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

[buggeroo]

we are professional (classical) musicians, so think nothing of going to see an Opera, classical concert, live theatre etc.
However, I've recently had 2 conversations with a family member and a head teacher that they have never been to a live (classical type) concert or theatre show/play.

So it's making me wonder - how many people have been to..
a) an opera?
b) a live theatre production?
c) classical concert?

I was suprised that these two people hadn't been to any of these, but should I be? I don't know?
Thank you.

Not sure if I’ve ever been to opera been to lots and lots of concerts and theatre. And other stuff like ballet/contemporary dance.

Obviously there is a cost associated with all of these things. I know that sometimes it doesn’t have to be expensive but I’m finding that increasingly with booking fees etc it ends up costing a lot more than you originally thought/planned for.

I think location also factors into it. People in small towns/rural areas don’t have the same opportunities that city folk do. Even in a suburban area, events in the city can be almost inaccessible.

And sometimes it’s a case of wanting to go, but not having anyone to go with and not wanting to go alone.

But in my immediate social circle, parents of young kids tend not to do anything like this unless it is specifically child-oriented. It’s always “oh no, she couldn’t sit through that” and I’m like “how would you know until you try it?” DD went to her first musical aged 2 and has never had an issue.

I haven't been to opera as it does not particularly appeal. I have only been to one classical concert. I have been to the theatre quite a lot of times and ballet is my favourite.
In comparison, I rarely go to the cinema. I do go to pop concerts, but not festivals. I do go to museums and art galleries more often than the theatre.

A) 3/4 times
B) about 10 times
C) Many times

Opera no, but classical concerts and live theatre yes, often. I have also performed at the Royal Albert Hall....

All three, yes.

Expensive these days, mind.

This.

All three. I go to classical concerts more than any other type of performance.

TBF I love classical music but have to agree about Mahler. See also most of Shostakovich IMO.

On the subject of children not being able to sit through things... my older DS now aged 14 has learning disabilities and ADHD (which was not diagnosed until he was 12) so sitting through anything was a massive challenge.

I did persevere though, because i love the cinema etc. I realised that I had to be prepared to walk out half way through (once 30 minutes through) as his ability to cope faded. It's really pretty expensive (and often frustrating) to pay for something and then to leave before it finishes. But I was determined to expose him to as much as possible.

It did pay off eventually (although like I said upthread- I'm already prepared to leave at the intermission of the ballet if need be). He can sit through now quite long films (Although we have had to just forget about the mere thought of seeing Wicked) and we have had some wonderful experiences over the years. We have seen all sorts of things, from classical concerts to theatre to cover bands of Abba and lots and lots of cinema. Once I sunk mega bucks on a major music festival which was one of the worst experiences of my entire life. Too loud, too many people, too everything. And it rained. But horses for courses etc. I'd never consider going to any sort of football match because it's not for me. (But we do try and go to the Windsor Horse show every couple of years, which is very much me).

But again- I have the disposable income to do that. If you don't have the funds then wasting tickets on anything that you may have to walk out of at intermission can very much be seen as a total waste of money.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

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’.

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.

@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.

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

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!