Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

 

THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO PRESENT

THE COMPANY’S SPECTACULAR SECOND PRODUCTION

OF THE 2018-2019 “SWEPT AWAY” SEASON!

GEORGES BIZET’S COLORFUL, SENSUAL 1875 MASTERPIECE

CARMEN

LIBRETTO BY HENRI MEILHAC AND LUDOVIC HALÉVY

BASED ON THE NOVELLA BY PROSPER MÉRIMÉE

~~~~

STARRING FRENCH MEZZO-SOPRANO STÉPHANIE D’OUSTRAC

IN HER DALLAS OPERA DEBUT

TENOR STEPHEN COSTELLO IN HIS ROLE DEBUT AS DON JOSÉ

SOPRANO SARA GARTLAND IN HER TDO DEBUT AS MICAËLA

AND BASS-BARITONE ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV AS ESCAMILLO

~~~~

CONDUCTED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR EMMANUEL VILLAUME

AND MAESTRO PIERRE VALLET (10/24 & 11/2)

PRODUCTION CREATED BY SIR DAVID McVICAR

Directed by Jack Furness in his American Debut

~~~~

OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 AT 7:30 PM

WITH ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES

Oct. 21(m), 24, 27, Nov. 2 & 4(m), 2018

The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

AT&T Performing Arts Center

~~~~

GENEROUS SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

MR. AND MRS. J. DAVIS HAMLIN

BETTY AND STEVE SUELLENTROP

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOUNDATION

With Special Thanks to the Estate of

Eleanor P. Stevens

 

DALLAS, OCTOBER 17, 2018 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present the second production of the 2018-2019 “Swept Away” Season: Georges Bizet’s colorful, sensual and passionate 19^th century masterpiece, Carmen, one of the most beloved and popular works in the entire opera canon.  Carmen opens at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 19, 2018 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District.

The Opening Night Performance of Carmen was scheduled to be simulcast to patrons in nearby Klyde Warren Park.  Due to the probability of more unseasonably wet weather, the Carmen simulcast has been rescheduled to take place on Friday, November 2, 2018 (curtain time: 7:30 p.m.) in the same outdoor location.

This Gothenburg Opera production from Sweden was originally created by Sir David McVicar for Glyndebourne Opera in the U.K.— it has never before been seen in the U.S.

Carmen will be conducted by The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, inaugurating his sixth season with The Dallas Opera this fall—and by guest conductor Pierre Vallet on October 24^th and November 2^nd.

George Bizet’s 1875 masterpiece will be directed by Jack Furness in his American Opera debut.  Mr. Furness is best known for his work as the Founder and Artistic Director of Shadwell Opera (UK), which has produced a string of critically-acclaimed modern and chamber operas.

The stellar international cast includes French mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d’Oustrac in the title role; tenor Stephen Costello in his role debut as Don José; soprano Sara Gartland in her company debut as Micaëla; Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov as Escamillo; sopranos Sarah Tucker as Frasquita and Lindsay Metzger as Mercédès in their company debuts; tenor Rafael Moras as Le Remendado and baritone Corey Crider as Le Dancaïre in their house debuts; bass Ben Wager as Zuniga, and baritone Gideon Dabi in his TDO debut as Moralès.

 

Subsequent performances of CARMEN will take place on October 21(m), 24, 27, November 2 and 4(m), 2018, with generous support from Mr. and Mrs. J. Davis Hamlin, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, and Texas Instruments Foundation, and with special thanks to the estate of Eleanor P. Stevens.

