Cincinnati Opera

Just finished the La Calisto and it was witty, raunchy and all around excellent. It pushed the boundaries of what is usually a serious medium. From the costumes, to the blocking, to the absolute mastery of comedic timing, we were thoroughly enchanted by Calisto, Jove (in drag) to the hot, adorable hot Satirino. How anyone can have such amazing cleavage in a satyr costume is beyond me.

La Calisto was phenomenal. It was a hilarious, skillful, and joyfully inappropriate romp through Greek mythology complete with drag. The execution was fantastic with incredibly skilled performers who were not afraid to not take themselves too seriously. A standing ovation to the cast, the director, the conductor, and everyone else involved.

Came here to watch Madame Butterfly with my Boyfriend’s mom, courtesy of Unilocal (Thanks Cindy & Unilocal!) It was my first opera experience ever – I’ve never even been to the Met before!
The venue itself is amazing. They had some live music out in the front before the show to keep people occupied, and they sell chocolate goodies & wine inside. Driving there is a little hectic as the event nears – we got there at seven and we weren’t able to park in the garage across the street. There’s lots of parking lots nearby though, so it wasn’t much of an issue.
We were lucky to have amazing seats in the balcony, the views of the chandeliers outside made me feel like I was in some party at a throwback movie. The orchestra sounded great, and the set/​lighting design for Madame Butterfly was absolutely gorgeous. There’s so much talent to be seen here, and while three hours seemed daunting, it didn’t feel that long.
Would love to come here for the 2015 season. It’s a must have experience for Cincy newcomers!
tl;dr great talent, gorgeous opera.

As a Cincinnati resident, I feel so lucky to have a top-​notch Opera program in my very own city. I attended my first opera in Cincinnati several years ago and I always find at least one performance each season that I can’t wait to see. I like how they have a mix of classic, traditional operas with at least one more modern or less well-​known work.
I can’t claim to be an opera expert, but the sets, costumes, and performances are always impressive and enjoyable. There are great ticket deals available through Enjoy the Arts or via student discounts, but even face-​value tickets are still a good value. I recommend sitting on the balcony level for the best view of the stage and super-​titles, as close to the center as you can get. Music Hall is a beautiful venue (even if the seats aren’t the most comfortable), regardless of where you sit.
The most recent performance I attended was Aida (July 2013) and the production was incredible. Lush and lavish costumes and set, incredible symphony, and memorable vocal performances. Plus, the overall experience of going to Music Hall is even better now with the beautiful Washington Square park and new underground parking lot across the street.

This is one of the best summer festival operas in nation, glitzy production values, packed out every season. Music Hall one of the largest concert halls in nation, architecturally distinct and great acoustics.

It would be 5 stars, but they just don’t offer enough operas in a season. I would take another star away for parking last season, but that was just a temporary thing, and should be resolved by this season with a new garage across the street. Yet to be absolutely fair, I usually walk there when I’m visiting the box office. I also tend to do this in the «off» season, which means I have to use the phone on the wall to ask them to send someone to the box office. Even given that inconvenience, I can usually get all my business concluded on my lunch break. I have always found the Opera Box Office extremely helpful and willing to work with you so everyone is happy. If you want the absolute most flexibility, the will call desk is even more helpful and flexible if you arrive early enough before the show (you were going to see the opera insights anyway right?)

The opera is amazing. It has everything — gorgeous scene design, compelling stories, outrageous characters, heart-​rending singing, beautiful music and talented dancing. Two hours at the opera can feel like 15 minutes, because there is so much to arrest your attention.
My husband and I are on our second year of being Cincinnati Opera subscribers, and we will likely continue for many years to come. If you haven’t been to an opera (or haven’t been to a good one…), I encourage you to give it a shot. We did, and we’re hooked.
There are typically four performances in the summer. Call the box office at (513) 241‑2742 for advice about which one you should see and which seats you should buy. They are very friendly and passionate about opera.
P. S. Yes, operas typically are not in English. But have no fear, there are English supertitles, which makes it easy to follow along.

The Cincinnati Opera is the second oldest opera company in the United States. That is a little known fact that brings claim to fame to this world class opera company.
The company produces fantastic operas. I’ve enjoyed everyone that I’ve seen. The costumes and the sets are fantastic and more than impressive. The season is usually during the summer as they occupy the time in Music Hall that the Symphony and the May Festival are not using. The season attracts patrons from all over the country. I know some people that come down from Dayton because they think Cincinnati’s Opera is much better than Dayton’s and I agree.
The season coming up is really exciting. Madame Butterfly starts it off, and I must say this is the one I’m most excited about. Then comes Lucia di Lammermoor. Next is Florencia en el Amazonas, then La Traviata. What are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!