WWTBAM Bored

Our local Carmike theater has been showing various operas performed by the San Francisco Opera and I am curious if anyone has been to a movie theater to watch a performance. I have never been to nor ever watched an opera but I have an interest in maybe seeing one. Here are the 3 that they are showing over an 8 day period beginning 4/12:

Don Giovanni (3 days)
Samon & Delilah (1 day)
Madama Butterfly (I assume it should be an e not a at the end or is it really Madama or are there two different operas with different spelling?--4days)

It appears they run from 155min to 192 min.

Which of the 3 should I go to if I want to see what an "opera" is all about and should I read a synopsis of the opera before I go so I would have an idea of what is going on?

Thanks

Ok, here it is again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP_ateyXy9w

I'm not an opera buff, but I've always heard that Madama Butterfly (that's the correct title) is where to start, because the story is straightforward, and the music is real good.

Yes, you should read a synopsis beforehand.

Does the SF Opera put subtitles in their moviehouse presentations?

Our local movie theater advertises this, too, but I've never attended one of these events.

The promos never mention what the cost of this would be. I suspect a ticket to see the Metropolitan Opera, in person, would be rather pricey. A movie ticket--at least here, Upstate--is comparatively cheap. I suspect a ticket to see a broadcast of the opera in a movie theater is unreasonably closer to the former price than the latter.

ulysses5019 wrote:Ok, here it is again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP_ateyXy9w

Again? First time I asked.

They had Madame but not Madama Butterfly, they also had Don G.

Thanks anyway, it was "cute".

nitrah55 wrote:I'm not an opera buff, but I've always heard that Madama Butterfly (that's the correct title) is where to start, because the story is straightforward, and the music is real good.

Yes, you should read a synopsis beforehand.

Does the SF Opera put subtitles in their moviehouse presentations?

Thanks nitrah. I do not know about the subtitles.

MarleysGh0st wrote:Our local movie theater advertises this, too, but I've never attended one of these events.

The promos never mention what the cost of this would be. I suspect a ticket to see the Metropolitan Opera, in person, would be rather pricey. A movie ticket--at least here, Upstate--is comparatively cheap. I suspect a ticket to see a broadcast of the opera in a movie theater is unreasonably closer to the former price than the latter.

It will cost $12/ticket. I buy the discount movie tix and get them for $6.50@, With no discount ticket a movie is $8.25.

Normal Met opera tickets range roughly from $100-300. There are some exceptions however.

Mr. Kusch, Madama Butterfly and Madame Butterfly are the same opera. "Madama" is just the Italian word, which is what Mr. Puccini spoke. (That's why my opera will be mostly in English and Houndese, because those are my best languages.)

I saw Madama Butterfly on television a couple of weeks ago. I liked it very much. If I could see only one of the three operas you mentioned, though, I would go to Don Giovanni, because Mr. Mozart wrote that one, and he is my favorite composer.

If they ever have an opera in a movie theater here, I could ask my mom to let me wear my harness and take me. She would have to wear dark glasses and carry a cane. Anyway, I would try to sneak in that way.

Whatever you see, please tell me all about it afterwards.

/:P\

goongas wrote:Normal Met opera tickets range roughly from $100-300. There are some exceptions however.

Thanks. I'd call that pricey!

A $12 movie theater ticket sounds like a pretty frugal alternative. I could probably save the price of a rental tux, too!

AnnieCamaro wrote:Mr. Kusch, Madama Butterfly and Madame Butterfly are the same opera. "Madama" is just the Italian word, which is what Mr. Puccini spoke. (That's why my opera will be mostly in English and Houndese, because those are my best languages.)

I saw Madama Butterfly on television a couple of weeks ago. I liked it very much. If I could see only one of the three operas you mentioned, though, I would go to Don Giovanni, because Mr. Mozart wrote that one, and he is my favorite composer.

If they ever have an opera in a movie theater here, I could ask my mom to let me wear my harness and take me. She would have to wear dark glasses and carry a cane. Anyway, I would try to sneak in that way.

Whatever you see, please tell me all about it afterwards.

/:P\

Thanks for the Madame/Madama clarification. If I do attend any, I will be sure to give a report.

The Metropolitan Opera has its own opera broadcasts in movie theaters; they are live simulcasts of the Saturday matinees in the latter part of the season (the ones that are also broadcast over the radio). (I think the price for adults is $22 in NJ, FWIW.) I'd heard that SFO was going to do its own, non-live theatercasts, but I know nothing about them. I hope it's a good time for you.

You have three fine operas to choose from (although if I were choosing a "first opera" for someone, I'd pick Carmen or La Boheme). I really think there have to be subtitles in all three of them, otherwise what's the point of such a wide release? (Even the Met has subtitles these days.) Which opera you choose should depend on the criteria that are most important to you.

Samson and Delilah has the most familiar story, a famous, pre-haircut seduction aria for Delilah, and what is probably the greatest spectacle of the three in the third-act "Bacchanale," the music of which may be familiar if you've seen Olympic figure skating routines. However, it may have the least compelling characters and is possibly the least highly esteemed of these operas, both by critics and by the public. Nevertheless it is still pretty popular and worth seeing.

Don Giovanni is the almost unanimously viewed as one of the greatest operas of all time, with several great numbers including a very famous seduction duet (no haircut, though), lots of sexual intrigue, and the infamous libertine being dramatically dragged offstage to Hell (did you ever see the movie Amadeus?). However, the plot may be a bit complicated for a first-timer, and I would advise becoming familiar with the characters and plot beforehand if you choose to go. It could be hard to appreciate the first time around, but it's absolutely worth seeing sometime.

