Recently attended the SF Opera World Premiere The Monkey King by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang…read more Love everything about it--from staging and set designs, lighting, costumes, choreography to all the talented casts. Hurry, you can still see it as it runs until November 30. Having grew up reading The Monkey King, this Opera spoke to me. So excited to have this timeless story come alive in operatic form, such an amazing experience in that the monkey king is a smart, rebellious, powerful being and he learns through his adventures to harness power and balance it with wisdom, humility and responsibility. Very aspirational and yet familiar. Some Chinese Opera (Northern and Southern) nuances incorporated into this Western-style opera. Beautiful and provoking. Looking forward to the next event.

I have series tickets, and SF Opera hosts one of my favorite parties in the city - the SF Opera…read moreEncounter experience. This special annual party involves watching an act of the opera theme for the night, and then partying in the opera house the rest of the night. The place is LIT with performance art, themed drinks, art exhibits, a light up dance floor, and music that has everyone from age 17 to 97 dancing on the same floor. They also have a pride concert that is great, if you don't like standard opera. And there's a party after that concert too. The one thing is, though, I can tell they need donations and members. But as a millenial, they way NOT to get me to subscribe is by cold calling. I wish their membership folks had a more streamlined way of me renewing my series tickets, because as a millenial with adhd, a phone call is so exhausting. Like, if they just sent me a proposed bundle of tickets, that I could purchase with a click - that I would rather do than small talk with a Gen X white dude for fifteen minutes to figure out which tickets are right. I grew up watching theater and opera, and I think the Sf Opera and memorial opera house are both must-see destinations if visiting the city!

Watched the nutcracker for the very first time here at the war memorial opera house and it was such…read morea gorgeous production! Parking is impossible to find here so I highly suggest public transportation or a waymo! The nutcracker set was so gorgeous and the first ten minutes had an homage to SF which was so unique and quaint! The dancers were elegant and breathtaking and they really utilized the opera house with all the set changes. Acoustics were fantastic and tickets were really affordable for balcony! Highly recommend seeing all the shows at the opera house

My husband and I attended The Nutcracker in December, and unfortunately the experience was so…read moreunpleasant that we have no interest in returning to the San Francisco Ballet. We were seated in the second row of the orchestra, directly behind a group in the first row who whispered, turned around, pointed, and moved almost constantly throughout the performance. Their level of fidgeting was honestly bizarre and impossible to ignore. They also had a very young child with them who repeatedly made noise and turned around during the show. It was so distracting that I barely remember the performance itself. What I remember is the group sitting in front of us. We wanted to say something during the show, but there was no usher visibly monitoring our section. We also did not feel comfortable confronting strangers directly in a dark theater and potentially escalating the situation. This is exactly why ushers should be present and attentive during a performance, rather than placing the burden on patrons to police one another. When we spoke with a manager afterward, we were told that we could have reported the issue during intermission and possibly been moved. That response was frustrating. By intermission, half the performance had already been ruined, and it did not seem fair that we would be the ones expected to leave the seats we selected and paid for while the disruptive patrons remained in place. We contacted the Ballet multiple times afterward. Initially, the response felt dismissive. We were then offered tickets for one specific date in February, which was not practical because we live in Santa Cruz and could not simply travel to San Francisco on a randomly selected day. Eventually, we were offered tickets to a spring program, but the most logical and appropriate resolution would have been replacement tickets for the following Nutcracker season, since that was the experience that had been ruined. What made this especially disappointing was not only the behavior of the patrons, but the way the Ballet handled the complaint afterward. A sincere apology and a straightforward effort to replace the experience would have gone a long way. Instead, the process felt unnecessarily difficult and left my husband unwilling to do business with the San Francisco Ballet again. For an organization charging premium prices for a formal live performance, I expected better audience monitoring and much better customer service.

Needs better ventilation. Extremely stuffy air when it's a busy and popular show with lots of…read morepeople in this theater. When on the floor level, person in front of you might block you view if they happen to be tall (welp you can't control that) or fidget a lot. Wish the seats were better set up Amazing how quickly you can get out of this place even at a really packed show. Ushers are great and helpful

My friend treated me and my daughter to see Dracula Ballet here and it was amazing!…read more This old venue near Civic Center is so ornate and unique. People working here were friendly helpful and polite. You could smell the popcorn inside with well-dressed people buying wine at the concession stands, which can be brought inside while sitting on the red velvet seats. On the mezzanine level, two tall guys sat in front of me, blocking the view of center stage. At intermission, I asked the couple in front of me to switch seats so I could see a bit better. However, I noticed the girl in front then couldn't see, because there was a tall bald guy in front of her! Short people should always get the front rows, lol! Well, the music could be heard by everyone and from what I could see, the ballet was striking as it was beautiful.

