My husband and I are very into the Seattle art/music/sport/cultural scene. There are few events hosted in the city that we will refuse to check out at least once! We are also believers that some of the better life experiences happen when you push your comfort limits a little bit.
I will never forget, the first year my husband and I met was the inaugural season for the Seattle Sounders and he purchased season tickets. Our tickets were in the “GA” section and I couldn’t believe someone would purchase season tickets without guaranteed seats… I was like, HELLO I really am going to go to this and not even sit down?! Well fast forward a few games and we were having an absolute blast being part of the “Emerald City Supporters” section, waving our scarves and flags and cheering our a$$es off the whole game. I am digressing a little bit here, but my point is that it was such a fun life experience that we would never trade in, and we went into it not knowing what to expect and ended up having the time of our lives.
So fast forward to this year – we were looking for a new ‘thing’ to be our thing and debated a few different ideas. One that came surprisingly from my husband was to try season tickets with the Seattle Opera! The reason this came about is because he really wanted to see “Carmen”, which is the staple of the opera lineup. If you purchase season tickets with the Seattle Opera you aren’t actually committed to every show… you can choose from 3, 4, or 5 show packages to the operas of your choice. When purchasing in a season ticket package you are guaranteed tickets at the shows of your choice, get them at a 35% discount and also get free parking. So by the time you totaled all that savings it really made sense to just go for it and select a package and include Carmen along with a few others of interest.
Some things I LOVE about this experience:
-it makes for a very fabulous-feeling date night! McCaw Hall is a beautiful venue and if you are looking for a reason to get dressed up and out on the town, this is a great option!
-you can order a quick bite, dessert and/or drink and have it waiting for you on a reserved table at Prelude, the restaurant inside McCaw Hall to enjoy during intermission
-their wine and cocktail lineup are respectable and they are eco-friendly with it as well… you can purchase a reusable Opera/PNB cup and bring it back with you every time (PS – you can bring it IN the performance area with you and sip while you watch!)
-as a season ticket holder you will get invites to other cool stuff like costume previews and backstage experiences
Some things to know about the experience:
-it is a LONG date night, not a casual quick one for sure… Carmen was 3 hours of performing with two intermissions!
-you are not allowed to come and go from the performance freely… if you aren’t in there when it starts, you aren’t getting in! Same goes for bathroom breaks; if you can’t hold it they aren’t going to allow you back in until intermission
-attending the opera is considered a formal event, so dress up! Just because you live in Seattle doesn’t make it impolite to attend in jeans. Do it and have fun with it.
After our first season as season ticket holders, my last thought was that if you have never been to the opera before and are interested in dipping your toes in, Carmen is the performance to do it with. The songs are highly recognizable, the characters are vibrant and fun, and you are likely to buy in and have enjoy your time there.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming season ticket holders with the Seattle Opera, or even just attending a single show you can find more info on their website HERE.
Thank you all for reading, and if you decide to visit the opera because of this I would love to hear your story!
X.O. – Abbey Co
Carmen is such a great opera! The music is amazing!