Thursday, January 24, 2019

Contact: suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

 

THE DALLAS OPERA PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS

63rd INTERNATIONAL SEASON

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“STANDING OVATION”

Celebrating Ten Years in the Margot and Bill

Winspear Opera House, AT&T Performing Arts Center

 

The Magic Flute (Oct. 18-Nov. 3, 2019)

The Golden Cockerel (Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2019)

Don Carlo (In Concert, March 20-28, 2020)

Pulcinella & La Voix Humaine (April 3-8, 2020)

 The Barber of Seville (April 24-May 10, 2020)

 

And TDO’s Acclaimed Family Performance Series

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SEASON SPONSOR

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

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Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance: 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 AT 8:00 PM

The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

At the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas TX

 

DALLAS, JANUARY 24, 2019 –The Dallas Opera is proud to announce its spellbinding 2019-2020 Season, “Standing Ovation,” consisting of five mesmerizing mainstage productions, including a Dallas Opera coproduction of a rarely performed work by the composer of “Scheherazade”; a ballet with song—featuring dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theatre, on a double bill with a one-woman drama conceived by French legends Francis Poulenc and Jean Cocteau; in addition to perennial favorites in fresh and glorious productions!  Patrons will be pleased to learn that the 63rd Season of The Dallas Opera contains some of the most popular operas ever composed—with exceptional international casts, conductors, directors and designers—working with the critically acclaimed Dallas Opera Orchestra and Dallas Opera Chorus.

In an effort to present each work as written by the composer and librettist, The Dallas Opera will continue to produce each opera in its original language with English supertitles projected above the stage for maximum enjoyment.

 

2019-2020 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

 

THE MAGIC FLUTE

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

October 18, 20(m), 23, 26 and November 1 & 3(m), 2019

 

THE GOLDEN COCKEREL

By Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

October 25, 27(m), 30, and November 2, 2019

 

DON CARLO

By Giuseppe Verdi

March 20, 22(m), 25 and 28, 2020

 

A Dallas Opera Double Bill:

PULCINELLA & LA VOIX HUMAINE

PULCINELLA: Ballet with Song by Igor Stravinsky

LA VOIX HUMAINE (The Human Voice):

By Francis Poulenc with a libretto by Jean Cocteau

April 3, 4, 5(m) and 8, 2020

 

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

By Gioachino Rossini

April 24, 26(m), 29 and May 2, 8 and 10(m), 2020

 

The company will present renowned conductor Emmanuel Villaume, the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, at the podium for three of this season’s operas; as well as the Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Italian conductor Riccardo Frizza.

Every mainstage production in 2019-2020 will be presented in the critically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, located at 2403 Flora Street in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.

Season Sponsors are The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family.

 

Subscription prices for the 2019-2020 Season range from $95 to $939 for all five mainstage operas (not including boxes).  Dallas Opera Flex Subscriptions allow patrons to select three or more operas for as little as $19 per performance.  Subscription seating goes on sale Monday, April 2, 2019 and seats will be assigned by June 15, 2019.

The benefits of becoming a Dallas Opera subscriber include substantial savings off single ticket prices, priority seating, lost ticket replacement, ticket exchanges and invitations to special events.

Single Tickets, starting at the low price of $19, will go on sale to the public in July.  For more information, please contact the friendly staff in The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214-443-1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.

 

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Notable Company Debuts in the 2019-2020 Season Include:

 

• Spanish tenor Xabier Anduaga (Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville)
• Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko (Prince Guidon in The Golden Cockerel)
• English tenor Barry Banks (Astrologer in The Golden Cockerel)
• American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton (Princess Eboli in Don Carlo)
• American tenor Lawrence Brownlee (Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville)
• American soprano Andrea Carroll (Pamina in The Magic Flute)
• American soprano Leah Crocetto (Elizabeth de Valois in Don Carlo)
• Russian bass Nikolay Didenko (King Dodon in The Golden Cockerel)
• Italian tenor Paolo Fanale (Tamino in The Magic Flute)
• American tenor Brian Frutiger (Monastatos in The Magic Flute)
• American mezzo-soprano Margaret Gawrysiak (Berta in The Barber of Seville)
• Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva (Queen of Shemakha in The Golden Cockerel)
• Italian baritone Renato Girolami (Doctor Bartolo in The Barber of Seville)
• American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey (Second Lady in The Magic Flute)
• American soprano Jeni Houser (Papagena in The Magic Flute)
• American director Kyle Lang (The Magic Flute)
• American mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig (Third Lady in The Magic Flute)
• American director Christopher Mattaliano (directing The Barber of Seville)
• American soprano Diana Newman (First Lady in The Magic Flute)

