We're not big opera people but gave it a try to watch Fellow Travelers. Great vibes from the audience & from the president of the opera who kicked things off. Friendly security staff on the way in. Opera seemed well acted even if it was not my fave show of all time. Balboa theater aisles are very narrow, and when someone wants to get up everyone has to stand up. But overall I enjoyed it, and if there was a show the opera was doing that sounded innovative, I'd consider coming again. Great patrons and way to kick off Pride week! read more

The San Diego Opera is an institution that promotes the opera in San Diego. This organization helps the masses to understand and appreciate the this unique musical and artistic style that touches the heart and spirit of the viewer. A talk presentation preceding the performance helps an individual to understand and prepare themselves for a performance that expresses the creator's intentions. The performance is high quality with the individual's ability and passions being highlighted with outstanding stage creation and performance. It is always a wonderful experience to see how a performance can move and motivate you to appreciate the talent and performance. read more

San Diego Opera - Coffee and Chocolate Chip Cookie - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

Great place to see an opera, ballet. I like the convenience of the location and plenty of parking.

Saw a beautiful production of Romeo et Juliette last night (4-2-2022). While the production was 3 hours long, the time flew by (there was one intermission midway). The costumes were lush, the staging simple but effective and the singing was divine. While this is a tragedy, and we all know the ending, there were a couple of comedic moments and the sword fighting was exciting. There was even some ballet in the mix. This opera is sung in French, but there are English subtitles displayed above the stage. The San Diego Symphony accompanied the performance skillfully. It's such a pleasure to hear a live orchestra. Masks were required inside the theater and proof of vax or recent Covid test necessary to obtain entry. Tickets start at $35 on up. Parking at the concourse was ample and $15 for the event. While we had seats toward the back of the orchestra section, this venue is not overly large so the seating is fairly good anywhere. Opera is for everyone! If you've never been, this performance may make you into an opera lover. If you're already an opera fan, you will definitely enjoy this performance. read more

Mind blowing. The amazingly powerful voices... the booming orchestra... the acting... I've seen three productions here and each has blown me away. As I write this, the current production is Falstaff. HILARIOUS! I was skeptical about the three hour show length, but it didn't feel like three hours... we were laughing our asses off the entire time. San Diego is truly blessed to have this amazing Opera in our city. They choose great operas, bring in amazing world class performers, beautiful sets, an amazing orchestra, gorgeous costumes, and great directing. The staff are all lovely and make the entire experience wonderful from beginning to end. This is such a treat to enjoy. read more

San Diego Opera - From our seats in upper loge. - Performing Arts Near Me - San Diego, California

I love the music. Sometimes the staging is inappropriate. Many of the singers are not well-known, but since the reorganization, there have still been several exceptional productions with amazing singing/singers. The talk-back sessions after the performances are a favorite of mine. (The singers are humans too!). read more

What a great performance, we enjoyed the new way of seeing the Opera! It was a stunning evening with a full moon to help light the stage. and performers were all incredible, and the orchestra was brilliant. We will definitely return for more of these great performances. Dr. Paul and Dr. Cheryl read more

My party and I attended The Barber of Seville (Drive-in at Pechanga Arena) on the weekend. It is worth the extra cover to see the show in zone 1. I recommend getting there early - the earlier the better view (parking is determined by lot attendant staff on first-come-first-serve / essentially at arrival your vehicle(s) are directed to a waiting queue... then at the event opening you will be directed to where you will be instructed to park in Zone(s) - for example if you are the first car in the queue you will have clear view of the stage, symphony, restrooms, & food trucks). Be sure to have your radio tuned in to the fm station provided to you - know how to dim or turn off your dash display with the vehicle in Acc The parking lot is COVID safe but it is real relaxed from the assessment of other attendees - SUVs hatchback open eating dinner - doors open ppl lounging We walked to food trucks and had great Haada Thai - loved the Crispy Chicken and peanut sauce & dumpling. Ate Pomodoro Italian meatball sub comes with artisan French bread it fills you - tiramisù was okay more like pudding. The Lobster Mac made one person in the party upset because it didn't have "enough" real/imitation lobster and there was liquid in the container (saved it from the trash bin and it was all good for a non-picky person the next day). At pechanga there is road noise but you won't notice much in zone 1. At this event the show was postponed an extra 30 minutes and we saw sea world fireworks - it was worth getting out of the vehicle to see. Just a few things to bring : Water Utensils Tray or something hard to eat your food truck cuisine on Fruits Blanket Garbage bag or container Got a free poster with purchase of zone 1 Will attend again and recommend to friends read more

