NWR: Has anyone ever been to the Opera?

annakb8 · May 2011

One of my friends has tickets for this Wednesday night that she can't use, so she offered them to us. I'm really excited, I've wanted to go to an event at the Kennedy Center since I moved to DC, but I have NO idea what to wear and google isn't helping much. I know FI wants to go all out and wear a tuxedo, but I really don't want to be the only ones in black tie. Anyone have any idea if we will be too dressed up?

FutureMrsTR · May 2011

I have no idea I just wanted to say I'm so jealousssss! I'd love to go to an opera. Music moves me.

emilyinchile · May 2011

I went to the opera in San Francisco in high school because it was part of our mandatory intro to the arts class. We were all told to dress up, and I wore a cocktail dress.

I think if you go full black tie you might be a little overdressed, but I'm sure other people will be in cocktail attire, so you won't look totally ridiculous as the only fancy people there with everyone else in jeans.

jemmini6 · May 2011

The only "opera" I've been to was seeing Phantom of the Opera in Vegas. Great show, but I doubt quite up to the attire standards of a traditional opera....so I'm no help...

MandK9 · May 2011

Aww, love that he wants to dress up

I'm not sure how much classier you DC folk are than Detroiters, but I know that I'm always overdressed for operas/symphonies/plays, etc. around here. Fair warning: there may be people in jeans and sweaters. At least there are here. I'm not sure I've ever seen people dress black-tie for theater, but I wear a cocktail dress and FI wears a suit and tie.

annakb8 · May 2011

Yeah, my FI would wear a tuxedo every damn day if he could. He loves to dress up. He actually told me the other night the reason he went to law school is so he could wear fancy ties his whole life.

Anyway, it always makes me scared that we will be the most dressed up people anywhere we go. But I guess it doesn't really matter, and I'm sure there will be some really dressed up old people.

FutureMrsTR · May 2011

I doubt you'll be overdressed in DC. There will definitely be someone more dressed up than you. I'd go for it. And just own it. How often do you get to dress up like that?

ootmother2 · May 2011

Monday night is formal dress for the opera here. Can you check locally which night is formal there?

waltzingmatilda13 · May 2011

I've been a few times, but it was a while ago. Some people will dress up and others won't, but you will not be the only ones if you decide to go all out.

doctabroccoli · May 2011

I've been in Vienna, Austria. We were 90 16-18 year old kids. Obviously, we were not in black tie attire

.

Snippylynn · May 2011

Hm, I was going to say I don't think that a Weds is going to be a formal night, but I don't know after OOT's comment. Would the Kennedy Center have a FAQ page?

jessicabessica · May 2011

I've been to the opera in Chicago and I wore a silver/gray skirt, a black shirt, and a wrap, and I think FI wore a suit (definitely not a tux). I have seen a couple of things at the Kennedy Center--I would guess the ballet I saw there would have been similar dress to the opera, and I came straight from work (I think I did slightly more stylish business casual) and FI wore a suit. When I saw a musical there on a Saturday evening, I wore a little black dress.

missy68 · May 2011

I've been to see a traveling show of Phantom and Les Mis, and the Phantom show in Vegas.

In Vegas, it was a double date - the guys wore khakis and polos, and I wore a maxi dress while my SIL wore a nice pair of dress slacks and shirt. There was a good mixture of dressed up to dressy casual.

For the traveling shows, I think I wore a dress to one, and white pants/fancy top and heels to the other one, but there was everything from jeans - outrageously fancy dress. That wasn't a permanent opera house, however.

You should be able to call/check the website and see if there is a dress code or what is acceptable.

annakb8 · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-anyone-ever-opera?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:ddc860a5-8038-4399-8a27-6267b8705703Post:fac52cf5-b0cd-4c29-96d2-77df3846907b">Re: NWR: Has anyone ever been to the Opera?</a>:
[QUOTE]Hm, I was going to say I don't think that a Weds is going to be a formal night, but I don't know after OOT's comment. <strong>Would the Kennedy Center have a FAQ page?</strong>
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

All I can find on the website is that they have no dress code which isn't helping me right now.

