TDO 20-21 Season Safety Measures – December 10 2020

TDO 20-21 Season Safety Measures – December 10 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214-443-1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO PRESENT
THE EVEREST TRIO:
“Dallas Opera Perspectives” with Dr. Beck Weathers
The World Premiere of Joby Talbot’s
Everest Prelude
With Visuals from the British Film Institute
And a Semi-Staged Everest Returns to Dallas!
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“Perspectives” Moderated by Keith Cerny
Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. (Free with RSVP)
Montgomery Arts Theater, Booker T. Washington
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
RSVP at dallasopera.org/events
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Everest Prelude and Everest (Semi-Staged Performance)
Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. ($15 to $75)
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
AT&T Performing Arts Center
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Visit dallasopera.org/events for Tickets and Information
DALLAS, APRIL 27, 2017 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present The Everest Trio, culminating in a semi-staged performance of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s critically acclaimed 2015 masterpiece, Everest, on the stage of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. This one-time-only performance on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. will be conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Leonard Foglia, who staged the earlier world premiere.
THE EVEREST TRIO
“Dallas Opera Perspectives,” Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m.
One of the survivors of the now-infamous 1996 Everest disaster, Dr. Beck Weathers, a Dallas forensic pathologist, will sit for a public conversation about the experience and aftermath with The Kern Wildenthal Dallas Opera General Director and CEO, Keith Cerny.
Eight people died near the summit of the world’s highest peak on one of the deadliest days in modern mountaineering history. Dr. Weathers managed to survive some of the harshest weather conditions on the planet and make his own way back to camp, having been twice left for dead. Lauren Smart of Dallas Observer noted: “This story of men willing to risk their lives just to say they’ve accomplished something is wrapped up so closely in contemporary discontents…Everest is a musically stunning, cinematically thrilling opera updated here for a new generation, and updated brilliantly.”
This conversation, in preparation for the semi-staged performance of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest, will take place at the Montgomery Arts Theater (next door to the Winspear Opera House) in Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, starting at 6:30 p.m. The nearest paid parking ($17) is located in the Lexus Red parking garage beneath the Winspear. Admission for this unforgettable conversation is FREE with an RSVP. Details can be found online at dallasopera.org/events.
Everest Prelude / Everest on Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.
At the top of the world, dreams die, even for the most valiant of men. The Dallas Opera is exceedingly proud to present, for one night only, a semi-staged encore presentation of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s critically acclaimed Everest, starring tenor Andrew Bidlack, bass Kevin Burdette, and John Boehr from the original cast, with soprano Sarah Jane McMahon as Jan Arnold and baritone Michael Mayes as the doomed Doug Hansen. Julia Rose Arduino returns as Beck’s daughter, Meg.
The concert performance, with projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, will be preceded by the world premiere of Talbot’s Everest Prelude, dedicated to the late Dick Bass—legendary mountaineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The prelude will be set to projections by Elizabeth Seymour, using British Film Institute footage from George Mallory’s attempts to summit Mt. Everest in the 1920s.
Catherine Womack of D Magazine described Everest in its 2015 Dallas Opera premiere as having “all the ingredients of a blockbuster. Gripping, edge-of-your-seat storytelling, stunning, innovative design and poignant lyricism…instantly appealing.” Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal praised the opera as “remarkable” and Olin Chism of the Star-Telegram raved, “This is one opera performance that rivals great legitimate theater in its impact.”
The 7:30 p.m. performance will be conducted by the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and staged by director Leonard Foglia. Tickets are $15 to $75 and may be purchased through dallasopera.org/events or by calling 214.443.1000.
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The Everest Trio is part of The Dallas Opera’s weeklong Celebrate 60, (April 30-May 7) sponsored by Holly and Tom Mayer, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, the Ben E. Keith Company, The Texas Commission on the Arts, and The Dallas Arts District Foundation Endowment Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas.
“It’s an absolute thrill to invite our entire community to celebrate The Dallas Opera’s legendary past and even more exciting future,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny.
