The strongest version of this narrative is that opera houses must evolve from performance venues into cultural hubs to survive. The author credibly highlights how institutions like the Palacio de Bellas Artes and Opéra de Lille succeed by fostering social connection and flexibility, contrasting this with opera’s traditional, rigid presentation model. The comparison to art museums is apt—visual art’s modular, self-directed engagement lowers barriers, while opera’s fixed runtime and narrative dema...