TDO 20-21 Season Safety Measures – December 10 2020
Spring Season Update with New Options for Patrons
Dallas Opera Presents the Everest Trio, May 1 and 5
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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A Multitude of Magnificent Presentations!
One Week of Special Programming
CELEBRATE 60: Past, Present, and Future
April 30-May 7, 2017
Honoring Six Decades of Artistic Excellence
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Springs Gala and Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Finals
“Dallas Opera Perspectives” with Dr. Beck Weathers
Arjuna’s Dilemma by Douglas J. Cuomo
Everest Prelude (world premiere) and Everest by Joby Talbot
The Magic Piano and The Chopin Shorts by BreakThru Films
Season Finale: Norma by Vincenzo Bellini
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Generously Sponsored by:
Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Holly and Tom Mayer,
Ben E. Keith Company and the Texas Commission on the Arts
DALLAS, APRIL 10, 2017 –In honor of its 60th Season, The Dallas Opera is elated to present Celebrate 60: Past, Present, and Future, a week of public performances and special events designed to pay tribute to the company’s founding and illustrious history, to celebrate six decades on the national and international stage, and to demonstrate TDO’s commitment to the highest levels of artistic excellence and innovation.
Celebrate 60, April 30 through May 7, 2017, was also conceived in order to recognize The Dallas Opera’s ongoing efforts to foster the next generation of opera audiences and artists. A goal that will be achieved by serving all the people of North Texas through vastly expanded educational and community outreach initiatives (including fifteen free public simulcasts to indoor and outdoor locations throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area—and beyond!).
Celebrate 60 is sponsored by Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Holly and Tom Mayer, the Ben E. Keith Company, The Texas Commission on the Arts, and The Dallas Arts District Foundation Endowment Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas.
The weeklong celebration will showcase the company’s base of operations in the Dallas Arts District. Four of the performances in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center have been selected as preview events for the 2017 SOLUNA International Music and Arts Festival presented by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
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“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. “In selecting these works, I wanted to program important pieces that demonstrated TDO’s ability to perform a wide range of musical styles at a very high standard, including contemporary opera. Several of these works also involve creative use of video and projections.”
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CELEBRATE 60: Past, Present, and Future
PERFORMANCE AND EVENT SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, APRIL 30th
The Dallas Opera’s annual Springs Gala: An Evening of Rising Stars, incorporating the exciting Finals Round of the 29th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition which, this year, attracted hundreds of applicants from 35 states. The Gala dinner begins at 5:30 p.m., the Vocal Competition Finals at 7:30 p.m. and all attendees are eligible to vote for the “People’s Choice” Award. The gala evening will be emceed by soprano Marina Costa-Jackson. In regard to the annual competition, Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of TheaterJones.com wrote: “All of the finalists showed the same high level of musicianship of those that come here for the Cliburn piano competition every four years (which is considerable). It won’t take long for the Dallas Opera’s vocal competition to situate itself at the top of the list of such events and become an important gold star on any young artist’s resume.” Tickets for the Finals Round alone are just $5. Visit dallasopera.org/gala or dallasopera.org/vocal for additional information.
MONDAY, MAY 1ST
“Dallas Opera Perspectives” with one of the survivors of the now-infamous 1996 Everest disaster, Dr. Beck Weathers, a Dallas forensic pathologist. Dr. Weathers will sit for a public conversation about the experience and aftermath with 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 May 5th semi-staged performance of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest, will take place at the Montgomery Arts Theater in Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, starting at 6:30 p.m. The nearest parking is next door in the Lexus Red parking garage beneath the Winspear. Admission for this unforgettable conversation is free with an RSVP. Details online at dallasopera.org/events.
THURSDAY, MAY 4TH
On the battlefield on the eve of a violent civil war that will pit brother against brother, a troubled Prince Arjuna turns for guidance to his advisor and charioteer, Krishna, who has not yet revealed his divine status in the Hindu pantheon. This is the setting for what composer Douglas J. Cuomo describes as his “most ambitious composition to date,” Arjuna’s Dilemma, a chamber opera with video projections conducted by the Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement. This exotic and appealing soundscape seamlessly combines classical elements with jazz and traditional Indian musical idioms to create a work of both sweeping grandeur and hushed intimacy. Critics have found this important contemporary work “gripping,” “gorgeous,” “astonishing” and entirely original. Starring Humayan Khan as Krishna and Tony Boutté as Arjuna. General admission tickets for the 7:30 p.m. Winspear Opera House performance are $50 each and may be purchased online at dallasopera.org/events or by contacting the Ticket Office at 214.443.1000.
FRIDAY, MAY 5TH
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 and bass Kevin Burdette from the original cast. The work, with projections by Elaine J. McCarthy, will be preceded by the world premiere of Talbot’s Everest Prelude. The prelude will be set to projections by Elizabeth Seymour, using film 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 $25 to $75 and may be purchased through dallasopera.org/events or by calling 214.443.1000.