Recently attended SF Ballet's La Sylphide. It was a short program, but I loved it! I think my…read morefavorite thing about attending the ballet besides the dancers, the choreography, the music, is the set designs. My favorite here is Act II where the beautiful Sylph (Scottish magical air spirit) is solo dancing in the misty magical woods.

WOW! They really know what they're doing, and I guess my expectations wouldn't be anything less for…read moreone of the top 3 companies in the country. We saw The Nutcracker and it was absolutely stunning. From the costume details to the set details. It's all there, but then throw in the precision from the ballet dancers l, plus the love orchestra, and you won't be able to look away. Can't wait to see another show!

4 screens of film lovers' films with old comfy recliners in small screening rooms…read more I saw Hamnet, dozed off in act one and cried through act three.

Thank God we still have a movie theater in SF that shows something other than Hollywood garbage. I…read morelove the foreign and indie films. Opera Plaza had a renovation a while back and it's all fixed up and very nice. Seats are comfy. You can haves glass of wine with your popcorn! On public transit too. I can usually park nearby and the meters give you four hours. There is also an underground garage.

Last night was the debut and crowning of the brand new SF Synphony conductor, Elim Chan. I feel her…read morevibrancy and this town needs some vibrancy. I was up at 2nd tier and it was the best seat because I had a clear view of the orchestra. La Mer and Wagner were for me the standouts. Loved watching the musicians. My favorites: guy with clarinet, timpani, the Chinese gong, the trumpet, piccolo (lady). Elim was so inclusive and mentioned we need patrons to come to the symphony so that the hard working musicians can play for us. I can't wait what she brings to the SF Symphony. Her program won't start till 2027. Michael Tilson Thomas was mentioned and honored by the soprano. He was our SF conductor for 25 years and passed away recently. Elim is young at 39 years old. Can't wait to hear her conduct in this beautiful great place. This Saturday, she'll be conducting. Go get a ticket and celebrate!

Came to see the 98 year old Herbert Blomstedt conduct Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Unfortunately, he…read morewas too ill to perform Saturday's show after conducting Friday. With a guest conductor stepping in, the orchestra still shined. A truly unforgettable performance filled with the beauty, joy, despair, hope darkness and warmth that makes up Mahler's works.

SF's best kept secret for classy musical performances. From what I've seen on their website,…read morevirtually all of their performances are free to the public. Tickets are easy to reserve online and I like that it's open seating so I can decide where I want to sit. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is also in a convenient location if you're taking public transit (the Civic Center Bart station and Van Ness bus stops are right there). The venue itself is beautiful, comfortable, and well maintained. I attended a Sunday afternoon performance that was 1 part opera, and 1 part symphony orchestra performance. It was a wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

I am very exciting to come to this beautiful conservatory, long glass window, golden decor, two…read morelevel tall. Very clean inside, comfortable seat

More than 20 years ago, I worked as a stagehand and also attended a couple of shows in this…read moretheatre. I really enjoyed the location and found the house to be comfortable and intimate. But it's been more than 20 years, so I don't know the current situation.

Beautiful Theater on San Francisco Pier Across From Alcatraz…read more SITREP I was lucky to catch the exceptional, the eclectic, the very eccentric dark musical-dance production "SHADOW DANCE" at the Cowell Theater, and .... *MIND BLOWN* ARIELLAH DARKER STILL www.ariellah.com The yearly production of Shadow Dance is the creative brain child of Ariellah Darker Still, a talented and mystical fusion belly-dancer based in Oakland, California. Taught by the legendery belly dancer Rachel Brice (a collaborator with the industrial rock Nine Inch Nails), Ariellah has carved a niche into the belly dancing realm that traverses into even darker realms still of Dark mystical arts, the fears that convulse the human mind, and the angelic & demonic figures that warp our spiritual dimensions. SHADOWDANCE This mystic view of our earthly dimension is interpreted by her and her collaborators by the artistic expressions of DANCE and MUSIC. SHADOWDANCE is culmination these wondrous & haunting expressions and is a showcase of all these talented performance artists. COWELL THEATER The expansive realm of the Cowell Theater is a perfect venue for Shadow Dance. The spacious stage is a wonderful playground for all the performers. * Aerial artists on silk fabric to Suspension artists chained to piercings on penetrating their back, all rely on the dependable cables extending from the ceiling of the stage's heights; * Various configurations of different dance troupes find more than ample space on which to dance on this suspended stage; SEATING Very traditional old-school theater-style seats. Flip-up. People have to squeeze by forcing you to stand up. No cup holders. Not roomy. Primitive. In this day & age of amphitheater-style seating, or reclining seating in the IMAX and/or XD theaters, the seating here is at most very basic. LAVATORY Very contemporary and modern. There are two different bathrooms, very roomy, complete with many stalls - both unisex, shared by all. PARKING Limited and Pricy. You need to pay for your spots. We saw tow trucks towing cars away that did not pay obviously pay for their spots at the machines. THE LOWDOWN A very solid theater for enjoying a great performance. Just know the rules for everything else having to do with this theater.

