Originally Posted on Brokelyn.com by Samantha Corbin

There’s a new house party in Brooklyn, and it involves no body paint or midnight fish tacos. Before you say, “Hey wait, I actually like fish tacos”, you need to hear this: deep in the heart of the borough, there’s an opera scene brewing. And if you listen hard enough, you can detect the musical vibrations of BK’s best new startup. It’s called LoftOpera, and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

Akin to a good New Years’ resolution, LoftOpera was founded in January of 2013 (but unlike that promise you made to jog the Prospect Park loop every morning, this plan actually stuck). Brother-sister duo Dan and Briana Maury started a Brooklyn-based opera company in response to a felt need for a ‘cooler’ classical repertory scene—which apparently wasn’t as obscure as one might think.

How does one make opera ‘cool’? Easy. Stage it in a loft (in Brooklyn, duh), abridge the libretto to a tolerable length, and serve beer & wine at $5 a pop. Essentially, it’s opera-meets-house party for the masses.