SATURDAY, MAY 6TH
The Magic Piano, an animation adventure commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Culture and produced in 2011 by BreakThru Films, is the story of two curious children in Warsaw, Poland, who discover a battered old piano sitting atop a junk heap. However, appearances can be deceiving—the instrument becomes their fabulous, magical ride through the skies above Europe, as the youngsters dodge hot air ballons over France, and fierce storms and threatening skies over London. The 30-minute film, with a live piano score (the music of Chopin, of course) performed by Lang Lang protégé Derek Wang, will be paired with The Chopin Shorts for an afternoon of giddy adventure and glorious live music for the entire family. The films will be shown in the magnificent Winspear Opera House, beginning at 2:00 p.m. General admission seating is just $10 and can be purchased at dallasopera.org/events or through the Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000. Presented in collaboration with Dallas Film Society and Dallas Model United Nations.
SUNDAY, MAY 7TH
With generous support from TACA, The Dallas Opera is thrilled to present—for the first time on our stage—Vincenzo Bellini’s suspense-filled masterpiece of the bel canto repertoire, Norma, starring the phenomenal South African-born soprano Elza van den Heever in the title role of a Druid priestess wronged by the man she loves. This 1831 masterpiece, with a libretto by Felice Romani, is being presented in a towering period production, originally created by designer John Conklin for Cincinnati Opera, on May 7, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in the Winspear Opera House. This final performance, during OPERA America week, will also serve as the grand finale of The Dallas Opera’s exciting 60th Season. Set during the Roman occupation of Gaul in 50 B.C., a passionate love triangle in the midst of a deepening culture clash leads to potentially disastrous consequences. Norma is in the throes of despair after discovering that her longtime lover, a Roman proconsul for whom she has borne two children, may have been unfaithful. Pollione (sung by tenor Yonghoon Lee in his company debut) confesses to a friend that he no longer loves Norma. His amorous attentions are now focused on Adalgisa, a young novice (portrayed by soprano Marina Costa-Jackson). Pollione brushes aside a warning about Norma’s hair-trigger temper and capacity for rage. Amid the turmoil of the occupation, personal betrayal, and impending revolution, Norma is driven to the very brink of insanity. Tickets to this production, conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and directed by Nic Muni, start at just $29 and are available at dallasopera.org/season or by calling 214.443.1000.
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Please note: The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will take place one hour prior to curtain at all performances of Norma. There will be no pre-performance talk prior to Everest, Arjuna’s Dilemma or The Magic Piano.
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2016-2017 SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
Cast Changes in TDO’s LA WALLY
The Dallas Opera is announcing cast changes for the upcoming production of Cataloni’s LA WALLY; read on.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, January 19, 2015
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
The Dallas Opera Announces
Cast Changes to LA WALLY
LA WALLY, ACT IV
With Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s EVEREST
(A Dallas Opera World Premiere)
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OPENING FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015, 7:30 P.M.
FOR THE FIRST OF FOUR PERFORMANCES
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The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
At the AT&T Performing Arts Center
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ALICE W. AND RICHARD D. BASS,
EVEREST Underwriters
With Additional Support from
National Endowment for the Arts,
TACA Donna Wilhelm Family New Works Fund
& Tobin Theatre Arts Fund
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Three-Opera FLEX Subscriptions
Still Available, Starting at $75
Single Tickets Start at $19
DALLAS, TX, JANUARY 19, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is announcing cast changes for the company’s upcoming new production of Alfredo Catalani’s LA WALLY (Act IV).
Mexican tenor Rodrigo Garciarroyo will perform the leading role of Giuseppe Hagenbach on January 30 (opening night), February 1 and 4, 2015. Tenor Arnold Rawls will sing the role for the final performance scheduled on February 7, 2015. The singers are assuming the role after Carl Tanner recently withdrew, due to illness.
In addition, soprano Melissa Citro will sing the final performance of La Wally in the title role. Earlier, soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams took over the part from Latonia Moore, who withdrew because of her pregnancy.
Mr. Garciarroyo, who is making his Dallas Opera debut in LA WALLY, has been praised by John Bills of Pro Opera Magazine as “…combining a rich sound and a smooth legato with secure and heroic high notes: first class singing.”
Mr. Rawls makes his Dallas Opera debut in this production after earning rave reviews from Opera News, which wrote, “He owned the stage dramatically and musically…nailing each note.”
