I spent most of the morning yesterday with Emmanuel Villaume, Dallas Opera’s new music director (who is in Santa Fe this summer conducting Offenbach’s LA GRANDE DUCHESSE) and general director Keith Cerny (who was back in Dallas but with whom we were meeting via a telephone conference call) discussing plans for the future. Keith was in Santa Fe all last week with a large group of donors to attend performances and for the group to get to spend time with Emmanuel, who evidently charmed everyone. The Dallas Opera has begun what promises to be an exciting new chapter in its long and illustrious history! Read more →
From the Desk of Artistic Director Jonathan Pell – Chicago
Thursday morning I flew to Chicago for a weekday matinee of Puccini’s LA BOHEME, starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Elizabeth Futral and Lucas Meachum.
The production was borrowed from the San Francisco Opera (which was also seen in Dallas in 1998) with scenery by Tony Award winning designer Michael Yeargan. Michael, who was born and brought up in Dallas proudly once told me that he decided to become a designer because as a young boy he had attended a Dallas Opera school matinee. Having seen his first opera, Michael just knew that he wanted to be a theatrical designer when he grew up.
The Chicago production was superbly conducted by French maestro Emmanuel Villaume, but without its original stage director, the production relied almost entirely on him and the experienced singers to create any dramatic tension.
Awkward blocking and lost opportunities that traditionally tug the heartstrings simply failed to move me. Read more →
From the Desk of Artistic Director Jonathan Pell – Minneapolis
Doubt, Father Flynn (Matthew Worth) must defend his name after a suspicious Sister Aloysius (Christine Brewer) accuses him of sexually abusing an altar boy. (Minnesota Opera)
Welcome to balmy Minneapolis/Saint Paul where the high today was -1 and the low tonight will be 18 degrees below zero!
Why did I fly up here? To attend a performance of a new opera of course!
Tonight was the third performance in the run of the world premiere of DOUBT, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play and Academy Award nominated film by John Patrick Shanley, with libretto by the author and music by Douglas Cuomo.
The reviews that I have read have been quite good, and now I know why.
An excellent cast, headed up by Christine Brewer, Denyce Graves and Matthew Worth, in an intriguing production staged by Kevin Newbury and designed by Robert Brill (who designed the scenery for MOBY-DICK in Dallas) made for a thought provoking evening in the theatre.
The production has attracted a lot of pre-production attention, and colleagues of mine were here tonight from Pittsburgh and Arizona Opera, as well as from Opera America, while representatives from other companies have been or will be here throughout the run of five performances.
I remember thinking when I first saw the play on Broadway that it had the “bones” to make an interesting opera, and it certainly succeeded, particularly in the confrontation scene between Christine Brewer and Denyce Graves, as the principal of a parochial school in the Bronx circa 1964 and the mother of the first black student enrolled there.
I chatted with Denyce after the performance and she wanted to be sure that I told everyone in Dallas I said hello to them for her—so now I have!
Matt Worth, who was terrific as the charismatic young priest around him much of the “doubt” of the title revolves, sang beautifully and with exemplary English diction that made the supertitles superfluous. He is looking forward to making his Dallas Opera debut in a future season (sorry, my lips are sealed) but in the meanwhile he has “Starbuck” in MOBY-DICK at Washington National Opera next season to keep him busy, among numerous other engagements.
I am glad that I was able to be here, but happy to be returning to Dallas in the morning, where I have been promised it will be 70 degrees!
I also have our concert on Saturday night to which I look forward, with superstar Sicilian tenor Marcello Giordani, under the baton of a wonderful young American conductor, Evan Rogister. It is a terrific program, and Marcello will be joined by up and coming young soprano Jan Cornelius for an evening of musical favorites and a few novelties as well.
See you there!
Jonathan Pell, Artistic Director Santa Fe Opera, Part III
Last night’s performance of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s 1926 opera KING ROGER was one of those magical nights in the theatre that we all hope to experience but which in reality happens so rarely. Everything about the evening was extraordinary, including the piece itself, which I had never heard “live” before.
The libretto is enigmatic, and was inspired by Euripides’ THE BACCHAE, but with a 12th century Sicilian king standing in for Greek king Pentheus.
The production was mounted for Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien (who reminded me afterward that it was eleven years ago that he made his Dallas Opera debut) and he was magnificent as the tormented king.
Everyone in the cast was wonderful though, starting with William Burden as the shepherd who is the leader of a mystic religious sect that preaches pleasure over reason.
Erin Morley was lovely as the conflicted Queen Roxana and Raymond Aceto was imposing as the Archbishop whose authority is threatened by the appearance of the mysterious shepherd.
Tenor Dennis Petersen and mezzo-soprano Laura Wilde gave strong support in smaller roles.
The orchestral writing is lush and lovely in a neo-romantic style that for lack of a better comparison is a cross between Richard Strauss and Bela Bartok. The choral writing is particularly beautiful, and the apprentices who make up the Santa Fe Opera chorus were superb.
Stephen Wadsworth directed with acute insight into this complex, murky story and created a simple but remarkably effective production with atmospheric sets by Thomas Lynch and beautiful costumes by Ann Hould-Ward.