First time attending one of these free events! You gotta love San Francisco and the cultural…read morefreebies for all audiences! I could not believe my ears when a friend of mine mentioned Carmen the opera (I am usually asked if my name is Carmen like the opera and I have to answer that no, just like my mom) and the AT&T ballpark where until Saturday I only saw from outside. Kudos to the organization, to move around that many people without chaos is a skill, plus the sync with the SF Opera was perfect, even considering we were at a massive park and not in a more intimate covered setting. I went for the experience but I should have known better about the extremely cold SF summer nights. I was freezing with my mini dress. Gladly, my friend was carrying a blanket that we share and later served as coat. That was the worst part for me, including the long lines to the toilet. As per the performance, everybody did an awesome job, talented singers and performers...I just like my classic Spanish style Carmen and not this strange pastiche. I understand it is cool to deviate and modernize the script and the scenario, but calling the ladies 'bitches' in the subtitles was a little bit too much. Plus did not like the clothes, make up and the overall mise-en-scene. And, oh, so many kids in there too. For some girls in my group that were not familiar with the opera Carmen plot, I had to give a succinct explanation as they did not get the whole story.

I love Opera at the Ballpark! They did La Traviata this year and it was the opera that Richard…read moreGere took Julia Roberts to on a helicopter from NY to SF in Pretty Woman! Those parts in the movie rang familiar while watching the simulcast at the opera. Get there early with early admission at 6:30 p.m. (free online!). We brought tons of snacks and sealed drinks. Make sure you bring a winter jacket, gloves and scarf. And fleece blankets. It gets so cold. It starts at 8p and lasts until about 11p. To see the jumbotron, you can't really sit below the awning where it is warmer like you do at the Giants games. So you will be cold if you have a good seat. Lots of people left early since it was too cold. Bring all your snacks since all they sell is junk food. And bundle up! Get here early. There were over 26,000 people there last weekend.

We live in a city with TWO professional opera companies. TWO. Putting on great shows at price…read morepoints that let everyone enjoy reasonably good opera. For that we should all be proud. I'm proud of Lyric Opera as a presenter of accessible offerings of opera with some really good production designs, soloists, and overall casts. I've seen several very nice productions while the company was at the Legion of Honor, including a nice Lucia di Lammermoor and a good Tales of Hoffmann. Now that they've moved to Fort Mason, I'm looking forward to a slightly easier-to-get-to theater, and I certainly can't wait to see a certain member of the chorus in Rigoletto. I've had inside reports that the solists are excellent. No matter what show you catch, enjoy Lyric Opera for bringing big opera to small theatres at even smaller prices, with lots of local talent. Keeping opera alive and kicking in the 21st century is reason enough for 5 stars--the great entertainment to be had is pure gravy, to use a decidedly non-highbrow term.

Let's face it. I have champagne taste on a Pabst Blue Ribbon budget…read more I love opera but am never willing to pay the outrageous prices at the "big" opera house. Sure, I'll go if you're treating. And I will thoroughly frickin' enjoy it, so long as it isn't some new fangled, artsy production. But I'll still go, especially if you have box seats. That said, the free tickets are few and far between and I can't get student rush tickets anymore with my dusty college ID. The "little" opera or SF Lyric Opera has always been a bright spot in my dynamic City life. (Of course, so are the metallic guys, the panhandlers with creative signs, BART, and many other less romantic things.) But SF Lyric Opera really makes the arts accessible. The ticket prices and the venue are key. No, they don't have the world's most celebrated tenor or the international divas, but they do have amazingly talented opera singers that anyone can enjoy for less than the price of dinner and drinks at any trendy spot. I would have given them five stars if it weren't for their recent move from the lovely Gould theater at the Legion of Honor to the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason. I haven't actually been to a performance there, so I will amend my review as necessary once I do. But the Gould is the most delightful little venue. You might think that Marie Antoinette invited you to a command performance, and there isn't a bad seat in the house. Wherever they may go, though, I will follow. The company is wonderfully talented and even with the bigger venue, you will have an experience you couldn't get at the "big" opera. That is unless you don't mind dropping a couple Benjamins for a seat. And if that's you, you probably wouldn't mind if I tag along...