Ms. Citro, making her house debut with The Dallas Opera as the intrepid title character of Wally (short for “Walburga,” in case you were wondering), has excelled in a variety of Wagnerian roles. Writing about her Glimmerglass Festival appearance in The Consul, one reviewer claimed Miss Citro “stopped the performance in the second act with her aria, when she finally snaps in the face of the unseen Consul’s inhumanity to his fellow man. Ms. Citro is already singing such Wagnerian roles as a Norn and a Valkyrie in major houses. She has a great career ahead of her. See her now.”
LA WALLY is the first half of the sole double bill in The Dallas Opera’s 2014-2015 “Heights of Passion” Season. The climactic final act of this rarely produced 1892 work is being paired with the world premiere of EVEREST—the first opera by renowned British composer Joby Talbot (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and Gene Scheer (Moby-Dick).
Opening night will take place on Friday, January 30, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
That night, LA WALLY will star Mary Elizabeth Williams, described by Opera News as “the next great Verdi soprano,” as Wally, on the heels of her performances as Floria Tosca for Seattle Opera (where she was selected as the 2011-2012 “Artist of the Year”). Ms. Williams, praised by The Washington Post for “wonderful stage presence, both regal and human.” Ms. Williams will perform the role on January 30, February 1 and 4, 2015.
The role of Walter will be sung throughout by Dallas Opera favorite Jennifer Chung, who appeared as Juliette in last season’s critically acclaimed production of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s twentieth-century masterpiece, Die tote Stadt.
Conducted by Anthony Barrese (Tosca, 2008) and staged in this abridged production by renowned stage director Candace Evans (Don Pasquale, The Merry Widow), this is the tale of a free-spirited and fiercely passionate young woman who realizes, too late, that love delayed isn’t always love denied. TDO’s production also will incorporate the famous Act I aria, “Ebben, ne andrò lontana.”
Other members of the top-notch production team include acclaimed set designer Robert Brill (Moby-Dick), costume designer David C. Woolard (Oscar, Death and the Powers), lighting designer Christopher Akerlind (The Dream of Valentino, La bohème, The Marriage of Figaro), wig and make-up designer David Zimmerman and projections designer Elaine J. McCarthy.
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On the slopes of Mount Everest, luck and the weather can turn with equal ferocity and swiftness, and dreams die even for the most valiant of men.
British composer Joby Talbot’s first opera confronts the tragic events surrounding an ill-fated 1996 Everest expedition with a cast that includes tenor Andrew Bidlack and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, as well as bass Kevin Burdette and baritone Craig Verm in their company debuts. This much-anticipated Dallas Opera world premiere will be conducted by contemporary music specialist and Dallas Opera Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and staged by director Leonard Foglia (Moby-Dick) – this season’s James R. Seitz, Jr. Stage Director in Honor of John Gage – with stunning projections designed to carry us to the one of the highest, most awe-inspiring, and dangerous places on earth.
“It’s a thrill to have this opportunity to bring together artists from several of the most memorable productions in recent Dallas Opera history,” says Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, “and to combine their extraordinary talents in fresh and exciting new ways.
“I am also delighted to cement The Dallas Opera’s newfound reputation as a creative force in American Opera with the first of three world premieres scheduled to take place in 2015,” Mr. Cerny adds. “My team and I are confident that this thrilling original work by Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer will bring us a step closer to our goal of providing adventurous North Texas audiences with thought-provoking new works, in addition to carefully conceived productions of rarely performed and much-loved favorites from the opera repertoire.”
Dallas Opera Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement made a profound impression on theatergoers during the 2012 launch of our chamber opera series: The Lighthouse by Peter Maxwell Davies. Wrote Willard Spiegelman of Opera News, “Nicole Paiement led the ensemble briskly through a score that is rhythmically as well as harmonically complex.” Dallas Observer Classical Music Critic Katie Womack expounded further: “The success of Friday’s performance was largely due to Nicole Paiement, who conducted the orchestra skillfully and artistically, and DTC’s artistic director, Kevin Moriarty, whose staging of this work marked his opera directorial debut. Moriarty’s transition to this genre seemed effortless and his work at home in the Wyly Theatre space. Together, the two produced one of the most interesting hours of opera I’ve seen in a while.”
The conductor also led brilliant performances of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers last season, easily the most cutting-edge and technologically sophisticated opera ever produced in North Texas.
Andrew Bidlack, praised by David Fleshler of The Miami Herald for his “smooth legato and heroic top notes,” prompted Classical Voice of New England to proclaim that he has “vocal color to match one of the original ‘Three Tenors’.” Mr. Bidlack made his TDO debut as Sandy in The Lighthouse, which launched our chamber opera series in 2012.
Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, who debuted with Dallas Opera in the acclaimed 2013 production of Dominick Argento’s The Aspern Papers before creating the role of Mary Magdalene in the San Francisco Opera world premiere of Mark Adamo’s most recent work, “made a brilliant impression,” according to Georgia Rowe of Opera News. “Cooke sang with complete conviction, sounding unforced and lustrous.” While San Francisco Chronicle Critic Joshua Kosman wrote that her singing was “eloquent and shimmeringly rich.”
Bass Kevin Burdette will be making his company debut but he’s already attracting a lot of attention for his “large powerful voice with a burnished robust sound” and a “vibrant personality that pervaded the entire theater” (Opera Today).
Baritone Craig Verm, who will also be making his TDO debut in this production, has earned raves for his “brilliantly performed” roles and “consistently solid and well-colored” singing” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).
The Dallas Opera Chorus is prepared by acclaimed Chorus Master Alexander Rom.
EVEREST is generously underwritten by Alice W. and Richard D. Bass, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts, TACA Donna Wilhelm Family New Works Fund, and the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund.
Performances of this unique double bill (LA WALLY sung in Italian, EVEREST sung in English, with English language supertitles projected above the stage) will take place in the magnificent Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House on January 30, February 1 (2:00 p.m. matinee), 4 & 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. These works will be separated by an intermission.
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Single tickets for the remaining mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Heights of Passion” 2014-15 Season (La bohëme, Iolanta) are on sale now, starting at just $19, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org. Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for as little as $15 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “JANUARY AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
For high-resolution digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview or obtain additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2014-2015 SEASON SPONSOR
FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “HEIGHTS OF PASSION” SEASON
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
Ticket Information for the 2014-2015 Dallas Opera Spring Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and Flex Subscriptions are on sale starting 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 2014-2015 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Eighth 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.
A RARE DALLAS OPERA DOUBLE BILL:
LA WALLY by Alfredo Catalani
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
The Climactic Final Act!
First performed in Milan, Italy on January 20, 1892
Text by Luigi Illica after Wilhelmine von Hillern’s story, Die Geyer-Wally
Time: Around the year 1800
Place: The Austrian Alps
Conductor: Anthony Barrese
Stage Director: Candace Evans
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: David C. Woolard
Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Williams* & Melissa Citro* (Wally), Rodrigo Garciarroyo* & Arnold Rawls* (Giuseppe Hagenbach) and Jennifer Chung (Walter)
A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!
Paired with EVEREST by Joby Talbot
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
A Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Text by Gene Scheer
Time: Modern Day
Place: In the Death Zone on Mount Everest
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: David C. Woolard
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), Sasha Cooke (Jan Arnold), Kevin Burdette* (Beck Weathers) and Craig Verm* (Doug Hansen).
LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini
March 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in four acts first performed in Turin, Italy on February 1, 1896
Text by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème
Time: mid-19th century
Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza*
Stage Director: Peter Kazaras
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotton
Starring: Ana Maria Martinez (Mimi), Bryan Hymel (Rodolfo), Davinia Rodriguez* (Musetta), Jonathan Beyer (Marcello), Alexander Vinogradov* (Colline), Stephen LaBrie (Schaunard) and Stefan Szkafarowsky (Benoit).
One of the Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!
IOLANTA by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
April 10, 12(m), 15 and 18, 2015
A rarely performed Tchaikovsky gem, set in Medieval Provence!
First performed in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892
Text by Modest Tchaikovsky based on the Danish play King Rene’s Daughter by Henrik Hertz
Time: The 15th century
Place: Provence, a mountainous region in Southern France
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Scenic Design: Christian Räth
Costume Design: Susan Cox
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Ekaterina Scherbachenko* (Iolanta), Sergey Skorokhodov* (Count Vaudémont), Joanna Mongiardo* (Brigitta), Lauren McNeese (Laura), Tamara Mumford* (Marta), Andrei Bondarenko** (Robert, Duke of Burgandy), Mikhail Kolelishvili (Renè, King of Provence), Andrew Bidlack (Alméric), Vladislav Sulimsky** (Ibn-Hakia) and Jordan Bisch (Bertrand).
Another New Dallas Opera Production
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
______________________________________________________________________________________
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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Dallas Opera Wants to Take YOU Higher
The supers, or non-singing extras, that performed the duties of deckhands in our 2010 world premiere production of “Moby-Dick” have been immortalized in scads of photos in books and publications around the world. You could be next. Read on.
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, December 5, 2014
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
Scale Unimaginable Heights!
Explore New Experiences!
Make History as Part of the Original Cast
Of a Dallas Opera World Premiere!
EVEREST
~~~~
TDO Seeking Supers with Serious Climbing Skills
No Theatrical Experience Necessary
No Singing Required!
~~~~
Apply Online at https://secure.dallasopera.org/supers/
DALLAS, TX, DECEMBER 5, 2014 – The Dallas Opera is putting out a call for men and women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds—with actual climbing experience—to join the original cast of the world premiere production of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s EVEREST, opening January 30, 2015 for the first of four performances in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Like the Moby-Dick world premiere in 2010, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Dallas Opera is seeking individuals who are unafraid of heights and comfortable working in a harness. They may be called upon to dangle 30 feet in the air for as long as fifteen minutes at a time.
