When most people hear the word opera these days, they don’t think of a grand, enthralling tradition that stretches back to 16th-century Italy. Maybe they think of Pagliaccio getting maced with cherry Binaca on a certain episode of Seinfeld, or maybe they think of Bugs Bunny in full valkyrie regalia, but the fact remains that most people have never actually seen an opera for themselves. It’s a powerful experience, and one that’s about much more than viking helmets and guys dressed like sad clowns.