Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [169]
You can also get tickets to most theater and dance events through City Box Office, 180 Redwood St., Ste. 100, between Golden Gate and McAllister streets off Van Ness Avenue ( 415/392-4400; www.cityboxoffice.com). MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
Tickets.com ( 800/225-2277; www.tickets.com) sells computer-generated tickets (with a hefty service charge of $3–$19 per ticket!) to concerts, sporting events, plays, and special events. Ticketmaster ( 415/421-TIXS [8497]; www.ticketmaster.com) also offers advance ticket purchases (also with a service charge).
For information on local theater, check out www.theatrebayarea.org. For information on major league baseball, pro basketball, pro and college football, and horse racing, see “Spectator Sports” in chapter 6.
And don’t forget that this isn’t New York: Bars close at 2am, so get an early start if you want a full night on the town in San Francisco.
THE PERFORMING ARTS
Special concerts and performances take place in San Francisco year-round. San Francisco Performances, 500 Sutter St., Ste. 710 ( 415/398-6449; www.performances.org), has brought acclaimed artists to the Bay Area for more than 30 years. Shows run the gamut from chamber music to dance to jazz. Performances are in several venues, including the Herbst Theater and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The season runs from late September to June. Tickets cost from $12 to $50 and are available through City Box Office ( 415/392-4400) or through the San Francisco Performances website.
Classical Music
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra This orchestra of baroque, classical, and “early Romantic” music performs in San Francisco and all around the Bay Area. The season lasts September through April. Performances are in Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are sold through City Box Office, 415/392-4400 (box office), or call 252-1288 (administrative offices). www.philharmonia.org. Tickets $30–$75.
San Francisco Symphony Founded in 1911, the internationally acclaimed San Francisco Symphony has long been an important part of the city’s cultural life under such legendary conductors as Pierre Monteux and Seiji Ozawa. In 1995, Michael Tilson Thomas took over from Herbert Blomstedt; he has led the orchestra to new heights and crafted an exciting repertoire of classical and modern music. The season runs September through June. Summer symphony activities include a Summer Festival and a Summer in the City series. Tickets are very hard to come by, but if you’re desperate, you can usually pick up a few outside the hall the night of the concert. Also, the box office occasionally has a few last-minute tickets. Performing at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (at Grove St.). 415/864-6000 (box office). www.sfsymphony.org. Tickets $25–$114.
Opera
In addition to San Francisco’s major opera company, you might check out the amusing Pocket Opera, 469 Bryant St. ( 415/972-8930; www.pocketopera.org). From early March to mid-July, the comic company stages farcical performances of well-known operas in English. The staging is intimate and informal, without lavish costumes and sets. The cast ranges from 3 to 16 players, supported by a chamber orchestra. The rich repertoire includes such works as Don Giovanni, The Barber of Seville, and over 80 other operas. Performances are Friday at 7:30pm, throughout the day on Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Call the box office for complete information, location (which varies), and showtimes. Tickets cost from $20 (students) to $37.
Free Opera
Every year,