In honor of San Francisco Opera Guild‘s 75th anniversary, Romana Bracco, Katie Jarman and Marsha Monro put on a cabaret show and called it POPera! Held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco on April 10, 2014, the event served as a fundraiser for the Guild’s education and community programs. After a buffet supper for some 300 patrons in the Fairmont’s Gold Room, guests moved to the Venetian Room for a cabaret that featured performances from American soprano Deborah Voigt, Jonathan Groff, Romanza, Tony Award winner Lillias White, and a surprise visit from Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy.  The show was produced by Marilyn Levinson of Bay Area Cabaret, now in its 10th season at the Venetian Room.
San Francisco Opera Guild’s yearlong celebration of its 75th anniversary continues with Opera Ball: Passione on September 5th. The event will mark the opening of San Francisco Opera’s 92nd season with a new production of Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma featuring soprano Sondra Radvanosky. Opera Ball Co-Chairs Teresa Medearis and Cynthia Schreuder are working with event designer Riccardo Benevides to turn San Francisco City Hall into Julius Ceaser’s imperial palace. Tickets are available now; the event is expected to sell out.
Photos by Drew Altizer Photography
