Would you take your date to the Opera?

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

As many of you know, I am an Opera aficionado, and I would like to take my wife more often - although the few times she comes along I almost have to drag her by the feet and then again she tends to check her phone the whole time or even dozing off.

Often she declines my invites so I often end up bringing my mother along or I invite other women (my Opera dates, it's not a good look for a man to go the Opera alone without female company). Although to be honest I would much prefer for my wife to come along.

[Screenwriter]

Ah, give up on taking your wife. Take your mom or a friend: male or female. Find someone who will actually ENJOY being there with you and who you can chat about the opera with.

You're wasting the cost of an expensive ticket and a lovely experience on your wife who doesn't appreciate opera. And I'd ONLY take someone to the opera if they said they'd love to go. I certainly would since I've never been and there are operas I'm interested in seeing.

But opera is not to everyone's tastes. Just like "Wicked." Everyone was gushing over it. I thought it was heavy-handed and boring. And I'm a longtime musical fan. Seen a few on Broadway and Hamilton via Disney channel. Seen a variety of them. So it's not just "opera." It's also which opera...

And since the opera is an expensive, dress-up date, I'd leave it for later in a relationship. That's the time for someone you're regularly dating whose tastes you know and you'd have dinner, drinks and the opera... Not necessarily in that order, but it'd be a special date...

But stop wasting your money and your wife's time. She's doing it just because you love it so and she loves you. She's being noble, but take her to something SHE loves and find other folk to take to the opera who'll appreciate it. She'll appreciate your kindness.

[Flower7]

I don’t understand why you feel like you shouldn’t go there without a date.

[Sun_Kim-Ai]

It's an unwritten rule - only widowers show up alone. Men should bring a date, especially if they are in the platea.

[Levin]

That depends on what it is.

Is it one of the more 'entertaining' operas such as Don Giovanni?

Even, although I hate to say it, that opera could do with a judicious cut of about half an hour's material towards the end. 3 hours is way too long. It's just repetitious in terms of its musical ideas. See, we are a Western audience. And though I hate how philistine we are, there are limits to a few hours of attention.

Perhaps also Puccini, depending on the opera.

But just because it is classical music or opera, doesn't mean it is good.

There's a lot of garbage. And I wouldn't listen to most 1500 to 1700's music.

You have to consider who you are taking to some degree. I always try and consider whether who I might be taking would enjoy it. Because you want them to have a good time.

Although that would reaally get my goat. If someone is on their phone. She must really hate it so I would not bother actually.

But I think taking your date to the opera or classical music could be quite romantic. I'm actually considering it, if I can get to chat to the girl I want to invite. But again, I'm quite sure she would appreciate the music and have a good time.

[Finchie40]

You can’t force someone to like what you like , if your wife is bored and doesn’t like the opera , so be it , invite people that actually enjoy it instead , that will support you and have fun going. There are probably things your wife enjoys doing , that you don’t enjoy , so it can go both ways , it doesn’t mean they don’t love you or care about you , it just means they have no interest in it. Your partner isn’t going to like everything you like period , just the way most relationships go. Shit I would love to find a girl that loves everything I enjoy so we could enjoy doing a lot of things together , but finding someone like that is hard to find.

[WindAtMyBack]

Maybe, as long as I don't have to dress up. My general rule is that if I can't wear jeans then I don't want to be there. If they expect me to wear a suit, or even a shirt and tie, that's not gonna happen.

[Chartreux]

If I get to dress up and you take me for dinner or drinks too you can invite me... I want a fancy date, haven't had one in years.

[ItsJill]

I would like a date to the opera. It would be a nice occasion to try out my new backless evening dress with open heels.

[Maxnanet]

Wow !!! This sounds very classy !!
Have you ever been to opera? It sounds soooooo impressively loud and its so cool

[Nikki1989]

Yes, and we have gone to the Opera a few times. I would never be with anyone who isn't artistically cultured and educated.

[LiamJHayden]

I might, but I am far more likely to take her to a symphony.

[katiesmuff]

No I wouldn't