None of the evening’s success, however, would have been possible without young American conductor Evan Rogister in the pit. His command of the orchestra, who have rarely played better, brought out the exotic textures in the music and his connection to the stage with its complex choral and solo vocal writing was most impressive.
The evening was one I will never forget.
There was one amusing thing that happened back stage after the performance that I should also recount.
I was waiting to congratulate Mariusz on his stunning performance (and to chat briefly about an upcoming project in Dallas that we are trying to work out) and so was chatting with some friends from San Francisco who are planning to come to Dallas in the spring for THE ASPERN PAPERS. As the name of the opera was mentioned, the lady standing behind them turned around as if on cue, and it was, of course, Susan Graham, who will be starring in that production!
The timing was perfect, and we all had a good laugh about it.
I also had a chance to speak with Bill Burden, who has had a very interesting season singing a lot of unusual repertoire, starting last fall with the world premiere of San Francisco Opera’s HEART OF A SOLDIER. He then sang the leading role in another world premiere, Kevin Puts’ SILENT NIGHT at Minnesota Opera. Then in May he sang “Jupiter” in Handel’s SEMELE for the Canadian Opera in Toronto, and then came to Santa Fe for KING ROGER.
The reason I have mentioned all this is because Bill must have begun to wonder if I was stalking him, since without consciously planning it, I had managed to attend performances of all these productions! I think that this must be some sort of record.
Single Tickets for AIDA on Sale September 10th
Subscriptions to the upcoming season start for as little as $75 and single tickets this year will go for as little as $19. However, they won’t be available all at the same time. Singles for performances of Verdi’s AIDA, as well as a host of $5 Family Performances and outstanding special recitals, concerts and events, go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, September 10th.
You can consult with the super-friendly ticket office staff at 214.443.1000 or do it yourself online at dallasopera.org. Buy an extra for someone you admire…and keep scrolling.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 13, 2012
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
Suzanne.Calvin@dallasopera.org
Or Megan Meister 214.443.1071
Megan.Meister@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PLEASED TO OFFER
SINGLE TICKETS
FOR THE FIRST PRODUCTION
OF THE GLORIOUS, GLOBE-TROTTING
2012-2013 “PURSUITS OF PASSION” SEASON
Presented by Texas Instruments Foundation
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Season Subscriptions are on Sale Now! Starting at Just $75!
Single Tickets for Verdi’s AÏDA as low as $19!
On Sale Sept. 10, 2012
DALLAS, AUGUST 13, 2012 – The Dallas Opera is very pleased to announce that single tickets for the tremendously popular AÏDA – our 2012-2013 Season Opener – will become available on Monday, September 10, 2012 at 10:00 am.
Single tickets, starting at the new low price of $19, may be purchased at your convenience online, 24/7, at dallasopera.org or by contacting the friendly staff at the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000.
The Dallas Opera, that same day, will also begin offering single tickets for “TDO Presents Laura Claycomb in Recital at the DMA” in which Dallas’ brightest star returns home the afternoon of October 7, 2012 to delight patrons in the DMA’s Horchow Auditorium with a selection of personal favorites (Tickets $25). And Maestro Evan Rogister will head to Dallas after triumphing in the current Sante Fe Opera production of King Roger for a special February 2, 2013 Dallas Opera Orchestra concert (7:30 p.m. in the Winspear), starring Italian tenor “Marcello Giordani and Friends” (Tickets start at $25).
Single tickets will also become available on September 10th for all scheduled 2012-2013 TDO Family Performances at $5 apiece, including:
• TDO Family Concerts on Sunday, November 4th and Saturday, February 2, 2013 with the Dallas Opera Orchestra and guest performers directed by Maestros Christian Capocaccia (Nov.) and Anthony Barrese (Feb.). Free family friendly activities start at noon, the performance is at 2:00 p.m.
• Georges Bizet’s Doctor Miracle in two performances with full orchestra on Saturday, November 10th followed by two additional performances on Saturday, April 27, 2013 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. Performances at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Come early for pre-performance fun in the lobby!
• And a brand-new adventure: TDOpage2stage which consists of fun, free activities (starting at noon) and a free Kids Book Club presented in the Winspear lobby at 12:30 p.m. followed by a performance of John Davies’ Jack and the Beanstalk at 2:00 p.m. (Saturday, October 27th and Saturday, January 26, 2013) in artistic collaboration with Dallas Children’s Theater.
Season subscriptions for our mainstage productions begin at the low, low price of $75. The trio of mainstage productions for the 2012-2013 “Pursuits of Passion” Season presented by Texas Instruments Foundation consists of:
• AÏDA by Giuseppe Verdi, with Latonia Moore in the title role
(Oct. 26 – The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance, October 28m, 31, Nov. 3, 9 & 11m, 2012)
• TURANDOT by Giacomo Puccini, with Lise Lindstrom making her Dallas Opera debut in the title role
(April 5, 7m, 10, 13, 19 & 21, 2013)
• THE ASPERN PAPERS by Dominick Argento, with Susan Graham in her Dallas Opera debut as Tina. With additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and Opera America.
