> Oh help me! Oh, help me! My life is in danger!
> The venomous monster is drawing upon me
> And I can’t escape him.
> How near is his bite,
> With teeth sharp and white!
> Oh gods above!
> Why can’t you hear my mortal cry?
> Destroy the beast or I will die!
> Or surely, I will die!
The opening lines to The Magic Flute (which continues in a similarly expository tone for the duration). Seems like there have always been scripts which were easy to understand while also staring at your phone, though that doesn't stop the ushers at English National Opera getting narky at you if you try!
Die Zauberflote is easy to understand because it’s a fairly light work, and you’re meant to be staring at the lavish staging and costumes. The performers narrate the action because that’s the convention for the genre - it’s a sung story. They break into more conventional dialogue for the recitative sections (a tradition that went out of style with Verdi.)
The comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan were contemporary to Verdi's work and still feature lots of dialogue, so they are very approachable. You still won't be able to use your phone, though - you'll be too busy laughing!
My recommendation for an introduction would be the 1982 Canadian production of The Mikado by the Stratford Festival. It is currently available in its entirety on YouTube: