Crowns at the Bar!

August–The Month of August(us)

August is named after that great Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, whose full name was Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus–Augustus (the Majestic); a title given to him after he became emperor! He was a young man at the time of Caesar’s murder. Julius, who had no son of his own, adopted Augustus as his son and heir, in order that when he died Augustus should become emperor in his place. The nobles who had killed Julius, however, did not wish Augustus to become emperor, and it was not until he had fought and won many battles that he became the head of the Roman Empire. (Hmmmm…this is starting to sound like an opera plot, or, perhaps sparks a reminder of the current political atmosphere, or, more poignantly, the panorama of tragic world affairs….ohh…but, I digress) During his reign lived the greatest poets and writers that the Roman empire produced: Virgil, Horace, and Ovid…not household names these days, I realize, but a reminder that certain folks do live on by the calibre, humanity and skill of their work. Really, we do appreciate anyone who supports the ARTS, don’t we?

This month’s Cocktale is filled with characters from Opera’s royalty.  Though they may not have literal crowns on their heads, they have been chosen through that remarkeable sifter called history. They continue to shine by showing us the greatness of the human spirit as they struggle against those odds that benight us all.
So come on down to Martuni’s (4 Valencia St., San Francisco)
and
indulge in the best martini in town.
(We promise you a royalty filled performance worthy of that 2nd specialty martini)
…sit back and enjoy the company of great composers as we SING for you – what could be better?

August(us) 3rd Performers
Vismaya Lhi – spinto soprano
Tristan Robben – baritone
Rachel Warner – contralto
and special guest:
Kristen Genis-Lundt – lyric coloratura soprano
with the extraordinary Dwight Okamura at the piano

Verdi, Mascagni, Mozart and Puccini (I said operatic royalty, didn’t I????? )

Admission: Free (with cocktail purchase!)