Madame/Madama Butterfly, however it's spelled, is a personal favorite of mine and of many other operagoers. It has many soaring melodies of the kind Puccini is famous for (including the celebrated aria "Un Bel Di") and a straightforward, easy-to-follow story (callous American naval officer marries a naive Japanese teenager and abandons her, the fact of which she refuses to accept) that always makes me cry. However, the opera is more limited in scope than the other two; it all takes place in the same location, with minimal pomp (if you'd prefer that kind of thing), being almost completely focused on the domestic life of one woman. And the tragic story of an abandoned young woman isn't for everybody. I love it anyway and would jump at the chance to go.

I suggest that with any of these operas, you become familiar at least with the plot. Ideally, I'd recommend taking out a CD of the opera from your public library and getting to know some of the tunes ahead of time; I find this can really enhance your experience in the theater. But at the very least I'd get to know a plot description from Wikipedia or something.

Good luck with your decision. Despite all I've said here pro and con, I don't think you can really go wrong with any of these three operas. Just pick one and enjoy it!

JBillyGirl wrote:The Metropolitan Opera has its own opera broadcasts in movie theaters; they are live simulcasts of the Saturday matinees in the latter part of the season (the ones that are also broadcast over the radio). (I think the price for adults is $22 in NJ, FWIW.) I'd heard that SFO was going to do its own, non-live theatercasts, but I know nothing about them. I hope it's a good time for you.

You have three fine operas to choose from (although if I were choosing a "first opera" for someone, I'd pick Carmen or La Boheme). I really think there have to be subtitles in all three of them, otherwise what's the point of such a wide release? (Even the Met has subtitles these days.) Which opera you choose should depend on the criteria that are most important to you.

Samson and Delilah has the most familiar story, a famous, pre-haircut seduction aria for Delilah, and what is probably the greatest spectacle of the three in the third-act "Bacchanale," the music of which may be familiar if you've seen Olympic figure skating routines. However, it may have the least compelling characters and is possibly the least highly esteemed of these operas, both by critics and by the public. Nevertheless it is still pretty popular and worth seeing.

Don Giovanni is the almost unanimously viewed as one of the greatest operas of all time, with several great numbers including a very famous seduction duet (no haircut, though), lots of sexual intrigue, and the infamous libertine being dramatically dragged offstage to Hell (did you ever see the movie Amadeus?). However, the plot may be a bit complicated for a first-timer, and I would advise becoming familiar with the characters and plot beforehand if you choose to go. It could be hard to appreciate the first time around, but it's absolutely worth seeing sometime.

Madame/Madama Butterfly, however it's spelled, is a personal favorite of mine and of many other operagoers. It has many soaring melodies of the kind Puccini is famous for (including the celebrated aria "Un Bel Di") and a straightforward, easy-to-follow story (callous American naval officer marries a naive Japanese teenager and abandons her, the fact of which she refuses to accept) that always makes me cry. However, the opera is more limited in scope than the other two; it all takes place in the same location, with minimal pomp (if you'd prefer that kind of thing), being almost completely focused on the domestic life of one woman. And the tragic story of an abandoned young woman isn't for everybody. I love it anyway and would jump at the chance to go.

I suggest that with any of these operas, you become familiar at least with the plot. Ideally, I'd recommend taking out a CD of the opera from your public library and getting to know some of the tunes ahead of time; I find this can really enhance your experience in the theater. But at the very least I'd get to know a plot description from Wikipedia or something.

Good luck with your decision. Despite all I've said here pro and con, I don't think you can really go wrong with any of these three operas. Just pick one and enjoy it!

Thank you very much JBG. If and when I do go, I will be sure to report back. I suppose I could test the Met on PBS some weekend. I just checked and they are doing Romeo et Juliette on Sunday. Ah, Sundays are for watching golf. Oh, DVR could work.

I looked more closely at Met ticket prices. If you want far away seats they have them at less than $100, but at that point I wonder if you would be able to hear the performers all that well.

goongas wrote:I looked more closely at Met ticket prices. If you want far away seats they have them at less than $100, but at that point I wonder if you would be able to hear the performers all that well.

The acoustics at the Met are excellent, even in the cheap "nosebleed" seats (I've heard some say the acoustics up there are actually some of the best in the house), so I wouldn't worry about being able to hear the performers. You may not be able to SEE them very well, of course -- that's what you pay the bigger bucks for.

JBillyGirl wrote:

goongas wrote:I looked more closely at Met ticket prices. If you want far away seats they have them at less than $100, but at that point I wonder if you would be able to hear the performers all that well.

The acoustics at the Met are excellent, even in the cheap "nosebleed" seats (I've heard some say the acoustics up there are actually some of the best in the house), so I wouldn't worry about being able to hear the performers. You may not be able to SEE them very well, of course -- that's what you pay the bigger bucks for.

Perhaps that is why "opera glasses" came into being!

Jess, I just saw my first opera at the New York City Opera. I sat in the second to last row of the orchestra, and at times I struggled to hear the performers. Am I going deaf, or are the acoustics in the New York State Theatre not good?

Edit: Apparently they are not, as a new system will be in place when the New York State Theatre is renovated. The ballet likes the current system, but the opera doesn't.

I've seen two recordings of live performances of The Ballad of Baby Doe, one of them with the great Beverly Sills.

And I've heard the Marriage of Figaro duet in Shawshank Redemption dozens of times.

I love opera.