Every time I open my phone or talk to literally anyone, they tell me how bad everything is right now. The war in Iran. AI replacing every job you've ever loved. Hundreds of anti-trans bills moving through state legislatures across the country. And as of this week, San Francisco-born Philz Coffee is removing its rainbow flags from stores.
You know what hasn't changed? The San Francisco Ballet.
Well, one thing changed: in February, SF Ballet's board voted to cancel its upcoming run at the Kennedy Center, where the company had been scheduled to bring Mere Mortals for five performances at the end of May. (We broke that story at The Bold Italic on opening night of The Blake Works, and I'll admit I spent the first 12 minutes of that show thumbing a national scoop into my phone instead of watching the dancers.)
The Kennedy Center has become a political lightning rod since Trump overhauled its board, renamed it after himself, and installed Ric Grenell as president. Philip Glass pulled out; Renée Fleming pulled out. SF Ballet joined that list, and the New York Times called it the most prominent cancellation from the dance world so far.
Mere Mortals premiered in 2024 as the marquee commission of Artistic Director Tamara Rojo's first season, and it knocked me sideways. Part nightclub show, part contortion act, the whole thing felt like something I could see at Coachella or in a Lady Gaga music video.
That was 2024. Going to see Mere Mortals today is not just an escape from the news cycle. It's not just a night out or a donation to the arts. Now, buying your ticket and sitting in that seat is you saying: I reject what's happening out there. I'm choosing to be in a room full of people who believe art still matters.
Mere Mortals performance details
📅 April 24 – May 3, 2026
🕗 8:00 PM (evening performances include after party)
📍 War Memorial Opera House
🏠 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
🎟️ Tickets at sfballet.org
If you can't make it, or want even more ballet
If Mere Mortals is SF Ballet at its most boundary-pushing, La Sylphide is the company reminding you why ballet became an art form in the first place. It opens this Friday, April 10, and it's one of the oldest surviving ballets in the world.
August Bournonville choreographed it in 1836 and his version is the only one that made it to the present day. The story follows James, a young Scottish farmer on the eve of his wedding, who becomes so enchanted by a supernatural sylph that he abandons everything to chase her into the fairy realm. It does not end well.
This is the stiff tutus and misty woodland version of ballet, and I mean that with love. And here's a detail I always love sharing: 40 minutes before every performance, a master bagpiper named Fred Payne will play on the front steps of the War Memorial Opera House. That's free.
La Sylphide performance details
📅 April 10–16, 2026
🕗 8:00 PM Fri/Sat; 2:00 PM Sat/Sun matinees; 7:30 PM Tue–Thu
📍 War Memorial Opera House
🏠 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
🎟️ Tickets at sfballet.org
Young Patrons Circle
SF Ballet's Young Patrons Circle has an annual party this year that's tailor-made for the Mere Mortals moment. "The Digital and the Divine" asks guests to dress at the intersection of ancient and algorithmic. Think goddesses in chrome. Gods in silk. The Academy on Market Street hosts, and it's 21+.
📅 Friday, April 17, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (VIP early access at 7:00; GA doors at 8:00)
📍 The Academy SF
🏠 2166 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114
🎟️ ~$71 GA / ~$161 VIP (open bar all night) at Eventbrite
And P.S.
They don't pay me to write these things—yet!—lol. But I did have casual talks about ticket giveaways with The Bold Italic. Please write me if you want something of that variety. I'd love to measure interest and get some deals going, especially for paid subscribers. You keep all this going!
Saul Sugarman is editor-in-chief and owner of The Bold Italic.
The Bold Italic is a not-for-profit media organization, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. We operate under a fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3).
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A word from our sponsors
This month we are sponsoring LGBT Center Soirée 2026. This isn't a paid gig; but they promised to sing The Bold Italic's praises on their party brochures and messaging, so long as we did the same. I have gone to this party twice before. It's not as fancy as, say, Art Bash or SF Ballet's opening gala, but—much like Hunky Jesus earlier this month—it is a great time to see many notable faces in the LGBTQ+ community. And a good time to reuse yester-year's Pride dress. Sister Roma and Honey Mahogany aggressively went for those fundraising dollars at the 2024 dinner. And I loved the drag performances that year.
LGBT Center Soiree party details:
📅 Saturday, April 18, 2026
🕑 5:30 PM
📍City View at Metreon
🏠 135 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Sister Roma
Saul SugarmanWant even more events?
I've got a new events page at events.thebolditalic.com – and I've set aside all my picks for April at the top of the list.
