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

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 8:42am

I want to purchase tickets for an opera, and am wondering about the seating.

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

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

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

Thanks for your help!

[mint0621]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:11am

"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!

[John3]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:21am

Dress Circle is good, if you are used to a broadway house be prepared for it being really large. Turandot is an amazing opera, and Andrea Gruber is a graduate of my school. I have worn a suit to the Opera and then also a pair of jeans and a nice dress shirt.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:30am

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.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:42am

The stage is so big and the sets (especially for Turandot) are neormous, so sometimes being farther away is a good thing.
I would dress nicely, I know some people wear jeans and all, but I think opera and ballet are more formal occasions. Remember when people used to dress nicely to see a broadway show? Well, you still can with opera!
i'm seeing Turandot in April, it's a wonderful Puccini opera! I'm interested to see how Andrea Gruber does.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:22am

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!

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

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:53am

The only "bad" seats are the very top sides where reading desks for scores are provided. These are partial view seats and are cheap but not worth it. Of course you can hear just fine so if you are desperate to hear someone in particular sing, it's okay but the viewing is very limited.

I sat in the middle section of the balcony for years, and loved it.

You will get a lot of spectacle with Turandot, and the chorus at the Met is exceptional so you will be able to hear them do some amazing work, too.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:55am

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!

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 11:03am

All good advice so far, when are you going?
Have a good time, although I warn you, the Met can be habit forming! Their website metoperafamily.org has all the info you would ever need if you decide to go back and see another opera.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 11:42am

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!

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 11:51am

Yeah, I love the balcony and the family circle. I was in the orchestra on Thursday for ANDREA CHENIER, and it just wasn't the same at stage level. I really love the birds-eye view.

I'll be in the Family Circle for GIULIO CESARE, TURANDOT and IL TRITTICO coming up. So excited!

[Clarinetbiter135]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 3:04pm

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

[John3]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 3:31pm

The only place I have ever been that I have had a hard time seeing is when I did standing room. I stood in the back of the orchestra and they are three rows of standing, so if you are not in the front row, you better hope the people infront of you are short. haha, I also love the fact that you can sometimes get free tickets to final dress rehearsals if you are student. That is how I saw The First Emperor, which was amazing.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 5:04pm

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.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 5:08pm

The best is standing in the Family Circle lobby before the show and looking down at the crowd in the Grand Tier Restaurant. Recently, I've seen Beverly Sills, Anna Netrebko, Renee Fleming, James Levine, Jessye Norman...the list goes on and on.

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 5:51pm

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....

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 5:55pm

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.

Where do you need to get to?

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 6:29pm

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?)

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 6:35pm

TURANDOT runs 3 hours, so if you're going to an 8 o'clock performance, you'll get out around 11. You can take a cab and probably get there by 11:30, or take your chances with the A or C train. You'd be cutting it pretty close, but it's doable. A performance that ends at 10:30 would start at 7:30; if you could make one of those, it would probably be better for you.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 6:45pm

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.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 8:37pm

"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)."

Really? I recently took a backstage tour (my 2nd) and the guide was adamant about the fact that they don't mike ANY singers, not the big ones anyway. I also haven't heard it any of the times I've been there. Can you think of a specific performance where they did that?

EDIT: If you're talking about matinees, that might be different, since it's being broadcast.

Updated On: 3/31/07 at 08:37 PM

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:13pm

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.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 9:32pm

Other people have told me the same thing - the MET does it but doesn't talk about doing it. NYCO mikes virtually everybody but the reason is the New York State Theater was built for ballet not opera so it has (supposedly) great sightlines and NO acoustics.

[John3]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:19pm

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.

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/31/07 at 10:22pm

I did standing room for ONEGIN, and it wasn't roped off. I was on the aisle in the second row of the standing room rows, and was able to leave the area and move to an empty seat at intermission.