(April 12, 14m, 17, 20 & 28m, 2012)
“During this ‘Pursuits of Passion’ Season,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, “we will build on the extraordinary success of last season’s unbroken string of artistic triumphs (from Lucia di Lammermoor to The Lighthouse to Tristan & Isolde) to the unparalleled community interest in the first simulcast ever conducted in Cowboys Stadium. The Dallas Opera had well over thirty thousand ticket requests and, ultimately, around 15,000 trekked to the home of the Dallas Cowboys to experience a magical night of Mozart with a multi-generational crowd that spanned all ages, income and educational levels, and ethnic groups.”
Added Mr. Cerny: “It was powerful testimony to grassroots interest in the performing arts in North Texas. For me, it was opera at its most inspiring. I’d like to see that momentum continue to build through our upcoming productions of Aida, Turandot and The Aspern Papers.”
Attention-grabbing Dallas Opera debuts this season include:
• Orlin Anastassov, the offspring of two opera singers, this accomplished Bulgarian bass has been dazzling audiences since the age of 19 (He made his La Scala and Covent Garden debuts before his mid-20s). After singing the role of the high priest, Ramfis, in Dallas he will reprise the role next year at La Scala. Opera Britannia took note of his “handsome and firm basso cantabile tone” and energetic stage presence.
• Sasha Cooke, an American mezzo-soprano who caused a sensation as Kitty Oppenheimer in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, winner of the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. The New Yorker praised her “luminous tone…verbal nuance…and flair for seduction.” She makes her TDO debut as Sonia, a young aspiring singer in Argento’s The Aspern Papers.
• Susan Graham, the “peerless American mezzo” (New York Observer) and one of the world’s most acclaimed singers will make her eagerly awaited Dallas Opera debut as Tina in our new 25th anniversary production of The Aspern Papers. “Sounding and looking fabulous,” writes the Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco), “Graham sings with such surety, tonal allure, and technical panache as to make you wonder if she is the same singer who reigns supreme in slow, sensual French repertoire.”
• Joseph Kaiser, an American tenor who starred in the Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of The Magic Flute (2007), will make his TDO debut as the composer, Aspern, in The Aspern Papers. Joshua Kosman of The San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Here is a singer of unnerving ability, blessed with a muscular but flexible sound, plenty of tonal color and technical proficiency—not to mention a full helping of charismatic good looks.”
• Nadia Krasteva, a native of Sofia, Bulgaria, now on the artistic roster of Vienna State Opera and in demand from Moscow to Chicago, will make her TDO debut as Amneris in our season opener, Aïda. Operagoers can’t get enough of this “pure stage animal” (Opera Today) “sexy, beguiling, fiercely independent” (Splash) with “a warm rich mezzo” (ArkivMusic).
• Lise Lindstrom, an American soprano “who made a notable splash in the opera world (debuts at La Scala and the Met) with her portrayals of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot” (Opera Today) will bring the princess to life in her Dallas Opera debut. “The elegant Lise Lindstrom is an imposing presence as the title character and commands our attention…capable of delicate shadings and unmitigated power” (Kansas City Star).
• Christian Van Horn, an American who performs regularly in many of the world’s great venues, has been praised for his “sonorous, rock-solid bass baritone” (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune) as well as his “beautiful dark timbre” (Le Temps). His portrayal of Timur in Turandot will mark his TDO debut.
Among the notable artists returning to the Dallas Opera stage this year are:
• Alexandra Deshorties, a Canadian-born French soprano who made her TDO debut as Desdemona in the opera that opened the Winspear Opera House in October of 2009: Verdi’s Otello. Now she returns as Juliana Bordereau—a secretive opera singer—in the 25th anniversary production of The Aspern Papers. A phenomenal actress, during Ms. Deshorties’ “riveting…fearless” performances as Medea at last year’s Glimmerglass Festival, “she had the audience hanging on every word” (CNY Café Momus).
• Nathan Gunn, considered one of the most exciting baritones onstage today, has charmed TDO audiences as Malatesta and Guglielmo but returns in the much darker role of The Lodger in Argento’s The Aspern Papers. Most recently he triumphed in the Met’s revival of Billy Budd, earning Anthony Tommasini’s praise for his “robust, penetrating and warm (sound; Nathan Gunn is) a born actor, he sings as if speaking the words.”
• Hei-Kyung Hong, a Korean-American lyric soprano who has enchanted audiences in sympathetic roles, including Lìu in Turandot, brings her “fresh and radiant (singing) distinguished by beautiful phrasing and refined pianissimos” (The New York Times) to our upcoming production of Puccini’s final masterpiece.
• Lester Lynch, an African-American artist with a commanding stage presence and a “resounding baritone with…deep, resonant overtones and a hearty vibrato that bounces around the corners of a theater like a ball in a pinball machine” (musicalcriticism.com), makes a welcome return to TDO as the Ethiopian King, Amonasro, in our season opening production, Aïda.
• Latonia Moore, a Houston-born African-American soprano who recently triumphed at the Metropolitan Opera in her debut in the title role of Aïda, returns to Dallas in the same role this fall. She sang a memorable Micaela in our 2004 Carmen and won that season’s Maria Callas Award as the “debut artist of the year.” Of her Covent Garden debut, Hugh Canning wrote: “Moore’s creamy, lyric soprano could take her to the top of her profession.”
