The great myth about opera is that you must understand it to enjoy it. You don't. Opera was popular entertainment long before it was considered high culture, and the surest way to love it is simply to show up prepared to feel something.
A little groundwork helps. Read the plot beforehand - it's usually a page and gloriously melodramatic - and watch the surtitles above the stage for the translation. Then let the music carry the story; you'll be surprised how much the voice communicates without a single word you can parse.
For a first night, you could hardly do better than Puccini's Madame Butterfly, with its heartbreaking melodies, or Verdi's La Traviata, all glamour and tragedy. Dress up, arrive early, and let yourself be swept away. Opera doesn't ask you to be an expert - only to be moved.
Originally published in View AZ Highlife Magazine, Oct / Nov 2007.