For additional information about the job of opera supernumeraries (or, “supers”) go to http://dallasopera.org/about/employment/seasonal/.
To sign-up, fill out the form at https://secure.dallasopera.org/supers/ and you will be contacted by a member of our artistic/production team.
Rehearsals for the supernumeraries will begin in early January. The position comes with modest compensation and complimentary tickets; not to mention, lifelong “bragging rights.”
Do not delay! Explore this extraordinary opportunity today!
~~~~
On the slopes of Mount Everest, luck and the weather can turn with equal ferocity and swiftness, and dreams die even for the most valiant of men. British composer Joby Talbot’s first opera—EVEREST—a Dallas Opera world premiere with a libretto by Gene Scheer (Moby-Dick)—confronts the tragic events surrounding an ill-fated Everest expedition with a cast that includes tenor Andrew Bidlack and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, as well as bass Kevin Burdette and baritone Craig Verm in their company debuts.
This much-anticipated Dallas Opera world premiere will be conducted by contemporary music specialist and Dallas Opera Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and staged by director Leonard Foglia (Moby-Dick) with stunning projections by Elaine J. McCarthy (Moby-Dick, Tristan & Isolde) to carry us to the one of the highest, most awe-inspiring, and dangerous places on earth.
Performances of this unique double bill (LA WALLY, Act IV sung in Italian, followed by EVEREST sung in English, with English language supertitles projected above the stage) will take place in the magnificent Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House on January 30, February 1 ( 2:00 matinee), 4 & 7, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
These One Acts will be separated by an intermission.
~~~~
Single tickets for the remaining mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Heights of Passion” Season—including the world premiere production of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s EVEREST—are on sale now, starting at just $19, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org. Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for as little as $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance.
EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “DECEMBER AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2014-2015 SEASON SPONSOR
FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “HEIGHTS OF PASSION” SEASON
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
Ticket Information for the 2014-2015 Dallas Opera Spring Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and Flex Subscriptions are on sale starting 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 2014-2015 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Eighth 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.
A RARE DALLAS OPERA DOUBLE BILL:
LA WALLY by Alfredo Catalani
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
The Climactic Final Act!
First performed in Milan, Italy on January 20, 1892
Text by Luigi Illica after Wilhelmine von Hillern’s story, Die Geyer-Wally
Time: Around the year 1800
Place: The Austrian Alps
Conductor: Anthony Barrese
Stage Director: Candace Evans
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: David C. Woolard
Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Latonia Moore (Wally), Carl Tanner* (Giuseppe Hagenbach) and Jennifer Chung (Walter)
A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!
Paired with EVEREST by Joby Talbot
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
A Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Text by Gene Scheer
Time: Modern Day
Place: In the Death Zone on Mount Everest
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: David C. Woolard
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Christopher Akerlind
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), Sasha Cooke (Jan Arnold), Kevin Burdette* (Beck Weathers) and Craig Verm* (Doug Hansen).
LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini
March 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in four acts first performed in Turin, Italy on February 1, 1896
Text by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème
Time: mid-19th century
Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza*
Stage Director: Peter Kazaras
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotton
Starring: Ana Maria Martinez (Mimi), Bryan Hymel (Rodolfo), Davinia Rodriguez* (Musetta), Jonathan Beyer (Marcello), Alexander Vinogradov* (Colline), Stephen LaBrie (Schaunard) and Stefan Szkafarowsky (Benoit).
One of the Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!
IOLANTA by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
April 10, 12(m), 15 and 18, 2015
A rarely performed Tchaikovsky gem, set in Medieval Provence!
First performed in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892
Text by Modest Tchaikovsky based on the Danish play King Rene’s Daughter by Henrik Hertz
Time: The 15th century
Place: Provence, a mountainous region in Southern France
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Scenic Design: Christian Räth
Costume Design: Susan Cox
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Ekaterina Scherbachenko* (Iolanta), Sergey Skorokhodov* (Count Vaudémont), Joanna Mongiardo* (Brigitta), Lauren McNeese (Laura), Tamara Mumford* (Marta), Andrei Bondarenko** (Robert, Duke of Burgandy), Mikhail Kolelishvili (Renè, King of Provence), Andrew Bidlack (Alméric), Vladislav Sulimsky** (Ibn-Hakia) and Jordan Bisch (Bertrand).
Another New Dallas Opera Production
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
______________________________________________________________________________________
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.
