Announcement Archive  2020-21

SF BALLET SEASON SIGNUPS   (posted 12/26/21)

Scheduling for San Francisco Ballet's 2022 Repertory Season will open on January 7. On the Tuesday before (January 4), volunteers ushering in 2021 or for Shen Yun will be sent a message with their start date. (Note: these messages often go to Spam.) Volunteers who have not ushered at the Opera House in the last six months will be able to begin scheduling on January 16.   

Volunteers who cancel a Shun Yun commitment without adding another will have their Ballet season signups reviewed.   (revised 1/4/21)

NUTCRACKER  IS BACK!  SO TOO IS  SHEN YUN   (posted 11/4/21)

Nutcracker (December 10-30) and Shen Yun (January 2-7) are returning to audiences at the Opera House.  Can normalcy be around the corner?    [Editorial Note: It wasn't.]

Information about scheduling was sent by e-mail on November 4. Volunteers who missed the mailing and have ushered this Fall are asked to look for it in any Spam/Junk folder before requesting another copy.  

USHERING ELSEWHERE  (latest version 10/4/21)

Since 2014, OHUG members have been invited by other venues to come and usher beyond the Opera House.

On July 16, 2021, we posted a request from House Manager Dan Priven-Troncoso of the SF Bach Choir, looking for volunteer ushers for upcoming concerts, particularly the Candlelight Christmas concert on Saturday, December 4. Want more information? Go to sfbach.org, or e-mail Dan Priven-Troncoso.

On September 24, 2021, we also posted that the New Century Chamber Orchestra is actively looking for volunteer ushers on a ongoing basis. If you are interested, please submit the form available here. 

Please also note that we still have standing invitations to help out at the Lark Theater in Larkspur and SF Playhouse. For details about these, click here.

REOPENING! RESET!  CONTINUES . . .   - posted 9/12/2021

Scheduling for Fidelio and Cosi fan tutte begins on Wednesday, September 15.   E-mail notification has been sent. Volunteers who missed the mailing and have ushered recently are asked to look for it in their Spam/Junk folder.

Ushers with a break in service can e-mail <ushers@sfopera.com> to find out about returning to the Opera House.

The message included information about guest ushering and the training videos.  In E-mail on August 20, Jamye first asked volunteers to join with the staff in watching these videos, as we are able.

What is Cultural Humility?

Implicit Bias Unwrapped

Implicit Bias: Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism   (Link repaired 9/17)

Microaggressions Explained

Calming & De-escalation Strategies

Building Awareness in the Workplace

Cultural Competence

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Video

4 Steps for Busting Unconscious Bias

Cognitive Biases Explained - How to Think Better and More Logically Removing Bias

What You Need to Know About Microaggressions - Trans Women & Non-Binary POC

Conflict De-Escalation Techniques

NEW LOOK FOR THE OHUG WEBSITE  (first posted 9/7/21)

Welcome to the new OHUG web site created to fulfill Google directives.  All of the information from the former pages should be here.  The design is different, and may make using the pages easier on mobile devices. 

The navigation information that was in a column on the left now appears at the top (and probably continues on your Internet device with a "More" on the right) or is available through the 3-bars on the top left of the screen when accessing OHUG  on cell phones.  

Please e-mail any questions or suggestions for improvement.   Thanks!

REOPENING! RESET! - posted 7/1/2021

Jamye is looking forward to seeing people back at the Opera House and on July 1 sent an e-mail message describing anticipated changes. Ushers are asked to search their spam folder before requesting another copy. Her message refers to "tiers", which are explained under "Scheduling" on the General Information page.

Performances of Tosca await!  "Vissi d'arte . . ." 

A DIVILA DISPATCH IN THE TIME OF CORONA - posted 3/3/2021

As you know, things are slowly changing: SF Opera is resuming a level of live performance (in Marin) and the city is loosening the restrictions on gatherings.  Dare we hope that more theater is going to be possible this year?The new seats for the Orchestra and Grand Tier were delivered on March 1.  And of course I got photos.  

