Want some free entertainment? You’re in luck! New York City has some awesome free opera shows this week. And I’m talking high-quality ones at the Lincoln Center, played as HD recordings, pretty much like those Fathom events at the movies. They’re even having a thing called the ‘2014 Summer HD Festival’. Sounds pretty cool, huh?
Just the other day, an opera-loving friend of mine asked me to go see a show. We went after work, around 6:15 PM, and there were some people already there. But don’t worry, the place didn’t get packed. I believe, if you show up about 45 minutes before the show starts, say, around 7:15 to 7:30 PM, you should get a seat for the 8 PM show.
It’s totally free, did I mention that? Although, there is a concession stand, and some ambitious college student might try to sell you a seat cushion, but if you think ahead, you could just bring your own cushion from home. Make your night comfortable and cost-free! And I did see some folks getting beer. Maybe a little booze might make opera more fun?
The opera we saw was “The Nose”, some weird, funny story about a Russian guy who wakes up and finds his nose missing. Not for everyone, but definitely entertaining!
Here’s the schedule if you’re curious:
– Wednesday at 8 PM – Verdi’s Falstaff
– Thursday at 8 PM – Dvořák’s Rusalka
– Friday at 8 PM – Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore
– Saturday at 8 PM – Donizetti’s Don Pasquale
– Sunday at 8 PM – Massenet’s Werther
– Monday at 7:45 PM – Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin
Not into operas? No worries. You can also try for free tickets to Shakespeare in the Park. Just sign up, enter their raffle, and if you win, they’ll email you the good news by 2 PM on the performance day.
But as our free opera season ends, you can look forward to free tickets for Public Work’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ and the ‘Fall for Dance Festival’. And if all else fails, there’s always ways to score great seats without raffles or butt-numbing chairs.
So, get out there, grab some free entertainment, and try not to lose your nose!