Girls of the Golden West Primer

While Thanksgiving remains the quintessential native saga for most Americans, here in California we have a distinctly different perspective.

This should be highly evident when John Adams’ Girls of the Golden West receives its world premiere at the War Memorial Opera House on November 21.

With a libretto drawn from historical sources by director Peter Sellars, this new work from the composer of Nixon in China and Doctor Atomic explores the true and often brutal stories of pioneers on California’s Gold Rush frontier.

Each presentation at the War Memorial Opera House features an informative 25-minute Pre-Opera Talk, beginning 55 minutes prior to curtain and free of charge to patrons with tickets for the corresponding performance. Girls of the Golden West Pre-Opera Talks will be presented by San Francisco Opera Dramaturg Kip Cranna and librettist/director Peter Sellars (except the December 7 Pre-Opera Talk which will be presented by only Kip Cranna).