The San Francisco Opera company said Tuesday that it is scrapping its entire summer season — including its premiere of a critically acclaimed opera about the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs — as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The classical Grammy Award-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs had been scheduled to run June 20 through July 3. But like Apple’s canceled keynote last month, it will now no longer take place as planned.
“Today I am announcing the heartbreaking decision to cancel our 2020 summer season due to the current pandemic,” said San Francisco Opera general director Matthew Shilvock. “The safety and health of our audiences, artists and employees must come first, and it is imperative that we continue to do our part in the critical effort to contain COVID-19.”
The shutdown was approved by the opera’s board of directors at a meeting last week. The move will cost the opera company an estimated $8 million. It also means that the Steve Jobs opera will no longer have its planned premiere in the Bay Area, Jobs’ home turf.
Steve Jobs’ life in operatic form
The Steve Jobs-centric opera reenacts 19 of the most significant moments in Jobs’ life. This includes everything from his introduction to Buddhism to his role helping invent game-changers like the Macintosh and iPhone. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs opened back in 2017.
“I was kind of hesitant at first about the subject,” Mark Campbell, who wrote the libretto featured in the opera, told Cult of Mac as the work came together. “Steve Jobs is so popular and so a part of our world, and creating an opera is full of minefields. But I saw a way into the story that could work in the operatic form. I was not interested in creating a story that made him a big hero. Nor did I want an opera that vilified him in any way. I created a libretto that paints a balanced portrait of him.”
If you’re sad about missing out on the Bay Area premiere, you can still still get your fix of Jobs-related opera. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs is available on various music streaming platforms, including Apple Music.
For opera fans, the San Francisco Opera is also hosting a variety of videos and playlists on its website.