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2016-2017 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
Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
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. 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 MAINSTAGE 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.
Please note: There will be no Pre-Opera Talk for EVEREST, ARJUNA’S DILEMMA, or THE MAGIC PIANO.
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: Stephanie Williams
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)
ARJUNA’S DILEMMA by Douglas J. Cuomo
Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
An exotic and appealing soundscape!
Based on text from the Bhagavad Gita
Time: Thousands of years ago
Place: India
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Projection Designer: William Cusick
Sound Designer: Mark Grey
Lighting Designer: Krista Billings
Wig & Make-up Designer: Lexi O’Reilly
Starring: Humayun Khan* (Krishna), Tony Boutté* (Arjuna), Katrina Galka* (Quartet), Audra Methvin (Quartet), Alyssa Martin* (Quartet), Lindsay Ammann* (Quartet)
EVEREST by Joby Talbot (a semi-staged performance with projections)
Friday, May 5, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
A powerful and poignant masterpiece!
Libretto by Gene Scheer
Time: 1990’s
Place: Mt. Everest
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
Lighting Designer: Krista Billings
Projections Designer: Elaine J. McCarthy
Recording Engineer: Mark Grey
Wig & Make-up Designer: Lexi O’Reilly
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Kevin Burdette (Beck Weathers), Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), Michael Mayes (Doug Hansen), Sarah Jane McMahon (Jan Arnold), Julia Rose Arduino (Meg Weathers), John Boehr (Guy Cotter, Mike Groom)
With a special world premiere prelude!
EVEREST PRELUDE with music by Joby Talbot
Film Realization: Elizabeth Seymour
Film Credit: The British Film Institute
THE MAGIC PIANO & The Chopin Shorts by BreakThru Films
Music by Frédéric Chopin
Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.
The “Passport Zone” in the Winspear Lobby starts at 12:30 p.m.
A charming adventure for all ages!
Pianist: Derek Wang*
* 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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It’s that rarest of rarities…an opera that has only been experienced in a handful of cities across the U.S. since its celebrated 1920 double world premiere! Die tote Stadt (“The Dead City”) comes to the Dallas Opera stage in a limited engagement, beginning March 21st. Read on for details. Read more →
The limited engagement of the Dallas Opera’s new production of THE LIGHTHOUSE is now history – but the accolades continue to roll in on the tide.
Katie Womack of “The Observer” found it a “strange yet engrossing musical and theatrical experience.” Read more of her review here.
Over at “Theater Jones,” critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs proclaimed the production a “must-see” and one that gave him a “glimmer of hope” for a new era of artistic collaboration that will demolish old barriers and preconceptions. Read his illuminating article here. And go back and catch the splendid series TJ has produced on the making of THE LIGHTHOUSE.
Veteran arts writer Olin Chism, reviewing for KERA’s “Art and Seek,” found it “a powerful theater piece, with music serving an attendant though striking role.” Catch Olin’s review here.
David Weuste of “Everyday Opera” called it “a shining start” to our new, dedicated chamber series and found reasons to praise virtually every aspect of the production. Read his assessment here.
At “The Dallas Morning News,” Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell says the production was “quite vividly realized by three very fine singers in a deft staging by Kevin Moriarty, artistic director of the Dallas Theater Center.” Read Scott’s review here.
At “D Magazine,” after asking whether the Dallas Opera had bitten off more than it could chew (or words to that effect), critic Wayne Lee Gay hasn’t yet weighed-in with a final verdict. We’ll be the first to let you know.
And a new take on the production from Laura Begley at “Operagasm,” a site by and for singers and other people passionate about opera. Read it here.
UPDATE: Also, Alex Hoskins writing for SMU’s “Daily Campus” right here.
