After more than a year of waiting and worry, the San Francisco Opera (SFO) and San Francisco Symphony (SFS) are back to live, in-person performances. It only feels sudden because the pandemic has destroyed our sense of time.
Both organizations have been planning cautiously for the resumption of live concerts for months. SFO predicted live opera for spring back in February and, with customary ingenuity and ambition, is making good on the huge promise with big drive-in performances and outdoor simulcasts.
No carhops or window speakers, an FM signal mix is broadcast to each car, but no one will stop you from bringing your own popcorn. Whether you drive or have friends with a vehicle, a new production in English of Rossini's perennial favorite The Barber of Seville seems a fine choice for a happy return to business.