I am shocked and amazed that this is the first Yelp for the San Diego Opera! I was once a member and have lost count of how many productions I've seen. Some of them included La Traviata, Logherin, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute a modern productions of Rigoletto and an adaptation of A Street Car Named Desire. I first began attending around age 11. My first opera was Tosca and I recall being amazed that a production actually had subtitles -- well a screen above stage with the English translations. San Diego's opera has struggled through the years because they & the Pops must compete with the weather and the beach.Perhaps its not a surprise after all that this is its first Yelp. Were there stronger patronage perhaps more than 5 productions per year could visit. The San Diego Opera certainly 'does more with less'. read more

I have to say that I'm very impressed with the outreach that San Diego Opera has been doing this season. There's been a string of free mini-concerts, lectures, events with the library, broadcasts on KPBS, and probably more that I'm not aware of. Since the die-hard opera fans probably make up a fairly small group, this is great! Opera tends to be mostly about the music, but this season's production of Don Giovanni was surprisingly theatrical. It was almost like musical theater in the degree of moving around the stage and changing of the sets. I'm impressed that everyone was able to sing while lying down, running about, and while having lots of (fully clothed, but not PG) sex on stage. My one complaint was that the balance between the instruments and the vocals was off and the orchestra tend to overpower the singers. Perhaps because all the movement made it hard to project? At any rate, I love how accessible this production was and I would recommend it as a great introduction to the art. read more

Did you know the opera has subtitles? It does! Did you know during the pandemic, this opera has had drive in performances? I went to the Barber of Seville and it's been one of my favorite Covid-19 experiences! Lots of safety protocols, incredible talent, and such a unique experience! Beep beep barber!! read more

Yesterdays 2 o'clock performance of Pagliacci was done very poorly. The main actor who played Pagliacci came out as a clown without any white face and tear drop as to who he was suppose to portray. It was the last performance ,so I guess they ran of of make-up. Not to mention the acting was not even there, Bad all the way around!! I have tried to go to San Diego Opera's before, this being my 3rd time in 3 years and each time I am disappointed........Never Again!!!!! read more

I saw The Marriage of Figaro here with mama and good friend. Very nice because it had subtitles for the Italian. The acoustics weren't that amazing. And seriously it was difficult to see the stage. But PHENOMENAL performance. read more

San Diego Opera, I went to the Opera in SD last Saturday for the first time. I have seen many opera in Italy and Germany (which is where I came from), but I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about going to the Opera in San Diego. THE THEATRE: The San Diego Civic Theatre is a pretty theatre, but I was surprised to see no balconies (like at La Scala for example), and no velvet on the walls. Overall not bad, but now "wow" either. THE OPERA: I went to see my favorite "La Traviata" and introduced my husband to the opera for the first time that night as well. Violetta (Elizabeth Futral) was amazing, her voice fantastic... and the sound carried well in the theatre. The production was very lavish, and extravagant. The costumes amazing! I did like it a lot and my husband was also mesmerized. I wish the theatre was a bit more like back home, but I will definitely get used to it. Well, we ended up becoming patrons for the 2011 season... great line up Turandot, Der Rosenkavalier, Faust and Carmen... all classics! I did promise my husband that when we go back to visit my parents I will take him to Milan to get the full on Italian experience. A SUGGESTION TO FUTURE OPERA LOVERS: Before you go, research the opera you are going to see, the characters, the composer etc... it will make the performance that much more powerful and meaningful... and you will not need to read the subtitles as much. ... Did you know that Violetta was inspired by a real French courtesan? Look her up Marie Duplessis (very fascinating person). ENJOY! read more

Considered one of the best opera companies in the country, and rightly so. I'm a season ticket subscriber and have been going here for years because of the outstanding quality, singers, and management. I'd recommend this opera company to anyone, and even kids and 20-somethings like it. read more