• Antonello Palombi, an Italian tenor who made an indelible impression as Canio in the Dallas Opera’s acclaimed 2005 production of Pagliacci, returns in two leading roles this season: Radames in Aïda and next spring as Calaf in Turandot. Several seasons ago, he was the talk of the opera world after stepping into the role of Radames in mid-performance at La Scala when Roberto Alagna walked-off. Frankfurter Neue Presse calls his tenor “firm (and) breathtaking.”
• Dean Peterson is a multifaceted American bass-baritone who will appear this season as Fafner in Siegfried at La Scala but will also portray the womanizing impresario, Barelli, in TDO’s The Aspern Papers. Possessing a voice and stage persona of “splendid gravity” (BravaDiva.com), Peterson’s chameleon-like ability to inhabit a wide variety of roles has fueled demand for his talents in opera houses around the world.
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The benefits of becoming a Dallas Opera subscriber are even more attractive this season. In addition to priority seating, lost ticket replacement, invitations to special events and a no-interest installment payment plan, the company is adding these great incentives for the 2012-2013 Season:
• The first 800 subscribers will receive FREE seats to Cabaret@TDO, this season featuring the incredibly appealing American baritone, Rod Gilfry (Billy Budd, South Pacific). This one-night-only performance will be held in the acoustically acclaimed Winspear Opera House on November 8, 2012. SOLD OUT!
• Subscribers are eligible for a 20% discount on all additional single tickets purchased.
• A free Family four-pack to attend any of our TDO Family Series performances in the Winspear Opera House.
• TDO’s Bring-a-Friend Program allows season ticket holders to bring a friend for free to select TDO performances. Quantities are limited for each performance.
• And last, but not least, priority access to TDO’s educational and social events for one entire year. These include the General Director’s Roundtables; the TDO Experience Series; “Baritones and Beachballs” summer discussions, movie screenings and more; and TDO’s Composing Conversations with the most fascinating creative minds at work in opera today.
ABOUT AÏDA:
The pursuit of passion leads to sharply divided loyalties in the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, where Aïda, an Ethiopian princess carried off by conquering Egyptians, struggles to reconcile love of country with her burning desire for the heroic captain, Radames. Complicating matters, the Egyptian princess Amneris carries a fiery torch for the same military commander, whose love for the foreign “slave girl” could cost him his honor—as well as his life!
Featuring an international ensemble cast led by acclaimed soprano Latonia Moore (an overnight star at New York’s Metropolitan Opera after making her 2012 debut in this title role) and tenor Antonello Palombi (Pagliacci) in their eagerly awaited return to the Dallas Opera stage. Verdi’s grand, glorious, and enormously entertaining drama proves that a pyramid may be the greatest love triangle of all!
At the head of a sensational cast, American soprano Latonia Moore as Aïda, Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva in her Dallas Opera debut as Amneris, Italian tenor Antonello Palombi as Radames, American baritone Lester Lynch as Amonasro, and Bulgarian bass Orlin Anastassov in his TDO debut as Ramfis.
Conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Graeme Jenkins and staged by renowned director Garnett Bruce. Sung in Italian with English language supertitles on October 26 (The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Performance), 28m, 31, Nov. 3, 9 & 11m, 2012.
Rating: Family friendly with intense moments. Appropriate for children old enough to read supertitles.
Single tickets for the 2012-2013 Season are subject to dynamic pricing (the earlier they are purchased and the less-in-demand, the lower the price). Subscriptions are on sale now, starting at just $75 to $1,015. Inner Circle seating may be priced higher.
EVENTS AND GUESTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “AUGUST AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
OR DALLASOPERA.ORG/SUMMER
For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
The Dallas Opera’s 2012-2013 “Pursuits of Passion Season”
Is Presented by Texas Instruments Foundation
THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:
AMERICAN AIRLINES – OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS – OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
CARTIER – OFFICIAL JEWELER & WATCHMAKER OF THE DALLAS OPERA
ROSEWOOD CRESCENT HOTEL – OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE DALLAS OPERA
Ticket Information for the 2012-2013 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions start at just $75 and are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale September 10, 2012, starting at just $19. For more information, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2012-2013 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Sixth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.
AIDA by Giuseppe Verdi
October 26 – The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance
October 28(m), 31, November 3, 9, 11(m), 2012
Verdi’s Complex and Intimate Love Story Set in Spectacular Ancient Egypt!
An opera in four acts first performed at Khedivial Opera House, Cairo on December 24, 1871.
Text by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette.
Time: Old Kingdom
Place: Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: John Copley
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Latonia Moore (Aïda), Antonello Palombi (Radames), Nadia Krasteva* (Amneris), Lester Lynch (Amonasro), Orlin Anastassov* (Ramfis), Ben Wager (The King of Egypt), Jonathan Yarrington* (Messenger), and NaGuanda Nobles* (Priestess).
TURANDOT by Giacomo Puccini
April 5, 7(m), 10, 13, 19 & 21(m), 2013
Puccini’s Last Masterpiece—Riddled with Passionate Romance and Unforgettable Music!
An opera in three acts first performed in Milan at La Scala, April 25, 1926
Text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, based on Carlo Gozzi’s fable, Turandot.
