16 QUINTESSENTIAL SAN FRANCISCO PERFORMANCES THAT WILL SPARK THE ROMANCE

San Francisco is the perfect place to spark romance, especially if you surprised your special someone with a trip to the City by the Bay. You probably have the perfect hotel already picked out, scored some tickets for a hop-on/hop-off bus to see the Golden Gate Bridge or some of the city's must-see museums and lined up all of your delicious meals. All that's left to figure out is what you're going to do after all that walking and eating. Here are the quintessential San Francisco performances you can't miss to fill your nights.

Classics

American Conservatory Theater (415 Geary St.)
A.C.T. offers both classical and contemporary theater productions, as well as being an acting school. Their season runs from September to July and showcases about five to seven shows. www.act-sf.org

San Francisco Ballet (455 Franklin St.)
Attending a performance by the San Francisco Ballet during its repertory season, January-May, shouldn't be missed. The annual "Nutcracker" performance in December is also a holiday tradition for many. www.sfballet.org

San Francisco Opera (301 Van Ness St.)
The San Francisco Opera, an internationally acclaimed opera company, presents 13 productions in over 80 performances annually from September through December and May through July in the historic War Memorial Opera House. Didn't bring a suit? Don't worry. The opera, like most of San Francisco, doesn't have a formal dress code. www.sfopera.com

San Francisco Symphony (201 Van Ness St.)
Join Michael Tilson Thomas and the musicians of the San Francisco Symphony in a season set to stimulate the senses, fire the mind, and nourish the soul. Live passionately and discover the transformative power of truly great music. www.sfsymphony.org

SFJAZZ (201 Franklin St.)
Founded in 1983, SFJAZZ has become the world’s leading cultural institution devoted to jazz and related forms of music, presenting over 300 performances each year at the acoustically-sound SFJAZZ Center and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. www.sfjazz.org

SHN (1182 Market St.)
The home for hits fresh from Broadway and pre-Broadway premieres, SHN hosts one-of-a-kind events that are at the forefront of the national theater scene. www.shnsf.com

Alternative

Beach Blanket Babylon (678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd.)
Celebrating over 15,000 performances and seen by nearly six million people from around the world, Beach Blanket Babylon is an internationally acclaimed musical revue that continues to delight audiences at Club Fugazi in the City's North Beach district with its hilarious spoofs of pop culture, spectacular costumes and outrageously gigantic hats! Buy tickets.

Fauxgirls! (1550 California St.)
The Fauxgirls! Revue, now in its 16th year, is one of the longest-running drag shows in San Francisco history. A perfect place to celebrate a birthday or someone's impending nuptials. www.fauxgirls.com

New Conservatory Theatre Center (25 Van Ness Ave.)
New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) has been a champion of innovative, high-quality productions for more than 30 years in its central downtown location in San Francisco. Each year welcomes a new season of West Coast and world premieres including dramas, comedies, musicals and original work from their Emerging Artist program and New Play Development Lab. www.nctcsf.org

Oasis (298 11th St.)
Opened on New Year's Day in 2015, Oasis offers an unforgettable San Francisco nightlife experience in an 8,000-square-foot, converted gay bathhouse. The diverse roster of programming includes local and visiting drag stars, cabaret and performing artists, live musical acts, amazing DJs and more. www.sfoasis.com

The Starlight Room (450 Powell St.)
Take in a view of the bustling and vibrant city from the Starlight Room, a rooftop nightclub on the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Enjoy cocktails, a light menu and dancing to live music. www.starlightroomsf.com

Cabaret

Feinstein's at the Nikko (222 Mason St.)
A timeless nightclub in San Francisco's Union Square, Feinstein’s, inside the Hotel Nikko, presents exceptional local and nationally known talent from the Broadway and jazz musical genres in an intimate setting, creating an up close and personal experience for guests. www.hotelnikkosf.com/feinsteins

Society Cabaret (562 Sutter St.)
Society Cabaret has become the new acclaimed venue of quality performers, equally matched with excellent cocktails and food. If it feels like a place where everyone knows your name, that's because they always make you feel like a regular when you come to see an artist perform. www.societycabaret.com

Newcomers

The Curran (445 Geary St.)
Built in 1922, the Curran has housed some of the biggest productions in theater history and has maintained a reputation over the course of its life as one of the premier live entertainment venues for cutting-edge material in North America. Now, almost a century after it welcomed its first Bay Area audiences, the Curran has finally re-opened its 1,600 seat venue. www.sfcurran.com

PianoFight (144 Taylor St.)
With a full restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown, PianoFight is San Francisco's premier indie entertainment venue for live music, comedy, theater and dance. With over 30 performances a week gracing three stages, and New American food like a coveted burger and comforting fried chicken sandwich alongside classic cocktails and craft beer and wine, PianoFight is a very San Francisco night out. www.pianofight.com

The Speakeasy (644 Broadway)
If you're looking for a party, then this is the gin joint for you. Illicit bar, crooked casino, vaudeville cabaret, immersive theatre adventure--the Speakeasy has it all. The best part is you’ll need to know the secret password to get in. www.thespeakeasysf.com