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    The Dallas Opera Presents Joyce DiDonato, a Virtual Fundraiser, and a May Movie Premiere!

    The Dallas Opera’s annual spring gala has been reimagined as a special virtual fundraising event this year, and will stream on TDO’s website beginning Friday, May 7 at 7 p.m. This year’s event, which is also available for on-demand viewing through June 4, stars mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, soprano Ailyn Pérez, countertenor John Holiday, and baritone Lucas Meacham.

    Learn further details about VIVA OPERA!, the DVD premiere of Great Scott, and the incomparable Joyce DiDonato and The Dallas Opera Orchestra together again in VIVA DIVA! in the press release below.

    The Dallas Opera May 7-10 Events Press Release

    Joyce DiDonato by Josef Fischnaller

    Joyce DiDonato Honored with 2016 Maria Callas Award

    Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Arden Scott in The Dallas Opera's 2015 world premiere production of "Great Scott" by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally
    Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as opera star Arden Scott in The Dallas Opera’s October 2015 world premiere production of “Great Scott” by Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally. Photo by Karen Almond for The Dallas Opera

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    Thursday, June 16, 2016
    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart at 214.443.1071
    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

    THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE
    MEZZO-SOPRANO
    JOYCE DIDONATO

    HONORED AS THE 2016
    “MARIA CALLAS DEBUT ARTIST OF THE YEAR”
    ~~~~
    SUPERSTAR ENCHANTED NORTH TEXAS AUDIENCES
    IN THE 2015 WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF
    JAKE HEGGIE AND TERRENCE MCNALLY’S GREAT SCOTT

    DALLAS, JUNE 16, 2016 – The Dallas Opera is delighted to announce the winner of the 2016 “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year” Award: transcendent American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
    This prestigious award, named after one of the most renowned opera artists of the 20th century, is given to a single performer each season in recognition of a particularly memorable and outstanding company debut. The winner was announced earlier this evening at the annual Dallas Opera Board and Trustee Appreciation Dinner held in the Crescent Ballroom of the Rosewood Crescent Hotel.
    One of the world’s reigning mezzo-sopranos, Ms. DiDonato has traveled far from her native Prairie Village, Kansas, to becoming a Grammy Award-winning international artist treasured for her incandescent stage presence and acting skills, as well as her one-of-a-kind lyric coloratura described as “perfect for bel canto” (renowned musicologist Philip Gossett, quoted in The New Yorker, October, 2013).
    The role of American opera singer Arden Scott, the central character in Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s Great Scott which premiered in Dallas in October of 2015, was created by Joyce DiDonato. The critics responded with unrestrained enthusiasm:
    “DiDonato was a wonder,” wrote Jason Victor Serinus for Classical Voice North America. “With every technical effect perfectly executed, she proved herself once again a star.”
    Dallas Morning News critic Scott Cantrell noted that “DiDonato, displaying her renowned virtuosity in coloratura excerpts, is deeply engaging” while Ian MacKenzie of Opera Today praised the mezzo for singing “like an angel.”
    Senior critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of Theater Jones had particular praise for Ms. DiDonato’s approach to her character: “She plays her with a very un-diva-like simplicity; the local girl who made good, who feels the pressure of impending time and voracious young replacements.”

    “It’s a tremendous thrill to learn that our patrons have decided to honor Joyce for her starring role in one of the most important North American premieres of the 2015-16 Season,” notes Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny. “Great Scott was designed to showcase her extraordinary artistry—and indeed it does—yet audiences were just as touched by Joyce’s incredible humanity. She imbued her character Arden Scott with life, breath, and a true and generous heart. When Arden ultimately found the courage to accept new professional challenges and a second chance at love, audiences wanted to stand up and cheer!
    “We are deeply indebted to Joyce for her brilliant work throughout the world premiere production of Great Scott. Nothing would please me more than to have the opportunity to bring her back to the Winspear for more extraordinary performances.”

    ~~~~

    The voting for the Callas Award was conducted entirely online by electronic ballot and was open to season subscribers only. The results were verified by the independent accounting firm of Travis, Wolff & Company, L.L.P.
    The winner will receive a beautiful etched-crystal plaque created by award-winning designers from Tiffany & Co. for The Dallas Opera. The plaque bears the likeness of The Dallas Opera’s unofficial Godmother, Greek soprano Maria Callas. “La Divina” launched The Dallas Opera with a 1957 recital at the Music Hall in Fair Park and continued to grace TDO’s stage in those early years with a series of now-legendary performances.

    The 2016 recipient responded to the news, by email, with a statement read to the dinner guests this evening by The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO Keith Cerny:

    “I am sincerely and deeply honored to receive the Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award from The Dallas Opera, for my role as Arden Scott in Jake Heggie’s world premiere, GREAT SCOTT.
    Of course it is the dream of any singer to be mentioned in the same breath as Maria Callas, so I will very proudly carry this mantle associated with so many of my dear colleagues from years past! But perhaps the most sublime part of this, is that the award comes from this incredible journey of a world premiere, which The Dallas Opera championed so beautifully, and one that celebrates our art form so victoriously.
    We created a glorious “GREAT SCOTT Family” within the beautiful “Dallas Opera Family,” and for this, I feel so very grateful. I’d like to imagine that Maria is smiling down on us all, proud for carrying on her philosophy of singing from a place of truth—for without any doubt, we all know how much she continues to matter!
    A million thanks for this most special award!”
    Joyce DiDonato
    ~~~~

    “I am overjoyed that The Dallas Opera has decided to honor my dear friend and colleague Joyce DiDonato with the Maria Callas Award,” writes composer Jake Heggie. “Joyce is not only one of the world’s great opera stars with a talent that dazzles, inspires, moves and changes people forever—she is one of the brightest lights on the planet: a humanitarian driven by generosity, social justice, and an innate passion to connect. Like Callas, Joyce is definitive in every role she sings—allowing us to hear old and new works with fresh ears. She combines a flawless technique and sparkling vocal beauty with intelligence, integrity, authenticity, beauty and truth.
    “What an honor it was to create Great Scott for her at The Dallas Opera,” Heggie adds, “and, oh, how I look forward to how she will continue to awaken our hearts, minds and ears in the years to come as she blazes forward with bold choices and relentless curiosity.
    “Brava, dear Joyce!”