Time: Legendary times
Place: Peking, China
Conductor: Marco Zambelli
Stage Director: Garnett Bruce
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Lise Lindstrom* (Princess Turandot), Antonello Palombi (Calaf), Hei-Kyung Hong (Liu), Christian Van Horn* (Timur), Jonathan Beyer (Ping), Joseph Hu (Pang), Daniel Montenegro* (Pong), Ryan Kuster* (A Mandarin), Steven Haal (Emperor Altoum).
THE ASPERN PAPERS by Dominick Argento
April 12, 14(m), 17, 20, 28(m), 2013
The Games People Play—Both Young and Old—To Achieve Their Twisted Desires!
An opera in two acts first performed in Dallas, November 19, 1988.
Text by Dominick Argento, based on a Henry James novella.
Time: Legendary
Place: Lake Como, Italy
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Tim Albery
Scenic Design: Andrew Lieberman*
Costume Design: Constance Hoffman*
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Assistant Director: Michael Mori
Starring: Susan Graham* (Tina), Nathan Gunn (The Lodger), Joseph Kaiser* (Aspern), Dean Peterson (Barelli), Sasha Cooke* (Sonia), Eric Jordan* (A painter), Jennifer Youngs* (Olimpia).
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
______________________________________________________________________________________
The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; 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. Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera. Rosewood Crescent Hotel is the official hotel of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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THE DALLAS OPERA PROUDLY ANNOUNCES A MAJOR NEW COMMISSION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Contact: Suzanne Calvin (214.443.1014/suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org)
Or Megan Meister (214.443.1071/megan.meister@dallasopera.org)
THE DALLAS OPERA PROUDLY ANNOUNCES
A MAJOR NEW COMMISSION:
Composer Jake Heggie and Librettist Terrence McNally Team to Create
A TDO World Premiere Opera!
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GREAT SCOTT TO OPEN TDO’S 2015-2016 SEASON
STARRING WORLD RENOWNED MEZZO-SOPRANO
JOYCE DIDONATO IN HER NORTH TEXAS DEBUT!
MAESTRO EVAN ROGISTER, CONDUCTING
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WITH SUPPORT FROM
THE EUGENE McDERMOTT FOUNDATION
AND THE HOBLITZELLE FOUNDATION
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Commission Announced During Celebrations Marking the
Exclusive, Limited Release of “MOBY-DICK” CD of Excerpts,
Recorded in Dallas and Featuring the Acclaimed Original Cast
DALLAS, JANUARY 17, 2012 – The Dallas Opera is delighted and extremely proud to announce the commissioning of a new, full-length opera by acclaimed American composer Jake Heggie (Moby-Dick) and the Tony Award-winning playwright/librettist Terrence McNally (Master Class) in their first joint project since the groundbreaking masterpiece, Dead Man Walking.
The new commission, with generous underwriting support from The Eugene McDermott Foundation and The Hoblitzelle Foundation, is slated to open the Dallas Opera’s 2015-2016 Season Friday, October 30, 2015 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District.
The new work, GREAT SCOTT, is based on an original story by Mr. McNally and will star legendary American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. The opera will be conducted by one of the fastest-rising young artists on the podium today: Maestro Evan Rogister.
Composer Jake Heggie was on-hand in Dallas for the on-stage announcement this evening, made by Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny and Artistic Director Jonathan Pell. The announcement came as the highlight of a special donor event marking the release of a new Dallas Opera Moby-Dick CD of excerpts, recorded live with the critically acclaimed original cast during the exciting 2010 world premiere production. This CD is now available exclusively to TDO donors and renewing Dallas Opera subscribers (certain restrictions apply).
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“In the remarkable wake of Moby-Dick,” explains Jake Heggie, “I am over the moon to return to The Dallas Opera for my next grand opera. And a brave project it is: a big, new American opera based on an original libretto by one of our most honored and beloved playwrights, the great Terrence McNally. This is our first major collaboration since Dead Man Walking back in 2000, and we are ecstatic to work together again.
“GREAT SCOTT promises to challenge, inspire and delight us all, especially as it is being created for one of the most beloved and brilliant opera stars of our time, Joyce DiDonato. The musical and dramatic possibilities have my imagination bubbling over! And once again, I am deeply impressed by the vision, courage, leadership and commitment to bold, new work by the entire Dallas Opera family and community. The creation of a new opera takes the support, participation and enthusiasm of an entire community –and Dallas rallies like no other city I know,” adding, “It’s great to be back.”
Terrence McNally describes the new commission:
“What happens when a famous American singer who has been the subject of a 60 MINUTES profile goes back home to star in a production of a forgotten masterpiece of the bel canto repertory? Arden Scott belongs to the world now but she is a hometown girl at heart. She has never looked back until now. ROSA DOLOROSA, FIGLIA DI POMPEI is her occasion to do so.
“ROSA is a grand opera complete with two mad scenes, an erupting volcano, a children’s chorus and corps de ballet,” writes Mr. McNally. “Every conceivable disaster awaits them. Will mere human resources be equal to the opera’s inhuman demands? The rehearsals and performance of ROSA will mirror the upheaval of Arden Scott’s own life.”
