The much-anticipated opening of the Strand Theater took place last month, with the West Coast debut of Caryl Churchill’s new drama Love and Information.
The July 3 Marriage of Figaro simulcast marks the 13th free simulcast presented by San Francisco Opera and the ninth at AT&T Park.
By Paul Duclos
Published: July, 2015
The much-anticipated opening of the Strand Theater took place last month, with the West Coast debut of Caryl Churchill’s new drama Love and Information.
It may not be exactly Sturm und Drang, but it has been lauded by critics in the New York Times and The Guardian for being highly inventive. The new play features 57 brief yet memorable scenes that make up a world where data inspires obsession, and Facetime conversations and celebrity selfies threaten to replace human contact.
ACT’s new space in the “Mid-Market Corridor” is another reason for going, report many local papers. With tech giants such as Twitter, Spotify, Yammer and Zendesk nearby, you can see a repurposed neighborhood come alive without feeling as though you are slumming it.
And then there’s “slamming it” and a ballpark turned art arena when the San Francisco Opera partners with the San Francisco Giants to stage a free live simulcast of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro on Friday, July 3.
Baseball and opera fans alike will have a chance to experience Mozart’s sparkling comedy in the beautiful, under-the-stars setting of San Francisco’s AT&T Park with seating both on the field and in the stands.
Register now for early entry to ensure best seating at sfopera.com/simulcast.
Based on Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais’ revolutionary play and with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart’s poignant masterpiece tells the story of a countess and her servant joining forces to punish her aristocrat husband for his philandering. In the process, two very different couples learn humbling lessons about life and love. San Francisco Opera’s production is headlined by bass-baritone Philippe Sly in the title role and soprano Lisette Oropesa as Figaro’s fiancée, Susanna.
The dynamic, young cast of singers also includes soprano Nadine Sierra as Countess Almaviva, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni as Count Almaviva and mezzo-soprano Angela Brower as the page Cherubino. Company Principal Guest Conductor and Houston Grand Opera Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers will be on the podium for this San Francisco Opera revival, directed by Robin Guarino in her company debut.
Through state-of-the-art technology, the simulcast will be transmitted in high definition video to AT&T Park’s 103-foot wide Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision scoreboard—one of the highest quality outdoor scoreboards in the nation—live from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House.
Concert quality audio combined with AT&T Park’s massive screen creates an unmatched operatic experience for attendees sitting in the stands and on the baseball field itself. San Francisco Opera’s free live simulcasts, part of General Director David Gockley’s mission to bring opera into the community and to wider audiences, have drawn nearly 225,000 people of all ages since 2006. The July 3 Marriage of Figaro simulcast marks the 13th free simulcast presented by San Francisco Opera and the ninth at AT&T Park.
The simulcast will last approximately 3 hours, 40 minutes and feature English subtitles on the ballpark’s screen. Simulcast audiences will also have the opportunity to view live the onstage set changeovers during the second intermission. The War Memorial Opera House curtain will remain up throughout the break to reveal the behind-the-scenes magic of breaking down and resetting the opera sets.
Other events surrounding the simulcast include the winner of the KDFC Star-Spangled Sing-Off singing the National Anthem. Tammy Nelson from Beach Blanket Babylon—“the world’s longest-running musical revue”—will also return to perform.
Only registered ticket holders will be allowed early entrance for best seating beginning at 6 p.m. Field seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. All others who have not pre-registered and do not have pre-printed tickets will be allowed to enter AT&T Park beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans registered for tickets will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a night at San Francisco Opera.
