Photo by Christine BrandeSo you want a gateway opera—somethingwith a plot thick enough to keep your head up during the shrieking and no female Wagnerians in pointed bras vaulting up and down the scale ...

For the uninitiated, an evening at the opera may sound more like a chore than a fun-filled night of entertainment. But opera has a rich, centuries-old history and can be a culturally rewarding ...