TDO 20-21 Season Safety Measures – December 10 2020

TDO 20-21 Season Safety Measures – December 10 2020
TDO Magic Flute Simulcast Stream – December 4 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
The Dallas Opera is Proud to Present
THE MAGIC FLUTE
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Mozart’s Magical, Comical Celebration
Of the Human Spirit
OCTOBER 18 – NOVEMBER 3, 2019
Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume
Directed by Kyle Lang in his TDO Debut
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Starring Paolo Fanale (Tamino), Andrea Carroll (Pamina), Jeni Houser (Queen of the Night), Morris Robinson (Sarastro), and Sean Michael Plumb (Papageno)
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FREE, LIVE COMMUNITY SIMULCAST
FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2019 AT KLYDE WARREN PARK
Curtain Time: 7:30 p.m.
DALLAS, OCTOBER 15, 2019 – The Dallas Opera opens its 2019-2020 “Standing Ovation” Season on a high note this Friday with The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final operatic masterpiece, The Magic Flute.
The October 18, 2019 performance in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will begin at 8:00 p.m. (please note the special curtain time) with subsequent performances at the usual times.
Conducted by Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director of The Dallas Opera) and directed by Kyle Lang (Ann Stuart Stage Director) in his company debut, The Eleanor Ford Penrose Mainstage Production boasts a superb international cast of singers who have captivated audiences from the Kennedy Center to Covent Garden.
Italian tenor Paolo Fanale and American soprano Andrea Carroll will make their house debuts as the spirited romantic leads, Tamino and Pamina, braving trials and separations in order to find love, wisdom and happiness together, at long 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.”
American soprano Jeni Houser will account for several of the performance’s high notes as the majestic Queen of the Night. She, too, earned exceptional praise from Opera News for her “focused expressive high soprano…nailing her killer Act II showpiece.”
The role of Papageno, a comic tour-de-force, marks the eagerly-awaited house debut of baritone Sean Michael Plumb, whose “elegant lyricism and responsive musicality” (The New York Times) have made this award-winning California native a welcome presence on many of the world’s most prestigious stages.
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.
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 Dallas Opera indulged in “luxury casting” across the board: The First Lady will be sung by American soprano Diana Newman, the Second Lady by American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey (The Charron and Peter Denker Rising Star), and the Third Lady by American contralto Hannah Ludwig – all in their TDO debuts.
The troubled Monastatos, will be portrayed by character tenor Brian Frutiger with soprano Abigail Rethwisch as the charming Papagena and bass David Pittsinger as The Speaker.
Rounding out this outstanding cast are the First, Second and Third Boy sung by Keiland Holleman, Lukas Palys, and Michael Blumenthal, respectively.
The First Man in Armor will be sung by Aaron Short. Ryan Kuster will portray the Second Man in Armor. Sam Parkinson appears in the role of the First Priest, with Michael Christopher as the Second Priest.
This eighteenth-century masterpiece premiered in Vienna in 1791, and mixes popular song with show-stopping coloratura and a lilting touch of glockenspiel.
Tickets for Mozart’s The Magic Flute may be purchased by phone (214.443.1000), online (www.dallasopera.org) or at the door, starting at just $19.
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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 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, as well as creating numerous books, exhibits, and acclaimed one-man shows.
Lighting design for this production is by Thomas C. Hase. Wig and make-up design is by Dawn Rivard.
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 (The Enrico Foundation Performance) and November 3(m), 2019. Evening performances in the Winspear Opera House 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.
Student Rush Tickets are available at the box office 90 minutes prior to curtain – a valid student ID is required for each ticket.
Additionally, The Dallas Opera is Pleased to Announce its 18th Live Simulcast since 2010!
A FREE KLYDE WARREN PARK SIMULCAST
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019
The Dallas Opera will present a free live simulcast of Mozart’s The Magic Flute at beautiful Klyde Warren Park. This special presentation takes place in the Dallas Arts District on Friday, November 1, 2019 (program begins at 6:00 p.m., curtain time – 7:30 p.m.) and is open to all.
This will be a live simulcast of that night’s performance in the Winspear Opera House, presented for park patrons on a large high-definition video screen.
