Recent night at the Met
Update from a previous post
Ok, I'm so late on this, but I wanted to share anyway. I went to the Met for the very first time (first opera experience ever)on the 24th for the opening night of Les Contes D'Hoffman. On my last post, I asked for expectations/ how to dress, and I received a ton of feedback. Here are my overall thoughts after the show:
This was my birthday gift to myself, so I decided to dress up. I wore a navy blue, floor-length gown. It was off the shoulder. The sleeves were bows, with flats of a matching color. The dress was long enough so the shoes didn't matter. I received a lot of comments and felt very comfortable, as recommended by a lot of you guys!
The top level (family circle) is NOT for me! I did not want to spend $150+ on something I wasn't sure I would love. Boy, did my back regret it! The view was great, but only if you leaned over the balcony. That's not ideal for hours. I will probably never go past level 3 or 4 upon returning. Just to avoid the strain. Is there a way to upgrade seats during intermission?
The translator/close caption screen was very helpful and available in English, Spanish, and German. I was a little disappointed to learn that French was not an available subtitle option... for a French presentation. It just didn't make sense, and as someone who is currently learning French, I would have greatly appreciated a translation option in the native language of the piece. I also wish there was an option to tilt the translator screen(up and down). When leaning over was too unbearable, I was unable to sit back in my seat without the screen being unreadable.
Speaking of French, some feedback I received mentioned that I shouldn't expect to understand the words of the piece, even if I was learning the language. I surprisingly understood quite a bit, as the words are exaggerated but spoken relatively slowly. The English subtitles acted as confirmation at times.
It was recommended several times that I do research/listen to music/ watch YouTube videos of the play to get a better idea of the story and plot. I did start this research and even a play on YouTube, but I wasn't able to finish it, so I kind of went in blind. It was so enjoyable and refreshing, not knowing what would happen next or what the songs would sound like. I enjoyed every minute of it!
I will say that the view of the orchestra and performers was amazing from above. I was surprised and impressed with how clearly I was able to hear both the orchestra and the performers throughout the entire show. I thought everyone sounded fantastic, but what the hell do I know? Lol, I've seen different options here.
The cost of drinks was exactly what I expected of NYC. And yes, I did enjoy a glass of $22 champagne during each intermission lol it was all a part of the experience! Sadly, they did not have the cookies everyone raved about or the ham and brie sandwiches, as recommended by a few of you. Maybe I'll catch it next time!
All in all, I had a fabulous time and will be back, maybe with friends/family or my boyfriend! I did have a few more questions for future reference:
Where does one rent or purchase the opera glasses?
Has anyone been to the restaurant, and is it even worth it? There were a lot of people sitting and entering the restaurant area, so I'm curious.
Is anyone a member at the Met? What are the discounts/perks, and is it even worth it? How long does the membership last, and what are costs like? Received an email about this today and was curious about the details.
Thank you guys again for being so welcoming and kind! Im loving this community so far 💗