The Opera was always, in my mind something that older, rich, “cultured” people did to pass time, just because they could. It was often portrayed in the media as some very white people in Viking costumes singing words that made no sense. It isn’t necessarily a popular pastime of people in the present, partly because it’s an expensive venture to the theater, and partly because of this portrayal of an outdated, boring experience. My previous, and very limited knowledge of the opera derived from dumb kid’s cartoons where a bunch of boring adults sat and listened to someone sing in some ridiculous costume, and Marie Antoinette (Sophia Coppola’s 2004 film). Again, not unlike many others in my generation, the opera seemed like a boring thing for old people to do, and as a result, I was not particularly looking forward to sitting for 3+ hours for the opera. Teju Cole brings up a similar point, where often times, what is shown to the public aligns with a general notion about something, whether it’s the charm of an old Indian village, or the opera, but this image doesn’t always necessarily portray the reality.
In the past, I’ve been to Lincoln Center for many ballets with my grandmother, which I enjoyed a lot, particularly because I appreciated the talent and technique and refined dance abilities due to my own dance background. This gave me high hopes for the opera, despite my expectations. I knew that going to this theater was a big deal, so I thought, “How bad could it be?”
Upon arrival, the crowd consisted of mostly of well-dressed, older people, and our class. There were some younger people, children, and middle aged people, but it was still predominantly elderly attendees. This only confirmed what I previously thought about the opera. Before the opera actually began, there was a strange presentation with sheep and handlers as people were still being seated, which again, only added to my lack of excitement and confusion towards opera.
Once it began, the first surprising thing was that it was in English. It became clear that the opera has changed, and though it is still very much a facet of European culture, it cemented itself in America. There were no ridiculous costumes (other than the bear costume), and though the opera isn’t my new favorite thing to do, it wasn’t exactly like what I thought it was based on the media.
Another part of my opera experience that changed my perspective was that I went with peers, as opposed to by myself, or with older people as a pastime. The opera was still boring for me, and confusing, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the singing, but I recognize it as a part of culture, and as a performance art form. However, despite this, it isn’t just the opera, it is also a memory that I share with my classmates, which makes the opera part of my experience. 