• American bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba, soloist (Pulcinella)

• Polish mezzo-soprano Ewa Plonka (Tebaldo in Don Carlo)
• Russian soprano Olga Pudova (Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute)
• English set and costume designer Gerald Scarfe (The Magic Flute)
• American costume designer Jamie Scott, deceased (The Barber of Seville)

• American soprano Elizabeth Sutphen as A Celestial Voice (Don Carlo)

• American tenor Robert Watson (title role in Don Carlo)
• Austrian baritone Markus Werba (Papageno in The Magic Flute)
• American tenor Matthew White, soloist (Pulcinella)
• South African soprano Pretty Yende (Rosina in The Barber of Seville

 

 

“The coming season offers a splendid opportunity to both celebrate and recollect our first decade in the Winspear Opera House,” explains Ian Derrer, The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO.

“The thrill of working in the Winspear, as well as the prospect of making music with the likes of Emmanuel Villaume, Nicole Paiement, and guest conductors like Riccardo Frizza, continues to attract artists of the highest caliber.  That trend continues with eagerly-anticipated TDO debuts of many of the most exciting singers of our day: Jamie Barton, Pretty Yende, Venera Gimadieva, Paolo Fanale, Leah Crocetto, Markus Werba, Lawrence Brownlee, Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition winner Samantha Hankey, and Robert Watson—to name a few!

“The upcoming season is also marked,” Derrer continues, “by a balanced mix of great opera in several languages, from classic to modern, in both popular and brand-new productions.  The Dallas Opera’s ‘Standing Ovation’ Season offers something for everyone.”

 

Returning International Artists in the 2019-2020 Season:

 

• French conductor and Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director) leading performances of The Magic Flute, The Golden Cockerel and Don Carlo
• French conductor and The Dallas Opera’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement leading performances of Pulcinella/La Voix Humaine
• Italian conductor Riccardo Frizza (The Barber of Seville)
• Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom (The Magic Flute, The Golden Cockerel, Don Carlo and The Barber of Seville)
• American mezzo/contralto Lindsay Ammann as Amelfa (The Golden Cockerel)
• American lighting designer Krista Billings (Don Carlo, Pulcinella/La Voix Humaine)
• American set and costume designer Tommy Bourgeois (Pulcinella/La Voix Humaine)
• Italian conductor Paolo Bressan (Asst. Conductor, The Magic Flute, Don Carlo)
• American bass Kevin Burdette as General Polkan (The Golden Cockerel)
• American baritone Corey Crider as Prince Afron (The Golden Cockerel)
• Scottish director/choreographer Paul Curran (The Golden Cockerel)
• American director Candace Evans (Pulcinella)
• American lighting designer Paul Hackenmueller (The Golden Cockerel)
• British director Sir Peter Hall, deceased, (Original director of The Magic Flute)
• American soprano Jeni Houser as The Golden Cockerel (The Golden Cockerel)
• Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień as Rodrigo di Posa (Don Carlo)
• American bass Adam Lau as Don Basilio (The Barber of Seville)
• American bass David Leigh as A Monk (Don Carlo)
• British set and costume designer Gary McCann (The Golden Cockerel)
• American baritone Lucas Meachem as Figaro (The Barber of Seville)
• American mezzo-soprano Lindsey Metzger, soloist (Pulcinella)
• American set designer Allen Moyer (The Barber of Seville)
• American projections designer Driscoll Otto (The Golden Cockerel)
• American bass-baritone David Pittsinger as The Speaker (The Magic Flute)
• American director and soprano Patricia Racette (La Voix Humaine)
• American wig and makeup designer Dawn Rivard (The Magic Flute, The Golden Cockerel)

• American bass Morris Robinson as Sarastro (The Magic Flute) and as Phillip II (Don Carlo)

• Italian bass Andrea Silvestrelli as The Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlo)

 

“There’s much to celebrate in 2019 at The Dallas Opera.  In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a more exciting time to be Chair of the Dallas Opera, as the company enters a new era under the visionary leadership of General Director and CEO Ian Derrer,” explains Dallas Opera Board Chairman Mark H. LaRoe.

