Picture a Day Like This at Opéra Comique - Opéra Comique

Location

Opéra Comique
Place Boieldieu - 75002 Paris
Capacity 1200 seats

Duration

1 h 15 min

No intermission

Details

Opera

For all audiences

In English with French and English surtitles

HIGHLIGHTS: PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS

Allow us to introduce you to a duo with true star power. Composer George Benjamin and librettist Martin Crimp worked together 11 years ago to create Written on Skin for the world-famous Aix-en-Provence Festival - an opera that left a lasting impression on spectators and critics alike, and quickly became a true classic of contemporary opera.

Now, they are back on stage at the Opéra Comique with a one-act opera, Picture a Day Like This, which premiered at the Aix-en-Provence Festival just last year in 2023. Clearly, the duo's creative magnificence has not waned, as their newest piece has already been invited to one of Paris’s most prestigious venues for the new operatic season!

The role of the conductor for these exquisite performances is none other than Sir George Benjamin himself. Conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France for this provoking piece, you will witness his remarkable talent as he ensures this operatic masterpiece is delivered in the way it was designed.

The talent doesn’t stop there! French mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa, Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska, Norwegian soprano Beate Mordal and, on the men's side, countertenor Cameron Shahbazi, and baritone John Brancy ensure that dazzling vocal work accompanies Benjamin’s captivating score.

Delight in a perfect evening of musical and emotional potential from within Paris’s ornate Opéra Comique.

See details for our premium option below!

PREMIUM EXPERIENCE

Would you like more than just a little ticket to the show? To make your experience unforgettable, you can choose to extend the evening with an evening concert after the opera has finished. This is given by artists from the production or the Academy on the theme of the opera being performed. It lasts approximately 50 minutes. You will have the option to include the premium add-on during the reservation process.

An evening concert is available on the following date:

Thursday, October 31st, 2024

Synopsis of PICTURE A DAY LIKE THIS

From upon the stage of the Opéra Comique, Picture a Day Like This plunges you into the life of a woman who has just experienced a tragic event — the loss of her infant. In a cosmic twist of fate, she is given the conditional chance to bring her child back to life. However, in order to do so, she must set off in search of a genuinely happy human being.

George Benjamin (English composer) and Martin Crimp (English playwright and librettist) offer us a fairy tale for adults, an inaugural tale about human nature and self-discovery that prompts us to reconfigure the way in which we think about happiness. George Benjamin varies the tones and moods with each encounter his heroine experiences. A tale threaded with profound emotion, Picture a Day Like This will surely stay with you long after you leave the theatre.

A delicate, poignant, and luminous work that is not to be missed!

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Opéra Comique

Place Boieldieu - 75002 Paris

History and Fun Facts about the Opéra Comique

If you take a walk in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, you will be delighted to discover in the small, quaint Place Boieldieu, a superb building of beautiful proportions topped by six caryatids: the Opéra Comique, a theatre house in Paris, which celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2015. You will be surprised to learn that this gold and red auditorium, also known as Salle Favart, is considered the first modern theatre in France because it was the first to be designed with fully electric equipment for both public and stage lighting.

That doesn’t rest as the only surprise… Despite its name, the Opéra Comique doesn’t only perform comic operas, a particular kind of musical show that mixes sung arias with spoken theatre (the ancestor of the musical), but a wide range of operas as well! It was in this venue that works that are now internationally known were created, such as Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust, Delibes's Lakmé, Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande... but also Massenet's Manon and Bizet's Carmen! This hall has welcomed the finest composers and never ceased to welcome works from the contemporary repertoire. Viva la musica! Viva l'opera!

Fast facts
Capacity: 1200
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Air conditioning: No
Heating: Yes
Coat Check: Yes (free service)

opera comique plan de salle seating chart

FAQ

How do I get to the Opéra Comique in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris?

The Opéra Comique is accessible by:
Metro: Line 3 (stations Opéra and Quatre Septembre), line 7 (station Opéra), line 8 (station Grands Boulevards), line 9 (station Grand Boulevard)
RER: Line A (station Auber)
Address: 1 place Boieldieu, 75002 Paris
In case of difficulty, our hotline can be reached during our business hours. Please see the footer of this page for our contact details.

What do I do when I get to Opéra Comique?

We invite you to arrive 45 minutes before the beginning of Picture a Day Like This, and present your voucher at the front desk. Opéra Comique’s English-speaking staff members will guide you to your seats.

How long does the opera, Picture a Day Like This, last?

The opera Picture a Day Like This at Opéra Comique lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, with no intermission.

Is Picture a Day Like This for an international audience or French speakers?

Both! The Opéra Comique has been welcoming audiences from all over the world for many years. The opera, Picture a Day Like This, is sung in its original English version. Surtitles are provided in both French and English so that international audiences can appreciate this opera in this incredible Parisian venue.

Can I choose my seat when booking?

No, unfortunately it is not possible to choose your seat when booking for Picture a Day Like This. However, you can choose the category and we will allocate you the best seats in the chosen category!
Please note that tickets of the same category that are booked during the same purchase session, in the same booking order on our website are always assigned side by side. To be sure of this, make sure all of your tickets are in the same category and are included in your shopping cart at the time of purchase.
You can find the seating plan in the theatre’s "photo" section on this page.
If there are no available adjacent seating arrangements, our customer service team will contact you before the booking is confirmed.

Is there a dress code at Opéra Comique?

There is no specific dress code at Opéra Comique, but proper attire is appreciated. Many Parisians will arrive directly from work, dressed in business casual or chic attire.