The Bayview Opera House, formerly known as South San Francisco Opera House, is a theatre at 4705 3rd Street in Bayview-Hunters Point district, San Francisco. Founded in 1888, it is reputed to be the oldest existing theatre in the city. From 2014 to 2016, the theatre underwent renovation. It is officially listed as a City of San Francisco Designated Landmark since October 28, 1968; a

California Point of Historical Interest California Points of Historical Interest are sites, buildings, features, or events that are of local (city or county) significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic, scientific or technical, religious, ...

since December 11, 1968; and on March 21, 2011 it was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

History

The building was designed by architect Henry Geilfuss, one of San Francisco's most prolific architects during the 1880s and 1890s. Geilfuss blended Italianate, Gothic, Eastlake and Stick elements into a style that came to define Victorian architecture in San Francisco. The theatre is reputed to be the oldest theatre in San Francisco, established in 1888. It survived the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...

. A

Masonic Hall A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

was formerly situated in the lot to the west of the main opera house, but the hall was demolished in 1975 and was replaced with an open-air entrance porch on the west side of the opera house. For many years the hall functioned as a community centre for gatherings and cultural events, and also hosted fairs and political rallies. The Opera House became a listed City of San Francisco landmark on October 28, 1968, and on March 21, 2011 it was listed on the

. The theatre was known for years as the South San Francisco Opera House. It was renamed the Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre after producer, playwright and actress

Ruth Williams Ruth Williams ''Heverly(February 12, 1926 – February 10, 2005) was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 139 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Ruth Williams debuted ...

, noted for her roles in launching the careers of singer

Cindy Herron Cynthia Ann Herron (born September 26, 1961), professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of ...

and actor

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

. In 2014, it was announced that a $5.3 million renovation project would commence, updating the lobby and upgrading the landscaping and lighting in the interior. The renovation (led by the San Francisco Art Commission, with the budget eventually reaching $5.7 million) added an outdoor stage with permanent seating and made the building

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accessible, with the theatre's reopening expected for September 2016.

Facilities

The theatre hosts the Community Recording Studio, and is also home to the Bayview Opera House Dance Troupe and the Young and Gifted Choir. It began functioning as a youth and dance center in 1989.

References

{{Authority control Music venues in San Francisco Opera houses in California Theatres in San Francisco San Francisco Designated Landmarks Opera houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco Event venues established in 1888 Theatres completed in 1888 1888 establishments in California Bayview–Hunters Point, San Francisco

History

Facilities

See also

References