Farinelli’s Trainer (Vinkensport, Little/Vavrek)

Opera Parallèle brings together two seemingly disparate, but perfectly paired operas to create an entertaining evening in the theater. This innovative new pairing explores the nature of competition, how it can consume a personality and the human desire to win, all through a comedic lens. Birds & Balls combines David T. Little and Royce Vavrek’s bittersweet comic opera Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera, inspired by the obscure Flemish folk sport of Finch-Sitting, with Balls, a World Premiere by Emmy & GRAMMY winning composer Laura Karpman with a libretto by NY Times writer Gail Collins. Balls explores the famed 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs dubbed “The Battle of the Sexes.” Featuring a live tennis match, actual commentary from the 1973 broadcast and key figures such as Larry King, Howard Cosell and even Susan B. Anthony, this new production promises to be a wildly entertaining evening!

All performances at SF Jazz in San Francisco
Friday, April 5, 2024 7.30 PM
Saturday, April 6, 2 PM & 7.30 PM
Sunday, April 7, 2 PM

Both operas sung in English with supertitles | Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes, no intermission

Tickets and More Information available at operaparallele.org.