By Margot Helm, Opera San Jose

On Saturday, May 7th, over one thousand Bay Area residents will get their first taste of opera by attending a special performance of “the greatest love story ever sung”: Puccini’s beloved classic, La bohème.

With support from the Knight Foundation, Opera San José is excited to share the magic of opera with a full house at the California Theatre, consisting entirely of individuals who have never seen a live, staged production—complete with full orchestra, larger-than-life scenery, lush costumes, and incredible singers!  To add to the enchantment, the opera that they will be experiencing is one that is often considered to be the ‘best date opera,’ the ‘best first opera,’ and by many, simply ‘the best opera.’  These opera rookies will instantly recognize many of the melodies in La bohème from pop culture, television commercials and movies, and some of them may even leave the theater humming one!

This audience development grant will help the company reach out to members of the Bay Area community who have never or not recently attended an opera.  Opera San José plans to track ticket purchases made by this select audience throughout the ’11-’12 Season, and it is our hope that a percentage of these guests will become new single-ticket buyers or season subscribers.  Opera San José annually offers a number of special ticket offers that make attending an opera a very affordable experience, and it is our belief that once the illusory barriers of price and stuffy image are removed, many first-timers will discover that opera has endured for centuries with very good reason.