San Francisco Opera: “Homecoming” Specifics

Readers may recall that, in a little less than a month, San Francisco Opera (SFO) will celebrate the start of a new era with a one-night-only event entitled Live and In Concert: The Homecoming, which will take place on September 10. Music Director Eun Sun Kim will direct the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a program that will feature two guest artists, soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen and mezzo Jamie Barton. Program specifics have not yet been announced, but the concert itself will serve as a “centerpiece” for a variety of festive events taking place both in the Civic Center and at Oracle Park. Because of the high demand, reservations cannot be made online and will be handled only by calling the Box Office at 415-621-4403. Box Office hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays. The events themselves are three “packages,” all including the concert, as follows:

1. The most extensive of these three events will be The Homecoming Celebration. The concert, which will begin at 7 p.m., will be preceded by a pre-curtain reception, which will be held on the Loggia of the War Memorial Opera House and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Those attending this event will also be able to return to the Loggia during the intermission for a continuation of that reception. After the conclusion of the concert, dinner will be served in the Green Room on the second floor of the Veterans Building overlooking City Hall. Individual tickets to this event will be sold for $3000, and a table for ten may be reserved for $30,000. Concert tickets are being sold separately. Cocktail attire will be required, and complementary valet parking will be provided.
2. The Homecoming Supper is basically the same as The Homecoming Celebration but without the pre-curtain reception. This option does include the intermission reception, and the dinner will be served in the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, which is on the top floor of the Veterans Building. Individual tickets to this event will be sold for $1500, and a table for ten may be reserved for $15,000. Concert tickets are being sold separately. Cocktail attire will be required, and complementary valet parking will be provided.
3. Finally, The Homecoming Cookout will provide a more casual experience. It will take place in the Oracle Suite Level of Oracle Park, where guests will be able to enjoy a live simulcast of the concert. The classic ballpark fare served on the Suite Level during Giants games will be available. Tickets will be sold only in blocks of ten, each for a single suite. The price will be $5000 (with, of course, no extra charge for the concert). Suites will open at 5:30 p.m. Complimentary parking will be provided in Lot A. The suites are partially outside; and one may dress as one usually would for attending a night game, bearing in mind the drop in temperature.

Note that all conditions outlined on the SFO “Safety First” Web page will be maintained as they will be at all opera performances.