SD Opera is truly amazing and plenty of world renowned singers come to work here. There are subtitles displayed on the top of the stage which makes it a snap to follow the story, no one needs to be an opera buff to enjoy the heavenly sounds and astounding sets that are magical. Just come as you are, pick a seat, any seat (though in the nosebleeds you'll soon be hooked and lusting after a seat upgrade) and become an opera addict ;) read more

San Diego Opera presents world class opera with the same world class singers you would see in New York, San Francisco or Chicago. Prices range from "whoa!" to $35 (which are actually pretty good) and if you are cheap like me you can try your luck at $20 rush tickets an hour before the performance which are somtimes available to the lesser known operas. San Diego Opera always presents something for everyone -- either a classic traditional opera or an opera that has rarely been seen here - which I like because you can only see BOHEME 52 times before it starts to get boring. I give them 5 stars but I give the theatre a mere 3 (2.5?) -- she's a tired old building but once inside and and the lights go down, who cares. It is what is on stage that matters and San Diego Opera does it right! A suprising find for San Diego, the Opera is really good enough to be in a much bigger city. Consider yourself lucky and take advantage of this excellent find! read more

I loved the Opera! I saw Barber of Seville and my BF and I really enjoyed it. It was our 1st time and we will definitely be back! The staff was friendly and helpful. Bravo! Since I drafted this review we saw The Daughter of the Regiment. We had orchestra seating and it was wonderful. We can't wait for Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. read more

The performance themselves deserve 4 stars but the venue feels very dated and like most operas the crowd appears to have a silver hue when seated. We saw La Boheme, a dramatic and comical performance at the same time. Would go back to see other performances I just wish San Diego had a better venue. read more

I was stunned and shocked to learn yesterday about the closing of the San Diego Opera company that will occur at the end of the 2014 season (only Don Quixote remains). My husband and I have attended the first three operas of this season and have been thrilled with the world class singers that have been in the principal roles. Last night's sold out performance by the SD Opera, along with the SD Master Chorale and the SD Symphony was a fabulous, and unforgettable event. The demise of the San Diego Opera wills be a great loss to San Diego and to all of southern California's cultural scene. Ian Campbell deserves a great applause for his wonderful leadership as General & Artistic Director, CEO. How sad to lose this great asset to this city. read more

Being thoroughly impressed with La Boheme and Don Giovanni, we were looking forward with anticipation to Nixon in China, but it was very disappointing, but this is purely subjective and by no means a reflection on the wonderful venue, the ambience of the San Diego Opera or the performers. The production seemed void of art and poetry, just a repetitive dialogue delivered at different points on the musical scale, up and down, different tempos, for no real reason at all other than variety. The choreography consisted of a random collection of awkward and unnecessary movements tacked together. If there was a message to be had, I didn't get it at all. When the first intermission came along, there appeared to be a mass exodus heading for the doors, so clearly others were disappointed too. You might want to save your shekels on this one. read more

Saw Madam Butterfly tonight. Outstanding performance. My first time at the opera and I was taken back how beautifully done everything was! The show was in Italian but was easy to understand and follow. Highly recommend read more

Attended San Diego Opera's "Nixon in China" last evening. I Saw the Met production on DVD, so I was a little disappointed they chose to not land the Jet on stage, but they captured the magic with some creative stage business - the numerous Console TV sets . The singers who played Madam Mao and Nixon were superb in their respective roles. Pleased that SDO found the financing to continue bringing Opera to San Diego read more

Very high quality performances. Interesting,and sometimes controversial, selections of Operas. More attended than the Symphony, for some unknown reason. More recent Board of Directors are doing a good job. read more

We love San Diego Opera and have bought four-seat (parents, son and daughter-in-law) season passes for more than a decade. The Civic Theater leaves a bit to be desired, but the company does a good job of minimizing its deficiencies. I like the advice others have given -- listen to samples of the music ahead of time, read about the libretto, the composer, and the lead singers, and watch some of San Diego Opera's very helpful live, television, and YouTube lectures. Your research will greatly enhance your experience and enjoyment. Opera immerses the listener/viewer into a uniquely rich multimedia wonderland of great vocals, moving orchestration, spectacular scenery, beautiful costumes, and great acting. read more

Was Very Disappointed with the lack of Props used in The Phantom of The Opera at The Civic Center last night 10-9-15. I've seen The Play 7 times, and this was the most in prepared play. Music was Great, but that is about it. read more