###
Single Tickets Go On Sale July 14
Although the prices on subscriptions are nearly impossible to beat, for a variety of reasons, some people prefer to buy single tickets. Let us get on your radar screen now, because when these go on sale July 14th, many of the hottest performances are likely to fill up fast.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, June 30, 2014
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PLEASED
TO ANNOUNCE
SINGLE TICKETS
FOR THE 2014-2015 SEASON
“HEIGHTS OF PASSION”
~~~~
PRESENTED BY TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
~~~~
GO ON SALE MONDAY, JULY 14TH
Single tickets Start at Just $19
~~~~
Family Performance Singles – $5 apiece!
DALLAS, JUNE 30, 2014— Now is the time to prepare to scale a new summit in North Texas arts and entertainment! Single tickets for Dallas Opera’s 2014-2015 “Heights of Passion” Season, presented by Texas Instruments, and popular TDO Family Performances in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will go on sale to the general public Monday, July 14, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.
The Dallas Opera’s hotly anticipated season consists of six operas in five outstanding productions, including a spectacular, much-anticipated world premiere! Single tickets start at the low price of $19 and may be purchased, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org/tickets/ or by calling our friendly and helpful ticket office professionals at 214-443-1000—beginning July 14th.
Full season and Flex subscriptions are available for purchase today. Subscriptions for all five productions begin at the amazing low price of just $95! Flex subscriptions (three operas or your choosing) start at just $75 and four opera packages are available, as well.
This is one of the best chances yet to experience the consummate art form—and introduce it to the loved ones in your life! Share world-renowned singers performing with TDO’s superb orchestra and chorus under the baton of Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and prestigious guest conductors. Share the breathtaking sets and costumes, the passions, the action—and immerse yourself in some of the finest music ever composed.
Sold-out houses are becoming more common; we recommend that you plan your 2014-2015 Dallas Opera Season today by consulting the production line-up below:
• THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, the spirited comedy by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with Italian bass Mirco Palazzi starring as the clever servant, Figaro.
(Oct. 24 – The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance,
26 (m), 29, Nov. 1, 7, 9)
• SALOME by Richard Strauss featuring the TDO debuts of two phenomenal stars, soprano Deborah Voigt in the title role, and Greer Grimsley as John the Baptist. (Oct. 30, Nov. 2(m), 5, 8, 2014)
• LA WALLY by Alfredo Catalani starring soprano Latonia Moore and tenor Carl Tanner, paired with the world premiere of EVEREST the first opera by British composer Joby Talbot—working with librettist Gene Scheer (Moby-Dick). A modern-day opera, EVEREST confronts the tragic events of an ill-fated 1996 expedition on the world’s highest peak. (Jan. 30, Feb. 1(m), 4, & 7, 2015)
• LA BOHÈME, Giacomo Puccini’s passionate love story, stars Grammy award-winning Latina soprano Ana María Martínez as Mimi and tenor Bryan Hymel as Rodolfo. (Mar. 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27, 29, 2015)
• IOLANTA by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky is a rarely produced gem performed by a superb Russian/American ensemble and conducted by TDO Music Director Emmanuel Villaume. (Apr. 10, 12(m), 15 & 18, 2015)
“This incredible season offers a carefully conceived balance of productions, each with its own special attributes,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny. We are pleased to return to a five-production season that includes much-loved classics, opera rarities, and premieres. I’d like to personally invite both experienced aficionados and classical music newcomers to take advantage of these magnificent offerings and join us for a season of high adventure!”
The Dallas Opera kicks off the upcoming season with a brilliant domestic comedy, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Patrons will tap along to one of the best-known overtures in Western Music. After a series of entertaining twists and turns, the title character, Figaro, finally weds his true love. Our distinguished music director, Emmanuel Villaume, is scheduled to conduct this acclaimed 18th century masterpiece.
Next, TDO will present one of the most fascinating and controversial operas of the 20th century: Salome, Richard Strauss’ explosive, late-Romantic masterpiece set in biblical times. We are delighted to present superstar soprano Deborah Voigt and baritone Greer Grimsley in their long-awaited TDO debuts.
The Dallas Opera is particularly proud to produce another exciting world premiere, Everest, based on a harrowing true story. British composer Joby Talbot has promised an evocative and imaginative score to go with the insightful libretto by Gene Scheer. This new work will be conducted by Dallas Opera Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and staged by Leonard Foglia.
To complement the mountain theme, the Dallas Opera has paired Everest with La Wally, a love story—possibly based on real people as well—set high in the Austrian Alps. Soprano Latonia Moore, who wowed audiences in TDO’s 2012 season opener, Aida, will sing the title role. Her transcendent voice is sure to effortlessly scale the challenges of composer Alfredo Catalani’s score and she will be partnered with acclaimed tenor Carl Tanner.
