Thursday, January 05, 2023

Interview with Kip Cranna

 

Scan of a hand-colored photo postcard. Two Neo-classical buildings on Van Ness Ave., SF, the War Memorial Opera House and the Veterans Building. Also on the street, a number of 1930s automobiles.

War Memorial Opera House and Veterans Building
Hand-colored photo postcard
Lisa Hirsch collection

Violinist, former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra member, and writer Erica Miner interviewed SF Opera Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna for Broadway World. Cranna has been with SFO for 40 years and there isn't much about the company's history that he doesn't know. He is also smart and a very nice person, as far as I can tell; we've exchanged email once or twice and he was kind enough to dig up for me the cut sheet for those abbreviated productions of Les Troyens with Crespin from decades ago. The interview, in two parts, is very well worth reading!

2 comments:

Kendra Leonard said...

I am... perplexed by the exchange where Miner asks about the new season and mentions Gabriela Lena Frank specifically, and then Cranna talks about 1. John Adams, and 2. Onegin. WTF?

Lisa Hirsch said...

Editing error? Misunderstanding? Other fumble....?