The Marriage of Figaro at Washington National Opera (Photo by Karin Cooper)

What does that awesome Old Spice ad have to do with the Washington National Opera? Not much, the spot is stuck in my head now thanks to a recent Ellen Show clip– but if you listen to the ad you could assume that the opera is one of those things she likes but you may not.

More of today’s generation enjoys watching tanned-up guidos on TV rather than talented sopranos and tenors. However the Washington Opera has worked hard to shed old perceptions that the Opera is for old, boring, rich stiffs. In fact with the Washington Opera’s Generation O program- the art has never been more accessible to younger crowds.

The program is free to join for students and young professionals under 35. Members receive discounted tickets and invitations to special events. The group is strong with over 15,000 members and sounds like a great deal according to Generation O Advisory Council Chairman Arthur Bochner, who wrote in a 2009 Washington Life magazine piece, ” Generation O tickets mean you can enjoy an incredible evening of opera for under $100 – ideal for dating in a recession. At the last performance I attended, my casually dressed friends and I paid $50 for notoriously expensive orchestra seats.”

It does sound like a bargain for a younger generation that can’t afford to go out to classy events like the Opera.

Generation O’s latest event will be A Late Night Affair on May 6th, a benefit for WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists, the company’s resident training program for artists on the verge of international careers. Event packages includes admission to a performance of The Marriage of Figaro as well as an after party at Circle Bistro following the performance where patrons can enjoy cocktails, hor d’ouevres, dancing, and have a chance to smooze with the production’s cast and production staff.

Those that are interested in joining Generation O or attending the Late Night Affair event can check out WNO’s Generation O page, but thanks to our friends at the WNO, DC Metblogs is very excited to be able to send a pair of lucky readers to the event for free!

We will be giving away a pair of tickets to WNO’s Late Night Affair, complete with tickets to the May 6th performance of The Marriage of Figaro and invites to the Late Night Affair party afterwards. There will also be a runner-up prize of a pair of tickets to the Figaro performance- sans after party.

What do you have to do to win? Just leave a comment below telling us what would be your “two tickets to that thing you like.” I will take all the names below and draw them out of the good ol’ Nationals hat on Sunday May, 2nd- you have til noon that day to enter.

Two rules:

• One entry per person (make sure you fill out your e-mail and name when leaving a comment!)
• In the spirit of Generation O only those under 35 may enter.

That’s it! So tell all your friends and leave us a comment below- good luck!