The Candlelight series has been adding its signature sea of candles and enchanting classical renditions to magnificent venues across San Francisco for a while now, including Grace Cathedral and the International Art Museum of America. This season, an exciting lineup of performances is coming to The Great Star Theater—a 1925 gem boasting a traditional proscenium stage.
Candlelight concerts take music by modern-day icons, timeless composers, and jazz legends and reimagine them in the classical form. Talented string quartets taking to the Great Star’s raked stage will be delving into the impressive back catalogs of artists such as Adele and Beyoncé.
Great Star Theater: In the Heart of Chinatown
When it originally opened in 1925, the theater staged Cantonese Opera and showed Hong Kong kung-fu movies. Closing as a picture house in the 1990s, Great Star Theater had a lot of twists and turns and changes of ownership over the years, but reopened in 2021 as a non-profit operation. With projectors on display in the lobby, retro signs, vintage paintings, and a striking marquee greeting you at the entrance, Great Star Theater provides a unique ambiance.
As was the original purpose of proscenium stages, the theater’s traditional design gives an overall sense of spectacle while taking in an awe-inspiring classical performance.
Candlelight at Great Star Theater
From soulful evenings celebrating R&B and hip-hop favorites to extraordinary orchestral takes on electronic dance music and experimental rock, Candlelight performances at Great Star Theater are anything but predictable. The combination of a theater catering to the new generation and Candlelight’s aim to democratize culture melds perfectly for providing an unforgettable experience.
As well as hosting comedy shows, cabaret acts, and musicals, the only remaining theater in San Francisco’s Chinatown is welcoming the Candlelight series. Appreciate the rich history embedded in Great Star Theater’s walls and traditional auditorium while savoring classical renditions of some of the greatest music of all time. Candlelight concerts at this magical venue in Chinatown celebrate the past, present, and future.
There are typically two performances each night, at 6:30pm and 9pm allowing audiences to explore Chinatown’s maze of streets, elaborate temples, and traditional eateries before or after their candlelit performance. As one of the oldest Chinatowns in North America, it’s brimming with activity and fascinating sights.