Subway Rat Goes to the Opera
Photographer Hannah La Follette Ryan captures the final weeks of the Met's season.
I’ve always wanted to go to the opera, but I’ve somehow never made the trip in my 33 years of living in New York. I was thrilled when Hannah told me she was going for a special edition of her column, Subway Rat. Per usual, the photos are absolutely incredible. I’m so happy to be able to share them with you and live vicariously through her. I think this is my favorite one yet.
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“So you like dressing up, romance, live music, chandeliers, intergenerational activities, and Moonstruck? Hear me out: I think you’d love the opera.
Over the last 3 weeks, I’ve become a regular at the Metropolitan Opera, photographing swoon-worthy fashion for my Subway Rat column. Lincoln Center is one of the last formal wear holdouts where you can catch New Yorkers in their finest frocks. It’s also a very photo-friendly environment (as long as you don’t bring a camera with detachable lenses). Between acts, the opulent lobby turns into an elevated step-and-repeat. This paparazzi was in heaven.
My photo essay documents the fashionable finale of the 2024-2025 season. The Met’s opera program runs roughly parallel with the academic calendar: late September through early June. Overnight, I’ve developed outspoken views about balcony etiquette and the accessibility of opera glasses (the Met should hand them out before the performance like wire headphones on a flight). I was seated for Salome (sensational), The Barber of Seville (a riot), and Antony and Cleopatra (needed an editor). My pitch for opera skeptics: What if it were called “Exquisite People Watching With Musical Interludes?”
It turned out I wasn’t the only New Yorker operamaxxing. Intermission lasted a leisurely 30-40 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to chat with people about their outfits. Oksana and her daughter Anastasia were dazzling in designer costume jewelry, so it was no surprise to learn that Oksana runs a vintage jewelry business on Instagram. Two snappily dressed opera students told me they drove 13 hours (!) from their conservatory in Indiana for La Boheme. They planned to cram in more Met productions before class on Monday. On my way to my seat in the “Friends and Family Circle” (a tender euphemism for the nosebleeds), I ran into a young man in a smart suit and a felt “MOOD fabrics” tote bag. He explained his resolution to attend the opera once a month; however, he’d fallen behind because of work, so here we both were, bingeing librettos on the last day of the season.
Mostly, I’ve learned how much I have to learn about the opera. Did you know opera gloves are typically custom-measured and handmade? Kristin smiled sheepishly when she admitted she had a considerable collection, several custom-made from Cordelia James in London. She reassured me they have sales twice a year, in July and December.
The opera is for the people! It was intended as populist entertainment. If you live in NYC, you can score discounted tickets to the Metropolitan Opera through TodayTix, try your luck with the Rush Ticket lottery, or check with student friends who might get discounted tickets through their institution (like Hunter College).
This column is dedicated to my dashing opera dates: Matin, Kento, and Grace.”
— Hannah
Hannah La Follette Ryan is a Brooklyn-based artist and educator from Amherst, MA. Her Subway Hands series has been featured in dozens of publications in the US and abroad. She freelances for New York magazine and The Nation and has collaborated with Boy Genius, Valentino, the Guggenheim, and many others. She currently teaches street photography at the International Center of Photography.
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Recently went to the opera for the first time! It was thrilling to dress up and I can’t wait to do it again.