(Photo by Karen Almond, Dallas Opera)
Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media and PR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Contact: Suzanne Calvin
214-443-1014/suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO PRESENT
THE COMPANY’S LANDMARK 250th PRODUCTION
THE LIGHTHOUSE
A CHAMBER OPERA BY PETER MAXWELL DAVIES
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Conducted by Maestra Nicole Paiement
Staged by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty
Starring Tenor Andrew Bidlack
Baritone Robert Orth
And Bass Daniel Sumegi
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OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012 AT 7:30 PM
With Additional Performances
MARCH 17 & 18 (m), 2012
THE DEE AND CHARLES WYLY THEATRE
At the AT&T Performing Arts Center
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WITH SUPPORT FROM JESSIE AND CHARLES PRICE
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM MR. & MRS. EDWARD W. ROSE III,
MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL E. PHILLIPS,
AND CORPORATE SPONSOR, AMERICAN EXPRESS
DALLAS, FEBRUARY 7, 2012 – The Dallas Opera is tremendously proud to present its 250th production: a haunting and evocative 1980 chamber opera masterpiece, THE LIGHTHOUSE, by British composer Peter Maxwell Davies, opening Friday, March 16, 2012 at 7:30 PM in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center.
This new production, with support from Jessie and Charles Price (additional support from Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Rose III, Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Phillips and corporate sponsor, American Express) will be the Dallas Opera’s first-ever performance in the high-tech Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre that serves as home to the Dallas Theater Center. In yet another “first,” it will launch the company’s new dedicated chamber opera series.
Tenor Andrew Bidlack, who possesses a “bright, ping-y voice” (New York Post) will make his Dallas Opera debut in the dual roles of Officer 1 and Sandy.
Distinctive baritone Robert Orth, first heard on the Dallas Opera stage in the role of Mr. Stubb in 2010 world premiere-production of Moby-Dick, will be singing the roles of Officer 2 and Blazes. Orth’s singing has been described as “immediately gripping (it) set the tone for the rest of an outstanding performance” (Review Vancouver).
Completing the cast is Bass Daniel Sumegi singing the roles of Officer 3, Arthur and Voice of the Cards. “Sumegi has a big, commanding voice and wields it with great skill…transforming his character into someone much larger than life, someone who convinces you that he has really seen God” (Washington Times). Sumegi last performed with the Dallas Opera in 2003 as Timur in Puccini’s Turandot.
The work will be staged by the acclaimed artistic director of the DTC, Kevin Moriarty, in his opera debut, and the renowned California-based conductor, Maestra Nicole Paiement, Artistic Director of Ensemble Parallèle (founded by Paiement in 1994 and dedicated to contemporary chamber opera and multidisciplinary projects) and the BluePrint Project, a San Francisco-based new music series, sponsored by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, will lead from the pit in her Dallas Opera debut.
Scenic design for THE LIGHTHOUSE is by Tony Award nominee Beowulf Boritt, winner of a 2007 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Scenic Design. Creating costumes for this 1980 masterwork by British composer Peter Maxwell Davies will be the task of Claudia Stephens in her Dallas Opera debut. Lighting design is by Tyler Micoleau in his company debut, with wig and make-up design by Stephanie Williams.
Jonathan Pell, Artistic Director of the Dallas Opera had this to say about the cast he has put together for this extraordinary opera, “Since there are only three singers in The Lighthouse, and they portray different characters in the prologue and the opera itself, it was essential that we find three brilliant singing actors who could not only give voice to this challenging music, but could also bring the various characters to life in the intimate environs of the Wyly Theatre.
“Robert Orth and Daniel Sumegi are as well known for their acting skills as for their wonderful voices, and both have sung with the Dallas Opera in the past. Andrew Bidlack, a recent graduate of the young artist program at the San Francisco Opera, will be making his TDO debut in this production, but has impressed me enormously in a variety of roles at other companies. He embodies the perfect combination of youthful innocence and a strong, lyric tenor that Peter Maxwell Davies’ score requires.”
“The three of them, under Nicole Paiement’s baton and Kevin Moriarty’s stage direction, should make a compelling trio in this intense, theatrical opera.”
