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San Francisco, a city forged in the California Gold Rush, had always been an opera town -- the first opera was La Sonnambula performed in February 1851.
The War Memorial Opera House is home to the San Francisco Opera company. The war memorial aspect has to do with public financing and the need to gain the support of veterans for the building project proposed in the 1920's. The building was promoted in 1927 as a way to produce opera ranking with those produced in Chicago and New York.
The San Francisco Opera performed in other locations in the city from 1923 until 1932 when the Opera House finally opened on October 15, 1932, with Tosca.
Currently the SFO is performing nine operas in a Fall season starting in early September and running into the second week of December. Before recent budget problems, SFO staged 10 operas in the Fall and mounted four or five operas in the Summer, including the Ring, and Mozart and Rossini festivals.
The San Francisco Ballet, founded in 1932, was created to supply the Opera with sufficient numbers of good dancers.
The United Nations was founded in San Francisco and the founding ceremonies took place in the Opera House in 1945.
The opera house was closed for two years for a complete renovation, reopening for the 97-98 season. The renovation accomplished several things. Foremost was major structural strengthening to bring the building up to modern day earthquake standards. (Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a net had been stretched across the ceiling to catch stray plaster!) Also accomplished during this period were a number of improvements that have enhanced the house, including remodeled dressing rooms, repolishing all gilt, re-lighting the main chandelier, better seats, and... adding capacity in the women's restrooms. The result has been welcomed with enthusiasm.
The San Francisco Opera's homepage is at http://www.sfopera.com/
San Francisco Opera
301 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102. Tel: (415) 864-3330 Fax: (415) 626-1729
Regular Die Walkure and
Performances Ruslan and Lyudmila
Orchestra $105.00 $115.00
Orchestra Rear Sides 65.00 75.00
Grand Tier 105.00 115.00
Dress Circle 75.00 85.00
Balcony Circle 65.00 75.00
Front Balcony A-F 47.00 57.00
Rear Balcony G-L 40.00 50.00
Side Balcony 21.00 31.00
Box Seat 125.00 135.00