“This year, we will mark the tenth anniversary of our move into the beautiful Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a twenty-first century reinterpretation of the grand, traditional ‘horseshoe’ engineered specifically for maximum enjoyment of opera and musical theater.  80,000 people in North Texas experienced The Dallas Opera last year through our critically acclaimed mainstage operas, award-winning education programs, free simulcasts, concerts and other community engagements.

However, there’s still much more to be done to make opera accessible to everyone,” LaRoe adds.

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The Dallas Opera’s 2019-2020 Season begins on a high note with The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance on Friday, October 18, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. (note the special curtain time). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final operatic masterpiece, The Magic Flute, in a dazzling Sir Peter Hall production designed for Los Angeles Opera by one of the most renowned satirical cartoonists of the 20^th century!

 

Italian tenor Paolo Fanale and American soprano Andrea Carroll make their company debuts as the spirited duo of Tamino and Pamina, braving trial by fire and water in order to be united at last.  “Tamino demands a beautiful voice that radiates youthful ardor,” wrote Harper’s Bazaar, “and you’ll hear it from this ‘heart-throb Italian tenor (Paolo Fanale).”  Meanwhile, Opera News noted that Miss Carroll is “a favorite of the Vienna State Opera, (lauded for her) vibrant soprano (with its) rich, low register and gleaming top.”

Russian soprano Olga Pudova will account for several of the performance’s high notes as the Queen of the Night.  This will be her first appearance in the role in Dallas after conquering the stratospheric heights that make her the Queen of choice on major stages from Edinburgh to Vienna.  Another eagerly-anticipated debut is Austrian baritone Markus Werba as the delightfully eccentric Papageno.  Bachtrack praised his interpretation as “conveying the character’s good and child-like nature…his singing (was) warm and mellifluous.”

Dallas Opera favorite Morris Robinson, an American bass last seen on the Winspear stage as the Commendatore in our acclaimed 2018 spring production of Don Giovanni, “dominates the stage…with his firm, opulent tone that seems to pour forth from another world” (The Classical Review).  He returns in the role of the mysterious Sarastro.

This  production, originally directed by the late Sir Peter Hall, was designed by British cartoonist and illustrator extraordinaire, Gerald Scarfe, best known for a half century of scathing political cartoons for The London Sunday Times and for directing and designing the animation sequence for Pink Floyd’s film and concert versions of The Wall.  Mr. Scarfe has designed sets and costumes for opera companies from Seattle to New Zealand.

The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume will conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in an eighteenth-century masterpiece that is mixes popular song with show-stopping coloratura and a charming touch of glockenspiel.

Casting the roles of the First, Second, and Third Lady is about choosing complementary voices capable of creating one of the great trios in opera.  The First Lady will be sung by American soprano Diana Newman, the Second Lady by American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, and the Third Lady by American contralto Hannah Ludwig – all in their TDO debuts.

The villain of the piece, Monastatos, will be portrayed by character tenor Brian Frutiger with soprano Jeni Houser as the charming Papagena and bass David Pittsinger as The Speaker.

This revival will be staged by Kyle Lang in his company debut.  As always, chorus preparation is by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.

Performances of The Magic Flute continue on October 20(m), 23, 26, and November 1 and 3(m), 2019 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House.  Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., (except for the opening night performance mentioned above) and the curtain rises on TDO Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.  There is no late seating.

The Magic Flute will be performed in its original language, German, with English-language translations projected above the stage at every performance.

Tickets may be purchased by phone (214.443.1000), online (www.dallasopera.org) or at the door.  Student Rush Tickets are available 90 minutes prior to curtain – a valid student ID is required for each ticket.

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The second production of The Dallas Opera’s 2019-2020 Season is a brand-new Dallas Opera co-production of an opera that has not appeared on our stage since 1973.  The Golden Cockerel by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov opens on Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Winspear Opera House.  Music Director Emmanuel Villaume will conduct this tart-tongued comedy, imaginatively staged by esteemed Scottish director Paul Curran (Becoming Santa Claus).

 

This opulent Paul Curran production garnered rave reviews when it opened in Santa Fe during the 2017 summer festival.  Rimsky-Korsakov’s cautionary tale about lust and power (or the lust for power) captivated both critics and audiences.

Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva will make her company debut as the exotic and oh-so-sultry Queen of Shemakha.  Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News wrote, “She weaves her spell with showcase vocalism.”

Russian bass Nikolai Didenko (who, according to The New York Sun, “regularly steals the show with his seemingly effortless subterranean voice” will make his Dallas Opera debut as the delusional King Dodon.  Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko and American baritone Corey Crider will sing the roles of Dodon’s backstabbing sons, Prince Guidon and Prince Afron.

Bass Kevin Burdette (Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest), described by The New York Times as “the Robin Williams of opera,” is the king’s loyal commander, General Polkan.  Contralto Lindsay Ammann sings the role of Amelfa, while English tenor Barry Banks, a favorite of Metropolitan Opera audiences, makes his TDO debut as the Astrologer who seems to know all.

The Golden Cockerel will be conducted by acclaimed Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, praised for the sensitivity of his conducting by Zachary Woolfe of The New York Times.  This season, Maestro Villaume was praised for his illuminating conducting of our season opener, The Flying Dutchman, which prompted Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of TheaterJones.com to write, “Emmanuel Villaume was astonishing in the pit.  Having observed him for years, there is a steady upward trend from fine conductor to one of the best of our time.”  Wayne Lee Gay of Texas Classical Review noted in his analysis of our second production of the current season, Carmen, “Even in the opening phrases of the Overture…Villaume’s command of the nuance and unique musical language of Bizet signaled an outstanding performance in the making.”

Scottish director/choreographer Paul Curran, who made a dazzling 2015 Dallas Opera debut with the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus, will revive his own production here in Dallas.

Set and costume designs are by internationally acclaimed British designer Gary McCann, whose jaw-dropping designs for The Dallas Opera’s 2015 world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus were the talk of the town.  Recent and upcoming projects include designing Der Freischütz and Macbeth for Vienna State Opera; Killology for the Royal Court Theatre; Carmen for Philadelphia Opera; and the sets for My Fair Lady for Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

The acclaimed Dallas Opera Chorus will be ably prepared by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.

Sung in Russian with English supertitles projected above the stage, The Golden Cockerel can also be experienced on October 27(m), 30, and November 2, 2019.  Dallas Opera evening performances begin promptly at 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

The complete season schedule, artist and production team bios, synopses and more can be found online, anytime, at www.dallasopera.org.

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The third production of The Dallas Opera’s 63rd “Standing Ovation” Season is one of the greatest and most challenging works in the opera canon: Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlo, opening on Friday, March 20, 2020 for the first of four performances in the magnificent Winspear Opera House.

 

A generation has passed since The Dallas Opera’s sole presentation of Verdi’s titanic tale of clashing Catholics and Protestants.  A French princess is forced to marry King Philip II of Spain against her will when her heart belongs to Don Carlo.  In the work described by The New York Times as “The Hamlet of Italian opera—a profound and challenging venture for any opera company,” dangerous secrets and dangerous liaisons abound!  A terrifying Grand Inquisitor and a duplicitous mistress of the King send tensions sky high in this explosive mix of sex, politics and religion—thrillingly brought to life by Verdi’s masterful score!

This series of concert version performances will be guided from the podium by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.

Soprano Leah Crocetto, “a passionate actress with a beautiful, vibrant voice” (Seattle Times) stars as the conflicted Elizabeth de Valois, torn between desire and duty.  Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, winner of the BBC’s prestigious Cardiff Singer of the World competition, was praised by Opera Now for giving “a searing account of Eboli’s dramatic conflicts and intense emotions.”  American tenor Robert Watson, a frequent guest of Deutsche Oper Berlin, has sung repertoire ranging from Cavaradossi to Lohengrin in U.S. and European opera houses.  He will make his Dallas Opera debut singing the title role.

Baritone Mariusz Kwiecień, who sings “with palpable musical and emotional investment” (John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune), returns to TDO in the role of Rodrigo di Posa.  Bass Morris Robinson, who last thrilled local audiences as The Commendatore/Stone Guest in 2018’s Don Giovanni, will apply his “gorgeously rich and sepulchral bass (The Washington Post) to the part of King Philip II—in a role debut.

Other principal singers in the cast include bass Andrea Silvestrelli as the feared Grand Inquisitor, bass David Leigh as a Monk, soprano Ewa Plonka in her house debut as Tebaldo, and soprano Elizabeth Sutphen as A Celestial Voice.

