History Main / AtTheOperaTonight

** ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' has a memorable sequence during a performance of ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}'', which the members of [[TheSyndicate Quantum]] use to have a HideInPlainSight conference, [[OvertRendezvous communicating via earpieces during the performance]].

* ''Music/ANightAtTheOpera1975'' by Music/{{Queen}} references going to an opera for a night too.

* Film/JamesBond:

* ''Film/TheLoveParade'' (1929) has a scene where Queen Louise and Alfred attend the opening night of the opera and are forced to hide the strain in their relationship to avoid a scandal that could ruin the country.
* In either of the Hitchcock films ''Film/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch'', the climax of the plot takes place in the Royal Albert Hall during an orchestra's concert.

* In ''Film/{{Moonstruck}}'', Ronny (Creator/NicolasCage) invites Loretta (Music/{{Cher}}) to see ''Theatre/LaBoheme'' with him, because he loves her and he loves opera so it would be his two favorite things together. She accepts.
* ''Film/{{Monte Carlo|1930}}'s'' climax is a CatchTheConscience opera [[ShowWithinAShow performance]] of ''Monsieur Beaucaire,'' where the events onstage parallel the heroine's life a little too closely for her comfort.
* Like the title says, ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'' features an opera, namely Verdi's ''Theatre/IlTrovatore.'' The Creator/MarxBrothers show up and the opera is PlayedForLaughs, including a baseball game in the orchestra pit.

* The TropeNamer is ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera''. There are several performances, but only two of them are shown, and then only because plot-relevent things occur during them; throughout the event, the main focus is what goes on backstage and in the audience. "At The Opera Tonight" is the name of the song leading up to the climax, sung by seven different characters all separately preparing to use the Genetic Opera as a stage to settle their grievances - exactly ''none'' of them are planning to just watch the show.

* In ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', Anakin and Palpatine have a key conversation while attending...a SpaceOpera.
* The Polish film ''Sala Samobojcow'', or ''Film/SuicideRoom'', begins and ends at the opera. It opens with Dominik's family watching a performance. Later in the story, when they visit again, [[spoiler: Dominik has a breakdown, tells his parents he is gay and promptly begins making out with a marble bust.]] In a sad sort of symmetry, the story ends at the opera [[spoiler: after Dominik's suicide]] with his parents sitting in separate boxes. [[spoiler: They are now divorced.]]

* ''Music/ANightAtTheOpera'' by Music/{{Queen}} references going to a opera for a night too.

* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfWiglafAndMordred'' has an arch featuring the entire cast (at the time, anyway) attending a piano concert to see one of the protagonists sisters perform. Of the 73 strips in the arch about three deal with the actual piano performance, most of which involves Wiglaf outperforming the actual pianist.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': Shortly after becoming a Councilor, [[NaiveNewcomer Jayce]] is invited to see a concert with the musician playing an [[BizarreInstrument instrument that looks like a violin with a tuba coming out the back]]. There, Mel convinces him the necessity of smoozing and making corrupt deals with the other councilors for his own survival. [[ScienceHero Heimerdinger]] is the only councilor focused on the performance, and he's having a great time.

** Averted in the 9/11 10th anniversary tribute, "[[Recap/CSINYS08E01 Indelible]]." Mac & Claire are shown in a flashback to that fateful morning. He had surprised her with opera tickets for that evening and held onto them after she died in the attacks, but finally releases them in the tide at the end of this episode.

[[folder:Film -- Animation]]

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

** In "Murder Sings the Blues," Peyton takes Mac to the opera for his birthday. He gets called to a crime scene during the standing ovation, interrupting the rest of her plans.
** Downplayed earlier in the series when Lindsay shows up to a scene in a formal dress, having been called in while seeing an opera herself.
** Averted in the 9/11 10th anniversary tribute, "Indelible." Mac & Claire are shown in a flashback to that fateful morning. He had surprised her with opera tickets for that evening and held onto them after she died in the attacks, but finally releases them in the tide at the end of this episode.

