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THE BUZZ: Five Reasons People Under-35 Must Attend the San Diego Opera’s LA BOHÈME

La Boheme

FIVE REASONS PEOPLE UNDER-35 MUST ATTEND THE SAN DIEGO OPERA’s LA BOHÈME

Article by Kristen N. Schweizer

In January 2015, London’s Royal Opera produced Orfeo; a 1607 opera largely considered the world’s oldest. Rebooting with the best of them, the austere company matched the Green tragedy of Eurydice and Orpheus by incorporating a mobile game application called “Don’t Look Back.” Now teens, young adults, and savvy Opera patrons can play the plot, complete with electronic fanfare remixes of the almost 500 year old compositions. This audience outreach is a measure to attract that blessed Under-35 demographic that it seems every Opera organization in the world is salivating over.

Coincidentally, this month was also the kick off of San Diego Opera’s well-fought-for Fiftieth Season, with the opening of La Bohème. Director Isabella Bywater, understood both the comedy and pain of Puccini’s ageless tale, but the opening night audience did not match the youthful vigor of the bohemian gypsy tale.

As an arts marketer myself, I always take a peek to see if arts organizations are able to reach that Millennial Audience. (Note: In my humble opinion, The Rueben H. Fleet Center’s “Science on the Rocks” event series is doing the best job in the city on that front.) I was disappointed to find less than a handful of Under-35ers who were not accompanied by a chaperon or older guest. Therefore, I shall make my review short (Review: La Bohème was amazing, it closes next weekend, this is your last chance) because I am now dedicating these column inches to a new list:

FIVE REASONS PEOPLE UNDER-35 MUST ATTEND THE SAN DIEGO OPERA’s LA BOHÈME

  • It is the most hipster thing in San Diego. No, seriously! I’ll prove it.
    1. Exclusivity: Six Performances
    2. Instagram: San Diego Civic Theater is stunning. Filter recommendation: #nofilter. It’s that beautiful.
    3. Cost: It’s not cheap if you want the best seats, there are reasonable youth discounts on upper level seats if you just want to see and be seen. Just like music festivals! (Seriously though, it’s cheaper than a night in most of The Gaslamp’s venues.)
    4. Wardrobe: Oh, you want to buy that ascot from Buffalo Exchange, but being out of college means you don’t have theme parties to wear it to? You have to justify the cost of saddle-side heels that look suspiciously similar to another pair you already have!? We can solve that, the opera is the FANCIEST place to play! Unlike stuffy restaurants and one-shared-bathroom North Park clubs, at the opera you can have fun with formality. Enjoy the pre-show of People Watching the eccentric wardrobes of scarves, high platform shoes, toupees, costume jewelry, real diamonds, ball gowns, velvet sports jacket, and/or wear your own!
  • The Arts need us TOMORROW, but it starts today.

It is a crucial arts organization in San Diego. Did you know that there are less than a hundred opera houses in the United States? San Diego having one of this scale, with such a rich history, is important to the arts industry. We have prided ourselves on being a generation of dreamers (y’know, like every generation), but we can only have a city full of artists, singers, designers, thought leaders, and technicians if there are jobs for them. If you want to go to a Harry Potter opera when you’re old, you need to support it while you’re young! Otherwise it won’t be invented, kids. The Harry Potter opera will never come to fruition if all the artists will be making apps or whatever because their opera company shut down.

  • You get a new hero.

You will have a local beacon of hope to admire. There was a lot of applause with the new Board President / San Diego’s 2014 Arts Angel (I just made that award up, but I doubt anyone will contest it) Carol Lazier said “You never gave up hope.” It was a reserved, but sincere, hopeful and realistic, grand and grounded moment by a woman who chose to come forward in to leadership when the future and answers were not clear to the opera, and when others chose to quit. Her resilience is inspiring.

Carol and The San Diego Opera taught artists, board members, administrators, donors and audiences nationwide: fighting for what you believe in can pay off.

Step aside Todd Gloria, we have a new San Diego sweetheart!*

(*I’m just kidding. Do not step aside Todd, District 3 needs you.)

  • You’ll Get Bragging Rights!

“How was your weekend?”

“Oh, I took FRIEND/GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND/SISTER out to dinner downtown and then we went to opening night of the Opera. Excellent, amazing voices; opening was completely sold out, out but parking was great because it’s so close to Horton Plaza. It’s called La Boheme, and it’s actually what the musical RENT was based on. What did you do this weekend?”

“Oh…we went to the bar Saturday night.”

So, who do you want to be in this conversation? The amount of work and cost is about the same.

  • You’ll Form Your Own Opinion.

There is a 90% chance you have never been to the opera. I know this because 90% of San Diego County has never been to an opera (plus, I know my readership does not extend outside of six people I know. Hi mom.) Just like the favorite food you long refused to try, that best friend you did not like at first, and your resistance to downloading the new iPhone update: something new can surprise you. Do not reject opera because you think you already know what it is. Go first. Form your own opinion.

– – –

This is my list. A bleating plea into the bipolar San Diego winds, a hope that someone could read this and attend the San Diego Opera’s La Boheme. I could go on about Rodolfo (Harold Meers) and Mimi (Alyson Cambridge)’s stunning, grounded arias, or the ensemble work, or the gorgeous rotating sets – but unless you have been to the opera, I imagine that sounds like pretentious commentary. I can see why London’s Royal Opera budgets the money and prioritized the time to build a game in order to show how timeless their art truly is, but as I do not have either I have only one last thing to say:

Until I went to the opera for the first time last year, watching that one scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts wears a red ball grown and cries because opera is so beautiful was the extent of my experience with the entire art form. I have a theater arts degree and had never been because I thought it would be boring, expensive, and impossible to relate to.

It was not till I attended that I had any understanding of why Julia Roberts was crying.

It is not until you hear them sing that you will understand.

I plan to be one of the blue-haired donors when San Diego Opera celebrates their 100th Season in 2065 with Harry Potter: Opera. See you there!

Vanguard Culture

Vanguard Culture is an online media entity designed for culturally savvy, socially conscious individuals. We provide original interviews and reviews of the people, places, and events that make up San Diego’s thriving arts and culture community, as well as curated snapshots of the week’s best, most inspiring and unique cultural and culinary events. We believe in making a difference in the world, supporting San Diego’s vibrant visual and performing arts community and bringing awareness to important social and community causes.

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