2023 In Review

This year, we had the privilege of seeing so many of you at the Presidio Theatre — often for several events. In the same way audiences are inspired by the live performances they experience at the Presidio Theatre, all of the artists, staff, and volunteers feel equally invigorated by the enthusiasm and generosity of our theater-goers, donors, and, of course, our board, which is led by the visionary Peggy Haas. All of our successes would not have been possible without you. As 2023 at the Presidio Theatre goes out with a bang thanks to director Liam Vincent’s remount of Panto in the Presidio: Sleeping Beauty, we’re reflecting on another landmark year for our organization. 

As proven by Panto in the Presidio’s successful third year, San Franciscans are looking for new traditions as well as unique artistic and cultural experiences. When it comes to building traditions, everyone at the Presidio Theatre was thrilled to collaborate with returning artists, including Irish musical group Lúnasa; Robert Moses’ KIN, an eclectic, singular dance company; and the Children’s Theatre Association (CTA), which put on a memorable performance of Willy Wonka.

In 2023, we were thrilled to host several world premiere shows, including Sojourner ZY, which was written by Eugenie Chan, directed by Larry Reed, scored by Paul Dresher, and performed by ShadowLight Productions; Music of Remembrance, a stunning opera event featuring composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer; the Oakland Ballet’s seminal Dancing Moons Festival, which featured the surrealist-inspired, new ballet Exquisite Corpse; Brenda Wong Aoki and First Voice’s remarkable multimedia performance Soul of the City; and The Resonance Between, a staggering blend of internationally acclaimed musicians, including Alam Khan, Arjun K. Verma, Del Sol Quartet, and Nilan Chaudhuri.

The Presidio Theatre also welcomed the world premiere of Patrick Makuakāne and Nā Lei Hulu i ka Wēkiu’s Ritual, and will serve as the new home for the visionary artist and dance company. Of course, we also had the privilege of hosting essential Bay Area artists and organizations like Lamplighters Music Theatre, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Immigration Institute of the Bay Area , the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project , and the San Francisco Arts Education Project . Finally, 2023 afforded us the opportunity to uplift a new array of incredibly significant artists, including Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids, one of the world’s most innovative jazz collectives; Nobuko Miyamoto’s 120,000 Stories, a storytelling event honoring the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California; and Sona Jobarteh, Gambia’s first professional female kora player, who performed to a sold-out audience.

As we look ahead to 2024, we’re honored to welcome so many of these beloved artists back to the Presidio Theatre’s stage. Additionally, we can’t wait to continue some of the important work we began this past year. In 2023, the theatre hosted its first-ever residency, which led to the world premiere of Solaz by La Tania Baile Flamenco, as well as the inaugural edition of Presidio Theatre Bliss Festival, an unforgettable musical weekend co-presented by (((folkYEAH!))).

As we look ahead to a fresh year of performances, artist development initiatives, and culturally significant programming, the whole Presidio Theatre team is humbled by your support of our organization’s essential work. See you in the new year!

Check out our 2024 programming — and buy tickets — here.

Donate to support the Presidio Theatre here.