marya_

We will be in Paris the last full week in January and would like to secure 2 tickets to the production of LA FEMME SANS OMBRE at the Opera Bastille on Thursday, 24 January. We need the advice of Paris Opera buffs.

Since the least expensive tickets available for purchase at the official web-site on-line cost 70 Euro, and since one of us is a college student, and since the hall apparently holds 2700 seats (none of which have obstructed view), we are hoping to secure less expensive tickets once we arrive in Paris.

Are we deluding ourselves or will this be possible? If the latter, do you have advice about going to the window, or FNAC, or whatever else we might do?

We have attended ballet performances at the Opera Garnier on past trips but have never attended a performance at the "new" Opera Bastille so this is a first-time foray.

Many thanks for any advice or opinions.

MademoiselleFifi

You can get standing-room tickets-- I think they go on sale an hour before the performance-- check their website.

MademoiselleFifi

http://www.operadeparis.fr/Saison-20...ques/Reserver/

62 places debout sont proposées chaque soir à l’Opéra Bastille : situées en fond de parterre, ces places sont vendues dès l’ouverture des portes (environ 1h30 avant le lever de rideau) au prix de 5€.

Places de dernière minute
Le soir même du spectacle, 15 minutes avant le début de chaque représentation, un tarif spécial est accordé aux moins de 28 ans, aux détenteurs de carte vermeil et aux demandeurs d’emploi dans la limite des places disponibles, sur présentation d’un justificatif.

marya_

Thank you for this knowledgeable reply. These arrangements certainly would work well for my college-aged daughter.

Since my days of standing at a 4-hour opera are over, I would still like to procure less expensive seats than the 70 Euro seats available on-line.

Do you have any sense of whether seats will be difficult or easy to come by for this production?

kenderina

I really don't think there will be tickets much cheaper than that, they are probably sold by now, people buys tickets for Bastille Opera very early in the season. I think you'll have to try the last minute ones (they offer different discounts , but they also sell normal tickets..if there are some left)

Musicteacher

I would think that La Femme sans ombre (Richard Strauss) would not be one of the high demand performances and that you could probably get something at the box office on the day of the performance.

Your choices are (1) pay the 70 EUR now and be assured of a seat or (2) wait and take your chances.

marya_

Just checking whether I read you correctly.

By "tickets much cheaper than that" do you mean that I should not expect at this point to find tickets cheaper than 70 Euro per seat for a January 24 performance?

Second, does anyone know anything about this performance that would encourage one either to splurge or to wait and consider other cultural events on that same evening?

Thank you for any and all comments about the Opera Bastille experience. Our dollars are so weak that we need to think carefully about what we splurge on.

Thanks!

marya_

Thank you, Music Teacher. We were typing at the same time but that is exactly the type of information that is helpful -- whether this opera will be high demand or not. That was my sense.

Are there any bad seats at the Opera Bastille? Is it true that you can see and hear from every seat in the house?

MademoiselleFifi

Sightline is good-- I've sat all the way to the side could still see the whole stage. However, the website says that supertitles cannot be seen from some sections.

kenderina

I meant that in theatres like Paris Bastille, Covent Garden (big opera venues) where tickets go from expensive to very expensive, the
"cheapest" with a minimum comfort (not standing ) are the ones that usually are sold first and in Paris the sale began in September. That doesn't mean you cannot find a cheaper one for this particular opera at the box office , I just wanted to give you a reason why , even in not high-demand operas, the cheapest tickets are hard to find. I wish you luck and I hope you enjoy it !

Christina

What Kenderina says makes sense to me. That is a nice venue and generally the sightlines are good. There are bad seats in every hall, as far as I'm concerned. Any seat that is too far away is bad to me, I would rather not go to a production than go to one where I can't hardly see anything due to distance and things look smaller than a TV set. You may feel differently.

Other than the special discount tickets for students or by age, I don't think there are any tickets sold there or at the Garnier that are just discounted because it's the last day. Usually the cheaper ones sell out first, and that's why the 70 euro ones are the only ones left, most likely. That isn't a very expensive ticket for opera, so that is already several price levels below the top and there aren't many below that.

I can't swear to it, but I think once I went and got tickets a day or two before an event at the Bastille when I couldn't buy them online. Those were not discounted in any way, it was just online they said none were available, but the were. So, if I were you, I'd say you can try to get something onsite last minute, but you may well not. I don't think going to FNAC would serve any purpose, I'd go to the opera building. FNAC doesn't discount them, and they may not have access to all of them available. That's opening night, also, isn't it.

marya_

Thank you, all, for numerous helpful comments.

I thought that the opening was on 21 january but I may be wrong.

The concern about supertitle visibility is a significant one since my German is rudimentary. (I gather then the Opera Bastille does not have those wonderful in-seat translation boxes that we enjoyed at the Vienna Stadtoper.)

The website "apercu" feature shows that E70 now buys a second balcony ticket with a very distant view. The E85 and 110 seats available are not inspiring either. I am reluctant to commit USD $200-$300 for a performance that I do not know anything about.

If anyone knows anything about this production that suggests "splurge," PLEASE tell me. Otherwise I think that I'll take my chances on waiting to buy tickets once we are in Paris.

If it does not work out to attend the performance, I am wondering about the quality of a tour of the Bastille Opera and will post a separate question on that subject.

Again, thank you.

Christina

You are right about the opening night, I just read the website wrong.

Opera is very expensive, which is why I thought a 70 euro seat was already pretty cheap. I can't advise on the splurge thing as I don't really like opera very well, anyway, so I wouldn't ever pay that much to go to it. I might for an opera I really liked and a singer I particularly liked, also, like Renee Fleming. But not for no reason.

I haven't done a tour of that building, only the Garnier, so can't advise. It's just a modern opera/performing arts theater, why do you want a tour? I mean, I just don't know what one would expect to see on a tour of a building that is just a modern opera building that would be special. Historic buildings I can understand, and like to view them myself for the history, architecture and art.

kenderina

Unless you are a fan of Strauss operas...no, I don't see a reason to "splurge"

katstony

Just a quick note to say how wowed I was by the whole opera experience when I attended Puccini's Tosca in October at the Bastille. It was opening night and one of the highlights of my trip. I did get tickets in advance and actually purchased the most expensive which cost me around 130 Euros ($180.00) if I remember correctly. If you get cheaper seats it really doesn't matter. Just go. We also went to a lesser known opera in Vienna and never once regretted it. Please don't miss an opera in Paris. It is magical.

marya_

I am jealous that you saw Tosca! I would happily not eat for a day - whatever it took - for good seats to Tosca. I'm a little less inspired by the Strauss. Your timing was better than ours.

So pleased to hear that it was a highlight of your trip.