I have series tickets, and SF Opera hosts one of my favorite parties in the city - the SF Opera…read moreEncounter experience. This special annual party involves watching an act of the opera theme for the night, and then partying in the opera house the rest of the night. The place is LIT with performance art, themed drinks, art exhibits, a light up dance floor, and music that has everyone from age 17 to 97 dancing on the same floor. They also have a pride concert that is great, if you don't like standard opera. And there's a party after that concert too. The one thing is, though, I can tell they need donations and members. But as a millenial, they way NOT to get me to subscribe is by cold calling. I wish their membership folks had a more streamlined way of me renewing my series tickets, because as a millenial with adhd, a phone call is so exhausting. Like, if they just sent me a proposed bundle of tickets, that I could purchase with a click - that I would rather do than small talk with a Gen X white dude for fifteen minutes to figure out which tickets are right. I grew up watching theater and opera, and I think the Sf Opera and memorial opera house are both must-see destinations if visiting the city!

Recently attended the SF Opera World Premiere The Monkey King by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang…read more Love everything about it--from staging and set designs, lighting, costumes, choreography to all the talented casts. Hurry, you can still see it as it runs until November 30. Having grew up reading The Monkey King, this Opera spoke to me. So excited to have this timeless story come alive in operatic form, such an amazing experience in that the monkey king is a smart, rebellious, powerful being and he learns through his adventures to harness power and balance it with wisdom, humility and responsibility. Very aspirational and yet familiar. Some Chinese Opera (Northern and Southern) nuances incorporated into this Western-style opera. Beautiful and provoking. Looking forward to the next event.

Watched the nutcracker for the very first time here at the war memorial opera house and it was such…read morea gorgeous production! Parking is impossible to find here so I highly suggest public transportation or a waymo! The nutcracker set was so gorgeous and the first ten minutes had an homage to SF which was so unique and quaint! The dancers were elegant and breathtaking and they really utilized the opera house with all the set changes. Acoustics were fantastic and tickets were really affordable for balcony! Highly recommend seeing all the shows at the opera house

We enjoyed the Shen Yun performance at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. This was an…read moreincredible venue and we absolutely loved the performance here! Highly recommend it! This is a historic building with incredible architecture. The seats were comfortable and the building is spacious. Tip: Once you step inside, all the food and water is extremely overpriced so plan ahead and bring your own water and eat food ahead of time. An all around incredible venue that I highly recommend!

We celebrated the Grand Lake's centennial with a full house tonight watching "Singin' In The Rain."…read more I think "hoot and a half" is the technical term. Hats off to owner Allen Michaan, a true showman! After 100 years, the Grand Lake is still a helluva great spot to catch a flick.

In all the decades I've been visiting Grand Lake Theatre, I can't believe I never left a review!…read moreI've been coming here since I was a teenager, and I've always enjoyed coming here. Grand Lake Theatre was built in gorgeous art deco architecture, and makes you feel like you've been thrown back into the heydays of when visiting the cinema was a formal outing. There's a chandelier hanging above the ticket booth at the entrance, and there's a grand staircase with giant paintings and more chandeliers leading up to the theaters on the second floor. Most recently, I came here to see Frankenstein the second-to-last day it was being shown here. It was my second time seeing Frankenstein in theaters, and Grand Lake was one of the theaters listed that had it playing, so I came out here on a Tuesday night to enjoy their $6 Tuesday deals. Ngl, parking in this area is absolutely horrid. I spent at least 20 minutes circling the block, driving up and down Grand Ave, and driving through the residential areas to find parking. I was very hesitant to park in the parking lot that's just a short walk down the street from the theater because I saw homeless people loitering in that parking lot, so I was very nervous of parking my car there. Ultimately, I did resort to parking there when I had no other options, and I am very grateful my car was fine.

I had no idea there even was a Berkeley Opera until I read this article in the newspaper:…read more http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_14419420?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com I grew up w/ opera on the radio. My mother listened to the Met every Saturday morning. I've seen several over the years and enjoyed them but am not what I would call an opera buff. Alan has never been to an opera, but when he read the article we agreed we wanted to see Berkeley Opera's production of "Don Giovanni". Having the production at the new Performing Arts Theatre at El Cerrito High made it really convenient. We bought tickets for today's production. We arrived and I sat and watched people gather while Alan stood in line to get our tickets. It was a very diverse audience w/ a lot of grey haired folks, a surprisingly large number of youngsters, plus a good number of the middle aged too. We were seated upstairs in the first row of the balcony. The seats were comfortable and leg room was adequate. There was a screen for Supertitles which was cool, although it did interfere a bit w/ our view of the Commendatore's statue at the end. The temperature in the balcony was uncomfortably warm in the beginning but they were able to address that and it became much more comfortable once they did. The production was fantastic. The voices were excellent, as was the orchestra. The staging was bare-bones, but was effective. We were very impressed w/ the quality. The opera was lively, moving and accessible. Not only was the singing first rate, but the acting was as well. We both enjoyed it, although Alan was unable to sit through three hours and decided to leave at intermission after an hour and three quarters, but that had to do w/ him rather than the production. He came back to pick me up afterward. I'm attaching the newspaper review of the production for more detail, although I disagree w/ the reviewer's statement that the costumes were tawdry. I thought they were just fine. http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_14449670?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com&nclick_check=1