    There were twenty-two additional 2015-2016 Season nominees for the Callas Award (artists making outstanding company debuts in a principal role)—listed below in alphabetical order:

    ADDITIONAL NOMINEES FOR 2016 MARIA CALLAS AWARD

    Audrey Babcock – “Rosette” – Manon
    Jonathan Blalock – “Prince Claus” – Becoming Santa Claus
    Matt Boehler – “Donkey/Messenger” – Becoming Santa Claus
    Alyson Cambridge – “Julie LaVerne” – Show Boat
    Andriana Chuchman – “Magnolia Hawks” – Show Boat
    Troy Cook – “De Bretigny” – Manon
    Anthony Roth Costanzo – “Roane Heckle” – Great Scott
    Edwin Crossley-Mercer – “Lescaut” – Manon
    Jeffry Denman – “Frank” – Show Boat
    Mary-Pat Green – “Parthy Ann Hawks” – Show Boat
    Kathryn Leemhuis – “Javotte” – Manon
    Kate Loprest – “Ellie Mae Chipley” – Show Boat
    Michael Mayes – “Wendell Swann” – Great Scott
    Giancarlo Monsalve – “Mario Cavaradossi” – Tosca
    David Pittsinger – “Count Des Grieux” – Manon
    Hila Plitmann – “Yan” – Becoming Santa Claus
    Jennifer Rivera – “Queen Sophine” – Becoming Santa Claus
    Rodell Rosel – “Anthony Candolino” – Great Scott
    Lara Teeter – “Cap’n Andy Hawks” – Show Boat
    Dale Travis – “Sacristan” – Tosca
    Lucy Schaufer – “Ib” – Becoming Santa Claus
    Katherine Whyte – “Pousette” – Manon

    ~~~~

    The “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award” was launched during the 1991-1992 Dallas Opera Season.
    The first recipient was Sharon Sweet for her impressive performance in the title role of Aida. The list of subsequent winners reads like an opera’s “Who’s Who” from Susan Graham, Cecilia Bartoli, Mary Dunleavy, Elizabeth Futral, Hei-Kyung Hong, Denyce Graves, Indira Mahajan, Mary Mills, Patricia Racette, Latonia Moore, Christopher Ventris, Catherine Naglestad, James Valenti, and Ben Heppner, to Laura Claycomb, Myrtò Papatanasiu (Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata), mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (Rosina in The Barber of Seville) and last year’s winner, Russian soprano Ekaterina Scherbachenko for the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta.

    ~~~~

    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. Full Subscriptions start at $95, Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2016-2017 FALL SEASON INFORMATION
    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixtieth Year 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 language 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.

    EUGENE ONEGIN by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    October 28, 30(m), November 2, 5, 2016
    A tumultuous and lush romantic opera!
    Libretto by K.S. Shilovsky, after Pushkin
    Time: Late Nineteenth Century
    Place: Czarist Russia
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director: Jean-Claude Auvray*
    Costume Designer: Maria Chiara Donato
    Lighting Designer: Laurent Castaingt
    Choreographer: Cooky Chiapalone
    Wig & Make-up Designer:
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Andrei Bondarenko (Eugene Onegin), Svetlana Aksenova* (Tatyana) Stephen Costello (Lensky), Kai Rüütel** (Olga), Mikhail Kazakov (Prince Gremin), Elizabeth Batton (Larina), Meredith Arwady (Filipievna), Greg Fedderly (Triquet), Musa Ngqungwana* (Zaretski)
    A classic, period production originally created for the Israeli Opera Tel-Aviv-Jaffa!

    MOBY-DICK by Jake Heggie
    November 4, 6(m), 9, 12, 18, & 20(m), 2016
    Back by Popular Demand!
    Libretto by Gene Scheer
    Time: Nineteenth Century
    Place: Whaling Ship on the High Seas
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
    Set Designer: Robert Brill
    Costume Designer: Jane Greenwood
    Lighting Designer: Gavan Swift
    Projections Designer: Elaine J. McCarthy
    Wig and Make-up Designer:
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Jay Hunter Morris (Captain Ahab), Stephen Costello (Greenhorn), Morgan Smith (Starbuck), Musa Ngqungwana* (Queequeg), David Cangelosi (Flask), Jacqueline Echols* (Pip), Peter McGillivray* (Stubb)
    Our internationally acclaimed 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.

    ###

    Opera Great Frederica von Stade to Appear in Titus Recital!

    The Dallas Opera Proudly Presents

    LEGENDARY MEZZO-SOPRANO FREDERICA VON STADE

    IN AN EXCLUSIVE RECITAL

    WITH ACCLAIMED COMPOSER AND PIANIST JAKE HEGGIE

    SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016, 2:00 P.M. AT CITY PERFORMANCE HALL

    ~~~~

    THE ROBERT E. AND JEAN ANN TITUS ART SONG RECITAL SERIES

    TICKETS START AT $20

                DALLAS, TX, December 8, 2015 – The Dallas Opera will present opera legend Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano, for another magnificent performance in The Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Art Song Recital Series. The one-time-only recital will be presented Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at City Performance Hall (a 749-seat venue located at 2520 Flora Street in the Arts District, Dallas, TX 75201). Also featured at the exclusive event will be Jake Heggie, composer (Great Scott, Moby-Dick) and accomplished pianist, who has had a long-standing artistic collaboration with Miss von Stade.

