I had wanted to attend a performance of the San Francisco Opera since I moved up here. I had heard about this legendary Music Director Donald Runnicles and how SF Opera had gained national renown under him. But with the price of tickets starting at $25 for the nosebleed section in the back of the balcony and rising up to over $215 dollars for premium orchestra seats, I thought I would have to wait until after I became a pharmacist to see what the noise was all about. Fortunately, several of the performances have student rush tickets available for $15 the day of the concert. You must call or go to the box office the day of the performance to check availability and pick up tickets at least 30 minutes before show time. Though in semiformal attire, we felt like royalty as we found our seats on the orchestra level while older, better dressed patrons climbed their way to the balcony for the cheap seats. It was clear from the standing ovations that he had many fans among the audience, and after 3 hours of performances, it wasn’t hard to understand why those who could afford to shell out the big bucks did so.
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