Opera Under The Stars Last Night

By Lil Mike

October 7th, 2006 @ 5:24 PM Art, Community, Downtown, Entertainment, Music, Outside, Public, SF in Pictures, The City

That lauded multi-mega million dollar gift to the San Francisco Opera from Mrs. Edmund W. Littlefield helped support the mega-production last night of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The big spenders threw down for simulcasts at The Frost Amphitheater @ Stanford, and a huge outdoor screen at the Civic Center that took two days to stage.

The High Definition Broadcast was recorded for posterity and enjoyed live by a few thousand folks stretched out on the plaza last night. Along with the opera, viewers who waited in the brisk evening chill were treated to a geeky live backstage tour of the War Memorial Opera House replete with stage crew interviews. In addition to the show, a veritable homeless camp of tents were set up to accomodate Italian catered meals, espresso and merch tents. No word on whether they allowed the normal residntsof the Civic Center to dine on the leftovers and stay in the tents later…

If you missed this free outdoor cultural extravaganza, you can buy a ticket for a future performance with side balcony view starting at $25 and on up…to well over a $100

details, cast and dates after the jump…

CAST
Rigoletto: Paolo Gavanelli /
Valeri Alexejev (10/21 - 10/29)
Gilda: Mary Dunleavy
The Duke: Giuseppe Gipali*
Count Monterone: Greer Grimsley