I doubt that you have been missing my West Edge Opera review. I first posted it on 8/8/2010. The…read morereview has been happily dozing away in the innards of the vast Yelp network. (There are several other reviews for the opera, all of which are quite good.) Should you have been looking for it last week, however, you would not have been able to find it. It was removed as a violation of Terms of Service. (A TOS for those of you who know Yelp.) So...to dispel the mystery about the contents of this review, I am reposting it in entirety. I have no connect to West Edge Opera, enjoyed the performance, gave it five stars. Nothing more simple. Here it is: This afternoon we saw the final performance of Richard Wagner's Legend of the RIng. It was adapted by David Seaman into a three hour performance. It was stupendous. Let me break down the stars: 1) We walked to the new El Cerrito Performing Arts Theatre. One big hurrah for having this state of the art theater so close to our house that we will never, ever, have to worry about parking. 2) The stars. That is, the performing stars. Fresh from productions in Seattle, San Francisco, The Met, and various European cities...these opera singers are just that. Opera SIngers. Not namby-pamby wannabe choristers, these folks resonate, project, slide effortlessly up and down the scale. In a word, they made the show. 3) The sets. Amazingly projected computerized scenery with clearly visible visual subtitles. The whole production was simple, amazing and very, very professional. 4) The orchestra. HIdden away from sight, their music was beautifully played with nary a false sound. Very professional 5) Mark Streshinsky's lecture before the performance. Funny, articulate, informative. And professionally delivered. And local, he's an ECHS grad. Did I mention professional? He is... The sum total: Five stars and then some. Catch the opera for next season. You'll enjoy it, even if you've never been to the opera before. Oh, and the price. We sat in the balcony. Great seats, no straining to hear or see. $25 bucks. We are so proud that they've moved to El Cerrito and hope the company stays here forever!

More than 20 years ago, I worked as a stagehand and also attended a couple of shows in this…read moretheatre. I really enjoyed the location and found the house to be comfortable and intimate. But it's been more than 20 years, so I don't know the current situation.

Beautiful Theater on San Francisco Pier Across From Alcatraz…read more SITREP I was lucky to catch the exceptional, the eclectic, the very eccentric dark musical-dance production "SHADOW DANCE" at the Cowell Theater, and .... *MIND BLOWN* ARIELLAH DARKER STILL www.ariellah.com The yearly production of Shadow Dance is the creative brain child of Ariellah Darker Still, a talented and mystical fusion belly-dancer based in Oakland, California. Taught by the legendery belly dancer Rachel Brice (a collaborator with the industrial rock Nine Inch Nails), Ariellah has carved a niche into the belly dancing realm that traverses into even darker realms still of Dark mystical arts, the fears that convulse the human mind, and the angelic & demonic figures that warp our spiritual dimensions. SHADOWDANCE This mystic view of our earthly dimension is interpreted by her and her collaborators by the artistic expressions of DANCE and MUSIC. SHADOWDANCE is culmination these wondrous & haunting expressions and is a showcase of all these talented performance artists. COWELL THEATER The expansive realm of the Cowell Theater is a perfect venue for Shadow Dance. The spacious stage is a wonderful playground for all the performers. * Aerial artists on silk fabric to Suspension artists chained to piercings on penetrating their back, all rely on the dependable cables extending from the ceiling of the stage's heights; * Various configurations of different dance troupes find more than ample space on which to dance on this suspended stage; SEATING Very traditional old-school theater-style seats. Flip-up. People have to squeeze by forcing you to stand up. No cup holders. Not roomy. Primitive. In this day & age of amphitheater-style seating, or reclining seating in the IMAX and/or XD theaters, the seating here is at most very basic. LAVATORY Very contemporary and modern. There are two different bathrooms, very roomy, complete with many stalls - both unisex, shared by all. PARKING Limited and Pricy. You need to pay for your spots. We saw tow trucks towing cars away that did not pay obviously pay for their spots at the machines. THE LOWDOWN A very solid theater for enjoying a great performance. Just know the rules for everything else having to do with this theater.