                 The program titled “A Life In Song” is a compilation of autobiographical pieces personally chosen by Miss von Stade. It will feature art songs (works composed for a single voice with piano accompaniment) by composers; William Bolcom, Aaron Copland, Jake Heggie, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Ravel, Ned Rorem, Virgil Thomson and others. The recital series was created about three years ago to showcase well-established artists in programs dedicated to preserving the fine art of art song. Frederica von Stade - Portraits - Sept. 28, 2005

                Described by the New York Times as “one of America’s finest artists and singers,” Miss von Stade continues to be extolled as one of the music world’s most beloved figures. Known to family, friends, and fans by her nickname “Flicka,” the mezzo-soprano has enriched the world of classical music for four decades. She has created the roles of Winnie Flato, to critical acclaim in the world premiere production of Heggie’s Great Scott, and Tina in The Aspern Papers (a work written for her) both for The Dallas Opera, and Mrs. Patrick De Rocher in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for San Francisco Opera.

                Jake Heggie is one of the most in-demand American composers in classical music today who recently premiered Great Scott at The Dallas Opera (Terrence McNally, librettist) and will premiere It’s a Wonderful Life for the Houston Grand Opera in 2016. He is the composer of the operas Moby-Dick (The Dallas Opera premiere 2010), Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers, The End of the Affair and more. He has also composed more than 250 art songs, as well as concerti, chamber music, choral and orchestral works. He frequently collaborates with some of the world’s most loved singers including Ms. von Stade and sopranos Renée Fleming, Ailyn Pérez, and Kiri Te Kanawa.

                “Jake Heggie’s extraordinary new opera Great Scott that premiered in October in Dallas made an extremely positive impression on our patrons, and Miss von Stade dazzled all of us with her creation of the role of Winnie Flato. This Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Art Song Recital is a spectacular opportunity to experience Flicka’s vocal artistry and Jake’s sensitive accompanying in an intimate setting,” says Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny.

                We are extremely grateful to the Titus family for its incredible generosity in continuing to bring these magnificent recitals to North Texas. This the third in the series that began with tenor Ian Bostridge in 2014, and Matthew Polenzani last January.”           

                Seating is limited, but through the generosity of the Titus Family, the ticket prices are $20 or $40 each. Seating is reserved and all tickets will be held at Will Call.  Student tickets are available at $10 each.

                “Heading into our third year, The Dallas Opera has exceeded our expectations. This year’s recital brings together two exceptionally gifted artists, Frederica von Stade and Jake Heggie, who could not illustrate the uniqueness of art song better. The intimacy of a singer and pianist on stage is unlike any other art form. We look forward to many more recitals and the growing Dallas audience to share these experiences with. As a way to celebrate and honor our parents, my sister Amy and I continue to look forward to the future of this series with The Dallas Opera,” says Dallas Opera Executive Committee Member Sarah Titus.

                Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased either online at www.dallasopera.org or by contacting the friendly professionals in The Dallas Opera Ticket/Patron Services Office at 214.443.1000.

     FREDERICA VON STADE BIOGRAPHY

    Miss von Stade’s career has taken her to the stages of the world’s great opera houses and concert halls. She began at the top, when she received a contract from Sir Rudolf Bing during the Metropolitan Opera auditions, and since her debut in 1970 she has sung nearly all of her great roles with that company. In January 2000, the company celebrated the 30th anniversary of her debut with a new production of The Merry Widow specifically for her, and in 1995, as a celebration of her 25th anniversary, the Metropolitan Opera created for her a new production of Pelléas et Mélisande. In addition, Miss von Stade has appeared with every leading American opera company, including San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Los Angeles Opera. Her career in Europe has been no less spectacular, with new productions mounted for her at Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, and the Paris Opera. She is invited regularly by the finest conductors, among them Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, André Previn, Leonard Slatkin, and Michael Tilson Thomas, to appear in concert with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Washington’s National Symphony, and the Orchestra of La Scala. 

    With impressive versatility, she has effortlessly traversed an ever-broadening spectrum of musical styles and dramatic characterizations. A noted bel canto specialist, she excelled as the heroines of Rossini’s La cenerentola and Il barbiere di Siviglia and Bellini’s La sonnambula. She is an unmatched stylist in the French repertoire: a delectable Mignon or Périchole, a regal Marguerite in Berlioz’ La damnation de Faust, and, in one critic’s words, “the Mélisande of one’s dreams.” Her elegant figure and keen imagination have made her the world’s favorite interpreter of the great trouser roles, from Strauss’ Octavian and Composer to Mozart’s Sesto, Idamante and – magically, indelibly – Cherubino. Miss von Stade’s artistry has inspired the revival of neglected works such as Massenet’s Cherubin, Thomas’ Mignon, Rameau’s Dardanus, and Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria. Her ability as a singing actress has allowed her to portray wonderful works in operetta and musical theater including the title role in The Merry Widow and Desirée Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. Her repertoire is continually expanding with the works of contemporary composers. She also created the role of Madame de Merteuil in the Conrad Susa’s Dangerous Liaisons for San Francisco Opera.

    Frederica von Stade is the holder of honorary doctorates from Yale University, Boston University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (which holds a Frederica von Stade Distinguished Chair in Voice), the Georgetown University School of Medicine, and her alma mater, the Mannes School of Music. In 1998 Miss von Stade was awarded France’s highest honor in the Arts when she was appointed as an officer of L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and in 1983 she was honored with an award given at The White House by President Reagan in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts.

    JAKE HEGGIE BIOGRAPHY

    Mr. Heggie’s operas, most created with the distinguished writers Terrence McNally and Gene Scheer, have been produced on five continents. Dead Man Walking has received more than 40 productions worldwide since its San Francisco Opera premiere in 2000 and has been recorded live twice (Erato Records in 2000 and Virgin Classics in 2011). Moby-Dick has received six international productions since its 2010 premiere at The Dallas Opera and was telecast nationally in 2014 as part of Great Performances’ 40th Anniversary Season. Moby-Dick received its East Coast premiere at the Kennedy Center in February 2014 with the Washington National Opera; a production from the San Francisco Opera has been released on DVD (EuroArts). It is also the subject of a book by Robert Wallace titled Heggie & Scheer’s Moby-Dick – a Grand Opera for the 21st Century (UNT Press).

