Golden Gate Opera - Opera is for Everyone
Golden Gate Opera presents classic works and new works in the theatres of Marin County. Outreach to schools, seniors low -income groups and the whole community through our Young Artist Program; Acclaimed Aria Parties, Library operas, Restaurant operas such as at Sausalito's Seahorse Supper Club. In 2014 Madama Butterfly, We bring opera into schools and provide tickets for low-income groups. We believe in taking you into the beautiful world of the myriad of arts found in professional opera. We'll bring an opera singer to your special birthday event or your company. GGO Aria Parties are acclaimed for fun with opera in beautiful home settings. GGO has a membership with behind the scenes roles in opera productions and outreach in Marin County. We are a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization. Join in and be a member of Golden Gate Opera today and enjoy membership benefits.
Keywords: schools, company, outreach, low-income, professional, young artist program, enrichment, education
Interview Q&A
How long have you been in business?
2016 marks our 20th season, Golden Gate Opera received its Not-for-Profit status in 1996.
What is your primary product or service?
Golden Gate Opera presents live professional opera performances primarily at Marin County Civic Center theaters. The Marin Showcase Theatre or Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, and opera singers going into schools, senior communities and unusual performance sites. Since 2005 in Marin County primarily standard works have been produced, such as Madama Butterfly, Carmen, I Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana, Hansel and Gretel, providing this enrichment for our community and related outreach to schools and seniors.
How did you first become interested in your line of business? (if owner) - What is your background? (If owner or store manager)
My background: I am an opera singer with professional career experience with opera companies in the US and Abroad. I became interested in opera companies from my first engagements with other companies and observing how their staff helped the artists. I am the founder of Golden Gate Opera. I love that opera contains all the art forms at once which helps release emotions in an audience experience. As a company we build careers of local emerging talent. Our donors have opportunity to host opera singers, a great experience for families. We bring to Marin local emerging talent, and rising talent from other parts of the US and abroad. By presenting and producing operas, we can share these with schools, senior communities, businesses, and provide this enrichment accessible in Marin. Though Marin County is near San Francisco, many people enjoy being able to experience professional opera with their local regional opera company. GGO provides employment for local stage crew, orchestra musicians, designers and directors and fosters the development of great new works by new composers.
How do you differentiate yourself from other businesses in your category and area?
Golden Gate Opera has always had a special interest in enriching youth with opera. Our Hansel and Gretel production has enriched more than 100,000 K-12 youth since 1996. The full opera was presented in Marin County at the Civic Center 4 years in a row from 2010-2013. CMCM local public access TV has partnered with GGO, showing our Hansel and Gretel many times on the air, benefiting 90,000 northern Marin households with each showing.
How many locations do you have and do you have plans to expand?
Our offices are located in Sausalito since 2005. Current office is 475 Gate 5 Road, Ste. 204, Sausalito, CA 94965-1443. We perform in local theatres, primarily at the Marin Civic Center theatres, and have plans to tour with our opera productions. Additionally we presented a new work in 2012, "Lincoln and Booth" written by Mill Valley composer/librettist team John Cepelak and Christina Rose, developed by Golden Gate Opera in collaboration with Dominican University of California in San Rafael, to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the U.S. Civil War. GGO Outreach to Schools has toured from Marin County to such Bay Area cities as Portola Valley, San Jose, Saratoga, San Francisco, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Mateo, Oakland, Petaluma. Opera in Unusual Places performances have been at the Sausalito Art Festival, Tiburon's Friday Nights on Main Street. Performances expanded to Mill Valley Community Center in 2013, bringing to Marin County singers from the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre for performances of Haydn's "Der Apotheker." and always including outreach - students from Mill Valley Middle School and seniors who are members of the Mil Valley Community Center received a special free performance. For March 2016, our 20th Anniversary we will present in The American Legion Post 313 in Larkspur "Glory Denied" by Tom Cipullo, a one-act saga about the longest held POW in US History, from the Oral history of Col. Jim Thompson, in cooperation with Fort Worth Opera Festival. Just as the Menotti opera in October 2015 serves children helping them to stop bullying in schools, "Glory Denied" serves veterans and their families, giving closure to many people, and education to current college students, and local citizens of what really happened during the Vietnam War. We must not forget this. "Glory Denied" is an incredible, visceral and deeply moving experience for the performers and audience. Following each performance will be a talk-back with cast and crew, audience, an expert Medical doctor specialist in PTSD, a family member of Col. Jim Thompson. We continue to seek meaningful venues in addition to the theatre. The management of American Legion Post 313 in Larkspur is himself a Vietnam Veteran, and will help by contacting veterans so that they know about this important and intimate production.
Provide detailed directions to your location
Our offices: Take Golden Gate Transit Bus to Marin City and you can walk to Sausalito to Gate 5 Road. We are located in the building of the Anchorage Cafe near the waterfront. Golden Gate Transit goes into Sausalito and you can get off at Harbor Blvd, and walk two long blocks to Gate 5 Road. Marin Civic Center's Marin Showcase Theatre (for upcoming performances of "The Boy Who Grew Too Fast." is at 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, CA 94903. GGO Aria Parties in private homes-Belvedere, Tiburon, San Rafael, Greenbrae hills, Ross: Directions and address are provided with reservation confirmation.
What type of payments do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards with our ticket services, and primarily Visa and Mastercard on the Web site www.goldengateopera.org .
Which areas do you service?
Arts, Performing Arts, Arts Education, life skills, volunteerism, assisting out of work folks to return to the work force by engaging with Marin City Community Development Corporation to receive volunteers, and working with other groups. Our current production for October 2015 (during National Bully Prevention Month), American-Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Boy Who Grew Too Fast", a one act opera for young people, will help children stop bullying in schools, a very important cause. Bullying has been shown to cause Mental and Physical Health Problems. We assist local businesses by partnering with businesses in promotion, through levels and publicity benefits, customer benefits. We serve other Non-Profits by providing opera and special event tickets for their fundraising events. We serve local realtors by making it possible for them to give gifts to new home buyers of opera tickets. GGOIS (Golden Gate Opera In Schools) provides arts for schools, when funding for this is scarce. We serve low- income groups with our productions by arranging free (sponsored) tickets for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Marin Foster Parents Association, Hospice of Marin (caretakers), low-income schools and many other organizations..
Who owns your company or runs daily operations?
As a Not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with Federal Tax I.D. #94-3221096, GGO is to benefit the people by sharing the joys of the many arts found in professional opera. Our our daily operations are run by Roberta Wain-Becker, founder and General Director/Artistic Director.
Golden Gate Opera is a professional company member of Opera America, the national support organization for the American opera companies. We are run by tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, corporations, businesses, government grants and fundraising events. Ticket sales provide less than 1/3 the cost of one opera.
What are your hours of operation?
Golden Gate Opera's office operates from 10 am to 5 pm weekdays.
The company often operates 7 days a week including performances, volunteer management, rehearsals, company business, marketing, fundraising, and community outreach. Golden Gate Opera like all professional opera companies is a full time business.
What is the best compliment anyone can give you?
About 2014's Madama Butterfly at Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium: "In having seen the opera, in this way, I find my life that much the fuller." “A True Story: A diary, a novel a play”—in masterful performance, right here in San Rafael, those who did come had a chance to meet the performers in the Green Room after the show. You just don’t get this everywhere. Review by David Hirtzel.
"Thank you for giving me one good day." a child at Sunny Hills Services Irene M. Hunt School
What is your favorite quote or Bible verse?
"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." Satchel Page.
Contact Golden Gate Opera:
