‘undress for opera’ addresses its future

Whether you believe opera as an art form is moribund or thriving, opera companies the world over are examining its relevance to 21st century living and building strategies to attract and retain audiences into the future.

In Sydney, Opera on Sydney Harbour exceeded expectations on many fronts; high definition opera in the cinema has brought the best in the world to the suburbs; opera has travelled to the vineyards, the outback and even Bondi Beach.

Now the English National Opera has launched a plan with the risqué title called Undress for Opera, devised by Blur’s singer-songwriter Damon Albarn and Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam. Dress codes will be relaxed and the low cost tickets to four operas (traditional and new) will include some inviting extras.

In the second link, Rupert Myers of The Guardian observes that few ‘houses’ in the world today demand a dress code and argues that ‘dressing’ for the opera is not elitist.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/03/damon-albarn-kickstarts-eno-opera-scheme

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/04/eno-dress-opera-formal-wear?intcmp=239