,” pointing at the leading lady. You see how he interacts with her, trying to gain her attention, or how he stands by hoping she notices him. Even if you don’t understand the language, understanding what’s happening on stage comes intuitively. For instance, in the second act of "La Traviata," the guy and girl are happily in love with each other. When the guy is busy and off-stage, his father comes to the girl and says, “Hey, you’re from too poor a class, and you will ruin our family’s reputation if you marry my son. You’d better leave.” She starts writing a letter to her beloved, and it’s clear she’s suffering because of this.
Step 8. Distract Yourself if the Performance is Too Long.
Distract yourself if the performance is too long. Take a break in the lounge and breathe some fresh air, go for a little walk; if you need to yawn, do it in the lobby, check out the art there; and stretch a bit before returning to the auditorium.
Step 9. At the End of the Performance, Find a Polite Way to Avoid Deep Discussions About the Opera or Any Hint That You Didn’t Enjoy It.
At the end of the performance, find a polite way to avoid deep discussions about the opera and any hint that you didn’t enjoy it. Some responses that might help include:
- “It was quite fun, but I had a hard time understanding the language. I’m not great with Italian.”
- “It was interesting, but in a peculiar way. I might come to love opera.”
- “Wow! What a puzzle!”
- “Magnificent! Say, aren’t you hungry? I could go for some pastries at ‘Bertie's’ right now.”
Step 10. Get Ready to Enjoy It.
Prepare to enjoy it. If you pay attention, you might realize that you actually like opera!