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The Lighthouse is based on actual events. The story begins with a Prologue set in the Edinburgh Court of Enquiry. The remainder of the 90-minute opera occurs on a remote, wind-swept island (at what is here called “Fladda Isle Lighthouse”), where a trio of lighthouse keepers vanished without a trace. The plot of this chamber opera serves up the supernatural and the psychological, in equal measures, yet leaves the mystery at its core, unresolved.
From the composer’s notes on the opera:
The original inspiration of this work came from reading Craig Mair’s book on the Stevenson family of Edinburgh. This family, apart from producing the famous author Robert Louis Stevenson, produced several generations of lighthouse and harbour engineers. In December 1900 the lighthouse and harbour supply ship “Hesperus” based in Stromness, Orkney, went on its routine tour of duty to the Flannan Isles light in the Outer Hebrides. The lighthouse was empty – all three beds and the table looked as if they had been left in a hurry, and the lamp, though out, was in perfect working order, but the men had disappeared into thin air.
There have been many speculations as to how and why the three keepers disappeared. This opera does not offer a solution to the mystery, but indicates what might be possible under the tense circumstances of three men being marooned in a storm-bound lighthouse long after the time they expected to be relieved.
Performances of THE LIGHTHOUSE will take place in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center (located directly across the street from the Winspear Opera House) on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 7:30 PM; and on Sunday, March 18, 2012 in a matinee performance at 2:00 PM.
Single tickets for THE LIGHTHOUSE, a ghostly opera by Peter Maxwell Davies, are now available for $49 to $99 apiece, and can be purchased either online at dallasopera.org or by contacting the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000.
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Single tickets for the three remaining mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Tragic Obsessions” Season are on sale now, starting at just $25, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online, 24/7 at www.dallasopera.org. FLEX Subscriptions (three performances) start at just $76. Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each mainstage performance.
THE LIGHTHOUSE: KEY BIOS
NICOLE PAIEMENT * (Conductor)
Maestra Nicole Paiement has been the Artistic Director of Ensemble Parallèle (EP) since its foundation in 1994 – a professional ensemble, dedicated to contemporary chamber opera and interdisciplinary projects. With this Ensemble, Paiement has recorded many world premieres performances, commissioned many new works from composers of various countries, and toured in various countries including Australia and Korea. The Ensemble’s most recent projects have included the world premiere of Lou Harrison’s Young Caesar, the west coast premiere of John Rea’s re-orchestration of Berg’s Wozzeck and the San Francisco premiere of Philip Glass’ opera Orphée, Paiement is presently working on the world-premiere performance of the chamber version of John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby, as well as a commissioned opera by composer Dante De Silva. In collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts, she will conduct Ensemble Parallèle in a new adaptation of Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts this summer.
Maestra Paiement is also the Artistic Director of the BluePrint Project – a series focused on building new music for the city of San Francisco. Over the years, BluePrint has collaborated with various organizations in the San Francisco Bay area. These have included the Pacific Rim Festival, Asian Art Museum, Other Mind Festival and the International Women Composers Festival.
Additionally, Paiement serves as director of Ensembles at the University of California, Santa Cruz and as the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music New Music Ensemble.
Maestra Paiement is an active guest conductor. She made her 2004 Korean conducting debut in the world premiere of Chan-Hae Lee’s opera Back to the Origins and Nicola Le Fanu’s Old Woman of Beare. She has committed her talents to a variety of interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with dancers and media artists, both in America and abroad.
This chamber opera will mark only the second time in the 54-year-history of the Dallas Opera that a woman conductor has been on the podium. Our first female conductor was Sarah Caldwell in 1974 performances of Ambroise Thomas’ Mignon.
KEVIN MORIARTY * (Stage Director)
Kevin Moriarty joined the Dallas Theater Center in September 2007 as the theater’s sixth artistic director. His recent positions include Artistic Director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY; Head of the M.F.A Directing Program for the Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium; and Associate Director at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI.