“The free fall simulcast in Klyde Warren Park has quickly evolved into one of our most popular traditions,” explains Dallas Opera Director of Marketing and Ticket Sales Carrie Ellen Adamian. “It’s not merely a grand night for opera, it’s a marvelous opportunity to celebrate community life with your loved ones, children, and friends.
“For those who may never have experienced opera before, The Magic Flute is especially delightful with its combination of gorgeous arias and a fantastic storyline that will keep you on the edge of your…blanket.”
Klyde Warren Park is located at 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas, TX 75201. Sign up today for reminders and updates at www.dallasopera.org/simulcast. However, no reservations are required in order to attend the free November 1st simulcast, whether you’re coming alone or with 50 of your closest friends and family members!
The fun begins at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1st with popular radio host Amy Bishop of WRR, “Classical 101” and Kristian Roberts, Education Administrator for The Dallas Opera. Activities include a trivia contest, behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast, and the high-definition screening of a 1950 classic cartoon, Rabbit of Seville (courtesy of WB Classics), directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. This short was voted #12 of the 50 all-time greatest cartoons ever created, in a survey of animation industry professionals.
The cartoon also “tips the hat” to our engaging season finale, The Barber of Seville (April 24th through May 10, 2020), Rossini’s hilarious comic masterpiece.
The public is encouraged to arrive with time to spare before the 7:30 curtain, and to bring blankets or low lawn-chairs to secure their spot on the lawn. A variety of nearby wining-and-dining options include Savor, serving New American cuisine and assorted food trucks.
Picnic baskets and pets are permitted, as well.
The 2019 Magic Flute Simulcast is made possible in part by The Enrico Foundation with additional support provided by Texas Instruments.
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The Dallas Opera Wishes to Express Our Gratitude to Those
Whose Generous Contributions Made Possible
This 2019 Production of The Magic Flute:
The Eleanor Ford Penrose Mainstage Production
Production Underwriters Cindy and Charlie Feld
Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance, Oct. 18, 2019
The Enrico Foundation Performance, Nov. 1, 2019
Charron and Peter Denker Rising Star: Samantha Hankey
Ann Stuart Stage Director: Kyle Lang
ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA:
One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated in 1957 with a concert featuring the incomparable Maria Callas, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, free public simulcasts, acclaimed art song recitals, the national vocal competition, special concerts, and outstanding family and award-winning education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.
2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation,
Texas Instruments, the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture,
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.
All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. 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. Full and Flex subscriptions are designed to meet the needs of every budget. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions. Single tickets are priced from $19 to $289 (a few box seats may be higher). For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.
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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:
“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:
“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 20th 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 19th 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 19th 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 5th 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.
~~~~
2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
~~~~
EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
IS AVAILABLE ONLINE 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 18th 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: 19th 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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO PRESENT
ROBERT FALLS’ ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF
DON GIOVANNI
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume
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MARIUSZ KWIECIEŃ HEADS AN ALL-STAR CAST:
LAURA CLAYCOMB, DAVID PORTILLO, KATIE VAN KOOTEN,
KYLE KETELSEN, VIRGINIE VERREZ, CRAIG VERM AND MORRIS ROBINSON
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APRIL 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2018
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
At the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX
DALLAS, TX. MARCH 20, 2018 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present one of the most talked about Mozart productions of the decade: DON GIOVANNI in a critically acclaimed production created by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls for Lyric Opera of Chicago and conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.
Don Giovanni will open Friday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m. (The Enrico Foundation Performance) in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX for the first of six performances. Tickets start at just $19 and can be purchased online at www.dallasopera.org or by contacting The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000.
Additional performances are scheduled for April 15 (2:00 matinee), 18, 21, 27 and 29 (a second 2:00 matinee), 2018. All evening performances begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Based on the legendary Spanish lothario, Don Juan, librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte conjures up a character who is attractive-yet-deeply disturbing in both behavior and attitude. George Bernard Shaw, who regarded Don Giovanni as the greatest of all operas, singled it out for “its uncommon share of wisdom, beauty, and humor.”
Director Robert Falls (the James R. Seitz Stage Director in Honor of John Gage), speaking to Lawrence B. Johnson for “Chicago on the Aisle,” noted: “In Mozart, we’re dealing with a supreme genius, like Shakespeare, who understood the human condition profoundly. Don Giovanni is comic but it’s also deeply personal and painful, an intense examination into humanity in all its desires, darkness and cruelty.”
