After a two-year, $5.7 million renovation process, the Bayview Opera House, San Francisco's oldest theater, finally reopened its doors on Saturday afternoon—right on schedule.
The majority of the Opera House's renovations were made internally, to upgrade the building's structure, but attendees also got the chance to enjoy some outdoor improvements, such as ADA access around the building's perimeter, a freshly landscaped courtyard, and a new outdoor performance plaza with permanent seating, designed by Oakland-based landscape architect Walter Hood of Hood Design Studio.
The Bayview community came together for stage performances in the packed outdoor plaza, featuring PUSH Dance Company, Hip Hop 4 Change's Khafre J & Do DAT, and the American Conservatory Theater, which performed excerpts from the play Crack.Rumble.Fly.
Bayview restaurants and drink vendors, including Auntie April's Soul Food, Laughing Monk Brewing, Gratta Wines, Yvonne's Southern Sweets and Old Skool Cafe, were also on hand.
Mario B. Productions hosted a fashion show between live music sets, with Bayview youth sashaying down a runway beside the building's landscaped garden.
In the parking lot, tents and structures created a festival atmosphere, with carnival games and art activities supported by the Museum of Craft and Design, the Opera House's own Dare 2 Dream art program, and more.
The Opera House is now officially in full swing, with a busy season of events for all ages. Next up is a performance by Sphinx Virtuosi, a black and Latino chamber orchestra, which will perform a program of music by Hispanic composers on October 2nd.