“We began talking with Jake about the next possible collaboration during the tremendously successful opening of Moby-Dick,” says Dallas Opera Artistic Director Jonathan Pell. “It’s very exciting to know that we will be working with Jake again on a major, new project and, in the process, have an opportunity to work with one of America’s greatest playwrights. Terrence McNally has written many of the most important and influential stage works of the past quarter-century and I can’t wait to see where he—and Jake—take us next.”
Joyce DiDonato, “probably the most in-demand lyric coloratura mezzo in the world” (Opera News), will sing the title role of opera singer Arden Scott. Most recently, Miss DiDonato triumphed in the Metropolitan Opera world premiere of The Enchanted Island, prompting Anthony Tomassini of The New York Times to write, “She commanded the stage from her first showcase scene…singing with cool control, then bursting into fearless flights of passagework.”
This winter, she will sing the premiere of a new Jake Heggie work, Camille Claudel: Into the Fire, a dramatic scene with the Alexander String Quartet commissioned by San Francisco Performances; she will appear with the New York Philharmonic in performances of Berlioz’ Les nuits d’été in London, New York and Philadelphia; in concert performances of Ariodante throughout Europe with Il complesso barocco; and with the Kansas City Symphony performing a Rossini-Heggie program as part of the Helzberg Hall inaugural season.
Then, later this spring, Miss DiDonato will star in Houston Grand Opera’s new production of Maria Stuarda followed by La Cenerentola at the Bavarian State Opera. To every program and premiere, Joyce DiDonato brings “the gleaming tone, pellucid projection and smiling warmth for which she is justly celebrated” (Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph).
“We look forward to hearing Joyce DiDonato in the exceptional acoustic of the Winspear Opera House,” says Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, “and experiencing the magic she creates onstage in her performances. Her extraordinary artistry and accessibility, combined with the unique talents of Jake and Terrence at the peak of their careers, hint at the possibility of something very special—perhaps even unforgettable—when the world premiere of GREAT SCOTT opens the season in 2015.
“We are also thrilled at the prospect of seeing one of the conducting world’s brightest new stars leading the cast, chorus and orchestra into bold, new territory.”
All five performances will be conducted by Maestro Evan Rogister, a critically acclaimed young conductor who recently finished a two-year stint as Kapellmeister at Deutsche Oper Berlin under music director Donald Runnicles. His U.S. operatic debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with performances of Hänsel und Gretel and later La bohème while serving as a conducting fellow in a position created for him by HGO Music Director Patrick Summers.
In 2009, Mr. Rogister, a dual citizen of Germany and the U.S., made his Seattle Opera debut to great critical acclaim conducting the renowned Robert Lepage production of Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung. Later this season, he will make his Royal Swedish Opera debut conducting a new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin.
The stage director and design team for GREAT SCOTT, as well as additional members of the cast, will be announced at a later date.
Following the October 30, 2015 world premiere—the Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance at the Dallas Opera—additional performances of GREAT SCOTT are scheduled to take place on the Shannon and Ted Skokos Stage in the Winspear Opera House on November 1 (m), 4, 7 & 15 (m), 2015. As always, Dallas Opera season subscribers will have first access to seats for this exciting new production.
Parking onsite will be available in the Lexus Red Parking beneath the Winspear Opera House and the Lexus Silver Parking adjacent to the Wyly Theatre. Should those reach capacity, additional paid parking is available at nearby One Arts Plaza and in several surface lots. Prices range from $5 to $25 per vehicle.
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The Moby-Dick CD of excerpts, unveiled this evening in the Winspear Opera House on the very stage where this world premiere production (staged by Leonard Foglia) was recorded in May of 2010, features the work of a stellar international cast that included Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, tenor Stephen Costello, baritone Morgan Smith, New Zealand bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu and soprano Talise Trevigne, and baritone Robert Orth, with the Dallas Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Patrick Summers. Although never intended for public consumption, demand for an original cast recording of Moby-Dick ultimately prompted the release of this single-disc, archival recording.
“This recording gives you about 45% of the actual two-and-a-half-hour opera, and includes key moments,” writes Jake Heggie in his introduction to the CD. “We aren’t calling this a CD of highlights, however, because so many other important moments could not be included…As the opera continues its journey to opera houses around the world, there will hopefully be an opportunity to make a complete recording. But for the time being, here is a glimpse of what happened when MOBY-DICK first took the opera stage in April of 2010.”
The recording will be made available for purchase through the Dallas Opera website at a later time.
“MOBY-DICK was a definite game-changer for the Dallas Opera,” explains General Director and CEO Keith Cerny. “The company profile was raised significantly by the success of this contemporary masterpiece, immediately recognized as such by both seasoned music critics and occasional opera-goers who, during the curtain calls, reduced their programs to confetti in the highest balconies and let paper rain down upon the house.”
“The potential perception of the Dallas Opera as a company glorying in its illustrious past vanished with the premiere of MOBY-DICK,” Mr. Cerny notes. “And the momentum created by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s interpretation of Herman Melville’s masterful ‘fish-tale’ has attracted world-class artists, conductors and designers to our stage; facilitated vital new collaborations with other arts organizations; and given us the artistic stature to explore a wide range of new creative projects and commissions.”
