jenL Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've never been to the opera... what does one wear? Our tickets are for Madame Butterfly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Nice clothes like dressing for church or for a dinner in a nice restaurant. That is all. Enjoy=I love going to Operas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've never been to the opera... what does one wear? Our tickets are for Madame Butterfly. I would wear a cocktail dress and hope my DH would wear a nice suit with a fabulous tie. I see theater, opera, and symphony dates as a chance to break out our very best. I use blingy accessories and a beautiful clutch...just so I feel that those items get some use! Unlike the PP, I wouldn't wear my church clothes, which are more subdued. I want to be dressed-up. That said, you will see all levels of attire from business casual to semi-formal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker of Schole Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The location of the opera would determine the level of formality for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've never been to the opera... what does one wear? Our tickets are for Madame Butterfly. :party::cheers2: Have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 The location of the opera would determine the level of formality for me... The best theater in the city (Charlotte). It hosts Broadway shows and opera performances as well as prestigious dance shows, such as the Nutcracker. I've seen Phantom of the Opera, RENT, and South Pacific there. When I think opera, all I can think of is Pretty Woman and how she was wearing a gown! :blush: I'm uncultured in this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenmama2 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Nice clothes like dressing for church or for a dinner in a nice restaurant. That is all. Enjoy=I love going to Operas. :iagree: but really, whatever you want. If you want to break out your dressiest special clothes no-one will bat an eyelid. I like to use it as a chance to dress up too, but I've also gone in jeans and no-one scoffed at me (DH used to work for the opera here so I had more than a few chances to go for free). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker of Schole Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Based on the location and opera that you are seeing - what I'm hearing is that it is a professional opera house and it should be treated as such. You will see people in furs, etc... You may see people in jeans. It is recommended to dress at a minimum in nice pants and a top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 My favorite opera!!!! I remember sitting in the front row watching a dress rehearsal of Madame Butterfly in college (I was a theatre major, and our makeup professor was makeup artist for the opera company). I cried and cried. I still love it. Sigh. If possible, I'd recommend you wear a fancy dress (that you'd wear to a cocktail party), and your dh wear a suit. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Where are your seats? Opera clothes range from church clothes to red-carpet clothes. Dress rehearsals are more informal. The closer you are to the stage, the fancier people typically dress. Enjoy! I haven't seen Madame Butterfly, but I've seen many other operas and it's a wonderful experience. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 How do you WANT to dress? If you want to go nice and fancy, this is your chance. However, don't go thinking it will look like the Oscars. I certainly wouldn't go in a full-length sequined gown and expect DH to wear a tux. Do you have anything that you'd wear to a nice wedding? Great heels, flattering skirt, and blingy top? If you and DH care more about comfort, he can get away with business casual and you can wear black slacks, a pretty blouse, and a sweater or jacket. If you have a great wrap that you love but can never find a pace to wear it, this would be ne time to take it out for a spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukcarter Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 The advice given above sounds good to me. I've been to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and (a) some people wore evening dress, most didn't (b) some people wore jeans, most didn't. Dress as you would for a special evening out. Madama Butterfly? As you've watched the opera scene in "Pretty Woman", you'll be aware that there's only one essential accessory for the gentleman: a freshly laundered handkerchief in case a lady should require it. It's likely the opera will be performed in Italian. Typically, the programme will outline how the plot unfolds act by act and translations may be displayed above the stage during the performance but in my experience it's best to know the story beforehand so you can enjoy the performance without distraction. I hope you enjoy your first opera as much as I did. PS It's considered bad form to sing along :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I would dress the same as I would for a fancy-ish wedding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 There is one caveat to casual and business casual being acceptable - least dressy clothing generally being reserved for the "nose bleeds" seats - is that if you have box seats, you really should dress up. In the boxes, you are extremely visible to the performers and can, at times, be seated with wealthy donors that support the arts - (former rehearsal accompanist for both musical companies and an opera company). When the patrons come casually dressed, it is sometimes taken as, "Hey, we donated money to you and now we don't expect this to be very well done...not worth our effort to dress up for." If you have the box seats, the least you should do is business dress. When we had box seats at Carnegie, dh wore his tux (no tails) and I wore a semi-formal/ankle length gown. I was so glad we made the effort. We were there for a performance of the French National Symphony and so was the mayor of NYC and several other important folk. Coming and going from our box, we were in the presence of people dressed to the NINES in stuff finer than we could ever own. Box seat holders could choose to have coffee with the symphony members after the performance. I sure would not have considered that if we'd been wearing casual clothes. As I said above, some performers take it as a sign of disrespect and especially if it's jeans and t-shirts on the main floor/ orchestra seats and the boxes. Balcony seats, the further away from the railing one is, the more casual one can be...it's sort of historically always been that way. I really hope you enjoy yourself. Madame Butterfly is an exquisite musical experience and when I was still teaching voice, it was usually the first opera I would expose my students to...very moving, powerful music, gorgeous sets, beautiful costumes, a truly excellent work. If you are in the nosebleeds (upper balcony), I highly recommend that you obtain a pair of opera glasses. Due to the high theft rate these days, many opera companies no longer provide them. You can pick up a pair fairly cheap on ebay. I purchased an absolutely gorgeous antique pair with inlaid mother of pearl for the lowly price of $8.00! They come in really handy when you are so far away from the stage and this particular opera, if done well, will have lots of details in the clothing and sets that you will want to see! Happy opera! Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 When I think opera, all I can think of is Pretty Woman and how she was wearing a gown! :blush: I'm uncultured in this area. We go to the opera a couple of times a year (usually when my son is in one), and, at least here in lovely Orlando, it's not like Pretty Woman. As others have said, most people dress up about as much as they would going to church, perhaps a little more. But unless you're going to The Met, I'd be pretty shocked to see anyone in full-on evening gown-type wear. If you've gone to musicals there, I'd think one notch up the formality ladder from what you wore for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) I had subscriptions to the Metropolitan Opera (NYC) for decades. As other posters mentioned, dress is all over the place -- in general, the front half of the orchestra and the first two tiers are more formal than the top tiers. But still, you can see someone in blue jeans next to someone in formal dress next to someone in good office clothes. (The only place there is an evening dress "rule" is in a private club at the opera.) I usually wore something evening-ish, long or short (more dressy than a typical cocktail dress, but not a flowing 'gown' type of thing that would be for dancing, but more slim/elegant, KWIM), but that was because I enjoyed it, not because it was required. But my sense is that NYC may have looser clothing standards than in the south? One suggestion might be an elegant jacket (like a brocade one with a little gold thread in it), worn over a simple black skirt of any length or pants, plus a nice evening bag. Or, a very economical solution could be to get a black velvet (velveteen) top and put it over a pretty skirt. That way you wouldn't be either under or over dressed. Plus that kind of outfit is super comfortable! (If you are wearing a long skirt, don't forget a long slip for underneath.) Enjoy your opera! Edited January 8, 2012 by Alessandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdreeves Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Enjoy the experience!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadah Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 If you have time, it's nice to get a recording from the library and familiarize yourself with a few of the big arias and maybe read the plot synopsis in advance. Or you could do this on the internet (I'm sure there must be lots of youtube recordings of arias from Madam Butterfly, of varying quality.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 :iagree: with the advice to wear a cocktail dress and suit if you're in good seats. If you're in the cheap seats, you can wear anything you like. I've seen everything from teenagers repurposing prom gowns to business casual. I would highly recommend wearing flats in the balcony, especially if you don't wear heels all day everyday. Those stairs are steep and there's not much legroom so getting to your seat requires a bit of agility and if you're afraid of heights, don't look down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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