It’s a rare opportunity to hear opera, one that is often very expensive and, for the masses, usually inaccessible; it’s tough to part with $100 per seat to watch some fat lady sing in German.
In fact, the only time I’ve ever been to an opera was in Prague where I saw Carmen for only a few dollars (and for the record, it was a skinny woman singing in Czech).
Fifteen years ago, however, I used to visit a Los Angeles restaurant called Sarnos. Sarnos was an Italian joint near Los Feliz that was frequented by opera aficionados. Every night, diners would stand up throughout dinner and start belting out operatic solos, sometimes accompanied by a nearby piano. This open-mike opera gig was a great scene but one that was doomed from the start. I’m not sure how long the restaurant lasted but it has now been closed for a long time.
And so it was with great pleasure that I just learned of a similar venture in Brooklyn that is bringing opera to the masses in a far more down-to-earth venue: a dive bar.
Freddy’s Bar offers up a monthly opera night called Opera on Tap in which customers can kick back with a beer and take in an ensemble of opera singers doing their thing. For the price of a beer, one can indulge in the fine arts (and for the price of 5 or 6 beers, one might even begin understanding Italian). Goodbye pricey Met, hello dive bar!
Inspired by the success, Opera on Tap has moved on to at least two other bars in New York. So if you happen to be visiting this May, you can catch Opera on Tap at The Parkside Lounge on May 2nd, Freddy’s Bar on May 10th, and the Galapagos Art Space on May 20th. The theme for the month of May is Dysfunctional Relationships in Opera. Better order up a lot of drinks to get through this one!
For a preview of what to expect, click here.