    Mr. Heggie was recently awarded the prestigious Eddie Medora King prize from the UT Austin Butler School of Music. A Guggenheim Fellow, he served for three years as a mentor for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative. He is also a frequent guest artist and master teacher at universities and conservatories including Boston University, Bucknell, Cornell, The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, University of Northern Iowa, University of North Texas, University of Colorado, USC’s Thornton School, Vanderbilt University, and at festivals such as SongFest at the Colburn School, Ravinia Festival, and VISI in Vancouver.

    Mr. Heggie frequently collaborates as composer and pianist with some of the world’s most loved singers including the afore mentioned sopranos, mezzo-sopranos Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, and Jamie Barton; Broadway stars Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald; tenors William Burden, Stephen Costello and Jay Hunter Morris; and baritones Nathan Gunn, Morgan Smith and Bryn Terfel. Directors who have championed his work include Leonard Foglia, Joe Mantello and Jack O’Brien. All of Mr. Heggie’s major opera premieres have been led by conductor Patrick Summers; he has also worked closely with John DeMain, Joseph Mechavich and Nicole Paiement.

    In addition to two new operas, upcoming works include The Work at Hand: Symphonic Songs for mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and cellist Anne Martindale Williams (Carnegie Hall and the Pittsburgh Symphony); new songs for Susan Graham (Vocal Arts DC); a new orchestration of the song cycle Camille Claudel: Into the Fire for mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and the Berkeley Symphony led by Joana Carneiro; and Stop This Day and Night With Me for The King’s Singers, the 2015 Brock Commission for the American Choral Directors Association Conference.

    For more information please visit www.jakeheggie.com. 

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 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, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON

    Ticket Information for the 2015-2016 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.  Full and 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 DALLAS OPERA 2015-2016 FALL SEASON INFORMATION

    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Ninth 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.

     

    BECOMING SANTA CLAUS by Mark Adamo

    December 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015

    An Eagerly Awaited Dallas Opera World Premiere!

    Libretto by the composer, Mark Adamo.

    Time: Now

    Place: An Elven kingdom in the far, far north; also, the stable of the first Christmas

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Stage Director and Choreographer: Paul Curran

    Set and Costume Designer: Gary McCann*

    Lighting Designer: Paul Hackenmueller*

    Projections Designer: Driscoll Otto*

    Wig & make-up Designer: David Zimmerman

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Jennifer Rivera* (Queen Sophine), Jonathan Blalock* (Prince Claus) (Charron and Peter Denker Rising Star), Matt Boehler* (Donkey), Hila Plitmann* (Yan), Lucy Schaufer* (Ib), Keith Jameson (Yab), Kevin Burdette (Ob).

    Another New Dallas Opera Production!

     

     

    MANON by Jules Massenet
    March 4, 6(m), 9, 12, 2016
    A Timeless Tale of Young Love Set in France
    Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille
    Time:     Late 19th Century
    Place:     France
    Conductor:     Graeme Jenkins
    Stage Director:     E. Loren Meeker*
    Set and Costume Designer:     Tanya McCallin
    Original Choreographer: Paule Constable
    Revival Choreographer: Colm Seery*
    Lighting Designer:     Kevin Sleep
    Wig & Make-up Designer:     David Zimmerman
    Chorus Master:     Alexander Rom
    Starring:     Ailyn Pérez (Manon), Stephen Costello (Chevalier des Grieux), Edwin Crossley-Mercer* (Lescaut), David Pittsinger* (Count des Grieux), Greg Fedderly* (Guillot de Morfontaine), Troy Cook* de Brétigny), Katherine Whyte* (Pousette), Kathryn Leemhuis* (Javotte), Audrey Babcock (Rosette), Theodor Carlson (Innkeeper)
    The Return of Graeme Jenkins to the Podium!

     

    SHOW BOAT by Jerome Kern
    April 15, 17(m), 20, 23, 29, May 1(m), 2016
    A Great American Musical
    Music by Jerome Kern – Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
    Time: 1887-1927
    Place:     Mississippi and Chicago
    Conductor:     Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director:     E. Loren Meeker
    Set Designer:     Peter J. Davison
    Costume Designer: Paul Tazewell*
    Lighting Designer:     Erik Watkins
    Sound Designer: Tom Clark
    Choreographer: Michele Lynch*
    Wig & Make-up Designer:     David Zimmerman
    Chorus Master:     Alexander Rom
    Starring:     Andriana Chuchman* (Magnolia), Michael Todd Simpson (Gaylord Ravenal), Lara Teeter* (Cap’n Andy Hawks), Alyson Cambridge* (Julie), Angela Renée Simpson (Queenie), Mary-Pat Green* (Parthy Ann Hawkes), Kirsten Wyatt* (Ellie Mae Chipley), Morris Robinson (Joe), John Bolton* (Frank), Keith Chambers (Jake)
    Performed with the Power of the Operatic Voice and Full Orchestra!

    * 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.

     

    World Premiere of Great Scott!

    BY JAKE HEGGIE AND TERRENCE McNALLY

    CO-COMMISSIONED AND CO-PRODUCED WITH SAN DIEGO OPERA

    STARRING JOYCE DIDONATO AS ARDEN SCOTT

     

    Presenting Sponsor Eugene McDermott Foundation

     

    OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015 AT 8:00 PM

    THE LINDA AND MITCH HART SEASON

    OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE,

    THE MARGOT AND BILL WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE

    AT THE AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, DALLAS

     

    With Additional Support from Hoblitzelle Foundation,

    Diane B. Wilsey, Carol Franc Buck Foundation,

    National Endowment for the Arts and

    The Opera Fund, a program of OPERA America

     

    Joyce DiDonato is the Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Principal Artist

                DALLAS, OCTOBER 2, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present one of the most eagerly anticipated new operas of the year: Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally’s GREAT SCOTT, featuring a once-in-a-lifetime cast headed by America’s favorite mezzo-soprano, Joyce DiDonato, in the title role of Arden Scott; also starring soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, baritone Nathan Gunn, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, bass Kevin Burdette, tenor Rodell Rosel and baritone Michael Mayes.

