Never in my wildest dreams did I think going to the Opera would be such an incredible experience and one that I would treasure forever.
I should be embarrassed by how many times I have seen the Phantom of the Opera, but let’s be honest, it’s an incredible story and even better performance. To say the least, it is one of my favorite stage productions.
The first time we were in Paris we did a quick tour of the famous Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House) but I really wanted to spend more time there since it was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera. I wanted to return to Paris for a more in depth look and thank goodness we did later that fall.
This time around we made sure to not only tour the House but go see a performance as well. We bought our tickets online through the Opera’s website a few months beforehand for Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutte. I downloaded the English translation of the libretto and read it before we left so I would have an understanding of the story, which I’m really glad I did. Although, most operas now have subtitles above the stage, but I found it distracting to read and watch. So reading it beforehand was super helpful.
But before the night of the performance, we did a couple things to prepare. One of the best decisions I made was touring the Opera House the day before our performance. It was amazing to see the incredible architecture, the library, and the magnificent art piece painted on the opera house’s ceiling, not to mention the stunning chandelier (made famous by the Phantom of the Opera). If I hadn’t toured it during the day, I wouldn’t have been able to fully explore all the Opera House has to offer.
After my husband and I toured the house, we knew we had to make dinner reservations with the best view of the regal House in one of the near-by cafes. So after the tour, we found our café and made reservations for the following night. We even got to choose our table with the best view (second story over-looking the House). It was incredible, and the food wasn’t half bad either (I mean, it is Paris, France…you can’t go wrong with anything there).
Flash forward to the much anticipated night. We had dinner at the café with the amazing view and then walked right across the street for the performance. Walking through the Opera House that night was so incredible because I was able to recognize everything from the tour we did the day before. But taking it all in at night was beyond MAGICAL with all the lights reflecting off the beautifully sparkling gold.
However, I must admit, I was a little concerned about the dress code. I didn’t really know what to expect. But I found out very quickly, there really is no dress code. I saw everything from fur coats and diamonds to jeans and blouses and anything in-between. I had dressed up in a cute black dress and my husband wore a dress shirt with no coat or tie and we fit right in. It was a lot of fun dressing a little nicer to make the occasion a little more special (but lets be real, how much more special could it have gotten?).
Little did I know, it got more special. We each ordered a glass of Tattinger Champagne prior to the performance (we actually toured the winery the next day which was really entertaining). But let’s be honest, sparkling wine, especially Champagne, makes any event extra special, right? So, we pre-ordered another glass so we wouldn’t have to stand in line at intermission. That’s what took the evening from amazing to absolutely incredible. I am surprised that not everyone knows you can do this at most performances anywhere. So my extra tip to you, if you go see any performance at any theater or opera house, check to see if you can pre-order concessions for intermission. I promise it will make the night extra enjoyable!
The performance itself was lovely – the singing was excellent and the story and actors were funny. I must admit however that the entire events prior were the actual highlights.
After all, we not only did a tour of the most famous Paris Opera during the day but also had dinner at a café at the best table possible overlooking the House at night – then saw an actual performance! It is not ironic that I already have tickets to see Love Never Dies, the sequel to the Phantom of the Opera, later this spring, which I am so excited about.
But with that being said, make sure, if you get a chance, to give yourself an extra special night at one of the most amazing Opera Houses in the world, but make sure to do it right, and make sure to do it in style!
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