I know Julia Roberts Pretty Woman character was enchanted by the opera from the start, but the reality is that most people start out feeling very special about being at such a fancy event and then figure out about 15 minutes into it that theyre not supposed to bring wine into the theater, that they have to read subtitles the whole time, and that operas are loooong. Guys who are taking one for the team and young children are the most hapless among first-time opera attendees, and you have to give them props for sticking it out. Ive often wished there were a more informal way to introduce people to the opera -- one with a few less constraints. The Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora, has the perfect solution for the uninitiated and curious when it PlazaCasts its season opener Lucia di Lammermoor to Sammons Park, directly in front of the Winspear, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 21. You can bring a picnic, spread out and if your young opera enthusiast is fading fast after the first act, you havent wasted a ticket because admission is free. Of course, if youre more into the formal experience, tickets are available for seats inside, starting at $25, for the entire run of the libretto through November 6. Visit dallasopera.org for more information.
Fri., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Oct. 23, 2 p.m.; Wed., Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 6, 2 p.m., 2011