Friday, August 19, 2022

SFS to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Readers may recall that one of the traditions of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) is the celebration of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which takes place on the first Saturday in November. This tradition resumed this past November, after all of the War Memorial facilities had been re-opened for audience attendance in the wake pandemic restrictions that had been ordered by Mayor London N. Breed as of March 7, 2020. Yesterday SFS announced a new celebration for the Hispanic community.

Hispanic Heritage Month was originally Hispanic Heritage Week, established by legislation sponsored by Rep. Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. It was expanded to a month (September 15 to October 15) in 1988, when new legislation was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Next month SFS will celebrate this occasion with a one-night-only Fiesta Patrias performance in Davies Symphony Hall.

Members of Ballet Folklórico de los Ángeles dancing with mariachi accompaniment (courtesy of SFS)

The program will be divided in half, the first half featuring song and the second presenting dance. The singer for the first half will be songwriter Lupita Infante, who will be making her SFS debut. The conductor will be Enrico Lopez-Yañez. The songs themselves will present a rich variety of perspectives on Hispanic traditions. Lopez-Yañez will begin the program with a performance of “Huapango,” composed by José Pablo Moncayo and a familiar selection for the Day of the Dead programs. The dance portion will feature the Ballet Folklórico de los Ángeles. SFS will not provide the music for the dancers’ offering. Rather, they will perform with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar.

This performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 15. Ticket prices range from $25 to $109. Tickets are being managed by the SFS Box Office, which is located at the entrance to Davies on the south side of Grove Street between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street. Tickets may also be purchased through a Web page on the SFS Web site, which has a display showing which price categories apply to which areas in the hall. (Tickets are available in all areas except for the Terraces.) Finally, tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 415-864-6000.

As of this writing, Davies Symphony Hall is operating at full audience capacity. A face covering is recommended for entry but no longer required. A limited number of KN95 or equivalent face masks will be available for those patrons that request them.

SFS still requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for everyone entering Davies Symphony Hall ages 12 and up who is eligible—including patrons, performers, volunteers, and staff. “Full vaccination” is defined as two weeks after completion of the two-dose regimen of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or other WHO authorized COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, proof of booster shots is not required. Patrons under age 12 must show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (PCR test taken within 2 days of event entry or rapid antigen test taken within one day of event entry).

For those patrons under age 12 who wish to show verification of a negative COVID-19 test result, the following are acceptable as proof: a printed document (from the test provider or laboratory) or an email, text message, Web page, or application (app) screen displayed on a phone or mobile device from the test provider or laboratory. The information should include person’s name, type of test performed, negative test result, and date the test was administered. A photo verifying negative test results from a self-administered antigen (rapid) test taken within one day of event entry is also acceptable. Additionally, patrons may bring unopened at-home rapid tests with them to Davies Symphony Hall to take with a verified EMT present. Further information is available at the “Patron Safety at Davies Symphony Hall” Web page. 

No comments: