It's an epicenter of fancy boutiques and fancy eateries, but it can be easy to forget that Hayes Valley also boasts the very fanciest of musical venues in the form of Davies Symphony Hall and the War Memorial Opera House, all located in the neighborhood's Civic Center overlap.
And if you've been fretting over the appearance of a giant white tent outside the Symphony's home base, wonder no more: it's all in preparation for tonight's opening night gala, which will kick off another season of Michael Tilson Thomas with black tie dress, performancesby Bonnie Raitt (vocals) and Yuja Wang (piano), and pieces by Tchaikovsky, Gerschwin, Stravinsky and Prokofiev.
After tonight, the symphony's season will continue with classical music galore, plenty of open rehearsals and matinees for the budget-conscious, and notable highlights like September 27th's Wizard of Oz accompaniment and December 12th's Home Alone show.
But this week's fancy music pageantry doesn't end there: on Friday, the San Francisco Opera kicks off their season with another glittery opening night gala. Not to be outdone, here's what the opera guild has planned:
Opera Ball 2014 will begin at five o’clock as you are escorted down the red carpet by Roman Legionnaires into San Francisco City Hall for an elegant cocktail reception. Guests will then adjourn to Julius Caesar's resplendent imperial palace, for a lavish banquet orchestrated by celebrated caterer, McCalls Catering & Events. At eight o’clock, the curtain will rise at the War Memorial Opera House for the opening night performance of Norma, highlighted by a once-in-a-generation soprano in the role made famous by Maria Callas. Following the dramatic conclusion of Bellini’s opera, patrons will return to City Hall for a night of decadence with cocktails, desserts and dancing the night away.
Sounds like fun.
The opera's season will continue with performances of Tosca, Cinderella, La Boheme and more, plus a free Opera in the Park performance in Golden Gate Park this Sunday at 1:30pm.
Fancy music lovers, your time is now.