                GREAT SCOTT, (Presenting Sponsor, Eugene McDermott Foundation) a co-commission/co-production of TDO and San Diego Opera, officially opens The Dallas Opera’s 2015-2016 Season, “Seeking the Human Element,” on the evening of Friday, October 30, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. (please note the later curtain time) in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas.

                The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance will be followed by four additional performances on November 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015.

                In addition to acclaimed American composer Jake Heggie and award-winning librettist Terrence McNally—who conceived the original story—Great Scott features a phenomenal production and artistic team.              In his first TDO appearance since Moby-Dick, the distinguished Patrick Summers will conduct the world premiere, Broadway legend and Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien is staging the production, and Tony and Olivier Award-winner Bob Crowley (An American in Paris, Skylight, Once) has designed both sets and costumes for Great Scott in his Dallas Opera debut. 

                Other key contributors include Associate Conductor Nicole Paiement (Everest), Lighting Designer Brian MacDevitt (another multiple Tony winner!—most recently for The Book of Mormon) and renowned Projections Designer Elaine J. McCarthy (Moby-Dick, Everest, Iolanta).

                “It’s a homecoming for Terrence and a creative homecoming for me,” writes Great Scott composer Jake Heggie.  It’s also a homecoming for our brilliant director, Jack O’Brien, who made his Dallas Opera directorial debut in 1972, and has since created dozens of iconic Broadway shows, including Hairspray and The Full Monty.”

                This timely and poignant full-length opera marks Mr. Heggie and Mr. McNally’s first major collaboration since Dead Man Walking (2000), which was hailed as a “masterpiece” by the San Francisco Chronicle.  One of theater’s most prominent playwrights, Mr. McNally has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and has won multiple Tony and Drama Desk Awards, as well as an Emmy Award.

                Mr. Heggie’s 2010 collaboration with librettist Gene Scheer: Moby-Dick, now considered a modern-day masterpiece, premiered at The Dallas Opera and has since gone on to earn critical acclaim in sold-out performances from Canada to Australia.

                This star-studded 2015 Dallas Opera world premiere is generously supported by Hoblitzelle Foundation, Diane B. Wilsey, Carol Franc Buck Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and The Opera Fund, a program of OPERA America. 

                Miss Joyce DiDonato is the Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Principal Artist.

                “Having seen, first hand, the tremendous success of Moby-Dick in Dallas back in 2010, I was determined to give Jake a second opportunity to compose a major new work for The Dallas Opera,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny.  “With the support of TDO’s Executive Committee, I commissioned Jake to begin planning his next opera over four years ago, in the summer of 2011, and we were later joined by San Diego Opera.

                “All of us are absolutely thrilled to have begun rehearsals for this outstanding new work, featuring as it does the exceptional writing talents of Terrence McNally, a once-in-a-lifetime cast and an artistic ‘dream team.’ 

                “Critical anticipation and audience enthusiasm has been tremendous—even in advance of the premiere—and we are all looking forward to bringing this brilliant new work to the public on October 30th.”

    ~~~~

                In McNally’s original story and libretto, international opera star Arden Scott returns to her hometown to try to save the struggling opera company that launched her to fame and fortune. However, as American Opera prepares for the world premiere of Rosa Dolorosa, figlia di Pompei (“Rosa Dolorosa, Daughter of Pompeii”) – the nearly 200-year old bel canto opera Arden recently discovered – she faces unexpected competition from an ambitious young soprano as well as community excitement surrounding the local professional football team’s first Super Bowl (Go Grizzlies!).  The fate of the opera company hangs in the balance as Arden is forced to consider the personal sacrifices she has made for her career, and comes to understand that true greatness is a matter of heart.

                “I’m a playwright because of opera,” says Great Scott librettist Terrence McNally, who was awarded the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, “so it was inevitable that I would say ‘yes’ when Jake Heggie asked me to write an opera with him.  That was Dead Man Walking.

                “Fifteen years later we’re in Dallas for the world premiere of our second collaboration, Great Scott, in the city where my passion for this impossible art form was ignited some 65 years ago.”

                “Filled with surprising characters, plot twists and turns,” writes Mr. Heggie, “Great Scott unfolds as deeply touching, human and completely hilarious.”

    ~~~~

              Composer Jake Heggie has written more than 250 songs, as well as chamber, choral and orchestral works.  His operas: Moby-Dick, Dead Man Walking, Out of Darkness, Three Decembers, To Hell and Back, The End of the Affair, and The Radio Hour—most, in collaboration with writers Terrence McNally and Gene Scheer, have been produced to great acclaim on five continents. Following Great Scott, his next major project is an opera based on Frank Capra’s 1946 film classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” for Houston Grand Opera.

               Inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame in 1996, librettist Terrence McNally, “a probing and enduring dramatist” (The New York Times), has had a significant impact on American Theater through such Tony Award-winning works as Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, as well as his books for Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman.  Other works include Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; The Lisbon Traviata; It’s Only a Play; Corpus Christi and The Ritz.  McNally’s Mothers and Sons premiered on Broadway in 2014.

               Houston Grand Opera Artistic and Music Director and Principal Guest Conductor for San Francisco Opera, Patrick Summers commands a vast repertory.  Mr. Summers has led an array of productions at the Metropolitan Opera, including Madama Butterfly, Salome, and I Puritani, which were broadcast live in HD to movie theaters globally.  He has also conducted at the world’s preeminent opera companies, including Barcelona’s Gran Teatre Del Liceu, Lisbon Opera, Bordeaux Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Bregenz Festival, Welsh National Opera, Opera Australia, Seattle Opera, and Los Angeles Opera, as well as The Dallas Opera. 

               Maestro Summers is a constant collaborator with Jake Heggie. Together, they have premiered such works as Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers, Moby-Dick and, now, Great Scott.