“Robert Falls’ brilliant production of Don Giovanni is the most admired in recent memory,” explains Dallas Opera Interim General Director and CEO Kern Wildenthal. “Mariusz Kwiecień is THE Don Giovanni of our day,” he continues, “The stellar principal cast is simply unbeatable—the best of the best singing each and every role. Under the inspired leadership of Maestro Emmanuel Villaume, this ‘must see’ production promises to be one of the high points in The Dallas Opera’s history.”
The late Andrew Patner of Classical Voice North America observed: “Falls’ Giovanni production solves several problems off the bat, including the most important one — how can the music, story, and characters be communicated to a living audience? That’s the only “concept” that matters. A big man who works in a big theater, Falls is a master at using large spaces and stages…a gifted theater artist can show us that the Don, and Mozart of course, are ever our contemporaries.”
The outstanding ensemble cast will be led by one of the world’s leading baritones and the reigning Don Giovanni of our day: Mariusz Kwiecień, also praised as “one of opera’s most intelligent actors.” Mr. Kwiecień’s engagements this season have included the roles of Marcello in La Bohème at London’s Royal Opera House, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers for Chicago Lyric, Count Almaviva in the Metropolitan Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro, the title role in Eugene Onegin at Vienna State Opera, and Malatesta in Opera Kracow’s Don Pasquale.
William Burnett of Opera Warhorses notes “The sex-obsessed Don is a favorite character of the Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień, who played him memorably in the production of Sir David McVicar. (Robert) Falls gave Kwiecień license to further explore Don Giovanni’s nature, and the resulting portrait was extraordinary: an utterly charming but lethally sociopathic bad boy who, except for some bad luck and an error in judgment in the final few hours of his life on earth, might have added another thousand or so names to Leporello’s catalogue….Kwiecień’s Giovanni is a masterpiece…an engaging anti-hero, in a performance that is wonderfully sung and impressively acted.”
The starry ensemble also includes local favorite and Grammy Award-winning soprano Laura Claycomb in her role debut as Donna Anna. This Texas native won the 2011 Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award for her unforgettable company debut as Gilda in Rigoletto.
“Claycomb’s voice is pliant and rich” writes Opera News. She frequently performs with Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and at additional opera companies, major festivals, and symphony orchestras, worldwide, where Ms. Claycomb has earned consistent accolades for her amazing coloratura soprano, impeccable musicianship, ethereal high notes, and dramatic stage presence.
The role of Don Ottavio will be sung by tenor David Portillo, a native of San Antonio, who appeared in two Metropolitan Opera productions earlier this season, including one of the most critically acclaimed works of the current season: The Exterminating Angel. Although Mr. Portillo attracted favorable notices in the world premiere of Breaking the Waves, he is making a name for himself in classic operatic repertoire, from Beethoven to Wagner, prompting a Sydney, Australia publication to write, “His voice is well suited to Mozart: clear, well-projected and with a comfortable top register that showed no (sign) of strain.”
Soprano Katie Van Kooten will make her Dallas Opera debut as the unstoppable Donna Elvira. In demand on both the opera and concert stage, performances of Beethoven’s Ninth and Verdi’s Requiem bookend her appearances in Dallas. The Daily Telegraph described her as “a major operatic talent. Her singing has something of the same glow radiated by a Te Kanawa or a Freni…a winning stage personality.”
Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen will take his first bow on the Winspear stage in what has become a signature, scene-stealing role: Giovanni’s man servant, Leporello. No stranger to bad boys himself, last season Mr. Ketelsen earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust in Zurich and Escamillo in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Carmen, not to mention his earlier turn at Covent Garden as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Opera-Brittania was prompted to write that Mr. Ketelsen was “a joy to hear from the moment he first opened his mouth, with smooth chocolate tones ringing out effortlessly.”
Although French mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez won First Prize at the 2016 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, her appearance in this production as the coquettish Zerlina marks her official company debut. Other highlights of her 2017-18 Season include Dorabella in Così fan tutte for Opéra de Lille, Flora in La traviata for Paris National Opera, and Erika in Barber’s Vanessa – a new Keith Warner production opening at the Glyndebourne Festival next August.
