San Francisco Ballet & San Francisco Opera Announce Final Phase Of War Memorial Opera House Seats Project

By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Brandon Patoc)

The San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Opera, in collaboration with the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, has shared plans for the final phase of seat replacements within the War Memorial Opera House.

The organization announced that over the spring and summer of 2021, all seats in the Orchestra, Grand Tier and Dress Circle sections of the War Memorial Opera House will be replaced, improving comfort and sightlines in the auditorium.

The creation of new accessible seating areas will also be included in this final phase, furthering the organizations’ commitment to maximizing accessibility for all patrons.

The Installation of the new seats will take place over the course of 14 weeks between May and August 2021 with the War Memorial Opera House reopening on Sept. 10 to start the San Francisco Opera’s 2021–22 season-opening gala.

The construction will preserve the historic integrity, beauty, and acoustics of the theater, but improvements in the hall will include new custom seats, replacing the seats original to the 1932 building.

Sightlines to the stage from the Orchestra section will also be improved by the new seat design and a subtle staggering of seats along the center aisle.

In order for the project to take place both organizations will adjust the number of weeks they occupy the War Memorial Opera House in 2021. San Francisco Ballet is in discussions with BroadwaySF to present its last two programs of the 2021 season at the Orpheum Theatre, while the San Francisco Opera will move its June summer season to April and May.

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