San Francisco Opera

SF has been obsessed with opera since the Gold Rush, and it remains a staple on the social calendar. Bluebloods like Ann Getty always book the Tuesday A-series – the best nights to spot fabulous drag. The gorgeous 1932 hall is cavernous and echoey, but there’s no more glamorous seat in SF than the velvet-curtained boxes, complete with champagne service. The best midrange seats for sightlines and sound are in the front section of the dress circle. The balcony has the best sound but you’ll need binoculars to see the stage, unless you come on ‘Opera Vision’ nights, when a huge screen shows the action on stage (don’t sit directly beneath the flickering high-def monitors; if you come to the opera to get away from TV, you’ll hate the balcony during these performances). Hang in the back of the hall with die-hard opera buffs with standing-room-only tickets: starting at 10am, the box office sells 150 standing-room spots ($10, cash only); two hours before curtain, they release 50 more. Snag an empty seat after intermission, when somnambulant seniors go home – though all bets are off for Rossini and Mozart. Pre-order intermission cocktails at reserved tables in the lower-lobby cafe. Smokers and thrill-seekers: head to the Grand Tier outdoor terrace to overlook City Hall and Downtown’s twinkling lights – one of SF’s best nighttime views. If you’re walking by during a performance, wander into the box-office lobby and watch the stage monitors for a teaser.