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Three-Performance FLEX subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now (prices and discounts subject to availability) through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org. Student Rushbest-available tickets are available for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) at the Winspear box office, ninety minutes prior to each performance
KEY BIOS:
JAKE HEGGIE (Composer)
Jake Heggie is the American composer of the operas Moby-Dick, Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers, The End of the Affair, To Hell and Back, and the stage works For a Look or a Touch, and At the Statue of Venus. He has also composed more than 200 art songs, as well as orchestral, choral and chamber music. Upcoming projects include Camille Claudel: Into the Fire a dramatic scene for Joyce DiDonato and the Alexander String Quartet commissioned by San Francisco Performances; Another Sunrise, a new stage work for soprano Caitlin Lynch, commissioned by Seattle’s Music of Remembrance; songs for baritone Rod Gilfry and a new work for pianist Jon Kimura Parker and violinist Aloysia Friedmann. Heggie was the 2010/11 guest artist-in-residence at the University of North Texas at Denton. Part of that residency included the commission of his first symphony, which will receive its premiere in 2013 with tenor Richard Croft as soloist. Jake Heggie’s operas have been performed to tremendous acclaim internationally in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, South Africa and by more than a dozen American opera companies. The composer’s numerous songs and cycles are also featured in recitals around the world. An ardent champion of writers, most of Heggie’s operas and stage works feature libretti written by either Terrence McNally or Gene Scheer. Heggie was the recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and has been composer-in-residence for the San Francisco Opera, Eos Orchestra, and Vail Valley Music Festival. As a coach and teacher, he gives classes at universities throughout the United States and at summer festivals such as SongFest in Malibu and the Steans Institute at Ravinia. Jake Heggie lives in San Francisco. www.jakeheggie.com.
TERRENCE McNALLY* (Librettist)
Terrence McNally was awarded the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. He is the winner of Tony Awards for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, as well as his books for the musicals Ragtime and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. In 2010 the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presented Terrence McNally’s Nights at the Opera, a three-play festival of his work. His other plays include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Corpus Christi; A Perfect Ganesh; The Ritz; It’s Only a Play; Some Men; Golden Age; Deuce; The Lisbon Traviata; Bad Habits; The Stendhal Syndrome; Dedication, or The Stuff of Dreams; Next; Unusual Acts of Devotion; Sweet Eros; Witness; Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone? and his first play …And Things that Go Bump in the Night. Mr. McNally has written the books for the musicals The Full Monty, A Man of No Importance, The Visit and The Rink. He won an Emmy Award for “Best Drama” with his teleplay Andre’s Mother. He wrote the screenplays for Frankie and Johnny, Love! Valour! Compassion! and The Ritz. He wrote the libretto for the opera Dead Man Walking with music by Jake Heggie. Among his many awards are a Citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, four Drama Desk Awards, three Hull-Warringer “Best Play” awards from the Dramatists Guild, two Obies, two Lortel Awards and two Guggenheim Fellowships. Mr. McNally has been a member of the Dramatists Guild since 1965 and served as the organization’s Vice-President (1985-2001). He lives in Manhattan with his spouse, Tom Kirdahy.
EVAN ROGISTER* (Conductor)
Evan Rogister recently finished a two-year stint as Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper Berlin under its music director Donald Runnicles. In Berlin he had particular success with performances of symphonic operas such as Tannhäuser, Rienzi, Otello, and Hänsel und Gretel, in addition to numerous repertoire evenings of La boheme, Carmen, and Die Zauberflöte. In the 2011-12 season, Rogister returns to the Deutsche Oper as a guest conductor, leading productions of Don Giovanni and Otello. Later in the season he makes his debut at Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera, with performances of a new production of Lohengrin. This summer he will lead the first performances by a major American theater of Karol Szymanowski’s 20th century masterpiece King Roger, in a new production for the Santa Fe Opera by acclaimed director (and co-founder of Milwaukee’s Skylight Theater) Stephen Wadsworth. Future appearances include a return to the Houston Grand Opera for ‘La boheme’ and a debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Rigoletto and Andre Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire with Renee Fleming. Recent and upcoming orchestral engagements include debuts with the Orchestre National de Montpellier, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Bochum Symphoniker and the Prague Chamber Orchestra as well as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alabama Symphony. His U.S. operatic debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with performances of Hänsel und Gretel and later La boheme while serving as a conducting fellow in a position created for him by music director Patrick Summers. In 2009, Rogister- a dual citizen of Germany and the US – made his Seattle Opera debut to great critical acclaim conducting the renowned Robert Lepage production of Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung.