* In ''Film/Catwoman2004'', villain George Hedare takes his mistress to a Creator/CirqueDuSoleil-style performance; the latter is bored and leaves...just in time for the heroine to take her place in the private box and confront him. She dodges the security officers by jumping onto the stage and scrambling up the back wall; the audience thinks she's AllPartOfTheShow and applauds.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' sets its first mission in a revival performance of ''Theatre/TheBeggarsOpera'' in the 1750s.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', [[ChildProdigy Lisa]] recounts the time when she and [[TheRockStar Luna]] went to the opera, apparently to see ''Die Walkure''. Luna gets bored by Act II and attempts a stage dive into the orchestra pit, causing Brunnhilde to swoon.
** In a later episode, Mr. and Mrs. Loud attempt to make their kids more "well-rounded" by taking them to the opera (this time it's ''Theatre/TheBarberOfSeville''), but Lisa seems to be the only one who is invested.

* Like the title says, ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera'' features an opera, namely Verdi's ''Theatre/IlTrovatore.'' The Creator/MarxBrothers show up and HilarityEnsues, including a baseball game in the orchestra pit.

* In ''Literature/WhereAngelsFearToTread'' Philip, Harriet and Caroline attend a performance of Lucia Di Lammermoor in a provincial Italian opera house. HilarityEnsues as Harriet's BritishStuffiness is offended.

* An episode of ''Series/SisterSister'' has Ray and Lisa go to a performance of ''Theatre/LaBoheme'' with Ray's limo clients. Usually Ray is the cultured one and Lisa is the uncultured one, but HilarityEnsues to make it seem like [[MenAreUncultured Ray is the uncivilized one]].

Basically where characters are attending an {{Opera}}, {{Classical Music}} concert, {{Theater}} show or a similar performance to take in some high culture. Yet this is mainly about what the characters ''do'' in the velvet seats in the posh auditorium. What happens on stage is usually irrelevant, even though we do usually get to see a little of the opera or concert. If what is being performed matters at all, it's to give the attending characters something to emotionally relate to. If the story features characters involved with the actual production in an important way (such as the main character finally getting the big part he/she dreamed about), it's not this trope.

* In ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' episode "[[Recap/CheersS4E22 Diane Chambers Day]]", Diane takes some of the other characters along. They all, Diane included, end up sound asleep.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' [[Recap/DoctorWhoTVMTheTVMovie TV movie]], we first meet "Amazing Grace" Holloway in the audience of ''Theatre/{{Madame Butterfly}}'' when she gets paged to operate on the Doctor.

** In the ROM Hack ''[[https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1619/ General Leo Edition]]'', the Opera is a retelling of VideoGame/FinalFantasyII.

* The purpose of The Opera in ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'' is introducing Natasha to Anatole. The minutes of the performance that we see are...[[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible odd]], and both Sonya and Natasha are disturbed by it.

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'': Rico assassinates a target during a performance of ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}'' at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera. Meanwhile Claes and Triela are back at the dormitory musing at what they think Rico and Henrietta's reactions would be if they were to see the whole opera, and Claes even recites Tosca's Cry to God aria, but Rico tells them afterwards that he hadn't paid much attention to it as he'd been working.

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'': Rico assassinates a target at an opera. What's playing is ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}'', but she doesn't pay attention to it at all while Claes and Triela are back at the dormitory musing at what they think Rico and Henrietta's reactions would be if they were to see the whole opera and Claes even recites Tosca's Cry to God aria.

** ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' has a memorable sequence during a performance of ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In Book 3 Team Avatar attends a play based on their adventures put on by the Ember Island Players. Watching their various struggles brings various insecurities to the forefront such as Aang and Katara's [[WillTheyOrWOntThey uncertainty about the status of their relationship]], Zuko's shame at his treatment of his uncle, and Aang's worry that he will not be powerful enough to beat [[BigBad the Firelord]]. The gang minus Toph are also upset about how they are written and portrayed onstage.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': In Book 3 Team Avatar attends a play based on their adventures put on by the Ember Island Players. Watching their various struggles brings various insecurities to the forefront such as Aang and Katara's [[WillTheyOrWOntThey uncertainty about the status of their relationship]], Zuko's shame at the treatment of his uncle, and Aang's worry that he will not be powerful enough to beat [[BigBad the Firelord]].

* ''Anime/Cyborg009'': 009 and 003 go to the ballet early on in episode 34 of the 1979 series. As they watch a performance of ''Theatre/{{Giselle}}'', 003, herself a ballerina, imagines herself in the role.

* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': Janet and Jack used to like to attend the opera together with Tim before Janet's death. Tim himself ends up at the Opera House after it's been heavily damaged by the quakes that triggered ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'', attending a vaudeville style production since the abandoned house has been taken over by artsy types who give out free food and let almost anyone perform, from poetry readings, to short plays, piano recitals, and comedy acts.