Enjoy The Paris Opera at Home This Spring

The Paris Opera made an important step in the middle of March to put content online for those dealing with the stress and boredom of Coronavirus lockdown. The idea was simple. Every night, at 7:30 pm, viewers could head to their website, or to Culturebox, and watch a performance for free.

It began with Manon on a six-day run and kept this going with a range of titles. Right now, they are on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With restrictions easing in Paris on May 11th, you might assume that they would end their schedule. However, there are plans for more screenings and some exciting bonus shows across the year.

When A Midsummer Night’s Dream comes to an end on May 10th, the Opera will switch to a run of Don Pasquale. This is followed by a documentary by Jean-Stéphane Bron called L’Opera and then Boris Godounov. This last show finishes on May 31st. There are also plans for bonus show screenings across the year. There is also the chance that they may add another extension in the future, depending on how things progress.

This decision to continue this series of free online screenings is just what the world needs right now. The Paris Opera, and many other institutions like it, need to realise that it is going to take a while to get back to normal, and that opera fans in other countries still have massive restrictions on what they can do. This simple form of online entertainment not only makes the shows accessible to everyone, but it also gives us all a taste of what we might be able to enjoy later in the year. Eventually, the doors to the real opera house will open and shows can have an audience. Until then, let’s make the most of this gesture.

Find online performances on the official website of the Opera de Paris: https://www.operadeparis.fr

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