San Francisco Opera's Madama B, Don G, Samson & D, La Rondine at San Rafael Film Center

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA’S MADAMA BUTTERFLY, DON GIOVANNI,

SAMSON AND DELILAH AND LA RONDINE COME TO

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER, JULY-AUGUST 2010

San Francisco Opera’s Grand Opera Cinema Series in HD begins July 8

with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Starring Soprano Patricia Racette,

Tenor Brandon Jovanovich and Mezzo-Soprano Zheng Cao

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Opera joins with the California Film Institute to present HD screenings of the Company’s acclaimed productions of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and pictured above, La Rondine, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. The Saturday matinee (10 a.m.) and Thursday evening (7 p.m.) screenings begin July 8, 2010 with Madama Butterfly and continue through August 15. Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Opera’s cinema presentations are presented for the first time at the Smith Rafael Film Center, one of the Bay Area’s most beautifully restored state of the art movie theaters.

Speaking of state of the art, this HD series is just part of the revolutionary media outreach from San Francisco Opera since the advent of David Gockley and his newly appointed associate director but long time colleague from Houston, Matthew Shilvock. Shilvock appointed by SFO.

The HD series played in San Francisco at the Kabuki before moving to San Rafael.

Strolling Fourth Street

Fourth Street in San Rafael also makes for pleasant summer strolling with trees lit with twinkle lights at night.  Many little cafes and restaurants line the sidewalks.  Moreover if you venture a short drive down Sir Francis Drake Boulevard into Fairfax, you will find a tiny ice-cream shop that sells honey lavender ice-cream and chocolate chili ice-cream a few doors from the Coffee Roastery, frequented by bicyclists.

Downtown San Rafael is home to Lotus Thai restaurant, with a ceiling that slides open; and the Puerto Rican tropical green restaurants called Sol Food, offering a divine coconut custard with mango sauce.

Pictured above, Brandon Jovanovich as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.

The series begins on July 8 and 10 with Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini’s classic story of colliding hearts and cultures which features some of opera’s most beautiful and captivating music. Madama Butterfly stars celebrated American soprano Patricia Racette in her signature role as the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-San opposite rising American tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton and mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao as Suzuki. Former San Francisco Opera Music Director Donald Runnicles conducts this stirring San Francisco Opera production created by Ron Daniels and directed by Kathleen Belcher. Encore presentations of Madama Butterfly will take place on August 12 and 14.

The series continues on July 15 and 17 with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The Don Juan legend crackles to life in the hands of one of the world’s most beloved composers. Cannily balancing comedy and tragedy, Leah Hausman directs this riveting San Francisco Opera/Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie co-production by David McVicar, conducted by Donald Runnicles. The cast features leading baritone Mariusz Kwiecien in the title role, with soprano Elza van den Heever as Donna Anna, soprano Twyla Robinson as Donna Elvira, tenor Charles Castronovo as Don Ottavio and bass Oren Gradus as Leporello. One encore presentation of Don Giovanni will take place on August 5.

Camille Saint-Saëns’s sweeping biblical epic Samson and Delilah, presented on July 22 and 24, stars mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as the seductive Delilah and tenor Clifton Forbis as the Old Testament hero who loses his heart, his hair and nearly his soul. Sandra Bernhard directs the opulent San Francisco Opera production by Nicolas Joël. Patrick Summers, San Francisco Opera’s principal guest conductor and Houston Grand Opera’s music director, conducts.

Giacomo Puccini’s rarely performed gem La Rondine, which played to sold-out houses at the War Memorial Opera House, screens on July 29 and 31. Renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu stars as the worldly Magda de Civry in this staging of Puccini’s elegant and poignant opera that tells the story of love between a kept woman from high society and a naïve younger man of moderate means. The cast also features tenor Misha Didyk (Ruggero), soprano Anna Christy (Lisette) and tenor Gerard Powers (Prunier). Ion Marin conducts this dazzling Art Deco-inspired production conceived by Nicolas Joël and directed by Stephen Barlow.

Recorded live in high definition at San Francisco’s historic War Memorial Opera House, all shows include English subtitles and a brief intermission featuring behind the scenes interviews. All performances feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Chorus (Ian Robertson, Chorus Director). Please see attached calendar for a complete schedule and screening information.

Tickets for San Francisco Opera’s Grand Opera Cinema Series at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center are priced at $10.25 and are available via cafilm.org/rfc, and at the Smith Rafael Film Center Box Office. For more information about Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, visit cafilm.org/rfc or call (415) 454-1222.

For more information about San Francisco Opera’s Grand Opera Cinema Series, including additional theaters currently screening the series, and further information and video clips of Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Samson and Delilah and La Rondine, visit sfopera.com/cinemaseries.

About Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center

Located in San Rafael, the three-screen Smith Rafael Film Center is among the finest state-of-the-art cinemas in the U.S., as well as one of a small number of non-profit movie theaters in the country dedicated to the celebration and support of the moving image as an art form. The Rafael combines the charm and elegance of an Art Deco movie palace with superb projection and sound. It is owned and operated by the California Film Institute, the non-profit arts organization that has produced the Mill Valley Film Festival since 1978.