Atmospheric lighting is provided by designer Krista Billings and chorus preparation by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.

Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, Don Carlo will have three additional concert version performances on March 22(m), 25 and 28, 2020. 

Tickets are likely to go quickly; renew your Dallas Opera subscription today!

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The fourth production of The Dallas Opera’s 63rd Season is a double bill of two remarkable twentieth-century works: Pulcinella, a ballet with song by Igor Stravinsky (performed in collaboration with Dallas Black Dance Theatre) and La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice) a one-woman tour de force by Francis Poulenc and Jean Cocteau.  The Dallas Opera is proud to present a new production of two works never before seen in Dallas!

 

The character of Pulcinella was introduced in Italy’s commedia dell’arte in 1620; a witty, sometimes foolish, outspoken, “voice of the common man” who conquered geographical and culture boundaries to become a fixture in European entertainment.  This neo-classical ballet is based on an eighteenth-century play entitled Four Identical Pulcinellas—and was commissioned by dance impresario Sergei Diaghilev for the famous company he founded in Paris: the Ballets Russes.  The original 1920 production also featured sets and costumes by world-renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

The composer utilized themes from the earlier work, erroneously attributed to Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, updating them with modern cadences and harmonies.  About the project, Stravinsky wrote: “Pulcinella was my discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible.  It was a backward look, of course—the first of many love affairs in that direction—but it was a look in the mirror, too.”

Artists from the world-renowned Dallas Black Dance Theatre will command centerstage, accompanied by a trio of outstanding soloists: mezzo-soprano Lindsey Metzger, tenor Matthew White, and bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba.  Director Candace Evans (The Merry Widow, Don Pasquale) returns to The Dallas Opera after recently guiding productions of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en al Amazonas for San Diego Opera, La Tragedie de Carmen for Opera Birmingham, Giulio Cesare for Seagle Music Colony, and The Pearl Fishers for North Carolina Opera.

The ballet is being paired with another work new to Dallas Opera audiences, composer Francis Poulenc’s setting of a raw and riveting drama by French playwright/filmmaker Jean Cocteau, La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice).  Starring the remarkable Patricia Racette as a woman on the brink in this, her TDO directorial debut, The Human Voice is a one-woman tour de force in which the audience listens in to one side of a final phone conversation between Elle and the callous ex-lover who has abandoned her for another.  The Chicago Tribune raved, “Racette raises the emotional ante…she is mesmerizing from first to last, drawing into her character’s increasing distress…as her life unravels.”

This double bill marks the return of the Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement, who last conducted the U.S. premiere of Dutch composer Michel van der Aa’s Sunken Garden in 2018.

Other recent career highlights include Handel’s Xerxes at the Glimmerglass Festival, Kevin Puts’ Silent Night for Atlanta Opera, a reprise of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest (which she conducted in the 2015 Dallas Opera world premiere) and numerous premieres and commissions for the San Francisco company she co-founded, Opera Parallèle.  Upcoming engagements include Donizetti’s La favorite for Houston Grand Opera and Mason Bates The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at Seattle Opera.  In March, Maestra Paiement will conduct the world premiere of a new American chamber opera, Today It Rains, inspired by an event in the life of twentieth-century visual artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

This new Dallas Opera production will feature sets and costumes designed by Tommy Bourgeois with lighting design by Krista Billings.

Pulcinella & La Voix Humaine will be presented at the Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on April 3, 4, 5(m) and 8, 2020.  As always, sung in their original languages: Pulcinella in Italian and La Voix Humaine in French with English language supertitles.

Season subscriptions will go on sale to the public on April 2, 2019.  Current season subscribers may renew at any time by contacting the friendly professionals in The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office, at 214.443.1000.

 

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The final production of the 63rd International Season is a comedy that transcended styles, cultures and languages to become an all-time favorite: Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, opening Friday, April 24, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. 

Disguises and false identities abound as men—young and old—vie for the hand of the beautiful Rosina in one of the funniest and most frenetic operas ever composed!  Rossini’s delightful 19^th century comedy centers on “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!” a scheming barber and jack-of-all-trades, sung by Grammy Award-winning baritone Lucas Meachem, described by San Francisco Classical Voice as a scene-stealer “who draws all eyes…with his charismatic Figaro.”

