Last Sunday I attended a superb performance of Verdi’s most loveable opera, La Traviata, starring one of the opera world’s reigning divas  (I mean that in a good way) Anna Netrebko.  Now, getting to the opera house in the midst of the Pride Celebrations was pretty dicey. I took BART from Oakland and landed at the Civic Center station, blithely embedding myself into the heart of the festivities. I made me way through a sea of happy humanity toward what I hoped was not a dead end at Van Ness.  The costumes were fun if minimal, the liquid refreshment was flowing freely and the dance music was pounding.  I was close to getting what we used to call in High School a “contact high” when I finally bumped up against a stage.  There was no way for me to cross over to the opera house without joining in, so I danced my way through revelers in front of gigantic speakers until I reached the sidewalk. I made it to the Grove Street entrance of the opera house just in time to get my tickets from Bill (long-time usher and pal) and find my seat before the lights went down.  The haunting strains of the Act One Prelude slowly transported me to a different world. A world, interestingly enough, that is all about partying like there’s no tomorrow.  Despite their gorgeous 1920’s garb, I think the characters that inhabit Traviata would have enjoyed moving the party across the street to Pride Central.

It was news to me too when I heard that this organization had been around for nearly 100 years, supporting young musicians through scholarships and by providing opportunities for them to compete and perform. Read more.  Last Sunday afternoon, I got a chance to hear 4 wonderful young musicians who give new meaning to the expression “the promise of youth”.  They were soprano Ashley Knight, 9 year-old pianist, Anna Boonyanit, 12 year-old cellist, Travis Chen and harpist, Noel Wan.  Noel sent me this photo of  her, her sister and myself at the event.

Yes, that silly word is now officially in the dictionary so I’m ok to use it to say how grateful we are for once again being named Best Radio Station in the Bay Area by the readers of San Francisco Magazine.  It’s a tremendous honor and speaks to the passion and loyalty of KDFC listeners.  You’re the reason we do what we do.   If you’re free next Thursday,  join Hoyt and me at the Best of the Bay party.  One of the best bashes of the year  with food and drink from the, well, best restaurants and wineries and more in the Bay Area.  It’s a fundraiser for the UCSF Family House and it’s at the Metreon this year.  Party on!

Yesterday, on the anniversary of Dan Quayle’s 1992 run in with the word “potato”,  recent survey results were published in the UK about some tricky English words. the word “definitely” (I just misspelled it as I wrote this. sheesh) A spokesman for researchers OnePoll.com said: “So many of us seem unable to spell. Considering people judge others, yet don’t like their intelligence to be judged by how well they spell, they should up their game and pick up a dictionary.” Here is the tricky Top 10

1. Definitely (Definately) 2. Sacrilegious (Sacreligious) 3. Indict (Indite) 4. Manoeuvre (Maneouvre) 5. Bureaucracy (Beaurocracy) 6. Broccoli (Brocolli) 7. Phlegm (Phleghm) 8. Prejudice (Predjudice) 9. Consensus (Conscensus) 10.Unnecessary (Unecessary)

Regarding “potato” online listener Virginia Cuenca had a good comment in an email “I think the confusion derives from singular (potato): without the letter e; plural (potatoes), with e”

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Our 3rd SF Opera free simulcast at AT&T Park last Friday set a record for the number of folks attending (27K) and for just generally being the coolest event of the year. We worried about the weather leading up to Friday but it turned out perfect.  No fog, just a nearly-full moon hanging over the scene with seagulls circling above the crowd. And the opera itself was magnificent. Although it was a very casual, relaxed setting for grand opera, you could hear a pin drop during Tosca’s big aria, “Vissi d’arte”.  One of my favorite moments was watching David Gockley, the opera’s general director and live outdoor simulcast instigator, take in the scene from the Press Booth of AT&T Park. Let’s all do it again in September!

Some photos of the scene at AT&T Park with Hoyt Smith, my partner in crime:

One KDFC listener was so moved by Friday’s opera that she wrote a poem:

Quantum Opera

opera at a ball park

simulcast onto the score board

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” plays

on the mighty Wurlitzer

during the seventh inning stretch

or was that intermission

space-time continuum morphs

seagulls fly across the soprano’s face

right below the Budweiser sign

and the crowd cheers

as Tosca kills the villain

beer or margarita with

your garlic fries

a woman to the left

mentions she has seen UFOs

Schrödinger rolls over

and smiles

by Sandy Vrooman

Chanticleer’s beloved Joseph Jennings has announced his retirement from the organization effective June 30. From then on, Jennings will be known as Music Director Emeritus.  Joe was instrumental in the founding of Chanticleer along with the late Louis Botto some 26 years ago.  Thank you Joe for an amazing legacy of great music-making.  Read the press release.

David Juritz, leader of the London Mozart Players,  is a man with a mission.

David Juritz busking in his native South Africa

He has seen the power of music to shape young lives and is doing his best to enlist the people of our  planet to help disadvantaged youth throughout the third world. To that aim, his group, Musequality has set aside the week of June 8th to the 14th as the first ever Muesquality World Busk . David has visited the Bay Area a few times in the past performing at various public venues (he was kicked off Union Square, as I watched, by a security guard for performing without a license!). Now he is enlisting musicians across the globe including The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (Sunday 6/14 from 11:30 to 12:30 on Emerson in downtown P.A.) and violinist David McCarroll (Sunday 6/14 from 11:45 to 1pm outside Copperfield’s Books  in Sebastopol). As the World Busk site says, “If you play an instrument or sing we’d like you to join in.” Follow the links above to find out more and do spend some time and read the heartwarming stories about the power of music to change lives.

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