A collection of three stories each told beautifully through exquisite music and vocals. The third story was perhaps the most tragic. The theme that tied them together was facing death and the consequences of guilt, regret, and fear. A wondrous piece from Nic Reveles.
You asked for it so here it is...I went to the opening night of Ghosts at the Balboa Theater. I've been to this theater for several recent events, but this was my first time sitting upstairs. Straight away it was not good. I'm of average height, 5'8" and had an aisle seat. To say the seats/rows are small is an understatement. I know it's an old and beautiful theater, but an upstairs upgrade is desperately needed. The show itself left a bit to be desired - the symphony was magical; the performers were wonderful. However, the sets were just so lackluster, and the stories matched. I did have a few good laughs especially during the second set but the bad outweighed the good, unfortunately. To end on a high note, the parking was easy and the ushers on the streets were a wonderful touch!
It was low budget, not creative, and the music didn’t appear to match the plot.
Wonderful performance. Beautiful theatre. Will go to every opera San Diego had to offer if they continue like this.
Tosca was a real treat for me and my husband! The voices of the main opera stars were exquisite! The sets were gorgeous and the orchestra sublime! I've seen Tosca performed by the New York City Opera, and truly I feel that San Diego Opera outshone it. It touched me deeply.
The sets were fabulous; the singing quality of both the principal soloists and the chorus was wonderful. The music…not so much. I was surprised how atonal much of the music was after listening to part of the pre-show lecture by (I believe) the composer during which she said this was not the case. I wish there had been at least one memorable aria. Alas, it was not to be. But I love having the opportunity to attend opera again and happy to see the S.D. Opera up and running.
My 94 year old mom had never been to an opera so my son, husband and I brought her. We all enjoyed it! My only suggestion is to be notified ( signs, etc.) that items from the concession may not be brought into the theater. We are accustomed to enjoying cheese & wine at the Symphony Shell & after spending $60 on snacks, we were scolded for attempting to bring them to eat with mom (in a wheelchair & hard to leave seat)
First off, I should say my experience started off badly because I mistakenly bought an over-priced ticket off one of those websites where people sell you their tickets. I thought it was the real SD Opera ticket site, so I paid $144 to sit in nearly the very last row of the theater (you don't know the location before you buy), where I almost needed an oxygen mask and definitely needed binoculars. For that money I could have had a real seat with a real view much, much closer. But that's on me. I also didn't realize that despite having to show my COVID vaccination card I would still be required to wear a mask throughout the three-hour performance. I'm not an anti-vaxxer or opposed to public health protocols, but had I known that SD Opera has more stringent mask requirements than the current state mandates, I would have stayed home rather than try to see through my foggy glasses from my mile-high seat. It's also worth noting for those who are unaware that there is a massive homeless encampment very nearby, and it would take a harder heart than mine not to feel my extreme privilege in stark contrast to those suffering right down the street. Which also puts into my context my kvetching about my lousy opera seats... Having said all that and acknowledging that I wasn't in the best spirits going in, I found the performance a mixed bag and left at intermission. From what I could see, the backdrop of roses that changed colors across scenes was lovely, romantic and uplifting. The costumes, however, were pretty drab and uninteresting for the most part (Juliette excepted), and most of the staging uninspired. I can't comment on the make-up because I couldn't see that much detail from where I was. Apart from the backdrop, what I most appreciated were the voices of the two leads, Romeo and Juliette. Romeo in particular, sung by New Zealander Pene Pati of Samoan descent (which is wonderfully interesting and unusual as a pathway into the world of opera), was both powerful and moving in his role, with a voice that easily resonated all the way up to the balcony. I was happiest when he was singing. Juliette too had a lovely soprano, but her voice was less strong and therefore less impactful by the time it got to my altitude. Perhaps that's a question of venue acoustics or microphones, I don't know, but there were other voices like Gertrude's that I could barely hear. Final kudos to Simon Lim, the bass who sang the role of Friar Laurent. I can't resist a deep, resonant voice. So all in all, not a great experience for the reasons stated above. I will end on a positive note, however, by reflecting a couple other things. The cast of the opera was highly diverse, which I appreciate. Also, almost without exception the venue staff were positive, kind, and helpful (minus the one guy who made a snarky, indirect comment about my being in the cheap seats--if he only knew!). Finally, there were lots of young people in attendance (people in their 20's), which I love, since the last times I went to the opera up in the Bay Area the audience was full of older folks like me. I only came to love opera in my late 30's; I am gratified to see a new generation of fans to carry the art forward.
The tickets were a gift. I couldn’t make it to the show, and there was no way to move the tickets to another date via Ticketmaster app or web site. Ticketmaster us unreachable by phone, so consequently I missed it.
Waste of time and money. We got up and walked out in Act I, scene II. Not much else to say as it would sound like a rant.
