Seattle Opera Assn

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Joined 10 years ago

From the opera's 1997 production of "Il Trovatore," opera sells in Seattle.. Along with our love for coffee, books and movies, we lay claim to one of the highest per capita opera-attendance levels in. The Scene
Along with our love for coffee, books and movies, we lay claim to one of the highest per capita opera-attendance levels in the country. Not bad for a city better known for software barons than mezzo-sopranos.

The Seattle Opera Company was founded in 1964, and was among the earliest residents of the Seattle Center. The company performs in the Opera House. Under the leadership of general director Speight Jenkins, the company has become known for presenting operas as dramas, focused on delivering authentic, complete theater experiences rather than costumed concerts.

Seattle Opera also has a strong connection with German composer Richard Wagner. In 1975, Seattle Opera presented the four-part, 17.5-hour "Der Ring des Nibelungen" cycle within a week's time, as the composer intended, something that had not been done in the United States since a 1939 production by the Metropolitan Opera. Today, critics and fans from worldwide come to Seattle to see the "Ring" performed in its entirety; performances regularly sell out. The next production of the "Ring" cycle is scheduled for August 2001. In addition, the company's summer productions typically feature Wagner's work.

Ticket tips
The box office is at 1020 John St., just west of The Seattle Times. It's open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no service charge for in-person ticket orders. For phone orders, call 389-7699. Credit cards are accepted; checks are accepted if tickets are ordered two weeks before a performance. There is a $2 service charge on phone orders.

Half-price tickets for students and seniors (65 or older) are sold at the Opera House box office 90 minutes before curtain time, when available. An ID is required.

Half-price tickets for the general public are occasionally available through promotions advertised in The Stranger and The Weekly.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster Northwest (292-2787). There is a surcharge