Do people still use opera glasses? If not, why not?

Unless you're a rich old dowager, then no. If you're a man, you'll look ridiculous.

R1 is right. You'd have to take off your pince-nez.

OP what are you seeing where you could only get a seat in the last row?

Small binoculars are perfectly acceptable.

[quote] I'm going to see a play for which I could unfortunately only get a seat in the last row.

I'm going to see a play for which I could unfortunately only afford a seat in the last row.

Fixed it for you. 😉

r3 r5

It's an adaptation of Dostoevsky's "Idiot" at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. (There's only one performance of it this month, when I'm in town.)

I imagine OP to look like James Corden or Nathan Lane, caped in a pashmina, flicking his opera glasses out to take in the cute usher boys butts

I use small binoculars.

R6 Gorgeous theatre. 500 seat capacity….but they don’t make it easy to tease out the seating chart. I usually use a site called a View from My Seat when I’m going somewhere, but it’s very West End and Broadway oriented. I agree with R8 who suggested small binoculars because even for a small venue, upper tier is so high.

For you, Miss OP:

OP you should but wear a cape.

I wonder if opera glasses can get fitted with better lenses? Inherited a vintage pair except the lens quality needs improvement.

[quote]I don't think I've ever seen anyone use them out.side of movies set long in the past.

Gurl, didn't you see Pretty Woman?

I have a pair of small binoculars I bring to the opera. Lots of people do.

No because no one goes to the opera nowadays except r14 apparently

R15 In large cities, on either end of the country, well-attended operas are routinely performed in large opera houses.

Travel broadens the mind.

OP, I recommend a lorgnette.

The huge problem with opera glasses is that they focus so much on one person that the block out the rest of the stage. After a while, they get in the way

Opera glasses? I sit up front where I see everyone without them