THE STARS WILL ALIGN IN FRISCO AS
THE DALLAS OPERA PRESENTS
ITS 15TH FREE SIMULCAST
MADAME BUTTERFLY
by GIACOMO PUCCINI
AT THE STAR IN FRISCO
One Cowboys Way, Frisco, TX
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Starring Soprano Hui He and Tenor Gianluca Terranova
Donato Renzetti Conducts
SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017, 7:30 p.m.
Simulcast Live in High Definition
from The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
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With Generous Support from Founding Sponsor
THE DALLAS FOUNDATION
Register for Free Tickets at dallasopera.org/simulcast
or call 214-443-1000
DALLAS, TX. JANUARY 26, 2017 – North Texas’ newest entertainment district and World Corporate Headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, The Star in Frisco, is the new location for the next FREE Dallas Opera Simulcast. A critically acclaimed production of MADAME BUTTERFLY will be featured at the exciting new venue on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. The classic Italian opera by Giacomo Puccini will be simulcast live from the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District, and is generously sponsored by The Dallas Foundation.
The program begins at 6:30 p.m. hosted by KLUV Radio’s Jody Dean and The Dallas Opera’s Education Program Senior Manager Kristian Roberts. Activities include Family Fun Zone 4:30-6:30 p.m., contests, behind-the-scenes interviews, and a WB Classics cartoon. The opera performance begins at 7:30 p.m.
With poignant melodies, memorable characters and a heart-wrenching storyline, MADAME BUTTERFLY has captivated audiences and dampened handkerchiefs for more than a hundred years. Loosely based on true events in Nagasaki, Japan, the unforgettable opera tells the tale of a young, naïve Japanese woman, Cio-Cio-San, blinded by her love for a callous American naval officer. MADAME BUTTERFLY, with libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, is the third production of The Dallas Opera’s 60th Season.
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“The Dallas Foundation has been proud to serve as the Founding Sponsor of The Dallas Opera’s simulcasts at AT&T Stadium since 2012, helping to provide families throughout our community the chance to experience world-class opera in this unique and relaxed setting,” remarked Mary M. Jalonick, President and CEO of The Dallas Foundation. “This year’s simulcast performance of MADAME BUTTERFLY at The Star in Frisco, will offer audiences an opportunity to enjoy one of the most well-known operas in one of our area’s newest event venues.”
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“Bringing the splendor and magic of opera to as broad an audience as possible is one of my primary goals as head of The Dallas Opera. These free public presentations are a great vehicle to introduce newcomers to this incredible art form, as well as other opera patrons who enjoy seeing performances in a relaxed setting. TDO’s simulcasts have reached over 70,000 patrons since the program began in 2010. We are extremely grateful to The Dallas Foundation for its generous and sustained support of these programs,” said Keith Cerny, the Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO of The Dallas Opera.
“I am also delighted that TDO will present MADAME BUTTERFLY in high definition at The Star in Frisco for our 15th simulcast in the series, and I know that this setting will show Puccini’s classic opera to its best advantage,” he added.
The Star in Frisco, Texas is located at One Cowboys Way, Frisco, TX 75034. Tickets and parking are free. Register online at www.dallasopera.org/simulcast or call 214-443-1000. The public is encouraged to arrive early to secure their spot.
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Lt. B.F. Pinkerton (tenor Gianluca Terranova) rents a wife Cio-Cio-San (soprano Hui He), as well as a house, in a false marriage of convenience. Although he abandons her not long after their wedding, Pinkerton has promised to return. Despite interest from worthy suitors and numerous pleas from her devoted maid Suzuki (mezzo-soprano Manuela Custer) to give up her vigil, the woman nicknamed “Butterfly” remains steadfast (“One Beautiful Day”) during his three-year absence.
This lovely, period production designed by Michael Yeargan (sets and costumes) for San Francisco Opera, will be led by renowned Italian conductor Donato Renzetti and staged by the legendary British director John Copley.
Regarded as one of the most famous new interpreters of the role, Chinese soprano Hui He, makes her Dallas Opera debut as Cio-Cio-San. “The debut of Hui He in the role of Butterfly was sensational: she has convinced not only with her big voice, her wonderful technique and her marvelous timbre, but also she touched with a deep and emotional interpretation. The best Butterfly that you can wish,” (Wiener Zeitung, Austria).