Snippylynn · May 2011

I would just go ahead and do formal suit with a tie and cocktail dess.

doctabroccoli · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-anyone-ever-opera?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:ddc860a5-8038-4399-8a27-6267b8705703Post:dc455092-bbc5-4dc3-8def-6c9f0aa40059">Re: NWR: Has anyone ever been to the Opera?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've been to see a traveling show of Phantom and Les Mis, and the Phantom show in Vegas. In Vegas, it was a double date - the guys wore khakis and polos, and I wore a maxi dress while my SIL wore a nice pair of dress slacks and shirt. There was a good mixture of dressed up to dressy casual. For the traveling shows, I think I wore a dress to one, and white pants/fancy top and heels to the other one, but there was everything from jeans - outrageously fancy dress. That wasn't a permanent opera house, however. You should be able to call/check the website and see if there is a dress code or what is acceptable.
Posted by missy68[/QUOTE]

Meh, we have (matinee) season tickets for the musicals here, and we just wear business casual.

slwager · May 2011

former opera singer here

unless it's opening night at the met no one wears tuxes/black tie etc

cocktail attire is the upper limit of appropriate
business casual is the lower limit (IMO)

people do wear jeans but yuck! especially at the kennedy center

annakb8 · May 2011

I'm going to try and convince FI to just wear a suit. I'm not sure he would have time to go home and change after work anyway. He's going to think I'm raining on his parade, but we're going to a few black tie weddings this year so he'll have plenty of chances to wear his tuxedo.

graysquirrel · May 2011

I love the Opera! I was at one a few weeks ago (Wuthering Heights) and nobody was super dressed up. Some people were there in jeans, which I found to be sacrilege. I'd say that if you went with a LBD you'd be just fine, especially since it is a week night.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · May 2011

I will say when I went to the ballet last year I was stressing over what to wear, and part way through the first act, some woman and a little girl showed up basically wearing sweats. So... yeah. But it was a matinee and there were SO many kids.

I think it depends on the seats, too. Orchestra? Sure. Balcony? Probably not.

Wiscisbliss · May 2011

When I went to the opera in MN there were a few people in tuxes and a few in jeans, the rest were somehwere in the middle.

I say go for it! I'd always rather be over dressed than under dressed!

EDIT - That was at the "fancy" venue. I have seen two opera's there, and one opera at a much smaller, non-traditional theater... there most people were dressed like theater hipsters

missy68 · May 2011

I will say there were FAR more people "dressed up" at the traveling Phantom show than Les Mis. I think they were going with the period/theme.

Because some of them were officially frightening. Like, they could be Halloween costume frightening. Red hose with fishnets over top? Feathers sticking out of your hair?

My dad wore an open collar shirt and business casual pants with "Poppa shoes" as Andy calls them (slip on business shoes, but not penny loafers). He normally wears the kind that tie to work.

mica178 · May 2011

The last time I went to the opera (in San Francisco), peopel were wearing everything from jeans to tuxes. If you have awesome seats, go for the tux (or a suit) for him and a dress for you. If you have more "normal" seats, then a cocktail dress and sports coat are probably fine.

cac7777 · May 2011

Ooh, yes! I love the opera. I usually just wear an LBD or other cute cocktail dress and guys often wear nice trousers with maybe a trendy business-casual jacket and closed-toe shoes. I don't often see people in black tie... The only place I can think that black tie would really be appropriate would be the Salzburg music festival, which tends to be peppered with aristocrats, royals, and celebrities.

Once, in Kuala Lumpur, my little brother was forced to put on an opera house's shoes because his weren't nice enough! In London's West End, though, you get all kinds of tourists going to the opera in their street duds--no sense of decorum or fashion etiquette. Totally depends on the city.

nycheryl · May 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_nwr-anyone-ever-opera?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:ddc860a5-8038-4399-8a27-6267b8705703Post:4a2c8742-ca72-4c03-9d54-1fad79fff9fe">Re: NWR: Has anyone ever been to the Opera?</a>:
[QUOTE]former opera singer here :) unless it's opening night at the met no one wears tuxes/black tie etc cocktail attire is the upper limit of appropriate business casual is the lower limit (IMO) people do wear jeans but yuck! especially at the kennedy center
Posted by slwager[/QUOTE]

Opera singers unite!!! I'm mainly doing choral/symphonic music right now, but I just finished "Carmen" a few weeks ago :D

I think if it were opening night, or even a Friday/Saturday night, you'd be fine in more formal attire. However, I think a suit on him and a nice dress on you is appropriate (you would be fine in dress pants and a sweater). You will likely see people in jeans, especially if it's a "popular" or mainstream opera. What are you seeing?? :) Have fun!!!

When I'm on stage after a performance, I like to see how many older women I can find in sequins. It's a fun little game :)

arwo · May 2011

Oop, just went to the opera on Sunday. You should probably expect people in a range of clothing, as others mentioned. I went with my husband and my parents; my mother and I wore cocktail dresses, my husband wore a suit, and my father wore his tux. We were certainly more formally dressed than others there, but I don't think we stuck out at all either.

I'd say a suit would be fine for your FI. Have fun! If I had more money, I would buy season tickets, no doubt about it. Love love love.

cpfwvu · May 2011

I used to live in DC and I would be surprised to see anyone wearing a tuxedo on a Wednesday night at the Kennedy Center.

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