Figaro plots with Count Almaviva (sung in their TDO debuts by Spanish tenor Xabier Anduaga in the first two performances, and by tenor Lawrence Brownlee, “a super nova in the grand opera firmament” in all subsequent performances) to release Bartolo’s headstrong ward, Rosina, from her gilded cage. South African soprano Pretty Yende, who displays “a voice that has a lilting, silvery quality that is both bright and delicate,” portrays the willful Rosina in her company debut. Italian baritone Renato Girolami blusters as the easily duped Doctor Bartolo.

American bass Adam Lau will delight audiences as the music master, Don Basilio, and soprano Margaret Gawrysiak portrays Berta, the governess.

Conducted by Italian Maestro Riccardo Frizza, who will guide our spring performances of Verdi’s Falstaff, this Minnesota Opera production will be staged by director Christopher Mattaliano in his company debut.  The sets were designed by Allen Moyer, costumes by the late Jamie Scott, and chorus preparation by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.

 

 Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, this uproarious production will captivate patrons in additional performances on April 26(m), 29, May 2, 8 & 10(m), 2020. 

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Evening performances during the 2019-2020 Season will begin at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise stated (including the 8:00 p.m. curtain for the Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance).  All Sunday matinees are slated to begin at 2:00 p.m.

The “Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks,” a free background lecture designed to enhance your enjoyment of the opera being performed, takes place in Nancy B. Hamon Hall located just off the Winspear Opera House lobby, one hour prior to each performance, except for Opening Night of the Season.

Dallas Opera performs mainstage works in their original languages.  Easy-to-read English translations are projected above the stage during every Dallas Opera performance—even those sung in English—and special headsets are available for the hearing impaired.

No late seating is permitted at Dallas Opera performances once the house doors are closed.  Latecomers will be seated at the first available opportunity (usually, intermission).

 

Flex subscriptions for three mainstage performances of your choice begin at $24 for the 2019-2020 Season.  Full Subscriptions begin at $100 for all five productions.  New subscriptions will become available on April 2, 2019.

Single Tickets for next season will start at $19 and are expected to go on sale in early July.  Group rates are available.  Student Rush Tickets are available 90 minutes prior to curtain. With a valid Student ID you can obtain “the best available seat” for as little as $15.

For additional information about the “Standing Ovation” Season, call The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214-443-1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.

 

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Put aside those computers, tablets, and smart phones—and grab the kiddos—in order to take advantage of budget-minded, kid-friendly performances offered by The Dallas Opera in the 2019-2020 Season!

In addition to presenting world-class opera, and to providing support for outstanding young artists, established stars, and up-and-coming female conductors; The Dallas Opera is also committed to introducing the joys of opera to as many people as possible, and to provide budget-minded, kid-friendly performances that can be enjoyed by North Texans of every age, background and educational level.

The always popular Dallas Opera Family Performance Series is generously supported by the Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund. 

TDO Family Performances are a part of the Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs.

Five dollar single tickets will be available through The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or 24/7 at dallasopera.org/family.

 

2019-2020 FAMILY PERFORMANCE SERIES

 

DOCTOR MIRACLE

By Georges Bizet

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Saturday, March 21, 2020

 

Georges Bizet’s romantic, one-act operetta about love and omelets was composed for a music competition when the composer (world-renowned for his operas Carmen and The Pearl Fishers) was just eighteen years old.  A youthful vitality permeates this story set in 19^th century Padua, Italy, in the home of the Mayor, his wife Veronica, and his love-struck daughter, Laurette.  She’s enamored of the ever-resourceful Silvio, an army captain, who dons one disguise after another to infiltrate the household, in order to win the hand of the girl he adores.  Sound simple? Guess again!  The classic storybook set and costumes were designed by Production Designer Tommy Bourgeois.

 

THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS

By John Davies

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Saturday, April 4, 2020

 

An operatic version of a Brothers Grimm classic fairytale: “The Town Musicians of Bremen,” enhanced with music by Rossini, Donizetti, Offenbach, Arthur Sullivan and Verdi.

