How to see an opera
It made me
So happy! 
"The opera is hyped up for a reason!"
How I did it: A neighbor could not make it, so he offered me 4 tickets to Madama Butterfly in his company's box. My mom, friend, and I dressed up and drove downtown. We got there just in time to settle in our seats and watch the curtain rise.
Lessons & tips:
- Dress formally but not too formally. A cocktail dress with pearls is perfect.
- Dress sexily, but not provocatively. The opera is not the place to show off your cleavage. :)
- Don't talk during the opera. (I'm guilty of this).
- Read through the plot before the opera starts so as to follow along.
- If the opera is in a foreign language (they usually are) there are usually English subtitles. If not, just enjoy the music.
- Finally, applaud only at the end of each act. Some audience members will break into impassioned applause after a particularly impressive aria. The performers enjoy it, but the orchestration continues playing, and the singers need to hear it over the applause to start their next song.