 

~~~~

She’s the woman no man can resist and, as performed by renowned French mezzo-soprano Stéphanie d’Oustrac in her company debut, who would want to say “non”?  Mark Pullinger, writing for bachtrack, had high praise for her mastery of this signature role: “Sultry, fiery, coquettish: a mezzo singing Carmen needs to have all these qualities and d’Oustrac scored on each and every point. From her teasing, orange-peeling habanera to her haughty tossing away of Don José’s ring in the finale, this was a compelling reading of the role.”

Ms. d’Oustrac, the great-grand-niece of composer Francis Poulenc, dedicated herself to music and a life on the stage from a very young age.  She will sing opposite a frequent guest artist of The Dallas Opera, tenor Stephen Costello, making an important role debut as the troubled Don José.  Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal found his recent performances “stunning,” adding, “His tenor is beautifully poised and free; ardent without pushing.”

James M. Keller, reviewing for The Santa Fe New Mexican, also praised Costello’s “attention to the details of the score (which) reflected a commendable attitude of deeply imbued musicianship.” Costello last appeared on the TDO stage in the 2016 revival of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, but has moved local audiences with portrayals that spanned operatic repertoire from bel canto to Russian Romanticism.

Soprano Sara Gartland will make her TDO debut as the faithful Micaëla after earning rave reviews singing the title role in Rusalka with Des Moines Metro Opera, where she previously starred as Jenůfa and Juliette, and at Arizona Opera—where, earlier, she sang Violetta in La traviata.  Her Rusalka was praised by Opera News as “an exquisite account of the title role.  The soprano’s voice continues to gain body in the midrange yet retains a thread of silver that graces her sound with an ethereal shimmer.”

Regarding her San Francisco Opera appearance as Micaëla, Harmony Wheeler of Broadway World wrote that Gartland “has a strong, stunning voice that commands attention, yet portrays the purity and innocence of the character…(in) a career bound to take her to many more of the world’s famous opera houses.”

Other recent highlights include her San Diego Opera debut as Musetta, Marzelline in Fidelio with Opera Omaha, Violetta for Utah Opera, Adina in L’Elisir d’amore with Austin Lyric Opera, and covering the title role in Norma at TDO.

Ms. Gartland stepped into the role of Micaëla following soprano Vanessa Vasquez’ withdrawal from the Dallas Opera cast for health reasons.

Celebrated Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov makes a welcome return to the Winspear Opera House after a show-stopping turn as Colline in TDO’s 2015 production of La bohème. Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of TheaterJones.com described him as “that rarity of rarities—a real basso.”  In addition to singing the role of the confident Escamillo for The Dallas Opera, he will be making his L.A. Opera and Bavarian State Opera debuts this season in the same role.  Other season highlights for Vinogradov include his Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor and Luisa Miller and Le nozze di Figaro at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre.

Other principal roles in this outstanding cast are filled by:

• Soprano Sarah Tucker as Frasquita
• Soprano Lindsay Metzger as Mercédès
• Tenor Rafael Moras as Le Remendado
• Baritone Corey Crider as Le Dancaïre
• Bass Ben Wager as Zuniga, and
• Baritone Gideon Dabi as Moralès

~~~~

The Dallas Opera’s globe-trotting music director, Emmanuel Villaume, who in addition to his work in the world’s great opera houses and orchestra halls, has just released a critically-acclaimed recording of piano concertos with pianist Andrew von Oeyen and the PKF-Prague Philharmonia on the Warner Classics label.  The review in London’s Sunday Times praised Villaume’s “magical sense of rhythm and texture in Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and, especially, in Bizet’s youthful Symphony in C, a toe-tapping joy throughout.”

After Maestro Villaume conducts the first two productions of The Dallas Opera season, The Flying Dutchman and Carmen, he will return to Dallas in the spring of 2019 to conduct Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and – in between – be welcomed back to the Metropolitan Opera to conduct performances of Bizet’s other well-known opera, The Pearl Fishers.

Lawrence A. Johnson of TheClassicalReview.com previously noted Villaume’s “considerable bona fides in French repertoire…conducting a performance that conveyed the melodic richness of Bizet’s music with elegance, delicacy and dramatic point as needed.”