At the Hangar, Moriarty directed world premiere productions of Bach at Leipzig by Itamar Moses; Indoor/Outdoor by Kenny Finkle; Rough Magic by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa; Bleeding Kansas by Kathryn Walat; and Fixed by Scott Organ. He has also directed Hangar mainstage productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bloodline: The Childrenof Argos, The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly!, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
At Trinity Rep, Moriarty’s productions as a director included The Merry Wives of Windsor (Elliot Norton Award, Best Director, 2004); Nickel and Dimed; Indoor/Outdoor; Richard II; Richard III; A Delicate Balance; and A Christmas Carol. Moriarty has directed plays and musicals regionally and in New York City, including: Jesus Christ Superstar starring Sebastian Bach and Carl Anderson (National Tour; McCoy/ Rigby, Nederlander, Really Useful Group, 2002-05); The God Committee by Mark St. Germain (Lambs Theatre); A Christmas Carol starring Stacy Keach (Cutler Majestic Theatre); Betrayal
(Syracuse Stage); Romeo and Juliet (Lincoln Center Institute); Guys and Dolls (Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre); Jekyll and Hyde and The Secret Garden (Theatreworks/USA). Moriarty was born in Rensselaer, Indiana and spent his childhood in the rural Midwest.
Upon graduating from college with a Music Education degree in 1989, he worked as a public school music teacher at La Crescent High School in Minnesota for three years before attending the Trinity Repertory Conservatory. He later worked as an actor, an assistant director for Michael Mayer on Broadway, a teaching artist at middle schools in New York City, and as a visiting instructor and guest director at Wagner College. Moriarty is a member of the Drama League Director Project’s Advisory Council, the recipient of a Drama League Directors Project directing fellowship, a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab, and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.
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BEOWULF BORITT * (Scenic Design)
A frequent artistic collaborator of the Dallas Theater Center’s Kevin Moriarty, his work for the DTC includes designs for It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman, Give it Up!, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Who’s Tommy. On Broadway, Mr. Boritt has designed Sondheim On Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, LoveMusik, Rock of Ages, The Two and Only. Off-Broadway, his scenic designs have wowed audiences to more than 50 shows, including The Scottsboro Boys, The Last Five Years, The Toxic Avenger, Sleepwalk with Me, Saint Lucy’s Eyes, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, and Miss Julie. He has also designed for the Public, MTC, 2nd Stage, MCC, The New Group, Pearl Theatre, American Place, and Keen Co, as well as the 2007 and 2008 Ringling Brothers Circus. Mr. Boritt’s numerous awards and accolades include an Obie, Audelco and Barrymore, in addition to a Tony Award nomination, two Lortel nominations and three Drama Desk nominations.
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CLAUDIA STEPHENS * (Costume Design)
Associate Professor of Costume Design at SMU’s Meadows School of the arts, Claudia Stephens moved to Dallas in 1997 from her base in New York City, where she successfully designed for opera, theater and dance. During her 30 years as a costume designer, Ms. Stephens has created costume designs for more than 140 productions in both the U.S. and abroad. Her students are currently working in the costume industry in NYC, LA, Chicago, Texas, Florida, Idaho and Oklahoma. In New York City, her designs have been seen at Lincoln Center, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Playwrights Horizons, Dance Theatre Workshop, Primary Stages, Classic Stage Company, and Soho Repertory Theatre, to name a few.
On Broadway (including tours), Ms. Stephens has worked with Stephen Sondheim, Ann Hould-Ward and Cleo Laine, Into The Woods Nat’l Tour; James Lapine , Ann Hould-Ward and Stephen Bogardus , Falsettos ; Bernadette Peters, Martin Short, Neil Simon and Santo Loquasto, The Goodbye Girl; Neil Simon, Alan Alda , Kate Burton and Santo Loquasto , Jake’s Women; Gene Saks, Kevin Spacey, Mercedes Ruhl and Santo Loquasto , Lost in Yonkers: William Ivey Long, Phillip Bosco and Victor Garber, Lend Me A Tenor.
Elsewhere in the U.S., her opera and theatre designs have been seen at Portland Opera, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespearean Festival, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Denver Center Theater, Merrimack Theater, Triad Theatre, etc.
