raise the curtain

1. Also, lift the curtain.

2. Begin or start, as in It's time to raise the curtain, guys—start shoveling .

3. Make something public, disclose. In this sense, both terms often occur with on , as in We won't know what the new design is until they lift the curtain on it . Both usages, from the mid-1700s, allude to the curtain raised at the beginning of a theatrical performance, revealing the stage.

Example Sentences

Bath raise the curtain against European heavyweights La Rochelle but the Premiership club, and their neighbours Bristol, could lead the way this year after their impressive starts in their domestic league.

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There was plenty of that last commodity at Thursday’s impressive and entertaining “Raise the Curtain” concert by the Seattle Symphony with guest conductor Ludovic Morlot.

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Gesturing to the short-haired woman to raise the curtain, he strode to the exact center of the stage and took elaborate bows as the curtain came up.

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Premier League newcomers Brentford will raise the curtain on the new campaign when they welcome Arsenal to the Brentford Community Stadium on Friday, with approximately 300,000 fans set to attend the opening 10-match programme over the weekend.

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But as Tempo and Disinganno raise the curtain on the theater of truth, as they say in the second half, the stage becomes shallow, filled with a mirror that eventually gives way to the absence of any set: just an exposed backstage whose rear door Bellezza opens, exiting to the street.

Read more on New York Times