Opera is similar and just as passionate as a music video, except it is live, without the blaring guitar. Alley said the National Endowment of the Arts recently did a study and found the fastest growing audience demographic is those 18- 24 years old. The study showed that in past years, people went to operas to get cultured, whereas one now goes to get entertained. Alley said not to worry. All of the Des Moines Metro Operas are sung in English and 20-minute previews are given before each opera to help explain it.
Opera is an art form that is hard to describe.
The emotions in an opera are strong, and the music transcends normal emotions. The opera is more mythical than today's movies. Alley described opera as an art form that combines all of the arts. It is a multimedia sensation, she said, which is another reason for its growing popularity. The three operas take place June 20-July 13, at Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola, Iowa.