Opera on the Cheap

This Tuesday, January 20th, you may find me standing in line, sans my Brunhilda helmet, in hopes of being able to purchase tickets to see that night's performance of the opera Orfeo ed Euridice (review - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/arts/music/12orfe.html) .

Thanks to a generous gift from Met Board member Agnes Varis and her husband, Karl Leichtman, two hundred orchestra seats for regular performances of this season's operas are available for $20 each. The tickets for Monday through Thursday performances can be purchased at the Met box office (30 Lincoln Center Plaza -Columbus Ave between 62nd St and 65th St). Check their website for performances, availability and pick up time - http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/varis/

If tickets aren't available for that evening's event I will do the next best thing and listen to it being broadcaste in New York on WQXR-FM, 96.3. The Metropolitan Opera International Radio Broadcaste Information Center (http://www.operainfo.org/stationfinder/ ) lists stations around the country and in Canada that air their programs. If you're in New York City you can by pass the search and go directly to WQXR's site for scheduling (http://www.wqxr.com/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html ) for scheduling.