Entertainment in San Francisco is very abundant in many different facets. San Francisco is well known for its rich performing arts culture. World’s famous opera, ballet, theatre, film festival, and orchestra originated from the city. The cultural offerings in San Francisco don’t just end there. Cutting edge comedy, music and dance are also found at different venues across the city as well as the Bay Area.
Theatre and dance
American Angels rose from San Francisco during the American Conservatory Theatre. They went on to win Pulitzer and Tony’s prize which placed them on high performing arts ranks. Other famous playwrights premiered at the Intersection for Arts. These included Junot Diaz the Pulitzer winner, Denis Johnson the National book award winner and poet Jessica Hagedorn. The Berkeley Shakespeare theatre is a great tradition of Shakespeare production in addition to other classic productions. The production season runs from June through to September.
Movies and film
Cinema lovers adore vintage movie places in San Francisco. These include the Castro and the Roxie that is known for indie movies and banned documentaries. There is also Balboa which offers family-friendly movies and first-run films. Kabuki Sundance features big festivals and flicks every spring. Robert Redford’s initiative plays host to the annual International Film Festival in San Francisco. This is one of America’s oldest festivals in film production with over 300 films screened.
Also, the city hosts the Arab and Jewish film festivals, with free movie nights in the summer at Dolores Park. In addition, the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, a renowned film center has an ever-changing schedule of classic and international films. On the other hand, the Paramount theatre screens classic films a few times every month. San Francisco’s annual film festival, the Cinequest, is hosted at California theatre every February or March.
Entertainment in San Francisco consists of a lot of Live Music
The entertainment in San Francisco provides many live music venues and choices. San Francisco Symphony is one of them and it sets the pace for modern classical music with guests including Rufus Wainwright, Norman, and Metallica. San Francisco Opera which is a stone throw away was started in the 19th century but that does not mean its works are all traditional. It has produced high-grade works such as the Dead Man Walking, Harvey Milk, and Dangerous Liaisons.
Contrary to the classical arts that have become rare, blues and jazz are regularly played in clubs and bars across the city. Café Van Kleef in Oakland features live jazz and blues and occasional rock bands. Today, the San Francisco Jazz Centre has become the new star on the jazz scene. It opened in 2013 and has created its niche in live jazz performances.