I am sharing some here so you can be part of the excitement over that. I do miss you all as I sit in San Francisco Ballet’s offices, taking the temperatures of the dancers as they try to keep in shape for the future seasons.  And I sincerely hope that you are staying safe and doing well.      -  Jamye

SPRING OPERA 2021 - first posted 2/13/2021

Live opera is coming back!  On Tuesday, February 16, SF Opera announced that live performances will resume from April 23 to May 15 in San Rafael. These will have drive-in audiences packing (hopefully) the Fairgrounds at Marin Center. The Lagoon area nearby will also allow ticket-holders in their cars to experience the performances live via simulcast on a drive-in-movie screen.

In total, there will be 11 performances of an English, abridged version of The Barber of Seville and 3 concerts with the 2021 Adler Fellows. The western world's most famous musical prequel will feature Lucas Meachum as the wily barber, Daniela Mack and Laura Krumm as Rosina, and Alek Shrader as Count Almaviva. (Mack and Schrader are married in real life, butterflies and former Adlers.)

In case you are wondering, it is an open question as to whether there will be OHUG volunteer-ushering opportunities for these performances.  And it may not be until September that we will be seeing each other again in the Opera House, if then. So please continue to stay tuned here.

(revised 2/17)

NUTCRACKER  AND THE 2021 BALLET SEASON - posted 10/28/20

On Tuesday, October 27, Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson announced plans for an up-coming streaming of Nutcraker and an all-digital 2021 Season.

With the continuing health pandemic placing restrictions on large public, in-person gatherings, Tomasson and his SF Ballet team have reimagined a streamed season that will include

  -  three mixed programs, each with one world premiere by either Cathy Marston, Danielle Rowe, or Myles Thatcher;

  -  George Balanchine’s Jewels with a newly filmed version of “Emeralds”   (April 1 - 21)

  -  and three full-evening, story ballets:

        1) George Balanchine’s  A Midsummer Night’s Dream;

        2) Helgi Tomasson’s  Romeo & Juliet  (May 6–May 26);

        3) and a new digitally-conceived film version of  Swan Lake  (May 20 - June 9)

FROM JAMYE: NUTCRACKER  & NEWS - first posted August 25, 2020

It’s official: San Francisco Ballet has cancelled the live Nutcracker this year.  The  announcement was made on Monday, August 24, and asks patrons for suggestions on ways to connect over the holidays.  [There was a survey on the webpage, and in social media outlets.] Please join in the conversations if you want. Let me know if you have any questions.

The exciting news is the War Memorial will be replacing the seats during this time and we should have new seats in the Orchestra and Grand Tier / Dress Circle when we do come back. I’m hoping all of our backsides will be grateful for the change.

Update (9/17): Seat replacement is starting, and will be completed by January 2021. Accessible seating in the left and right Orchestra sections will also be added, and an adjustment made to the current seat layout, creating more stagger rows on the main floor to enhance sightlines, with new pathway lighting improving access and excess. For details (and a new seat map), click HERE.

A NEW  [VIRTUAL]  CHAT FEATURE - first posted June 25, 2020

Today, Jamye e-mailed all OHUG volunteers. Among other things, she announces a new way for ushers to communicate with each other through ESP (an Essential Services Project--see below). If you can't find Jamye’s message, by all means send e-mail to <ushers@sfopera.com>, but please check your spam/junk mail folder first.

To read or use the new ESP feature, please click on the "Visit User Forum" link, at the top of your PRESTO page after you sign in

To see messages, choose "A Month Ago" from the "Ones Since:" dropdown menu

To read a message, click on the subject

To reply to a message: click on the "Create Reply" button

To post:

    -  click on the "Create Topic" button

    -  this is important: on the "Share With" dropdown, choose "Your Group" *

    -  enter your subject and message

    -  when done, click the "Create" button

*  This gets the posting to Opera House ushers; “All Groups” gets posts to, well, everyone including folks at other venues and techies interested in PRESTO issues.

(revised 6/9/21)       

FALL 2020 OPERA SEASON - posted June 17, 2020

On June 16, with heavy hearts, the Opera announced the cancellation of the entire 2020 Fall Season. For the full announcement, please look HERE.