 

“I think Bizet was totally aware that he was breaking new ground in this work and it’s part of what gives Carmen such incredible intensity,” explains Emmanuel Villaume. “At the same time, he pulls off this passionate tale with taste, a great deal of elegance and, I wouldn’t say ‘restraint’ exactly, but there’s always a frame around what’s happening onstage that I find quite interesting.

“Whenever you break new ground in the arts,” Maestro Villaume adds, “the first one to get there is usually the same one who gets it right.  Everyone who follows is simply looking to repeat or expand upon that success; to recreate the magic.  The spell cast by Carmen is both irresistible and unique—performance after performance.”

 

Praised for the elegance and intensity of his interpretations, French Guest Conductor Pierre Vallet (conducting Carmen on 10/24 and 11/2) is frequently engaged by the world’s great opera companies. The New York Times selected his conducting of Persée et Andromède by Ibert at the Manhattan School of Music as one of the ten best classical performances in New York in 2016. He has conducted Madama Butterfly and Faust at the Metropolitan Opera; Tannhäuser at L’Opéra National de Paris; and Samson and Dalila at The Dallas Opera.

This production was originally directed by the internationally renowned Sir David McVicar, who debuted with TDO in 2001 as the director of Manon, a production successfully revived fourteen years later with Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello in the starring roles.

Set design is by a legendary figure in the British theater, Michael Vale; costume design is by Sue Blane (who famously designed costumes for the 1975 cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), with lighting design by Clare O’Donoghue (part of the team that created the Olympic Rings for the 2012 Opening Ceremonies in London)—all three in their company debuts.

Revival Choreographer Andrzej Glosniak joined the Göteburg (Gothenburg) Opera Dance Company in 2001 and has collaborated with world-renowned dancers and choreographers in the years since.  This production of Carmen marks his American Opera debut.  This production was originally choreographed by Andrew George.

The Dallas Opera Chorus will be prepared by Chorus Master Alexander Rom and the children’s chorus by Children’s Chorus Master Meredith Wallace in her TDO debut.

Wig and make-up designs are by Emmy Award-winner Dawn Rivard.

~~~~

Few operas are as deeply loved as Carmen, and few have generated such immediate controversy.  Early audiences and critics attending the 1875 premiere production in Paris were shocked and troubled by the onstage action (from scandalous factory workers puffing on cigarettes to gleefully unrepentant smugglers), as well as the earthy principal characters themselves.  However, after receiving a copy of the score, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky made the prophetic remark that “In ten years time, Carmen will be the most popular opera in the world.”

~~~~

Dallas Opera performances of Carmen will continue on October 21(m), 24, 27, and November 2 & 4, 2018 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, selected by Southern Living as the best new venue for opera.  All evening performances will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.  Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m.

Full season subscriptions are still available, beginning at just $100, and single tickets start at the low, low price of $19.  Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $15 or $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance. Contact the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or make your purchase online at dallasopera.org.

A free, pre-performance lecture (“The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks”) will be conducted one hour prior to curtain.  The Dallas Opera Guild also hosts “Opera Insights,” a lively panel discussion featuring artists, directors and designers, prior to opening.  For more details, check out the events calendar at dallasopera.org.

Parking onsite is available in the Lexus Red Parking beneath the Winspear Opera House and the Lexus Silver Parking adjacent to the Wyly Theatre.  Additional paid parking is available at nearby One Arts Plaza and in several nearby surface lots.

~~~~

ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year.  TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards.

 

2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
~~~~

EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7.  VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

 

FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

 

The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation, Texas Instruments Foundation, the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.  Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

 

The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and

The Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund

TDO Family Performances are a part of the

Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

 

TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2018-2019 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now; single Tickets range from $19 to $289. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

 

THE DALLAS OPERA 2018-2019 MAINSTAGE SEASON

The Dallas Opera celebrates its 62nd International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise indicated) and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m.  English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

 

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN by Richard Wagner

October 12, 14 (m), 17 & 20, 2018

The season sets sail with Wagner’s sweeping, romantic masterpiece – not seen in Dallas since 1994!