The role of “love ‘em and leave ‘em” Pinkerton will be performed by Italian lyric tenor Gianluca Terranova in his eagerly anticipated company debut. Andrew Alexander of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, recently described the charismatic Italian in another role saying his “youthful, heroic and clear voice perfectly suggests the poetic, dreamy nature of the character…but it can also just as beautifully convey the later anguish and troubled self-awareness that come to the character…”
Internationally acclaimed Italian mezzo-soprano Manuela Custer stars as Suzuki, Butterfly’s confidant and devoted maid. “Vocally, she displayed an impeccable line of singing, with a pleasing and refreshing timbre that contains an ample range of rich colors,” raved Ramon Jacques, Opera Click, of her role as Isabella in our 2009 production of Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers.
American baritone Lucas Meachem stars as Sharpless, the American consul in Nagasaki. “A natural on stage, he…dazzled the audience with the power and beauty of his voice,” (Broadway World).
Winner of multiple international awards, conductor Donato Renzetti has achieved much critical acclaim from around the globe. According to Robert J. Farr of MusicWeb International “The singers do not have to force, particularly when accompanied by a maestro of such experience and sympathy as Donato Renzetti.” George Loomis of The New York Times wrote that the Maestro “conducted a warm, expansive performance,” of a recent production of Tosca (Puccini) for Rome Opera.
MADAME BUTTERFLY is performed in Italian with projected English translations. Additional mainstage performances take place March 10, 12(m), 15, 18, 24 and 26(m), 2017 at the Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas.
SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
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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
Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
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The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by
Texas Instruments 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 2016-2017 DALLAS OPERA SEASON
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275. Full Subscriptions (five opera productions) begin at $95; Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2016-2017 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixtieth 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. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.
MADAME BUTTERFLY By Giacomo Puccini
March 10, 12(m), 15, 18, 24, & 26(m), 2017
The must see, heart-wrenching Italian opera!
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica
Time: 1904
Place: Nagasaki, Japan
Conductor: Donato Renzetti
Stage Director: John Copley
Set and Costume Designer: Michael Yeargan
Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
Wig & Make-up Designer: Stephanie Williams
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Hui He* (Cio-Cio-San), Gianluca Terranova* (B.F. Pinkerton), Manuela Custer (Suzuki), Lucas Meachem* (Sharpless), David Cangelosi (Goro), Reginald Smith, Jr.* (The Bonze), Will Hughes (Prince Yamadori), Mark McCrory (Imperial Commissioner), Samuel P.J. Lopez (Registrar), Angela Turner Wilson (Kate Pinkerton), Sorrow (TBD)
A classic, period production (new to Dallas) from the San Francisco Opera!
THE TURN OF THE SCREW By Benjamin Britten
March 17, 19(m), 22, 25, 2017
A dark and gripping tale!
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper
Time: 1950s
Place: Bly, an English country house
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Original Production: Jonathan Kent
Stage Director: Francesca Gilpin*
Set and Costume Designer: Paul Brown
Original Lighting Designer: Mark Henderson
Lighting Design Recreated By: David Manion
Wig and Make-up Designer: Stephanie Williams
Starring: William Burden (Prologue/Peter Quint), Emma Bell* (Governess), Oliver Nathanielsz* (Miles), Ashley Emerson* (Flora), Dolora Zajick* (Mrs. Grose), Alexandra LoBianco* (Miss Jessel)
An acclaimed production from Glyndebourne!
NORMA By Vincenzo Bellini
April 21, 23(m), 26, 29, May 7(m), 2017
A thrilling and suspenseful masterpiece!
Libretto by Felice Romani
Time: 50 B.C.
Place: Roman-occupied Gaul
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Nic Muni
Set Designer: John Conklin
Costume Designer: John Conklin
Lighting Designer: Thomas Hase
Wig & Make-up Designer: TBD
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Elza van den Heever (Norma), Marina Costa Jackson* (Adalgisa), Yonghoon Lee* (Pollione), Christian Van Horn (Oroveso), Mithra Mastropierro* (Clotilde), Charles Karanja (Flavio)
An atmospheric production from Cincinnati Opera!
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Texas Instruments Foundation, TACA, 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. A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for its continuing support.
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