               Director Jack O’Brien’s contributions to the Broadway stage include It’s Only a Play, Macbeth, The Nance, Dead Accounts, Catch Me If You Can, Impressionism, The Coast of Utopia, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Henry IV, The Invention of Love and many more.  Mr. O’Brien has successfully staged Il trittico at the Metropolitan Opera, Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, and Much Ado About Nothing in New York’s Central Park.  The longtime Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre has also directed half-a-dozen movies for “American Playhouse” on PBS.

                Grammy Award-winning superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, prompted Michael Church of The Guardian (U.K.) to write, “No other singer could match what this blonde bombshell from Kansas does, marrying coloratura with the serene liquidity of birdsong to an expressiveness of heart-stopping beauty.” She leads a brilliant all-star cast that includes in-demand soprano Ailyn Pérez (winner of the 2012 Richard Tucker Award), praised by the San Diego News Network for her “big, powerful, beautiful, lyrical and endlessly supple voice,” as Tatyana Bakst, a fiercely ambitious young singer from Eastern Europe, eager to assume the mantle of stardom—as quickly as possible. 

                Great Scott also stars the legendary Frederica von Stade as Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato, the founder and chief benefactor of the American Opera Company, who also happens to be married to the owner of the Super Bowl-bound local football team. Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Even if she were not one of the great singers of our day, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade could probably draw a full house…eager just to be in her presence and watch her be herself.  She’s that enchanting.” 

                In the role of architect Sid Taylor, the man from Arden Scott’s past who might not be content to remain there, is opera heart-throb Nathan Gunn, “a vivid, appealing stage presence, with that gorgeous, well-focused baritone” (Scott Cantrell, The Dallas Morning News); a singer who most recently dazzled Dallas Opera audiences as clever Figaro in The Barber of Seville and as the mysterious Lodger in TDO’s highly praised 2013 revival of Dominick Argento’s The Aspern Papers.  More recently, Gunn attracted glowing reviews as Inman in the Santa Fe Opera world premiere of Jennifer Higdon and Gene Scheer’s Cold Mountain.

                Sid’s eleven-year-old son, Tommy Taylor (a speaking role), will be played by Mark Hancock in his company debut.

                Rounding out the GREAT SCOTT cast is counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo in his Dallas Opera debut as a no-nonsense stage manager and longtime friend of Arden Scott.  Mr. Costanzo possesses, “the kind of high-voltage, high-register male singing that comes once in a generation” (Ken Smith, Musical America).  

                Versatile bass Kevin Burdette (Beck Weathers in Everest), known for his “large powerful voice with a burnished robust sound” and “a vibrant personality” (Opera Today) performs the dual roles of conductor Eric Gold and The Ghost of Vittorio Bazzetti, the composer of Rosa Dolorosa, the long-lost, never-performed bel canto opera being championed by Arden.

                Rodell Rosel, a tenor, creates the role of Anthony Candolino, while baritone Michael Mayes sings the role of Wendell Swann, both in their company debuts.

                The Dallas Opera Chorus will be prepared by Chorus Master Alexander Rom.  Wigs and make-up designed by David Zimmerman.  The Assistant Conductor is Keith Chambers.  J. Knighten Smit serves as Assistant Director; Hally Albers is the Stage Manager. 

                Choreography by John de los Santos.  Musical preparation by Robert Mollicone and Kirk Severtson.  Italian Language Consultant, Valentina Simi.

                All performances will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, selected by Southern Living magazine as the best new venue for opera.

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

                Single tickets, starting at just $19, are subject to availability.  Tickets may be purchased at the door – throughout the 2015-2016 Season – or in advance by calling 214.443.1000.  Subscriptions and single tickets are also available for purchase online throughout the season at www.dallasopera.org.

                Other than on FIRST NIGHT, the curtain for evening performances is at 7:30, except where noted; matinees begin Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.

                The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera house is located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District at 2403 Flora St., Dallas TX 75201. 

     

                For more information, consult the friendly staff in the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214-443-1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.     

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    Additional Information about The Dallas Opera is Available Online at 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

    ~~~~

    TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON

     

    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 2015-2016 Dallas Opera Season

    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated.  Single Tickets range from $19 to $275.  Full Subscriptions start at $99, Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75.  Family performance tickets are just $5.  For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at dallasopera.org

    Single Tickets On Sale for 2015-2016 Season!

    Show Boat-Robert Kusel (LOChicago)

    Photo by Robert Kusel for Lyric Opera of Chicago

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    Monday, July 13, 2015
    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

    THE DALLAS OPERA IS THRILLED
    TO ANNOUNCE
    SINGLE TICKETS
    FOR THE 2015-2016 SEASON
    “SEEKING THE
    HUMAN ELEMENT”
    ~~~~
    PRESENTED BY TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
    ~~~~
    GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY, JULY 15TH
    Single tickets Start at Just $19
    ~~~~
    Family Performance Singles – $5 apiece!

    DALLAS, JULY 13, 2015 – Single tickets for The Dallas Opera’s magnificent 2015-2016 “Seeking the Human Element” Season, and popular TDO Family Performances will go on sale to the general public Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. The season, which includes five spectacular operas including two highly-anticipated world premieres, is presented by Texas Instruments. Mainstage performances take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora Street, in the Dallas Arts District.
    Often considered the ultimate art form, opera combines fabulous singing and acting, innovative sets and costumes, a full orchestra and chorus and the greatest stories and music of all time.
    An incredible value, single tickets start at the low price of $19 and may be purchased, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org or by calling our friendly TDO ticket office professionals at
    214-443-1000—beginning July 15th.
    Enjoy excellent savings and wonderful subscriber benefits by purchasing a Full Season or Flex subscription available now. Full subscriptions (five productions) begin at the incredibly low price of just $95; Flex subscriptions (three productions) start at just $75. Four opera packages are also available upon request. Benefits include ticket exchange privileges, promotions, optimal seat selection, payment plans, invitations to exclusive events, discounted parking and free ticket replacement.
    Here are some highlights of the upcoming Dallas Opera season:

    • GREAT SCOTT is a world premiere featuring a stellar cast of internationally renowned performers and a production “dream team” led by composer Jake Heggie, librettist Terrence McNally, conductor Patrick Summers and stage director Jack O’Brien. Superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato leads the cast in the title role of Arden Scott. Also starring soprano Ailyn Pérez, the legendary Frederica von Stade, and magnetic baritone Nathan Gunn. (Oct. 30 The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance, Nov. 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015)
    • TOSCA, the classic, passionate Italian opera set in Rome centers around the character Floria Tosca, an opera diva (soprano Emily Magee). Giacomo Puccini’s tale of love, lust, political intrigue and abuse of power also stars Chilean tenor Giancarlo Monsalve as Cavaradossi, the artist who loves her. (Nov. 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015)
    • BECOMING SANTA CLAUS, a warm-hearted world premiere, likely to become a new holiday tradition, is by American composer Mark Adamo. The family-friendly opera stars mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera as Queen Sophine and features charismatic young tenor Juan José de León in the role of Prince Claus. (Dec. 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015)
    • MANON is a French opera by Jules Massenet about a naive young lady who learns that true love and romantic dalliances don’t necessarily bring happiness. The alluring and versatile lovely soprano Ailyn Pérez stars in the title role. (Mar. 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2016)
    • SHOW BOAT features some of musical theater’s greatest hits including the show-stopping “Ol’ Man River” and “Make Believe.” The 20th century masterpiece by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II will be enriched with the power of the operatic voice. (Apr. 15, 17(m), 20, 23, 29 & May 1, 2016)

    “Our goal is to present a wide range of productions providing an inspiring artistic and entertainment experience,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny. “We commissioned two premieres by some of the best composers and librettists of today to continue to add outstanding works to the operatic canon. Complementing these premieres are two classics of the repertoire, and TDO’s first-ever great American Musical. Newcomers to opera are invited to be thrilled by this uniquely diverse art form, and aficionados will continue to experience world-class opera performed by extraordinary talent.”

    Starting the season off on a high note, The Dallas Opera presents the world premiere of Great Scott by acclaimed composer Jake Heggie (Moby-Dick) and Terrence McNally, an award-winning playwright. In Mr. McNally’s original story and libretto, international opera star Arden Scott (Joyce DiDonato, The Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Princpal Artist) returns to her hometown to try to save the struggling opera company that launched her to fame and fortune. She faces unexpected competition from an ambitious young soprano (Ailyn Pérez) as well as community excitement surrounding the local pro-football team’s first national championship game (Go Grizzlies!). Great Scott is made possible through support from Presenting Sponsor, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, and additional support from Hoblitzelle Foundation, Carol Franc Buck Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Opera Fund, a program of OPERA America.
    Next, TDO will present Tosca, a beloved, beautiful yet riveting traditional production by Puccini. Audience members will be on the edge of their seats as Tosca (Emily Magee) fends off the evil and pathological Baron Scarpia (portrayed by Raymond Aceto) in an effort to save her lover’s life. This captivating opera will be conducted by internationally renowned Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume of whom the Financial Times wrote he “reinforced a delicate balance between lyrical restraint and dramatic exuberance.”
    The third production is the world premiere of the whimsical-yet-poignant holiday opera Becoming Santa Claus by renowned American composer and librettist Mark Adamo. With a magical set and costumes, glorious music, the power and beauty of operatic voices as well as some delightful surprises, this new production will inspire everyone in the family! The opera stars exceptional performers Jennifer Rivera as Queen Sophine, Juan José de León as Prince Claus and Matt Boehler in his company debut as Donkey. This world premiere production is made possible through generous underwriting support from Dr. and Mrs. Tom Mayer and Maile and Charles Shea.
    TDO’s fourth production, the much-loved Manon, is the compelling story of a beautiful young woman (acclaimed soprano Ailyn Pérez) whose character transforms from an innocent, to a seductress, to a woman mired in shame. Tenor Stephen Costello (Moby-Dick) stars as Chevalier des Grieux, the man who truly loves Manon and hopes to save her from exile. Dallas Opera Music Director Emeritus Graeme Jenkins returns to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in what many consider to be Massenet’s greatest work!

    The season finale is Show Boat, which tells the story of a young couple, Magnolia Hawks (radiant soprano Andriana Chuchman) and the irresistible Gaylord Ravenal, a riverboat gambler (baritone Michael Todd Simpson), who fall madly in love. They begin performing together on her parent’s show boat, “The Cotton Blossom.” But after her mother disapproves of their marriage, their performing career ends, Ravenal starts gambling again and their love hits choppy waters. The musical also addresses issues of racism and addiction. The brilliant production created by Francesca Zambello, will be conducted by TDO Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.

    “Our single tickets present a fantastic opportunity to see some of the best entertainment available in North Texas and are a great option for those that desire more flexibility! We welcome your calls and clicks starting on July 15 to help ensure your favorite seats are available,” adds Dallas Opera Marketing Director Carrie Ellen Adamian. “Subscriptions are also an extremely attractive option for ticket buyers and offer multiple benefits like discounts, tickets exchanges and payment plans.”

