San Francisco Opera — Attraction in San Francisco

TRISTAN AND ISOLDE

It is always such a treat to visit this historic building in San Francisco with its gorgeous Beaux-Arts architecture outside and inside. Designed by Arthur Brown, Jr. in the American Renaissance style, the 3,000 + seat War Memorial Opera House is a California Historical Landmark.

The performance of Tristan and Isolde was nearly five hours long, yet it felt far shorter thanks to the captivating storytelling and exquisite music. From the very first note, the audience was swept into Wagner's rich, emotional landscape, a testament to his genius.

The orchestra delivered powerful sounds that complemented the singers beautifully. The drama on stage was l imagine what captivated Friedrich Nietzsche.

The staff at SF Opera were extremely friendly and helpful, making our experience even more enjoyable. With three intermissions, there was ample opportunity to discuss the unfolding drama with fellow audience members. Each act brought new depths to the characters' struggles, showcasing the amazing talent of the cast.

"Das Leben ist kurz. Die Oper ist lang. WAGNER IST FÜR IMMER"

CARMEN

What a delightful experience at the SF Opera with Eve-Maud Hubeaux,delivering a captivating performance that truly embodied Carmen’s fiery spirit. Her portrayal was both powerful and nuanced.Francesca Zambello’s direction brought a fresh perspective to this classic opera, setting it in Seville in 1875. The narrative of Carmen is deeply engaging, and the nearly three-hour performance seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

I was taken aback by the discourteous behavior of the ushers during the performance.Despite this, the artistic excellence of the production, particularly Eve-Maud Hubeaux’s stellar performance, made the...

We went to see Carmen. It was our first experience with opera. We loved the production and that there were many staff members to help us find seats. Parking: we were able to find street parking 7 min a way relatively easy even though it’s in the civic center on a Sunday afternoon. There’s also a paid parking garage near city hall. The subtitle: there was a small string that hindered the view of the subtitle a little but it wasn’t a big deal. Other than that, I felt like subtitles didn’t cover all of the singing sometimes (not sure though, I don’t know Spanish), but we still got enough to enjoyed the show very much. Food and drinks: can grab quick bites and drinks there. There are also water fountains - can bring your own bottle or use provided...

Christmas Season means add Nutcracker to my calendar. There are so many places to go. This year I picked San Francisco Opera House. Plan to get there early as traffic around there is no joke. Ideally plan on having dinner downstairs, buffet or chose from the menu. I believe they start at 5pm. It’s a way better option then stress out in traffic (as I did this time around) Uber may be ideal if you live nearby, if you are driving and running late, pick the 2nd garage their website is recommending. The first one got fully booked and we wasted time getting there. The building is beautiful and performance was top tier, very enjoyable. The camera is prohibited 🚫 I just took a tidbits of some scenes as a “souvenir”…a reminder of a...