Paris Opera Opens 3-Day Sale of 5,000 Costumes and 2,000 Accessories
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Paris Opera Opens 3-Day Sale of 5,000 Costumes and 2,000 Accessories
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Summary
Ticket holders began shopping Friday at the Opera Bastille, where the Paris Opera put about 5,000 costumes and 2,000 accessories from productions dating to the 1960s on public sale.
Prices run from 2 euros for items such as belts and scarves to 800 euros for elaborate outfits, while entry to the coveted two-hour opening slot cost 10 euros.
Rows of ball gowns, military uniforms, jewel-encrusted robes, tunics, folk dresses and even fat suits were labeled with the production, year, designer and sometimes the original performer.
The three-day sale drew eager buyers despite 93-degree heat outside, underscoring public appetite for owning pieces tied to the Paris Opera's stage history.
Could selling thousands of costumes help the Paris Opera balance tradition with financial survival, or does it risk erasing part of its living history?
As opera houses turn to costume sales for revenue, could digital or virtual archives offer a better way to preserve and share theatrical heritage?