We love auxiliary events, as they can help the community enjoy and absorb a concert or operatic production in multi-faceted ways. We can experience the work more deeply find different ways into it, and learn something we weren’t expecting.
San Diego Opera is capitalizing on this expansive dynamic with their April production of Rossini’s beloved The Barber of Seville, while partnering with local orgs to not only reach LGBTQ audiences, but to bring the whole community together around this inclusive energy. Bravo for this creative effort, bringing a classic 19th-century comedy into modern and extremely timely discussion.
See the press release below:
San Diego Pride, Out at the Fair®, #NowTrending App, and San Diego Opera Present “Out at the Opera”
April 25, 2020 performance of the comedy The Barber of Seville to feature a pre-opera reception and special pricing to help support San Diego Pride’s community mission
San Diego, CA – San Diego Opera once again will partner with SD Pride, Out at the Fair®, and #NowTrending App for “Out at the Opera” on Saturday, April 25, 2020 surrounding a performance of Rossini’s comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville. This new production is inspired by the films of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, whose bold colors, unique camera angles, and explorations of themes of sexual freedom and gender fluidity has earned him a cult following both in Spain and abroad.
This is the fourth “Out at the Opera” event the Company has hosted, with previous events surrounding As One (2017), Florencia en el Amazonas (2018), and Carmen (2019). The event will start at 6 PM with a private mix-and-mingle hosted reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, wine, and beer. Guests will have an opportunity of taking an exclusive backstage tour prior to the reception at 5:30 PM. San Diego Opera’s own General Director, David Bennett, will welcome guests and lead the festivities until the 7:30 PM performance of The Barber of Seville at the San Diego Civic Theatre. San Diego Opera is providing a number of discounted tickets for this event which includes the reception, the opera, and a donation to SD Pride to enable the organization to continue its vital mission of fostering pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.
“Out at the Opera” was created because of the Company’s desire to create a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and fun environment for everyone in our community and to celebrate the diversity within San Diego’s LGBTQIA community.
“Theatre is a safe place to allow us to express our true identities, so partnering with San Diego Pride is a natural fit for us,” shared San Diego Opera General Director, David Bennett. “The last three “Out at the Opera” events have been an incredible success and I look forward to welcoming both new and returning members of San Diego’s rich LGBTQIA community for a night of great music, comradery, inclusiveness, and fun.”
“Creating civic spaces for the LGBTQ community to feel safe, welcome, and authentically themselves is at the core of our mission at San Diego Pride. Fighting for those spaces here in San Diego and around the world is a social justice issue that we are proud to stand up for,” said Fernando Z. López, Executive Director of San Diego Pride. “It’s an honor to partner with the San Diego Opera as we continue to open doors for our LGBTQ community to enjoy some of the best art and culture San Diego has to offer.”
Tickets to “Out at the Opera” start at $134 and include entrance to the pre-opera reception, a performance of The Barber of Seville, and a $25 donation to San Diego Pride. $163, $178, and $229 packages are also available with better seating. Tickets are available online at: https://www.sdopera.org/out_barber
or through the “Out at the Opera” concierge representative, Vanessa Dinning, at Vanessa.Dinning@sdopera.org.
“With the mission of inclusion, community support and producing family-friendly community festivals across the country,” shares William Zakrajshek, founder of Out at the Fair® and co-founder of the NowTrending app, “we are proud to partner with the San Diego Opera and give our support to the fourth annual Out at the Opera event.”
About The Barber of Seville
Figaro, Figaro, Fiiiigggaarrro! He’s Seville’s “King of Lather and Foam” and master of a few other tricks as well. Barber by day, matchmaker by night, Figaro puts his wiles to work as he aids Count Almaviva in wooing the beautiful Rosina. She’s such a catch that her disreputable guardian Dr. Bartolo keeps her under lock and key with the intent of marrying her himself. But no challenge is too great for Figaro and with hilarious pranks, mistaken identities, and general tomfoolery at every turn, we’ll find out which marriage is made in heaven! Featuring “Largo al factotum,” the famous aria heard everywhere from car commercials to Bugs Bunny, and “Una voce poco fa,” Barber contains some of the most delightful music ever composed. This new production is inspired by the films of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar whose exploration of sexual freedom, gender fluidity, and bold use of colors and camera angles has earned him a cult following around the world.
About San Diego Pride
San Diego LGBT Pride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which has distributed more than $2 million in advancement of its mission of “fostering pride, equality, and respect for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities locally, nationally, and globally.” All proceeds from the festival support San Diego Pride’s community philanthropy efforts and year-round LGBT-youth-serving programs. You can learn more about the organization by visiting www.sdpride.org
About Out at the Fair®
Out at the Fair® is an award-winning, family-friendly, all-day festival, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, held in five Fairs in California and New Mexico. Conceived in 2011 by Will Zakrajshek as a Facebook group check-in at the San Diego County Fair, as “Unofficial Gay Days at the Fair,” OATF™ became an official Fair event in 2014, which is now produced by WZ Productions, LLC. The event is also held at an official capacity at the California State Fair in Sacramento, the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque, the Marin County Fair in San Rafael, CA, and the Santa Clara County Fair in San Jose, CA. WZP is the recipient of the Western Fairs Association’s Barham Award, the highest honor bestowed in the Fair industry, to recognize innovation, quality, and leadership in the field of service. More information: www.outatthefair.com.
About #NowTrending App
#NowTrending app is San Diego’s only LGBTQ+ app, providing information on community events and local businesses. The mission of NT is to connect the LGBTQ+ community with events and resources across the county. With nearly 16,000 downloads, and 7,000 active users, the app’s multi-faceted platform allows subscribers to interact in an unprecedented variety of ways. In addition to business and event listings, NT features photo galleries, music streaming, videos, raffles, music requests, and much more. More information: www.nowtrendingapp.com
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets for “Out at the Opera” are incredibly limited and be purchased at https://www.sdopera.org/out_barber or by emailing the “Out at the Opera” concierge representative, Vanessa Dinning, at Vanessa.Dinning@sdopera.org
San Diego Opera 2019-2020 Season
| Aida | Giuseppe Verdi | October 19, 22, 25, and 27 (mat), 2019 |
| One Amazing Night with Ailyn Pérez and Joshua Guerrero | December 11, 2019 | |
| Hansel & Gretel | Engelbert Humperdinck | February 8, 11, 14, and 16 (mat), 2020 |
| The Bel Canto Trio | March 4, 2020 | |
| Aging Magician | Paola Prestini | March 13 and 14 (evening and mat), 2020 |
| The Barber of Seville | Gioachino Rossini | April 25, 28, May 1 and 3 (mat) 2020 |
| The Falling and the Rising | Zach Redler | May 8, 9, and 10 (mat) 2020 |
San Diego Opera Mission Statement
The mission of San Diego Opera is to deliver exceptional vocal performances and exciting, accessible programs to diverse audiences, focusing on community engagement and the transformative power of live performance.
San Diego Opera Vision Statement
San Diego Opera will be recognized internationally as a leading example of adaptability, innovation and sustainability in the operatic arts, promoting diversified programming and unique performance venues with world-class and emerging talent.
San Diego Opera Core Values Statement
Through excellence in innovative programming and education, SDO provides a lasting cultural service to the community.
Our tradition of excellence in fully staged opera is augmented with new models of opera and venues. Our unique and deep commitment to the community propels us to explore ways of increasing affordability and accessibility.
Through fiscal responsibility and nimble adaptation to the changing marketplace, we protect the future of San Diego Opera.
Our educational and community involvement coupled with relevant programming will build the audience of the future.
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