La bohème, although tragic, is always a tremendous crowd-pleaser with its romantic storyline, familiar characters, and unforgettable melodies. This opera features two remarkable Latina sopranos, Ana María Martínez and Davinia Rodriguez, in starring roles in this exceptional all-star cast also headed by tenor Bryan Hymel.
We close the Dallas Opera’s “Heights of Passion” season with Tchaikovsky’s rarely performed, Iolanta, a gentle fairy tale about a young princess born blind. This gorgeous work features a superb Russian/American ensemble conducted by Maestro Villaume. Happily, love prevails—in the end.
“We hope everyone will be attracted to these extraordinary operas and rush to purchase their subscriptions now” adds Dallas Opera Marketing Director Carrie Ellen Adamian. “At the very least, mark your calendar to purchase single tickets to the productions you most desire, when they go on sale next month.”
Guest stars making highly anticipated Dallas Opera debuts this season include:
• Deborah Voigt, soprano, making her TDO debut as Salome, is an internationally revered performer. “As Salome, the inexhaustible Miss Voigt is on stage and singing throughout most of the evening. Her Salome stealthily evolves, morphing from naïve young girl into sexual predator, expanding vocally from lyric tenderness to Wagnerian power and majesty.” (Washington Times)
• Greer Grimsley, “with a deep resonance and round tones full of strength and delicate nuance – Grimsley was phenomenal,” according to the Times Picayune about Mr. Grimsley, baritone, who is starring as John the Baptist in Salome.
• Susan Bickley, mezzo-soprano, as Queen Herodias in her long-awaited company debut. The Guardian called her performances “heartstoppingly direct, seamlessly expressive, and perfectly even in tone…a marvel in every respect.”
• Nicole Car, “Car’s honeyed voice, clear expression and delightfully focused performance was used to impressive effect right from the opening scene,” (The Daily Telegraph Australia regarding her performance in Eugene Onegin). The soprano, who will make her American debut at TDO as Countess Almaviva, is already being hailed as the next Joan Sutherland.
• Carl Tanner will make his Dallas Opera debut as Hagenbach in La Wally. Uptempo Magazine proclaimed “the quality of Tanner’s voice gave a lasting impression with its vastly dynamic and resonant timber,” following the tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut.
• Ekaterina Scherbachenko, a Russian soprano who has made Iolanta a signature role, was described by Opera magazine as “exquisitely sensitive and fine-tuned in the title role.”
• Sergey Skorokhodov, who according to The St. Petersburg Times “possesses a strong, clear voice, with an exceptionally winning upper register,” will portray Count Vaudemont in the Tchaikovsky rarity.
Returning to the Dallas Opera stage this season are many highly regarded artists:
• Mirco Palazzi According to the Associated Press, the bass-baritone showed “great spirit and comic timing” in his U.S. debut as Leporello, stealing the Dallas Opera’s 2010 production of Don Giovanni.
• Latonia Moore, “her voice was radiant, plush and sizable at its best, with gleaming top notes that broke through the chorus and orchestra,” wrote The New York Times after the soprano stepped into the role of Aida at New York’s Metropolitan Opera to cover for an ailing lead—and came out a star.
• Robert Brubaker “Brubaker sang with exceptional control over color and dynamic projection (in the role of King Herod), reveling in one of Strauss’ most intricate acting assignments,” hailed the Louisville Journal.
• Andrew Bidlack A young tenor starring in Everest was recently praised by The Dallas Morning News for his performance in TDO’s Die Tote Stadt: “a standout is Andrew Bidlack’s Albert, with a bright beautiful tenor of considerable power.”
• Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano, also starring in Everest, was praised by Opera News: “Cooke’s attractive, erotic stage presence struck plenty of sparks…but without question she also delivers the vocal goods. She possesses a firm, fruity mezzo, straight-toned in quality, which allows the listener to luxuriate in her unerring sense of pitch.”
• Bryan Hymel, “sang the leading tenor role of Rodolfo showing his high notes are easily among the best in the business. The rest of his voice is so attractive, and his presence so winning…” said the Philadelphia Inquirer on his performance in La bohème in which he is starring with TDO.
• Ana María Martínez, a Latin American soprano starring in La bohème, drew rave reviews from Opera News as “a radiantly vulnerable Mimi, consistently employing her darkly textured lyric soprano with great sensitivity to dynamics and text.”
• Davinia Rodriguez, a soprano described by The Seattle Times as “dramatically convincing and vocally resplendent,” will star as Musetta in La bohème.
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.
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House is conveniently located in the heart of the Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
~~~~
EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “JUNE AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
Ticket Information for the 2014-2015 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and go on sale Monday, July 14, 2014. Flex Subscriptions are on sale now, starting 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 2014-2015 “Heights of Passion Season” is presented by Texas Instruments. The Dallas Opera Family Performances are also 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.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2014-2015 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Eighth 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 begins one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
October 24, 26(m), 29, November 1, 7 and 9(m), 2014
In a single crazy, romantic day, doors will be locked and unlocked, disguised donned, kisses exchanged and innermost hearts revealed—to some of the most memorable music Mozart ever composed.