About San Francisco Opera’s Grand Opera Cinema Series

San Francisco Opera launched its digital cinema series in Spring 2008 with its presentation of La Rondine, Samson and Delilah, Don Giovanni and Madama Butterfly to movie theaters across the country. These operas are now available to theaters and performing arts venues as part of the Company’s Grand Opera Cinema Series, which focuses on distributing San Francisco Opera cinema presentations to arts centers, independent film theaters, universities, and other venues in the western region of the country.

The cinema series is one of the many electronic media initiatives launched under the direction of General Director David Gockley. These include the Company’s free live simulcasts, one of the first innovations of David Gockley’s tenure and part of the Company’s campaign to bring opera into the community. Since 2006, the Company has presented seven free live simulcasts at venues throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco’s AT&T Park, for nearly 120,000 fans. San Francisco Opera’s simulcasts and cinemacasts are made possible through the technology of the Company’s Koret-Taube Media Suite, the first permanent HD broadcast-standard video production facility installed in an American opera house. The media suite gives the Company the permanent capability to generate a high-definition, multi-camera live feed of the stage for many uses including cinema presentations, its expanding tradition of free outdoor simulcasts, OperaVision (offering full stage, close-up and mid-range ensemble shots in high-definition video on two retractable screens for patrons seated in the balcony section of the War Memorial Opera House), and for educational and other uses. A grant from the Koret Foundation provided lead funding for the Koret-Taube Media Suite, with additional support provided by Tad and Dianne Taube. An anonymous donor committed the remaining required funding.

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA’S GRAND OPERA CINEMA SERIES AT THE

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER, JULY-AUGUST 2010

Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

TICKETS: $10.25; patrons may purchase tickets and select seats in advance at cafilm.org/rfc. Tickets are also available at the Rafael Film Center Box Office.

INFORMATION: For more information about Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, visit cafilm.org/rfc or call (415) 454-1222‎. For more information about San Francisco Opera’s Grand Opera Cinema Series, and to view video clips of these operas, visit sfopera.com/cinemaseries.

San Francisco Opera’s Madama Butterfly in HD

Thursday, July 8 at 7 p.m. Smith Rafael Film Center

Saturday, July 10 at 10 a.m. 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Thursday, August 12 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 14 at 10 a.m.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one ten-minute intermission

Rating: General Audiences

One of the world’s most beloved and dramatic operas, Madama Butterfly is a classic tale of colliding hearts and cultures set in 20th-century Japan. Internationally acclaimed soprano Patricia Racette is Cio-Cio-San, a geisha tragically torn between two worlds and forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to retain her honor. The cast is also led by tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao as Cio-Cio-San’s maid and confidante, Suzuki, and baritone Steven Powell as the American consul Sharpless. The San Francisco Opera production, created by Ron Daniels and designed by Michael Yeargan, is directed by Kathleen Belcher and conducted by Donald Runnicles. Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in Fall 2007.

San Francisco Opera’s Don Giovanni in HD

Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m. Smith Rafael Film Center

Saturday, July 17 at 10 a.m. 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Thursday, August 5 at 7 p.m.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Running time: 3 hours and 5 minutes with one ten-minute intermission

Rating: General Audiences

Leading baritone Mariusz Kwiecien sings the title role of Mozart’s Don Juan setting in this riveting San Francisco Opera/Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie co-production conceived by director David McVicar and production designer John McFarlane. The cast features sopranos Elza van den Heever (Donna Anna) and Twyla Robinson (Donna Elvira), mezzo-soprano Claudia Mahnke (Zerlina), tenor Charles Castronovo (Don Ottavio), basses Oren Gradus (Leporello) and Kristinn Sigmundsson (Commendatore), and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni (Masetto). Conducted by Donald Runnicles and directed by Leah Hausman. Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in Summer 2007.

San Francisco Opera’s Samson and Delilah in HD

Thursday, July 22 at 7 p.m. Smith Rafael Film Center

Saturday, July 24 at 10 a.m. 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Sung in French with English subtitles

Running time: 2 hours and 35 minutes with two ten-minute intermissions

Rating: General Audiences

Saint-Saëns’s sweeping biblical epic stars mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as Delilah and tenor Clifton Forbis as the Old Testament hero who loses his heart, his hair, and nearly his soul. The cast also features bass-baritone Juha Uusitalo as The High Priest of Dagon, bass Oren Gradus in the role of An Old Hebrew and bass-baritone Eric Jordan as Abimélech. Sandra Bernhard directs this sumptuous San Francisco Opera/Nicolas Joël production featuring sets by Douglas Schmidt and costumes by Carrie Robbins. Patrick Summers conducts. Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in Fall 2007.

San Francisco Opera’s La Rondine in HD

Thursday, July 29 at 7 p.m. Smith Rafael Film Center

Saturday, July 31 at 10 a.m. 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Running time: 2 hours and 5 minutes with one ten-minute intermission

Rating: General Audiences

Renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu stars as Magda de Civry in Puccini’s rarely-performed gem. Tenor Misha Didyk is the naïve young man (Ruggero) who falls in love with the worldly Magda in this Italian take on Viennese operetta. Soprano Anna Christy (Lisette), tenor Gerard Powers (Prunier) and bass-baritone Philip Skinner (Rambaldo) round out the cast. The stunning Art Deco-inspired production by Nicolas Joël (from Royal Opera, Covent Garden and Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse), with set design by Ezio Frigerio and costumes by Franca Squarciapino, is directed by Stephen Barlow and conducted by Ion Marin. Recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House in Fall 2007.

 For more information:  www.SFOpera.com