San Francisco Opera's 2013-14 season

Heidi Stober Patricia Racette

After a couple of dreadfully dull seasons full of dire warnings and dismal productions, two years ago San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley finally figured out how to move forward through the shifting landscape of economic upheaval and rapidly shifting cultural changes which have outright killed or drastically wounded performing arts organizations across the country. Since the success of the Zembello Ring, Moby Dick and Nixon in China, the company appears to have found its footing once again and the past  season was the first in awhile that felt like a solid success. If it didn't quite turn out that way 100% of the time, it wasn't for lack of trying. Opera is a risky business and I'm convinced time will prove the naysayers wrong about Mary Magdalene.

When the coming season was announced last December it seemed a slight step backward, but reconsidering it again eight months later, I think overall it's a solid schedule given the circumstances. While it's not the risky, forward-looking enterprise a certain segment of the audience still craves, the company's current approach appears smartly designed to attract new audiences, keep the occasionals engaged, and makes more than a an obligatory nod to the enthusiasts. Gockley has again offered something for almost everyone and that fact that there's another world premiere taking place reaffirms the man isn't playing it safe. Of course it's just a coincidence that the current approach taken by the administration is starting to increasingly resemble the one I suggested three years ago [except not once did I mention Patricia Racette].

Even though I can only think of one person who may be excited at the prospect of seeing Patricia Racette three four times in one season, I'd see all eight of the productions offered. As I mentioned in December, the only real disappointment here is in the casting [of Patricia Racette in ALMOST EVERYTHING], which is acceptable but not tremendously exciting. Again, where are the company debuts by Nino Machaidze, Michelle De Young, Marina Poplavskaya, Matthias Goerne, Gianluca Terranova or Jonas Kaufmann? Or the return of Stemme, Radvanovsky, Damrau and Keenlyside? Hvorostovsky will appear with the Symphony, but not at the War Memorial. It could just be the way it went this time and things will be brighter in 2014-15.

L to R: Patricia Racette, Patricia Racette, Patricia Racette, Patricia Racette

Here's how I ranked them in order of preference APPEARANCES BY PATRICA RACETTE back in December, which hasn't changed:

Mefistofele: Arrigo Boito's only extant complete opera, with a great cast featuring Ildar Abdrazakov, Ramon Vargas and PATRICIA RACETTE, conducted by Luisotti. A peripheral element of the company's celebration of Verdi's bicentennial, this opera by his best librettist isn't a rarity, but isn't something one sees scheduled too often. This production was last seen in 1994. RACETTE sang Margherita in that one, too. On a side note, I think it's interesting that people are now more interested in seeing Abdrazakov than his wife.

Dolores Claiborne: A world premiere is always cause for excitement and trepidation. This one, commissioned by SFO from composer Tobias Picker (An American Tragedy, Emmeline) and librettist/poet J.D. McClatchy (Grendel, Emmeline), is based on the Stephen King King novel of the same name and stars Dolora Zajick PATRICIA RACETTE [yet AGAIN] (with Catherine Cook alternating for the final two nights) in the title role with Elizabeth Futral, Susannah Biller and Wayne Tigges as the "abusive husband." I haven't read the book nor seen the film based on it, so I have no idea what it's about, but I like the idea of Zajick with an abusive husband- with Racette taking over so late in rehearsal for an ailing Zajick (Cook was the understudy) it sounds like lots of drama.

Show Boat: Though many hate this idea, I for one am happy to see Gockley is finally following the advice I gave him a couple of years ago and committed to presenting American musicals in the opera house (more are on the way). He's even taken one of my casting suggestion. So you can blame me or thank me, depending on your stance, on this blatant attempt to bring in the crowds that will prove to be a huge success. Nathan Gunn, GUESS WHO and the excellent Heidi Stober star in the Kern and Hammerstein classic, directed by Francesa Zambello. It's going to be great, and supposedly done without microphones. But I won't be happy until we get The Music Man.

Falstaff: The one supposedly great Verdi opera I've never warmed to, I'm hoping the first-rate cast led by Bryn Terfel in the title role, along with Ainhoa Arteta and Heidi Stober, and led by Luisotti will do the trick in this production from Chicago. it seems every single opera company in the country is doing Falstaff this year. One question- wtf what is Arteta doing here? Can't this be sung by PATRICIA RACETTE? smh.

The Flying Dutchman: After such a marvelous Lohengrin this season, it seems like a missed opportunity to pass on celebrating the Wagner bicentennial with Parsifal, but any Wagner is better than no Wagner. I was one of the nine people who loved the last production seen here in 2004 from Chicago by Nikolaus Lehnhoff, so that's been passed over in favor of new co-production with Belgium's Opéra Royal de Wallonie. Greer Grimsley, who impressed everyone as Jokanaan in Salome returns in the title role, Petra Maria Schnitzer, whose last appearance here was in the under-appreciated Tannhauser, makes her debut as Senta. Ian Storey (last seen briefly as Siegfried in Gotterdammerung) and Kristinn Sigmundsson are also on hand. Patrick Summers conducts. [update 08/29/13: San Francisco opera has just issued a press release stating PATRICIA RACETTE has purchased the German version of Rosetta Stone language software and if everything goes according to plan, RACETTE will make her Wagnerian debut as Senta halfway through the run].