An opera in four acts first performed in Vienna on May 1, 1786
Text by Lorenzo Da Ponte after the 1784 play La folle journée, ou Le mariage de Figaro by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Time: The late 18th century
Place: Aguasfrescas near Seville, Spain, the Almaviva’s country house
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty
Production Design: John Bury*
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Choreography: Joel Ferrell*
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Mirco Palazzi (Figaro) , Beate Ritter** (Susanna), Joshua Hopkins (Count Almaviva), Nicole Car** (Countess Almaviva), Emily Fons (Cherubino), Diana Montague* (Marcellina), Kevin Langan (Doctor Bartolo), Doug Jones (Don Basilio), Angela Mannino (Barbarina), Adam Lau* (Antonio) and Jon Kolbet (Don Curzio).
Production Owned by Lyric Opera of Chicago
SALOME by Richard Strauss
October 30, November 2(m), 5, 8, 2014
Once in a great while, the term “over the top” doesn’t seem nearly high enough.
An opera in one act first performed in Dresden, Germany on December 9, 1905
Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of Oscar Wilde’s French language play
Time: During the time of Jesus Christ
Place: King Herod’s palace on the Sea of Galilee
Conductor: Evan Rogister*
Stage Director: Francesca Zambello
Original Production: Francesca Zambello
Scenic Design: Peter J. Davison*
Costume Design: Anita Yavich
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Choreography: Yael Levitin*
Starring: Deborah Voigt* (Salome), Robert Brubaker (Herod), Greer Grimsley* (Jokanaan), Susan Bickley* (Herodias), Scott Quinn (Narraboth), Heather Johnson* (Herodias’Page), Bradley Garvin (First Nazarene), Grigory Soloviov* (First Soldier), Jason Grant (Second Soldier), Joseph Hu (First Jew), Jay Gardner (Second Jew), John Robert Lindsey (Third Jew), Steven Haal (Fourth Jew), Patrick Guetti* (Fifth Jew), Tyler Simpson* (Second Nazarene), NaGuanda Nobles (A Slave) and Matthew Stump* (A Cappadocian).
Production Owned by Washington National Opera
A RARE DALLAS OPERA DOUBLE BILL:
LA WALLY by Alfredo Catalani
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
The Climactic Final Act!
First performed in Milan, Italy on January 20, 1892
Text by Luigi Illica after Wilhelmine von Hillern’s story, Die Geyer-Wally
Time: Around the year 1800
Place: The Austrian Alps
Conductor: Anthony Barrese
Stage Director: Candace Evans
Scenic Design: TBD
Costume Design: TBD
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Latonia Moore (Wally), Carl Tanner* (Giuseppe Hagenbach) and Jennifer Chung (Walter)
A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!
With EVEREST by Joby Talbot
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
A Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Text by Gene Scheer
Time: Modern Day
Place: In the Death Zone on Mount Everest
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: TBD
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), Sasha Cooke (Jan Arnold), Kevin Burdette* (Beck Weathers) and Craig Verm* (Doug Hansen).
LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini
March 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in four acts first performed in Turin, Italy on February 1, 1896
Text by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème
Time: mid-19th century
Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza*
Stage Director: Peter Kazaras
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotton
Starring: Ana Maria Martinez (Mimi), Bryan Hymel (Rodolfo), Davinia Rodriguez* (Musetta), Jonathan Beyer (Marcello), Alexander Vinogradov* (Colline), Stephen LaBrie (Schaunard) and Stefan Szkafarowsky (Benoit).
One of the Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!
IOLANTA by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
April 10, 12(m), 15 and 18, 2015
A rarely performed Tchaikovsky gem, set in Medieval Provence!
First performed in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892
Text by Modest Tchaikovsky based on the Danish play King Rene’s Daughter by Henrik Hertz
Time: The 15th century
Place: Provence, a mountainous region in Southern France
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Scenic Design: TBD
Costume Design: TBD
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Ekaterina Scherbachenko* (Iolanta), Sergey Skorokhodov* (Count Vaudémont), Joanna Mongiardo* (Brigitta), Lauren McNeese (Laura), Tamara Mumford* (Marta), Andrei Bondarenko** (Robert, Duke of Burgandy), Mikhail Kolelishvili (Renè, King of Provence), Andrew Bidlack (Alméric), Vladislav Sulimsky** (Ibn-Hakia) and Jordan Bisch (Bertrand).
Another New Dallas Opera Production
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Texas Instruments and the 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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