A member of Big Dance Theatre Dance Company since 1995, her costume designs for dance have leapt across stages in NYC, the United States and Europe.
Recently, Ms. Stephens designed Before Night Falls for Ft. Worth Opera with director David Gately and scene designer Riccardo Hernandez (May 2010) and the 2008 southwest premiere of the opera Angels in America, also directed by David Gately with the Fort Worth Opera; Comme Toujours Here I Stand, with Big Dance Theatre, which premiered in Lyon France, April 2009; A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the opening of the Charles & Dee Wyly Theater, fall, 2009; Dividing The Estate, also at the Wyly Theater, opening March 2011.
Miss Stephens holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in Costume Design from Carnegie Mellon University.
ANDREW BIDLACK * (Officer 1/Sandy)
Tenor Andrew Bidlack, a recent graduate of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship, begins the 2010-2011 Season with his New York City Opera debut as Baron Lummer in Strauss’ Intermezzo, followed by his return to Florida Grand Opera as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni). In concert, he performed Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at Carnegie Hall, followed by Gomatz in Mozart’s Zaide with Musica Angelica. Recent engagements include Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at Florida Grand Opera, covers of Emilio (Partenope) at New York City Opera and performances of the tenor solo in Carmina Burana with The South Dakota Symphony. In July he made his South American debut as Oronte (Alcina) with Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile.
A frequent interpreter of new works by some of today’s most significant composers, Mr. Bidlack sang Ishmael in a workshop production of Jake Heggie’s latest opera Moby-Dick with the San Francisco Opera and headed to Wolf Trap this season to sing Tancredi in a workshop production of John Musto’s new opera The Inspector.
Selected by Florida Grand Opera, Mr. Bidlack is the recipient of the 2009-2010 Gilbert Artist Award, given to a former Young Artist who is returning to sing a role in a mainstage production. Next season, he is engaged to sing at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
ROBERT ORTH (Officer 2/Blazes)
Robert Orth is a leading baritone with major opera companies including those in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Portland, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Denver. He was named “Artist of the Year” by both New York City Opera and Seattle Opera. New York City Opera also gave him the Christopher Keene Award for new and unusual repertoire. He has appeared as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Seattle, Denver, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., in repertoire ranging from Brahms’ Requiem to Broadway pops to his most repeated symphonic piece, Carmina Burana.
Performing new American operas has brought Mr. Orth great pleasure and acclaim. He was John Buchanan, Jr., in Lee Hoiby’s Summer and Smoke (based on the Tennessee Williams play), which was broadcast nationally on Public Television. At the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, he was Count Almaviva in the premiere of Rosina. In Milwaukee he was Fantomas in Stanley Silverman’s Hotel for Criminals. He played the Lodger in Dominic Argento’s The Aspern Papers in its East Coast premiere at the Kennedy Center; and he was the Lecturer in Argento’s one-man opera A Waterbird Talk in Chicago. Also in Chicago, he sang the central role of the Father in Hugo Weissgall’s Six Characters in Search of an Author in its second professional production. He created the title role in the world premiere of Harvey Milk by Stewart Wallace and Michael Korie in Houston, New York and San Francisco. In 1997 he portrayed Frank Lloyd Wright in Shining Brow, a new opera by Daron Aric Hagen, based on the life of the great American architect. In 2000 he played Owen Hart in San Francisco in the world premiere of Dead Man Walking, with music by Jake Heggie and libretto by Terrence McNally. In 2001 he premiered Michael John LaChiusa’s Lovers and Friends (Chatauqua Variations) in Chicago. In 2002 he premiered Garrison Keillor’s new opera Mr. and Mrs. Olson in St. Paul. In 2004 he was Mr. Parkis in the premiere of Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair. That same year he first portrayed Richard Nixon in John Adams’ Nixon in China in St. Louis, and subsequently in Portland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Vancouver and Toronto. In 2007 he was Uncle John in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, and Capt. Compson in Midnight Angel by David Carlson. In 2008 he premiered Sinners in San Jose, a song cycle written for him by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler. That fall he was LBJ in Dallas in the world premier of Steven Stucky and Gene Scheer’s August 4, 1964. He was Albert Godby in the world premiere of Andre Previn’s Brief Encounter in 2009. And in 2010, he created the role of Stubb in the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick.
