Catch a Good Show at the San Diego Opera

The San Diego Opera performs at San Diego Civic Theater (in the same Civic Center Concourse) in Downtown San Diego, with lots of parking nearby (though, alas, not free). The concourse is on the 'Civic Center/3rd Avenue' Trolley stop (Blue & Orange Lines), but performance usually ends later than 10:30 PM. There are many good restaurants in the area, and the theater is only 1 block directly north of Horton Plaza (with its many shops and a good 4th Fl food court).

This venue is shared by the San Diego City Ballet, and it seems the acoustic suffers a bit for it especially down in the expensive Orchestra Level (while operatic stage favors bouncing the sound from the stage to the audience, as the singers do not use microphone, the ballet stage wants the opposite... You want to just see the dancers without hearing their footfalls). That the pit is partially covered probably doesn't help (the orchestra in the pit is usually the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, conducted by various guest conductors).

The best seats for acoustics are along the center (B-1, and B-2 sections) on the Balcony Level, and if you want to get the best of both world, try to get front row seats on those sections to avoid being visually blocked by women with big hair, baldies with big head, or lovers who insist on resting their head on each other's rather than back on their seats The worst place to be, acoustic-wise, is in the expensive Orchestra Level (OR section). The voices from the stage tend to get blocked by the sound shooting up from the orchestra pit, bypassing the OR and go straight up to the balcony. If you don't buy the ticket early, the OR is usually the last section to sell out.... That could really damper a musical evening Ticket price ranges from $28 in the pretty good acoustic, but visually obstructed seats in the side balconies to $192 seats at the center of the OR where the singers can see you just as well as you see them (though their voice tend to sail right over your head straight for the cheaper seats on the upper levels).