FREE Operas All Over Town! This Weekend: Stern Grove

I always thought The Opera was too high-brow for me'”that it would be all crustless sandwiches, drinking with your pinky up, and polite behavior (you’re not allowed to say 'œfuck' at The Opera).  But then in high school my worldly, cultured friend’s parents took us to the San Francisco Opera.  My friend was like 'œUgh, I hate the opera, it’s so boring, I’ve been so many times.'  I wanted to be agreeable but then we saw Madame Butterfly and it wasn’t boring at all, in fact it was kinda awesome.  I’ve always wanted to go again but alas, that shit’s expensive.

Until now!  There are FREE operas popping up all over the place.  The other day I went to see Marriage of Figaro at a park in Berkeley.  Open Opera is a new company putting on FREE, professional operas in Bay Area public parks- check out their upcoming events!  The plus is that, besides FREE admission, you can totally say 'œfuck' at these operas and no old lady with theatre binoculars is gonna pee herself.  It would have been an awesome show if I’d arrived on time, but all the seats were taken by the time I got there, so word of advice: if you plan on going, go early!  Otherwise you’ll be like me, wondering why people are laughing'”does everyone in Berkeley speak Italian but me?'”before realizing the screen with the translations is blocked by a tree because your late ass is sitting in the bushes.

Stern Grove Festival has been putting on FREE shows for 72 years!  If you haven’t been yet this summer, that means you missed Roberta Flack, the SF Symphony, Lyrics Born, and Joan Baez.  But there are still some shows left, including an opera.  You, broke-ass, in need of some sleep, and probably a shower, can now see the San Francisco Opera for FREE.  And hell, be polite, bring some crustless sandwiches, and drink your forty with your pinky up!

San Francisco Opera
Sunday, August 23rd at 2pm
Sigmund Stern Grove
19th Ave. & Sloat
FREE

Images via openpera.net and sterngrove.org