His recordings include The Telephone by Giancarlo Menotti, Nixon in China, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Harvey Milk, Dead Man Walking, Hansel and Gretel, Shining Brow, The Grapes of Wrath and Brief Encounter.
DANIEL SUMEGI (Officer 3/Arthur/Voices of Cards)
Since his U.S. debut in 1991, bass Daniel Sumegi already has already built an impressive career. With over 85 roles in his repertoire, he has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera,
Covent Garden and the Paris Opera, as well as with major opera companies across the United States, Europe, Asia, South America and his native Australia.
Recent engagements include the Ring Cycle (Seattle Opera) and Der Fliegende Holländer (State Opera of South Australia), Götterdämmerung (New National Theater, Tokyo), a return to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Daland in Der Fliegende Holländer, and his first time as Wotan and the Wanderer, serving as cover for Los Angeles Opera’s Ring Cycle. 2010/11 season had Sumegi appearing in Salome (Washington National Opera), Rigoletto (Los Angeles Opera), Götterdämmerung (Opera du Rhin, Strassbourg) and San Francisco Opera’s Ring Cycle.
*Dallas Opera debut
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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 “THE LIGHTHOUSE”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG
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 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 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Season subscriptions start at just $76, FLEX subscriptions (three performances) begin at $75—and are on sale now. Single tickets are on-sale, starting at just $25. For more information, 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-Fifth International 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 Special Opera-in-Concert, with projections by Moby-Dick’s Elaine McCarthy!
Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic! And a special curtain time: 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 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*
Wig & make-up Design: Stephanie Williams
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 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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The Dallas Museum of Art has a great deal for our patrons:
Hear Angela Mannino (Papagena in The Magic Flute) and Andrew Bidlack (Sandy/Officer 1 in The Lighthouse) two musicians making their Dallas Opera debuts later this season at Arts & Letters Live’s Fashioned Forward performance on Tuesday, February 7 at the Dallas Museum of Art. Inspired by the creative spirit of fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier, six musicians will respond to his collection in a one-of-a-kind, one-night only performance with selections ranging from Mendelssohn and Madonna to Gershwin and Gaga. Don’t miss this special half-price offer of $15, which also allows you access to the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at 6:00 p.m. prior to the performance. Call 214-922-1818 and give the code OPERA to purchase tickets.
Fashioned Forward
A Musical Exploration of the Creative Spirit of Fashion Icon Jean Paul Gaultier
Tuesday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.
Horchow Auditorium, Dallas Museum of Art
Inspired by the exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk
Jean Paul Gaultier, who ingeniously reinvented underwear as outerwear, is renowned for his creative construction of garments ranging from the sublime to the avant-garde. His portfolio of impeccable craftsmanship and calculated innovation has both garnered praise and fueled controversy around the world. Using Gaultier’s creative spirit as inspiration, six musicians respond to his collections in a one-of-a-kind, one-night-only performance with musical selections ranging from Mendelssohn and Madonna to Gershwin and Gaga. Fashioned Forward revels in the fusion of French fashion with the eclectic musings of Diana Vreeland, Mark Doty, and Jean Paul Gaultier himself.
This marks the seventh collaboration of Arts & Letters Live with artistic programmer Ryan Taylor, who will create a multimedia extravaganza blending visuals of Gaultier’s work with musical and literary excerpts designed to resonate with the imagination of this celebrated French couturier, designer, and social provocateur.
Musicians:
Angela Mannino, soprano
Jamie Van Eyck, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Bidlack, tenor
Chad Sloan, baritone
Joseph Li, piano
Wes Yoakam, guitar
Prior to the performance, ticketholders are invited to a private viewing of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.