The Met...ever been there? (A few questions)

"Is there really any bad seat in the house? (I'm thinking of purchasing Dress Circle or Balcony Seats)


Depends on who you ask...for myself, I think Dress Circle/Balcony seats are fine.

Having never been to an opera, what's the dress code for evening performance?

I usually show up in jeans, but you're likely to see everything from ball gowns/tuxes to jeans/tennis shoes. Just look nice and neat; imo, dark jeans with heels, nice top is fine.

Lastly...I'm thinking of seeing Turnadot as my first opera...am I making a good choice?

It is an amazing opera! The production sets for Turandot are so extravagant; it's not odd for people to applaud when the curtains open due to such beautiful sets.

Have fun!

I go to the Met once or twice a week, and I usually sit in the balcony. It's fine. There really aren't any bad seats; you can see and hear everything just fine, no matter how high up you are. As others have said, there is no real dress code. I always put a jacket on when I go, but that's just me. You get a wide variety.

Turandot is one of my favorites, too. You may have heard the opera's famous aria, "Nessun dorma," before. And the two leading ladies, Andrea Gruber and Hei-Kyung Hong, are out of this world.

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I always sit in the Family Circle when I go to the Met. I'll be there in early May for Turandot and Trittico. The seats are fine, although you need to bring Opera glasses.
It's great because no one, and I mean no one, does spectacle like the Met. You see things up there you can't see when you sit closer.

For example, when it rained between Acts 3 and 4 in The Barber of Seville, the set revolved one way and Figaro and his comrade ran the other way. It was an amazing effect. When they brought down the bars to imprison the nuns in Dialogues of the Carmelites, the shadows cast added to the drama. The set for the grotto love scene in A Masked Ball was amazing, as was the set for the Masked Ball, especially when they brought the ministage out and danced the entire opera in five minutes.

In Act 3 of Traviata, we couldn't figure out why they were lowering the black curtain.
They weren't lowering the curtain, they were raising the set so Violetta could die in her salon. In Manon, the sets moved between comic and tragic.

You can't see a better production than you'll see at the Met. The only other opera house that I've been to, where they somewhat matched the specacle was in Amsterdam. The sets for Peter Grimes were marvelous and they did Samson in a Camera Obscura style which was magnificent.

Turandot is a great choice because it's Puccini. It's about a Chinese princess who needs to marry, but she's an ice princess and all her suitors are beheaded until she meets a man who melts her icy heart. The music is gorgeous and it will be directed by Zefferelli, so it will be a breathtaking experience. My first opera was The Marriage of Figaro. I've seen it so many times, I gave my ticket to the upcoming Minnesota Opera production to a friend of mine. I see their production of Lakme tomorrow, and I bought my season ticket just to see that opera.

Don't worry about really dressing up. It's okay to wear a nice pair of trousers and a sweater if you want. The one thing you should know is that the rest rooms are crowded during the intervals, and if you don't make it back to your seat, you have to see the next act on a small TV.

Go, go, go! The Metropolitan Opera is an extraordinary theatrical experience!

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Updated On: 3/31/07 at 10:22 AM

We've had a subscription for 8 years. Turandot is a perfect first opera.

The Met larger than a Broadway house, so definitely bring opera glasses--it makes it more fun, especially because you'll be seeing a diva who can really act!

You can wear jeans, but why not dress up? How often do you go to the opera?

It's also a good idea to read the synopsis and listen to the score before you go.

It's also a good idea to have a glass of (overpriced) champagne in the lobby at the intermission.

Have fun!

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Believe it or not, legend has it that the best seats in the house are up in 'the Gods', the last seats of the last balcony, that's how good the acoustcs are. I've sat almost everytwhere at the Met and have never had a problem hearing anything, and those who have said you can't get the big picture up close are right. The Met has some of the finest sets in the world and has always been cutting edge for lighting effects. Your seats should be fine and you picked a fun first opera. Buy a ibretto online if you can and save a few bucks for that glass of champagne. Hit the electronic shops in Times Square and buy some good, cheap binoculars. Finally... it's the Met, put on a coat of not a tie. Dressing up is part of the fun :) Enjoy yourself!

I'm seeing Turandot this Thursday. Its my absolute favorite (nessum dorma makes my heart melt). I get family circle seats (can't beat $15 a ticket) and its not terribly bad. You get the best view of the light fixtures rising. Its beautiful. But everyone's right... bring opera glasses. I believe they have a rental program? But I'm not sure.

And I would def. dress up, especially if you get the more expensive seats. But you won't regret going! I promise

I used to do standing room at the Met, and it was an... interesting experience. Back then (and we're talking the mid to late 70s), they would actually put a rope across the standing room aisle so you couldnt leave your spot... for a better seat, for a trip to the john, nothing. If you had to leave during a performance, you'd best have gotten a great relationship with the usher, because otherwise you were stuck.

The best way to go to the Met is to completely enter into the silliness of the occasion. It's great music (You'll love TURANDOT) and God knows amazing spectacle. However, as has been pointed out, it's not a trip to the Met without a glass of their overpriced champagne during the first intermission (The desserts arent bad either, TTTT), and you MUST watch in appropriate awe as the chandeliers rise to the ceiling.

There are no bad seats save for the study desks. It's rarely miked (although they've started with some performers, and you'll notice it immediately). The people watching at intermission can be a hoot. You'll have a blast.

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Hey guys...thanks for the info!

Yes, I tend to dress up when I go to see Broadway shows, so I would DEFINITELY do the same for the Met. (I'm probably crazy here, but I feel like the Met is "legendary" and deserves the respect of people dressing nice for a performance.)

Yes, I have a pair of cheap pop-up binoculars that I had gotten several years ago at a Broadway show. SO I would take those.

I know "Nessun dorma" and love it, which is part of the reason I want to see the show. That song alone gives me goosebumps.

As much as I want to go...I will have to do some research to see if there's a really late bus out of the city. I didn't want to shell out another $200 for a hotel room...I'd rather save that money for a show!

So thanks again for the info...

Clarinetbiter135...I'm anxious to hear a review....

Yeah unfortunately I think I'd be pushing it to get to PABT by 11:30. (Unless I go to one of the performances that end at 10:35...could I make it to PABT in time? Taking a cab?)

Getting a cab anywhere near the Met after a performance is a really dicey proposition, so take that into account.

OT - SeanMartin, I want to dish about your statement that they mike some of the performers at the MET. They aver that they don't but I have always had my doubts. I can't tell for sure if they have. DO tell.

A year ago Christmas, Scott and I saw Fledermaus. We were sitting in Family Circle slightly off to one side, and you could deifnitely tell there was some miking going on. Not for everyone, but there were ever so slight differences in the quality of the voices from one singer to another, the kind of difference that would *only* come from miking. If they dont, then there's something in th acoustics that's gone very wonky.

Yeah, they claim they dont mike, that they're about the last major house to resist the siren's call. BS, IMHO.

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SeanMartin, they still rope off the standing room in the orchestra. At least they did when I saw Eugene Ognegin. I am pretty sure that someone like Kristin Chenoweth will have a mic (her voice is a smaller voice, as in I don't think it will carry in that hall). On a side note, my voice teacher says that the real Pros know where the "sweet spot" on the stage for filling the hall is. It is, I think, down stage left; right near the edge of the orchestra pit. Another side note, the Met Council Finals are tomorrow at 3pm.