While Giants fans wait to see if their team will be playing postseason baseball in “the yard,” there will be another major cultural event taking place there this month.
By Paul Duclos
Published: September, 2010
San Francisco Opera partners with the San Francisco Giants and Webcor Builders once again to bring grand opera to AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team, with a free live simulcast of Verdi’s Aida on Friday, September 24 at 8 p.m.
Conceived by David Gockley as a way to further the San Francisco Opera’s community involvement, the Company’s four previous simulcasts at AT&T Park have allowed nearly 100,000 music lovers to experience grand opera for free in one of San Francisco’s most beautiful locations. Through state-of-the-art technology made possible by the Koret-Taube Media Suite, these simulcasts are transmitted in high definition (HD) to AT&T Park’s 103-feet wide scoreboard—one of the highest quality outdoor scoreboards in the nation—live from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House.
Concert quality audio and AT&T Park’s huge screen create an unmatched operatic experience for attendees sitting in the stands and on the baseball field. Traditional baseball game concessions are available, providing audiences the rare opportunity to eat hot dogs, peanuts and popcorn while enjoying glorious opera.
The celebrated cast of principal singers features Italian soprano Micaela Carosi making her Company debut as Aida, a signature role that she has sung around the world to great acclaim. Verdian mezzo-soprano and former Adler Fellow Dolora Zajick returns to sing Amneris, and tenor Marcello Giordani makes his role debut as Radames. Returning after his highly-praised performances in last season’s Otello is baritone Marco Vratogna as Amonasro, and baritone Hao Jiang Tian sings the role of Ramfis.
While the SF opera company uses a sporting venue to attract new fans to the performing arts, Golden Gate Fields across the Bay will be introducing racing aficionados to popular music. And at the same time, GGF comes to the aid of the budget-minded when it presents six “Dollar Day” programs during its 2010 summer horse racing season.
The 27-day session runs through Sunday, October 3. Golden Gate Fields will offer “Dollar Day” cards—featuring $1 general parking, $1 general admission, $1 racing programs, $1 hot dogs, $1 beers, and $1 sodas—every Sunday of the meeting. In addition to a full card of horse racing, the Sunday programs will include live musical entertainment, and beginning September 12, live television coverage of all NFL games via the NFL Sunday Ticket.
Golden Gate Fields’ Summer Concert Series begins this month with Busta Groove on September 5, The Spazmatics on September 12, Pop Fiction on September 19, Love Fool on September 26, and the Cheeseballs on October 3.
Busta Groove will play back-to-back dates at Golden Gate Fields as the band will provide the tunes for the track’s “Family Day” celebration on Labor Day, Monday, September 6. Fans attending the Labor Day program will receive a free picnic blanket, and the track’s “Family Day” festivities will include many free activities for kids, including pony rides, bounce houses and face painting.
