have you been to see live theatre/opera/concert?

100% it’s important that kids realise what is out there.

We were really poor growing up. Never went anywhere every couple of years we would eat out in a Little Chef which was similar to dining with the Queen in our eyes. Most people at my deprived school were the same..

it wasn’t until I went to uni that I realised a whole world was out there. Our corridor went out for a curry, I had no idea what to order and how to order. My friends parents took us out to a night at the theatre with a meal before..I could believe it - it was a years worth of entertainment in one night - I was utterly mesmerised. It’s being able to experience these things that drives you on and makes you want to succeed.

When I do theatre trips with the kids from school it is quite often the only time they will ever experience it.
It's so important to do this

Never been to an opera - but not my thing. Go to the theatre perhaps 6 -10times a year been to prob 20 classical concerts. Go to lots of gigs (mainly heavy metal) large tours prob 10 times a year- loc as l gigs prob 2-3 times a month

All three.
Theatre most regularly. But all of them. Have also performed in theatre and classical concerts.
Oddly, I don’t generally consider going to the Opera these days but used to when I visited friends in Exeter - the Northcott was great for opera and ballet.

All three, plus ballet. DH had never been to the theatre before we met and he was in his 50s then. He doesn't like classical music, ballet or opera so I don't go to those now, unless with someone else, but we go to the theatre quite a lot and he will occasionally come to a performance of something at the local cathedral, if my grandson is singing. He likes 80s music - I can't stand it - so each to their own!

@SparklingSpa I know the performance you mean!

Men have some sort of obsession with Wagner. DH has 10 different recordings of the Ring Cycle and apparently needs more.

At least with opera, there are always bits you can like, even if you didn't like all of it (the exception for me being Berg's Lulu - I asked DH if he hated me for making me go). It might be the music, a particular singer, the production, the costumes but there will be something.

A friend went to a production of Ariadne auf Naxos which the director had decided to have an octopus porn theme. FFS. She said as long as she kept her eyes shut it was fine as the singing and music were fabulous.

Only B (and thats only if musicals count!)

My first and only opera experience was a three hours endurance without an intermission of three women in shell tracksuits who were meant to be nymphs. It was sang in English so I didn’t get the full opera experience I was expecting. On the advertisement the nymphs had amazing costumes and hair and I was looking forward that. The newspaper reviews I read after said if this is anyone’s first experience of opera then the they feels sorry for us.

Couldn't agree more! My first opera was The Magic Flute - which has a great story with lots of action, and the added bonus that they actually speak in between the arias, so you understand better what's going on.
DD has a Tonie figure with the Magic Flute and really wants to see it. Hoping it'll come to London again some time!

Hell, yes. Wagner is an endurance test!

I think my first live one - I'd grown up with this stuff from childhood as my mum and grandfather loved it - was The Marriage of Figaro. A hoot, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish!

I understand that - all I'm saying is don't make it obvious that you think they've never been to a theatre before

@Risheth I love Janacek! But with the exception of The Cunning Little Vixen which is a great first opera, the rest I think are an acquired taste.

It's a shame we don't do operetta in the UK, only Gilbert and Sullivan.

I know loads of people who love Andre Rieu but would never go to the opera. I think they would love operetta.

All three but opera isn't my cup of tea. Mainly it's theatre - roughly monthly - and classical concerts or performances, or ballet/dance perhaps five or six times a year. The cost is a consideration.

But for some school kids it is strange/elite. Despite growing up in a city with several theatres, the first time I ever saw a play was during my first year at university. Poor, WC background, and it would no more have occurred to my parents to take us than it would have occurred to them to have us take piano lessons or learn to ride, even if the money were there — strong sense of ‘not for the likes of us’.

Theatre and classical concerts, yes. However, I have not been to the opera as I don't enjoy the singing.

All three and don't really think anything of it.

I was horrified when I went to the theatre when I was in secondary and realised the teacher thought that none of us had been before and she was doing us a favour/cultural enrichment/social mobility type thing. So for teachers that DO do that sort of thing - try not to make it obvious as it makes theatre/opera/classical seem even more elitist!

All three, but not for years. Regularly go to normal gigs though

I haven’t been to a classical concert, but have been to the theatre numerous times and the opera once.

I went to the opera in France when I was a student there - the theatre sold off I sold tickets very cheaply to students on the night of each performance. My friend and I ended up in the royal box for about 4 euros each!
I think an incentive like that to give younger people (or perhaps those on low incomes) the opportunity to go when they otherwise wouldn’t is really good.

Yes, all 3. Not as often as we'd like now.

My ‘Oh, now I get it!’ moment was during The Flying Dutchman, oddly, for reasons I still don’t particularly understand, but you’re right in general — I was particularly unimpressed as an opera novice by Korngold’s Die Tode Stadt and have never really got Janacek or Humperdinck, having been exposed to them long before anything bel canto.

In terms of enjoying opera, I think your first opera is really important.

My DF took my DM to Wagner for her first, she refused to ever go again.

While my first was Carmen which has a good plot, good tunes, and crucially doesn't go on too long.

Does Operetta count? Seen loads of Gilbert and Sullivan, lots of theatre performances, I'm not very keen on opera, a few classical concerts, loads of pop concerts. When DD was about 11, in the space of three weeks we took her to see The Gondoliers at the theatre, Status Quo in a NT park and an excellent Abba tribute band. We failed a bit with ballet and more classical music. She has pretty eclectic tastes now.

All 3, mostly c as an amateur musician.

However, it depends where you live. I was brought up in a large northern city with resident orchestras so it was very easy to go to concerts. We often used to sit in the side circle above the orchestra so you got amazing views (and we knew several of the players). Where I now live, the 2 venues used locally by the BSO are dire as you can't see anything. I've taken 6th form students to the Lighthouse in Poole and sat in the circle and they have been gobsmacked as they watch all the bows going in the same direction - they could never see that in our local concerts. Poole is almost 2 hours' drive along horrid roads, so it's a labour of love taking kids to a midweek concert then working the next day.

I have been to 2 operas in my nearest city. They were great but the venue is a theatre rather than designed for opera and the acoustic is really dry. It's not the most pleasant experience.

Can't wait to retire and move back north!

I have been to all three, mostly theatre as it’s a big love of mine. I went a lot as a child with my parents and we still go as a family now as well as with friends.

I was born early 80’s and went to a school on a council estate, the school would arrange a trip at least once a year to go to see one of them and trips to London in gcse years for whatever play was being studied.

As @TappyGilmore said location definitely applies.

I live zone 6. Evenings weekends I can drive to the tube and park for free (and other times jump on a bus) tube is around £6.40. So if I get a good deal on a ticket I'm only paying £22-30 all in for travel and ticket. If I take kids as well they are minimal / no cost on the tube.

I have a friend who loves theatre but she lives a bit over and hour by fast ish rain from London - that cost means the cheap theatre ticket ain't such a great deal as she still has high travel costs.