SUMMER 2020 OPERA SEASON - posted April 14, 2020

On April 14, with heavy hearts, the Opera announced the cancellation of the Summer 2020 Season.

For more information, please click here. To those of you who offered rolls of tolilet paper on April 1 for use in the Partenope production, thank you. Sadly, there is no need for them now.

COVID-19 AND THE SUMMER OPERA SEASON - posted April 1, 2020

While the 2020 Bayreuth Festival has been suspended until 2021, there is still nothing to report as to whether San Francisco Opera will be able to proceed with its season in June and July. However, even if the current shelter-in-place directive is relaxed in May, a major issue is now affecting one of the operas in the repertory.

In act 2 of this summer's revival of San Francisco's production of Handel's Partenope, the character Emilio (scheduled to be sung again by Alek Shrader) is imprisoned in a bathroom. When he is freed, he emerges mummified in toilet paper, to great effect.

But (and this is a big but), due to COVID-19 concerns, many residents of the Bay Area have stocked up on toilet paper and market shelves are bare. So the Costume Department is having incredible difficulty in procuring a sufficient supply of toilet paper to cover the rehearsals and the 5 performances.

Before a final decision is made as to whether this means having to cancel all performances of Partenope (and thereby losing a third of the summer Season), the Opera would like to learn if volunteers and staff can fill the toilet paper gap. If you are able to spare any at all, please let us know that, and the approximate number of rolls (single- or double-ply, makes no difference).

Handel, SF Opera, and Alek Shrader, will be very grateful.

ALL PERFORMANCES CANCELLED - first posted March 7, 2020

On March 17, San Francisco Ballet San suspended all remaining performances of the 2020 Season.

In compliance with a March 6 order from San Francisco's Mayor London Breed, all performances of San Francisco Ballet's A Midsummer Night's Dream from Saturday, March 7 through Sunday, March 15 will not be taking place. In fact, all performances at the War Memorial Performing Arts Center are now on hold until March 21 due to concerns over Coronavirus. For the full text of the announcement made by SF Ballet, please click here.

E-mail notification started going out overnight March 6-7. Please check back soon: we may have more information for you.

(updated 3/14, 3/17)

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE E-MAIL - posted March 6, 2020

Jamye sent out an important e-mailing on March 4, with a link to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention factsheet on COVID-19. If you don't see it in your Inbox or any junk-mail folder, please e-mail ushers@sfopera.com and request that another copy be sent.

AN USHER GETS A NATIONAL HONOR - posted January 24, 2020

On January 25, at the American Library Association annual meeting (this year in Philadelphia), volunteer usher Janet Tom, a reference librarian at SF Public Library, was awarded the I Love My Librarian Award. Janet is one of only 10 librarians in the country to receive this national honor.

Carnegie Corporation of New York sponsors this award, with The New York Public Library and the New York Times as co-sponsors.

BACKSTAGE AT NUTCRACKER - posted January 24, 2020

In case you were wondering, Nancy Carlson won the lottery to see Nutcracker from backstage the next time SF Ballet has public performances  [the next time that COVID-19 restrictions allow it].

OPERA HOUSE SEAT UPGRADE - posted January 16, 2020

On January 15, the San Francisco Ballet and Opera jointly announced details of the next War Memorial Opera House seat upgrade.

In the summer of 2013, the Box seats were upgraded, followed by the Balcony and Balcony Circle seats in the summer of 2015. The upgrade in the Orchestra, Grand Tier, and Dress Circle sections will take place between May and August of 2021. Both SF Opera and SF Ballet will be adjusting their seasons in 2021 to accommodate this.

SF Ballet is in discussions with BroadwaySF about presenting the last two programs of the 2021 Season at the Orpheum Theatre. The full 2021 Season will be announced this April. SF Opera will present a shortened spring (instead of summer) season in the Opera House from April 27 to May 16, 2021. The full 2020–21 Opera Season will be announced on January 22.

SF Ballet has a detailed FAQ page on its website.