Photo by Michael Winoku
San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley's season preview for 2013-2014 has divulged some plans for the future beyond the year. Beginning with the 2014-2015 season, Gockley says, the company will resume giving nine subscription operas and one production of a "popular" opera outside the regular subscription — meaning there will be the inevitable money-making warhorse that single ticket buyers love, but which subscribers will "not have to see again too soon."
Plans for the season after next include Handel's Partenope, Berlioz' Les Troyens (perhaps the longest-running promise in company history!), Bellini's Norma, Verdi's Un ballo en maschera, Floyd's Susannah (with Patricia Racette), and Rossini's La Cenerentola.
Of Susannah, previously promised and then delayed, Gockley says that the projected budget shortfall for the coming season caused the opera to be replaced by the guaranteed million-dollar box office attraction of Madama Butterfly (with Patricia Racette), a popular opera with small cast, small chorus, and short running time, meaning no overtime.
In his introduction to Showboat, Gockley said today only opera companies can present classic American musicals with full orchestras, casts and choruses. Current Broadway productions are limited to 32 casts members — principals and chorus. Other Broadway classics that are worthy of opera company productions, he said, are Kiss Me Kate, Most Happy Fella, and Sweeney Todd — the last coming to the War Memorial soon.