    Guest stars making highly anticipated Dallas Opera debuts this season include:

    • Joyce DiDonato, soprano, making her TDO debut as Arden Scott in Great Scott, is an internationally renowned performer. “…even Carnegie Hall didn’t seem large enough to contain her voice and expressive presence…Every mood and dynamic seems addressed directly to the listener with no dramatic barrier,” raved George Grella, New York Classical Review.
    • Giancarlo Monsalve, tenor, will portray the role of Mario Cavaradossi, Tosca’s lover. “The climax of the evening was a young Chilean tenor…Nearly six feet high, with an athletic physique and a spectacular sensual look, Monsalve is nothing but a typical tenor.” Cyril Veselago Becenaro, Opera News
    • Jennifer Rivera: According to the New York Times “Jennifer sang…with a luminous mezzo-soprano and reacted keenly to the opera’s swiftly changing moods.” She will create the role of Queen Sophine in Becoming Santa Claus in her TDO debut.
    • Matt Boehler, bass, has been hailed by the New York Times as “a bass with an attitude and the goods to back it up.” Making his TDO debut, he will create the roles of Donkey and Messenger in Becoming Santa Claus.
    • Edwin Crossley-Mercer, baritone, stars as Lescaut in Manon in his TDO debut. “Edwin Crossley-Mercer makes us appreciate the great French baritone tradition again with its original singing, precise expression and simple vocal beauty.” Concert Classique
    • David Pittsinger makes his TDO debut as Le Comte in Manon. “His brilliant, knife-clean bass-baritone voice, impeccable enunciation-even with a French accent-and his authoritative, passionate delivery provide the perfect mix of romance, passion, and traditional masculine bravado.” The Washington Times
    • Andrianna Chuchman, soprano, has been praised by The Chicago Tribune for radiating “enough vocal allure, physical beauty and charm to light up the stage,” in her starring role of Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat.
    • Alyson Cambridge: Opera News raved “Alyson Cambridge’s sparkling soprano was matched by her confident, thoroughly believable characterization.” The soprano makes her TDO debut as Julie in Show Boat.

    Returning to the Dallas Opera stage this season are many highly regarded artists:

    • Frederica von Stade: Adding to the stellar cast of Great Scott, the mezzo-soprano will portray the character of Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato. New York Newsday has raved, “Her singing was polished yet warm, like china under whose thin glase are painted scenes of extraordinary delicacy…It was something close to ecstasy.”
    • Nathan Gunn, stars as the love interest Sid Taylor in Great Scott. “Gunn tailors his impressive baritone arsenal of robust legato climaxes, snarly macho lower notes and beautiful floating upper tones…” Opera News
    • Ailyn Pérez: The highly sought-after soprano stars as Tatyana Bakst in Great Scott and the title role of Manon. “…the bewitching young American soprano puts her heart into every twist of the drama…her performance was glorious, the quiet passages magical.” The Observer (UK)
    • Emily Magee, soprano stars as the Floria Tosca. She is described by Robert Levine of Classics Today as “a super Tosca, singing with clarity and grand tone, delivering outrage and tenderness in equal proportions. Her ‘Vissi d’arte’ is gorgeous.”
    • Stephen Costello, tenor, stars as des Grieux in Manon, has been described by Opera News as “A first-class talent…An intelligent, well trained singer whose enormous talent and natural musical instincts mark him for potential greatness.”
    • Kevin Burdette, bass, will create the role of Eric Gold in Great Scott. According to a review from the San Francisco Chronicle “…his performance was a tour de force of vocal splendor and comic timing.”
    • Raymond Aceto garnered high praise from Opera News for his portrayal of the Baron Scarpia in Tosca. “Raymond Aceto’s powerful, pathologically evil baron could have carried the night on his own. The varying colors of Aceto’s bass and the nuances of his acting brought realism and depth to the character—predatory, slithering, manipulative in Act I; cruel, taunting and wolfishly greedy in Act II.”

    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.
    In addition to the July 26, 2015 performance of The Billy Goats Gruff at Dallas Children’s Theater, $5 single tickets are on sale now at 214-443-1000 for these upcoming, eagerly anticipated TDO Family Performances:
    • Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne, a little romance with The Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by Paolo Bressan: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m. December 5, 2015 and March 5, 2016.
    • Rossini and Company, the composer’s greatest hits performed by The Dallas Opera Orchestra and guest artists: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m. curtain on November 21, 2015 under the baton of guest conductor Peter Manning and March 13, 2016, under the baton of guest conductor Paolo Bressan.
    • The Billy Goats Gruff featuring outstanding young artists and The Dallas Opera Orchestra led by guest conductor Peter Manning: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m., April 16, 2016.

    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 “JULY AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
    IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
    VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS

    TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON

    Ticket Information for the 2015-2016 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 will be available July 15. Full and 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 DALLAS OPERA 2015-2016 FALL SEASON INFORMATION
    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Ninth 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.

    GREAT SCOTT by Jake Heggie
    October 30, November 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015
    A Thrilling Dallas Opera World Premiere!
    Libretto by Terrence McNally*
    Time: Present Day
    Place: A Major American City
    Conductor: Patrick Summers
    Stage Director: Jack O’Brien*
    Set and Costume Design: Bob Crowley
    Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt*
    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Joyce DiDonato* (Arden Scott), Ailyn Pérez (Tatyana Bakst), Frederica von Stade (Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato), Nathan Gunn (Sid Taylor), Anthony Roth Costanzo* (Roane Heckle), Kevin Burdette (Eric Gold), Michael Mayes* (Wendell Swan).
    A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!

    TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini
    November 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015
    A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
    An opera in three acts first performed in Rome, Italy on January 14, 1900
    Text by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa after Victorien Sardou’s 1887 French-language play, La Tosca
    Time: Early 19th century
    Place: Locations in and around the City of Rome
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director: Ellen Douglas Schlaefer*
    Set and Costume Design: Ulisse Santicchi
    Lighting Design: Marie Barrett
    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Children’s Chorus Master: TBA
    Starring: Emily Magee (Floria Tosca), Giancarlo Monsalve* (Mario Cavaradossi), Raymond Aceto (Baron Scarpia), William Ferguson (Spoletta), Dale Travis* (A Sacristan) and Ryan Kuster (Angelotti).
    One of The Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!

    BECOMING SANTA CLAUS by Mark Adamo
    December 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015
    An Eagerly Awaited Dallas Opera World Premiere!
    Libretto by the composer, Mark Adamo.
    Time: Now
    Place: An Elven kingdom in the far, far north; also, the stable of the first Christmas
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director: Paul Curran
    Set and Costume Design: Gary McCann*
    Video Design: Driscoll Otto*
    Lighting Design: Paul Hackenmueller*
    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Jennifer Rivera* (Queen Sophine), Juan José de León (Prince Claus), Matt Boehler* (Donkey)
    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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