JOYCE DiDONATO * (Arden Scott)
“Perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation” according to the New Yorker, Joyce DiDonato entrances audiences and critics alike across the globe. With a voice nothing less than 24-carat gold as proclaimed by The Times, DiDonato has soared to international prominence in operas by Rossini, Handel, and Mozart, as well as through her wide-ranging, acclaimed discography. Born in Kansas and a graduate of Wichita State University and The Academy of Vocal Arts, Joyce DiDonato trained on the young artist programmes of San Francisco, Houston, and Santa Fe opera companies. Her signature parts include the bel canto roles of Rossini, leading the Financial Times to declare of her Elena in La Donna del Lago, “Simply the best singing I’ve heard in years.” In 2010, DiDonato won the highly prized Artist of the Year at the Gramophone Awards, as well as the Recital of the Year for her album Colbran: Rossini’s Muse. She also collected a German Echo Klassik Award as Female Singer of the Year. Other honours include the Mets Beverly Sills Award, the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the Year, citations from Operalia, and the Richard Tucker, and George London Foundations. Last season began with DiDonato’s debut at the Deutsche Oper as Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia. She then returned to the Teatro Real, Madrid for her first European Octavian Der Rosenkavalier and sang Sister Helen Dead Man Walking at Houston Grand Opera. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera in the spring of 2011 for Isolier Le Comte Ory and Komponist Ariadne auf Naxos, following this with a European tour in the title role of Ariodante with Il complesso barocco, to coincide with the release of her recording of the same opera on Virgin Classics. She triumphed at Covent Garden at the end of the season, in the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon. Highlights of the current season include the feat of back-to-back title roles at La Scala, Milan (Der Rosenkavalier and La donna del lago), the world première of the baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island at the Metropolitan Opera, concerts with the New York Philharmonic in New York and London, and the title role of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda at Houston Grand Opera. An exclusive recording artist with EMI/Virgin Classics, DiDonato’s third EMI/Virgin Classics solo CD, Diva Divo is a collection of arias by male and female characters based on the same story.
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EVENTS AND GUEST ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
THE DALLAS OPERA GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES
THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOUNDATION,
PRESENTER OF THE 2011-2012 SEASON
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “MOBY-DICK”
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Ticket Information for the 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season
All performances (unless noted) are in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. FLEX subscriptions (three performances) begin at $75—and are on sale now. Single tickets start at just $25. For more information or to purchase, contact the friendly staff at The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org. Principal cast members and events may be subject to change. All ticket sales are final.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2011-2012 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-FifthInternational Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. With the exception of Tristan & Isolde, evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. Tristan’s evening performances will start at 7:00 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m. Performances of The Lighthouse (new chamber opera series) will take place in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located directly across Flora street from the Winspear in the AT&T Performing Arts Center. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.
TRISTAN & ISOLDE by Richard Wagner
February 16, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2012
A fully staged, updated new production with projections by Moby-Dick’s Elaine J. McCarthy!
Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic! A special Thursday night Opening with a special curtain time for all evening performances: 7:00 p.m.!
An opera in two acts first performed in Munich, June 10, 1865.
Text by Richard Wagner, based on an ancient Celtic and Icelandic legend.
Time: Legendary
Place: A ship at sea; outside King Marke’s palace, Cornwall; Tristan’s castle at Kareol
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet (Isolde), Clifton Forbis (Tristan), Mary Phillips (Brangäne), Jukka Rasilainen** (Kurvenal), Kristinn Sigmundsson* (King Marke), Stephen Gadd** (Melot), and Aaron Blake (A Young Sailor/A Shepherd).
THE LIGHTHOUSE by Peter Maxwell Davies
Inaugural production of the Dallas Opera Chamber Series
Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center
In the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
March 16, 17 & 18(m), 2012
A chilling supernatural and psychological thriller!
Time: December 1900
Place: Edinburgh Court of Enquiry, Fladda Isle Lighthouse off the Scottish coast
Conductor: Nicole Paiement*
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty* (opera directorial debut)
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt*
Costume Design: Claudia Stephens*
Starring: (in order of vocal appearance:) Andrew Bidlack* (Officer 1/Sandy), Robert Orth (Officer 2/Blazes), and Daniel Sumegi (Officer 3/Arthur/Voice of the Cards).
LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi
April 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 & 29(m), 2012
Let’s Party Like It’s 1849!
An opera in three acts first performed in Venice at Teatro La Fenice, March 6, 1853
Text by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Alexandre Dumas’ play, La dame aux camélias
Time: 19th century
Place: Paris
Conductor: Marco Guidarini
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Choreographer: Rosa Mercedes*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Myrtò Papatanasiu** (Violetta Valéry), James Valenti (Alfredo Germont), Laurent Naouri* (Giorgio Germont), Amanda Crider* (Flora Bervoix), Timothy Mix* (Baron Douphol), Mark McCrory (Marchese D’Obigny), Ethan Herschenfeld* (Doctor Grenvil), and Susan Nicely (Annina).
THE MAGIC FLUTE by W.A. Mozart
April 20, 22(m), 25, 28, May 4 & 6(m), 2012
Hearts Tested, Tried and True!
An opera in two acts first performed in Vienna, September 30, 1791.
Text by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Time: Legendary
Place: Mythological Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Production: August Everding
Stage Director: Matthew Lata
Scenic Design: Jörg Zimmermann*
Costume Design: Renate Kalanke*
Lighting Design: Duane Schuler
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Ava Pine (Pamina), Shawn Mathey* (Tamina), Patrick Carfizzi (Papageno), L’ubica Vargicová* (The Queen of the Night), Raymond Aceto (Sarastro), Kevin Langan (The Speaker), David Cangelosi (Monostatos), Angela Mannino* (Papagena), Caitlin Lynch* (First Lady), Lauren McNeese* (Second Lady), Maya Lahyani* (Third Lady), Aaron Blake (First Man in Armour) and Darren K. Stokes* (Second Man in Armour).
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Operatic Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; 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. Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera. Rosewood Crescent Hotel is the official hotel of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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