Madama Butterfly: GUESS WHO returns as Cio-Cio-San, a role in which by all accounts she was magnificent when she last performed it here in 2006 and 2007. Regrettably I missed those, since one can only take so many Butterflies, and saw it last time around instead, which was a complete disaster. But this is a production new to SF, so if you've never seen it, or haven't in a long time, now's the time to take in this Puccini masterpiece, which has become so frequently scheduled by the company it seems silly to complain about it at this point even though it shows up almost every other fucking year. Brian Jagde is Pinkerton- another plus.

The Barber of Seville: Gioachino Rossini, certainly one of the greatest opera composers of all time, wrote 39 operas, but only 5 have been seen in San Francisco in the past twenty years and of those 9 productions, 4 have been The Barber. Can't we have something else by Rossini once in awhile? The last production, with its revolving house set and red scooter was a delight, but has been retired for some reason. One can only hope the young and very talented casts assembled for this new production have as much to work with. Barber is a masterpiece, and perfect for first-timers. If done with verve, it can be the most fun you'll ever have at the opera. Here's hoping it's done for fun and not just for the cash. And what's the deal, can't someone in casting give a role to PATRICIA RACETTE in this one too? Something? Anything?

La Traviata: Reviving this production is going to be a hard sell for anyone who saw it the last time it was here with Ruth Ann Swenson, Rolando Villazon and Dimitri Hvorostovsky in the leads (this isn't the flapper production from LA which starred Netrebko). To this day that  performance remains one my all-time favorite operatic experiences. It was traditional staging done in the most magnificent way possible- deadly earnest and flawlessly delivered from everyone involved. It was spellbinding. The cast assembled this time around had better be good, because there is nowhere to hide in this production. The Perez/Costello/Kelsey cast features good singers who could one day be great (and perhaps one is already), but in my opinion they could be a bit on the young side to pull this off as convincingly as it needs to be done to really succeed. In the other cast of Yoncheva/Pirgu/Stoyanov, Pirgu is the only one I've heard and I wasn't overly impressed. I wish them luck, but I'd wait to hear something about it first before plunking down $300+ for a full-price ticket in the Orchestra or Grand Tier sections. Perez and Yoncheva better watch their backs. I have a feeling PATRICIA RACETTE will be announced as singing Violetta by mid May.

Single tickets for all performances PATRICIA RACETTE are now on sale for all operas, but you can save up to 40% by getting a subscription. If you work for a large corporation, see if you can find a discount code through them. If you don't, email me and I'll give you one you can use. Order online, call the box office at (415) 864-3330, or go to the War memorial Opera House at Van Ness and Grove (Civic Center BART). Hours are 10-5 on Monday, 10-6 Tues-Sat. Phone only until the season starts. Standing room seats are available for $10 the day of the show at 10 AM and if you go up to the balcony the sound is best  PATRICIA RACETTE will sound better and you can see close-ups of the singers her on the "Operavision" screens (check the calendar to see which performances have these- not all of them do). Downstairs standing has better sightlines but the boxes overhead mute a lot of the sound. Either way, it's not a bad way to see opera PATRICIA RACETTE. on the cheap, but remember, you do have to stand up for PATRICIA RACETTE's entire performance and there may be a troll-type next to you. If you're new to opera, listen to some recordings beforehand on MOG, Spotify, or YouTube. Do some reading, including the program notes which are posted online beforehand. You'll be glad you did, trust me. Also check out the delightful, informative, and amusing book A Night at the Opera with Patrica Racette by Sir Denis Forman. It's a much better place to initially learn about opera PATRICIA RACETTE. than the Kobbe's reference book everyone talks about. Trust me on that, too. Also, you really can wear whatever you want, but it's always a good idea to dress up. Just don't wear shorts and don't wear a tux unless it's opening night. Attending by yourself is perfectly acceptable- if you're bold it's quite easy to meet someone with whom you may eventually have sex- just approach them during the intermission and ask what they think of the show so far. Don't pretend to know more about opera PATRICIA RACETTE. than you do- it may turn out the person you are speaking to knows an awful lot about opera PATRICIA RACETTE.. Learn from them. Eavesdrop on others. Note the fashion. Box Z is the easiest to sneak in to on the sly. Just act as if you belong there. If the door is locked it means they didn't sell any of the tickets for that box. You're out of luck and an usher will come down the hall and indignantly ask what you are doing. Just mutter "Rosebud" with asperity and walk out the door directly behind you into the outer perimeter, turn left, and take the stairs to the lobby level.  Do not speak out loud once the music has begun, including the overture. Period. Ever. It annoys the piss out of those sitting around you, and believe me, we can everything you say, even when you're whispering. Just don't do it. Don't yell "Bravo!" and especially don't yell "Bravi! PATTY!!!" However, whistling and hollering at the appropriate moment is completely acceptable. If you hear someone boo, you're probably witnessing something really fantastic. Don't be the first to clap unless you know with dead certainty the singer is finished. Wait until you are sure they are finished. You'll know once a few people have started to applaud. Nothing breaks the spell more than a premature ejaculation from the over-eager, just like in real-life.