I was treated to a wonderful surprise evening on Saturday, when Rick took me to the San Francisco Parlour Opera. For the uninitiated (and that included me!), the Parlour Opera is dedicated to bringing opera to you in a much more intimate, relatable way. Kind of like a micro-opera for the masses.

Each opera is staged in someone’s home, and this performance of Massenet’s Thaïs was at a wonderful, wonderful Victorian mansion on Fell Street. I actually had no idea homes like this existed in San Francisco, but now I’ve seen how the other half live, I’m green with envy! It was like stepping back in time to the age of Gosford Park. Minus the servants, of course.

Walking in, we were greeted with delicious wine, and took our seats in the drawing room. The action moved around all night, and we saw a couple of acts outside in the garden, from balcony seats on the outside stairs! Luckily we were dressed up warm. The small cast was excellent, and an English-speaking narrator kept us on track when we couldn’t understand all the French. Having never been to the opera before, this was a great way to be introduced to it, and better still, the night ended with dessert and mingling with the performers. What a fabulous evening.

Of course, one of the best bits for me was the opportunity to look around such an incredible house. As a lover of the macabre, I particularly appreciated a few more sinister decorative touches, as my photos show.

If you have the chance, the Parlour Opera is one of those great San Francisco experiences. I had the chance to be exposed to opera without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed and it was a lot of fun. Bravo!