Eddie Pensier, a rooster with operatic aspirations, is chased away from his farm for waking the barnyard with tenor arias. On the very same day, Barcarolle, the dog, and Dorabella, the cat, are cast out by their owner for being too old to catch rabbits and mice. The three animals run into the woods near the road to Bremen where General Boom, a retired army donkey, is marching along playing his drum. He’s on his way to Bremen to begin a new band. As each of the runaways cross the General’s path, he invites them to join his band. They have plans of their own, however, and decline the invitation. The woods surrounding the Bremen Road are filled with uncertainty. Eddie, Dorabella and Barcarolle become lost and argue angrily until General Boom hears their shouting and rescues them. With rumors of robbers approaching, they accept the General’s suggestion to overlook their differences, join his band and march to Bremen. Working together as a team they overcome difficult circumstances further down the road, and as they approach their new home, the newly formed Bremen Town Musicians celebrate the idea that friendship, cooperation, and respect for others is far better than facing problems alone.

$5 performances in the Winspear Opera House. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door.  Learn more online at www.dallasopera.org/family.

 

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT!

 

THE 5^th HART INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN CONDUCTORS SHOWCASE

NOVEMBER 9, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

THE MARGOT AND BILL WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE

AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

 

Six of the world’s most promising conductors—all of them women—take the podium to conduct a concert of opera favorites featuring some of the nation’s top young singers performing with The Dallas Opera Orchestra.  Hundreds of conductors from countries around the globe have competed for the handful of places available in this young-but-prestigious institute.  Six are chosen each year to participate in the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors, an intensive, two-week residency—and an opportunity to work with some of the music industry’s most renowned leaders, artists, conductors, and agents.

 

Tickets for this exceptional annual concert event start at just $10.  Season ticket holders and donors receive priority seating—place your order when you subscribe!  Call 214.443.1000.

 

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ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

 

Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year.  TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards.

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2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT www.dallasopera.org

 

FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation, Texas Instruments Foundation, the 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.

 

The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, 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 2018-2019 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Flex Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets range from $19 to $289 (excluding boxes). Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

 

THE DALLAS OPERA 2018-2019 MAINSTAGE SEASON: SPRING

The Dallas Opera celebrates its 62nd 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. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

 

MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini

Semi-Staged Concert, March 1, 3 (m), 6, 9, 2019

Featuring images of select art works from the collections of The Dallas Museum of Art!

The woman who has everything discovers too late that she has nothing – without true love!

Libretto by Domenico Oliva and Luigi Illica

Time: Late 18^th century

Place: France and America

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

Director: Ed Berkeley

Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Kristin Lewis* (Manon Lescaut), Musa Ngqungwana (Lescaut), Gregory Kunde (Chevalier des Grieux), Andrea Silvestrelli (Geronte de Ravoir), Jonas Hacker* (Edmondo), Mark S. Doss (Innkeeper), Alyssa Martin (Singer), Matthew Grills* (Dance Master), Clay Hilley* (Lamplighter), Mark McCrory (Sergeant of the Royal Archers) and David Leigh* (Naval Captain).

 

LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini

March 15, 17 (m), 20, 23, 29, 31 (m), 2019

The most timeless love story in all of opera returns to break your heart!

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

Time: 19^th century

Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France

Conductor: Giuliano Carella

Director: Tomer Zvulun

Set Designer: Erhard Rom

Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall

Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Jean-Francois Borras* (Rodolfo), Pumeza Matshikiza** (Mimi), Anthony Clark Evans* (Marcello), Sara Gartland (Musetta), Will Liverman* (Schaunard), Nicholas Brownlee* (Colline), and Samuel Ramey (Benoit/Alcindoro).

 

FALSTAFF by Giuseppe Verdi

April 26, 28 (m), May 1, 4, 2019

Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy brought to musical life!

Libretto by Arrigo Boito

Time: During the reign of Henry IV of England

Place: Windsor

Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

Original Director: Lee Blakeley

Revival Director: Shawna Lucey*

Set and Costume Designer: Adrian Linford*

Lighting Designer: Rick Fisher*

Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Mark Delavan* (Sir John Falstaff), Angela Meade (Alice Ford), Quinn Kelsey* (Ford), Mojca Erdmann* (Nanetta), Airam Hernández* (Fenton), Stephanie Blythe* (Dame Quickly), Megan Marino* (Meg Page), Alex Mansoori* (Bardolfo), Andrea Silvestrelli (Pistola), and Robert Brubaker (Dr. Caius).

 

* Dallas Opera Debut

** American Debut

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