Time: the German Expressionist 1920s

Place: the coast of Norway

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

Director: Christopher Alden

Set Designer: Allen Moyer

Costume Designer: Allen Moyer

Lighting Designer: Anne Militello*

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Greer Grimsley (The Dutchman), Anja Kampe* (Senta), Jay Hunter Morris (Erik), Mark S. Doss (Daland), Luretta Bybee (Mary) and Andrew Stenson* (Steersman).

 

CARMEN by Georges Bizet

October 19, 21 (m), 24, 27, November 2 & 4 (m), 2018

The woman who won’t be owned returns to The Dallas Opera stage!

Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

Time: 19^th century

Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume and Pierre Vallet (10/24 and 11/2)

Original Director: Sir David McVicar

Revival Director: Jack Furness**

Set Designer: Michael Vale*

Costume Designer: Sue Blane*

Lighting Designer: Clare O’Donoghue*

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Original Choreographer: Andrew George

Revival Choreographer: Andrzej Glosniak*

Starring: Stéphanie d’Oustrac* (Carmen), Stephen Costello (Don José), Sara Gartland* (Micaëla), Alexander Vinogradov (Escamillo), Sarah Tucker* (Frasquita), Lindsay Metzger* (Mercédès), Rafael Moras* (Le Remendado), Corey Crider* (Le Dancaïre), Ben Wager (Zuniga), Gideon Dabi* (Moralès).

 

MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini

March 1, 3 (m), 6, 9, 2019

The woman who has everything discovers too late that she has nothing – without true love!

Libretto by Domenico Oliva and Luigi Illica

Time: Late 18^th century

Place: France and America

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

Director: Edward Berkeley*

Set Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Kristin Lewis* (Manon Lescaut), Musa Ngqungwana (Lescaut), Gregory Kunde (Chevalier Renato des Grieux), Andrea Silvestrelli* (Geronte di Revoir), Jonas Hacker* (Edmondo), Mark S. Doss (Innkeeper), Alyssa Martin (Singer), Matthew Grills* (Dance Master), Clay Hilley* (Lamplighter), Mark McCrory (Sergeant of the Royal Archers) and David Leigh* (Naval Captain).

 

LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini

March 15, 17 (m), 20, 23, 29, 31 (m), 2019

The most timeless love story in all of opera returns to break your heart!

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

Time: 19^th century

Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France

Conductor: Giuliano Carella

Director: Tomer Zvulun

Set Designer: Erhard Rom*

Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall

Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel*

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Jean-Francois Borras* (Rodolfo), Pumeza Matshikiza** (Mimì), Anthony Clark Evans* (Marcello), Sara Gartland* (Musetta), Will Liverman* (Schaunard), Nicholas Brownlee* (Colline), and Samuel Ramey (Benoît/Alcindoro), Don LeBlanc (Parpignol), Andrew Ward (Customs House Officer), Christopher Harrison (Sergeant), Dan Crowell (“Prugne di Tours”)

 

FALSTAFF by Giuseppe Verdi

April 26, 28 (m), May 1, 4, 2019

Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy brought to musical life!

Libretto by Arrigo Boito

Time: During the reign of Henry IV of England

Place: Windsor

Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

Original Director: Lee Blakeley

Revival Director: Shawna Lucey*

Set Designer: Adrian Linford*

Costume Designer: Adrian Linford*

Lighting Designer: Rick Fisher*

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Mark Delevan* (Sir John Falstaff), Angela Meade (Alice Ford), Quinn Kelsey* (Ford), Mojca Erdmann* (Nanetta), Airam Hernández* (Fenton), Stephanie Blythe* (Dame Quickly), Megan Marino* (Meg Page), Alex Mansoori* (Bardolfo), Andrea Silvestrelli (Pistola), and Robert Brubaker (Dr. Caius).

 

* Dallas Opera Debut

** American Debut

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

###