Parents’ Guide to the 2012–2013 Season
While TDO believes that everyone should have access to great opera, not every opera is great for everyone. Some opera contain themes that would be better suited for more mature audiences. To help you determine which opera might be appropriate for your family, TDO has compiled this Parent’s Guide to the Season.
Aida
by Giuseppe Verdi
Opens October 26, 2012
Performances Six at the Winspear Opera house
Length of Opera Approximately three and a half hours
Type of Opera Historical drama
Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage
Overview Set in Ancient Egypt, where a captive Ethiopian princess, Aida, is torn between her love for the Egyptian commander Radames and her loyalty to her own father and country. The lovers must fend off the schemes of a fiercely jealous Egyptian princess and decide whether true love trumps honor and duty. This 19th century masterpiece proves that a pyramid may be the greatest love triangle of all. Read full synopsis.
Opera Contains Possible scanty period costumes, adult themes, live entombment
TDO Rating G
Turandot
by Giacomo Puccini
Opens April 5, 2013
Performances Six at the Winspear Opera house
Length of Opera Approximately three hours
Type of Opera Drama
Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage
Overview A barbarian prince comes to Beijing, China, where he is reunited with his long-lost father and a faithful servant before taking on his greatest challenge — answering three riddles to win the hand of Princess Turandot, although failure will cost him his life! This intriguing “Battle of the Sexes” also revolves around questions of family loyalty, faithfulness to duty, openness to emotion, and honesty to oneself. Read full synopsis.
Opera Contains Execution, torture, onstage suicide, adult themes
TDO Rating PG-13
The Aspern Papers
by Dominick Argento
A new production commemorating the 25th anniversary of this Dallas Opera World Premiere
Opens April 12, 2013
Performances Five at the Winspear Opera house
Length of Opera Approximately two hours
Type of Opera Drama/Mystery
Sung in English, with supertitles projected above the stage
Overview A stranger appears at a once-grand home on Lake Como, seeking a room to rent. A long retired opera star and her niece agree to take the man in, although suspicious of his motives. The lodger, obsessed with a composer who died suddenly and tragically, is convinced his final masterpiece is somewhere in this home belonging to his lover. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues over possession of the Aspern Papers. Read full synopsis.
Opera Contains Adult themes
TDO Rating PG-13
