The MET is one of my favorite places in the world....

The MET is one of my favorite places in the world. I've seen a number of productions over the years and I'm still awestruck every time I go. For instance, recently I saw Nabucco, and they actually set the set on fire during the scene where the city is taken.

Their occasional abridged, English-language adaptations of opera favorites like The Magic Flute or the Barber of Seville are a great way to introduce friends to opera.

Student tickets are available for $25 for most productions. But even when those sell out, you can go the day of any performance to the box office on the morning of the performance to get standing room tickets for $25. Those tickets are seriously worth it, and honestly, the standing room location is pretty comfy for what it is. Best value for what you get I'd say. Not that there's anything wrong with the Grand Tier... heck, if I had the money I'd get seats there more often. ;-)

If you don't know Italian or whatever the language your opera of choice is in, fear not! Every seat has its own subtitle screen that can be adjusted to display titles in English and usually a few other languages.