Opera was created in Florence, Italy more than 400 years ago during the Renaissance by a group of artists, writers, statesmen and musicians called the Florentine Camerata, according to the San Francisco Opera’s website. While you don’t need to be an expert in opera to enjoy a performance, the A&E Spotlight breaks down some of the basics for anyone looking to attend their first performance and introduces readers to the Loveland Opera Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Ballad of Baby Doe.” The main cast of “The Ballad of Baby Doe”, from left to right, Bradley Thompson, Marcia Ragonetti, center, and Amy Maples Wickberg on the right. Much like any form of art -be it music, painting, literature or any other genre- as long as you are enjoying it, that’s all that really matters. When it comes to opera, there are many misconceptions around the art, the main ones being that you need to be an expert to enjoy it and that opera is only for the wealthy.
