h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nothing like a nice evening at the theatre. Unless it gets you whipped and exiled of course.

At least the Young Man in Love' was named Pleusicles and not Testicles. That would seriously hurt the PG rating.

Apparently, for Opera, such a spoiler session up front could be beneficial. (if you manage to get a grip on all the intricacies all at once)

I agree. It's usually better with opera if you've already read the libretto. I remember that somebody did research, years ago, as to how many words per hundred could be understood in the average opera.

Oddly, German was the leading language with something like six per hundred.

When I was a student in Germany I once went to a Mozart opera without having the chance to read up on it first. It was 'The Turk in Italy'. That was a couple of hours of baffling bedroom farce (I think) with silly music. I yawned throughout.

I guess your vocal chords were very relaxed after that amount of yawning.

Yep. We required restorative food and drink afterward. Fortunately, the Beethovenhalle was right next to the Altstadt - and a nice, affordable creperie.