Girls Night Out: An Evening of Glamour with the Canadian Opera Company

For some girls a glamorous night out on the town means getting dolled up in the shortest and tightest of dresses, putting on their best Kardashian clan makeup and Kylie Jenner lips, and heading out to the clubs to dance the night away amongst a sea of twenty year olds. While the idea of that was fun for me once, getting constantly hit on by greasy men trying to flaunt their bottle service at you and having to deal with just how wretchedly GROSS club bathrooms are just doesn’t appeal to me anymore now that I’m in my late twenties. But just because I’m nearly thirty and don’t enjoy clubs doesn’t mean that I don’t still enjoy a night out at the town…. What it does mean, is that a night out to me is just a little bit classier, a little more refined, and a whole lot more glamorous.

On the evening of February 7th, I got to experience the glamorous girls night out my heart had been longing for as one of my closest friends Brittany and I headed to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to attend the opening night of “The Abduction from the Seraglio” put on by the Canadian Opera Company. I’ve always loved going to live shows, whether it’s the theatre or the symphony, it’s so much fun to get out and enjoy live entertainment. But there’s something about the opera that makes it a little more glamorous and special than all of the rest. While you can get away with wearing jeans to the theatre, people that attend the opera tend to dress up and it’s so much fun to immerse yourself in the experience.. from black tie suits and gowns, to cocktail dresses and fascinators, people attending the opera just love to go all out and it’s like stepping into a completely new world of finery, arts and culture.

The Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts is the home of the Canadian Opera Company, and is a stunning multi-level space with suspended bridges, glass staircases, and floor to ceiling windows that reveal the stunning twinkling lights of the downtown core. On the second floor there’s a member lounge with coat check, a private bar and washrooms. We were able to enjoy wine before and after the show there, mingle with other opera attendees, and even got to have a toast with the performers after. Talk about an amazing experience!

Beyond the experience of see and be seen in one of Toronto’s most beautiful spaces, the Canadian Opera Company performances themselves are something spectacular beyond words. We had the opportunity to watch the Abduction from the Seraglio from a private viewing area on the second floor which was a first for me and definitely something I will never forget. The opera combines the most beautiful and powerful singing (I’m talking voices that can fill up an entire Opera house), drama, live orchestral music, and even dance and choreography. It’s the best of both worlds in that it’s a theatre show with some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear live. What I love most about the opera is that the singing is packed full of emotion and you can feel it comes straight from the heart. Numerous times throughout the show I could feel goosebumps on my arms and shivers down my spine. It’s unbelievable what these talented performers can make you feel with their voices! And if you’re worried about not being able to understand what they are saying, the opera has subtitles so it’s easy to follow along!

I honestly couldn’t think of a more glamorous and fun evening out than a night at the opera. The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing arts is beautiful beyond words, and the experience itself is breathtaking. What kind of girl doesn’t love getting dressed up and heading out for an evening of glamour and culture? To me, attending the opera feels like taking a step back in time, to an era where people dressed to the nines, attended shows on a regular basis, and just loved being out and about mingling with some of society’s finest and enjoying art in one of it’s most pleasurable ways. I highly recommend checking out the opera next time you want to have a night out, and if you need a date for it I’m only an email away…

 

I hope you enjoy all the photos from a beautiful evening I will never forget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever been to the opera? Whether you have or haven’t yet I would love to hear your thoughts on it in the comments below!

 

Love,

 

 

This post was made in collaboration with the Canadian Opera Company, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

All photography by Vyvian To