Festival Opera has been around since the early 90's and just seems to get better with age…read more Past performances include: La Boheme, Tosca, Aida, Candide, Madame Butterfly, etc. Performers are young up and coming opera singers with companies from San Francisco to Europe and beyond. They come to Festival Opera for summer stock performances that are truly amazing. On hot summer nights there is nothing better than watching "Opera In The Park" under the stars with a chilled glass of Chardonnay in hand. Otherwise you can catch a show at the Regional Center. Check out Festival Opera season information http://www.festivalopera.org/

I can't say enough good things about this company, its musical director or any of the founding…read moremembers. They bring emerging world-class singers to the sleepy little city of Walnut Creek and create some spectacular moments on stage. David Miller of Il Divo fame even got his start right there at the Lesher (among other more renown places!). I haven't been to a production in a few seasons, but I've never been disappointed! Some of my favorite productions were Werther, Barber of Seville and Don Giovanni and many more!

I'd never been to a Berkeley Repertory show until this year. I'm surprised because I'm such a big…read moretheatre nerd. I was served an ad on Instagram for Arthur Miller's All My Sons in March 2026. It stars Jimmy Smits (of Star Wars and the West Wing fame! That's my President Santos and Bail Organa!) and his wife Wanda DeJesus. Such big names! I took my mom to a weekday matinee. It was a packed house and skewed older (hey, it was a weekday.) The theatre was clean and intimate. There was no bad seat in there! They did have a young person's discount if you're under 35 which was nice (if you're under 35.) Maybe if Berkeley built more housing, the city would be more welcoming and inclusive to young people and there wouldn't be that discount. Bathrooms were clean. After the show (which was a tearjerker), there was a Postshow Discussion with a docent (a UC Berkeley grad student.) It was fun discussing the show with other attendees who stayed. It was like a book club! Intimate and inclusive, and then there was a surprise--Jimmy Smits and Wanda DeJesus came to listen and contribute to the conversation! (And then do autographs and photographs.) Berkeley Repertory is a community hub. I appreciate their shows and the discussions they evoke (and the space they provide to have said discussions.) The SF Chronicle raved about All My Sons and I could not rave about it more either! Time to reread Arthur Miller and also support local theatre!

Saw How Shakespeare saved my Life on Saturday evening…read more Excellent one man performance. Atmosphere and staff were great! Wonderful experience and the actor was fantastic!!

Attended Slam Town's Ekpyrotica at the Continental Club this past weekend, and had an enjoyable…read moreexperience. The listed ticket time was 8:00 to 11-ish, but in reality it was more like 8:45-11:20pm (doors opened around 8:00pm, and the entry line went quick). The place wasn't too crowded, and though there was a bit of seating against the walls, it was mostly standing room for viewing of the show. Beware, the action takes place both inside and outside the ring, so be ready to move if you're on the first level and the wrestlers end up battling it out and rolling around on the floor or against the pillars, or on the merchandise table (like they did this past FrIday). We watched from upstairs, and didn't miss a thing... they had a large screen for closeup views of all the shenanigans happening in and around the ring, too. There were quite a few matches throughout the night, including characters like Cereal Man, Prisoner 420, and my bf's fave, Bart-Man, doing their thing. I was a big fan of the MonsterTown tag team, all of the creatures dressed in comical costumes and putting on even funnier moves against their rivals, especially the three-headed giraffe and mummy. Lots of props used throughout the show, including ladders, full-size doors (for the dramatic illusion of slamming opponents into these and breaking them), and fake weapons...... oh, but THIS IS REAL... and the dynamic chants from the crowd will remind you all night. Commentary by the "news anchor" host helped guide the storyline with a bit of humor, but I've experienced better and more entertaining announcers outside of Slam Town. Apparently this underground wrestling show is a lot tamer now (in April 2026) than it used to be, back when it was known primarily as "Hoodslam", but we still had a good time. The next Slam Town event is happening on May 22nd at Drake's in Oakland.

fun hyphy vibes in a quiet neighborhood AND hotboys for food?! it can't get better than this!read more

SF's best kept secret for classy musical performances. From what I've seen on their website,…read morevirtually all of their performances are free to the public. Tickets are easy to reserve online and I like that it's open seating so I can decide where I want to sit. San Francisco Conservatory of Music is also in a convenient location if you're taking public transit (the Civic Center Bart station and Van Ness bus stops are right there). The venue itself is beautiful, comfortable, and well maintained. I attended a Sunday afternoon performance that was 1 part opera, and 1 part symphony orchestra performance. It was a wonderful experience. Highly recommend!

I am very exciting to come to this beautiful conservatory, long glass window, golden decor, two…read morelevel tall. Very clean inside, comfortable seat

Yet another a great time out on the town. Went on Sunday this go round which made traffic and…read moreparking a little easier. Staff was nice and helpful. And Hells Kitchen was such a magnificent production. Highly recommend HK and the Orpheum. p.s. bathroom lines can get really long.

We watched the Michael Jackson Musical here and it was marvelous!…read more The tickets (at normal price) are very expensive ($100+). The theater is beautiful and the ushers are able to keep the crowd respectul. We took the Caltrain so I can't speak for the parking situation.