Bravo! on Opening Night at the Opera

BRAVO! Club, the group dedicated to building a new audience for San Francisco Opera, held its 23rd annual opening night gala and celebrated the start of the Opera’s 91st season on September 6, 2013. Some 150 members and supporters gathered for a pre-performance reception on the outdoor loggia of the War Memorial Opera House. They watched the opening night production of Mephistopheles and then headed down the block on Grove Street for desserts and dancing at Jardiniere.

Sia Charonis and Lauren Groff co-chaired the Bravo! opening night event, which aimed at attracting young professionals from ages 21 – 40 with gala tickets from $250, an alternative to the Opera Ball where seats started at $1,000.

Bravo! on Opening Night at the Opera

Anna Menyhart and Tomas Koppl on the loggia of the War Memorial Opera House for the BRAVO! Club Opening Night Gala 2013

Sia Charonis, a lawyer for Google, co-chaired Bravo! Club’s Opening Night Gala

Claudia Ross and Maryam Muduroglu

Skip Dacanay and Veronica Rivas-Tramontozzi

Matthew Kimball and Robert Penney

Amy Higgins and Jennifer Raiser

Vicky Woo, Victoria Weatherford

Fashion designer Vasily Vein with Maria Ruchka, in a gown by Vasily Vein (Drew Altizer Photography)

Bravo! Club vice president Ileana Facchini, board member Anne Aleksandrova, and opening gala co-chair Lauren Groff

Bravo!’s post-performance gala was held at Jardiniere restaurant on Grove Street in San Francisco

San Francisco Opera opened its 91st season with a new stage production of Mephistopheles (photo by Cory Weaver)

Rachel Hendricks, Heather Ivancic and Beverly Jane Peatross at Jardiniere

Drew Altizer Photography

— Check out Red Carpet Bay Area coverage of more BRAVO! Club opening night celebrations:

• The Bravo! Party on Opening Night 2014
• Bravo! San Francisco Opera’s 90th Season (2012)
• The Cutest Couple at Bravo’s Opening Night Party (2012)