Baritone Craig Verm made an indelible mark on Dallas audiences as the doomed Doug Hansen in the 2015 world premiere of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest and returns as the not-willing-to-be-duped Masetto. Mr. Verm’s performance is made possible with support from the Charron and Peter Denker Rising Stars Endowment Fund. And bass Morris Robinson returns to TDO to reprise the role of The Commendatore – with verve, dignity, and power.
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Critically acclaimed Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director) will conduct all six performances. Opera Wire praised Villaume for his conducting of Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera: “From the opening chords to the final ones, the polish of one of Massenet’s finest scores was felt.” The New York Times also touted his conducting prowess in the much-discussed new production of Tosca: “He brings shape, nuance and pliancy to the score.” Maestro Villaume’s most recent triumph was his conducting of Faust for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Seen and Heard International observed “Villaume’s expert hand was evident in the carefully-voiced sonorities, blending of the brass and percussion. Villaume supported the solo voices with fine attention to the stage, as well as care with the details, such as his tasteful stretching of measures and passages to accentuate lyricism.”
Currently in his fifth season as music director of The Dallas Opera, Maestro Villaume guided our successful Samson & Dalila before turning his attention to engagements in Prague and at the Met, and also conducted the rarely performed Korngold one-act, The Ring of Polykrates earlier this year. Last summer, he also presided over a new Paul Curran production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel at Santa Fe Opera (a co-production with The Dallas Opera designed by Gary McCann).
Don Giovanni stage director Robert Falls recently staged the world premiere of Rogelio Martinez’s Blind Date and adapted and directed a new production of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People in the Albert Theatre. This summer, he will direct the return engagement of Jim McGrath’s Pamplona in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre.
Recent productions for the Chicago-based director include The Iceman Cometh for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Rebecca Gilman’s Luna Gale for the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, Measure for Measure and the world and off-Broadway premieres of Beth Henley’s The Jacksonian.
Among his other credits are The Seagull, King Lear, Desire Under the Elms, John Logan’s Red, Jon Robin Baitz’s Three Hotels, Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio and Conor McPherson’s Shining City; the world premieres of Richard Nelson’s Frank’s Home, Arthur Miller’s Finishing the Picture, Eric Bogosian’s Griller, Steve Tesich’s The Speed of Darkness and On the Open Road, John Logan’s Riverview: A Melodrama with Music and Rebecca Gilman’s A True History of the Johnstown Flood, Blue Surge and Dollhouse; the American premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s House and Garden; and the Broadway premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida.
The Associate Director on this revival is Jodi Gage in her Dallas Opera debut.
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Other members of the experienced production team for Don Giovanni include set designer Walt Spangler, costume designer Ana Kuzmanic, choreographer August Tye Pauley, and fight director Nick Sandys Pullin – all in their Dallas Opera debuts. The associate fight director is Katherine Coyl.
The original lighting designer for this production was Duane Schuler; lighting for this revival will be designed by Chris Maravich. Wig and make up design is by Dawn Rivard.
Expert Chorus preparation is by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.
The assistant conductor is Paolo Bressan. The assistant director is Mo Zhou.
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The season finale will last approximately three-and-a-half hours, including a 25-minute intermission. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk can be enjoyed in nearby Hamon Hall (adjacent to the audience chamber) one hour prior to curtain.
Performed in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, ticket prices for this eighteenth-century masterpiece range from $19-$289. Discounted group rates and Student Rush Tickets are also available.
For more information, call The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214-443-1000 or obtain more information online (including a full synopsis and complete cast and production team biographies) at www.dallasopera.org/season/don-giovanni.
The Winspear Opera House is located in the Dallas Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas, 75201.
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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.
~~~~
2017-2018 SEASON SPONSOR
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
~~~~
EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7. VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG
FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS
Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
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 2017-2018 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 $289. 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 2017-2018 SPRING SEASON MAINSTAGE INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixty-First 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.
THE RING OF POLYKRATES & VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR
A sweeping Viennese concerto paired with a charming domestic comedy!
By Erich Wolfgang Korngold
February 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018
Violin Soloist (KORNGOLD CONCERTO): Augustin Dumay*
The Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by Emmanuel Villaume
THE RING OF POLYKRATES
Sumptuous Viennese music laced with orchestral color and wit!
Libretto by Leo Feld
Time: Early 20th century
Place: Vienna, Austria
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Director: Peter Kazaras
Set Designer: Donald Eastman*
Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois
Lighting Designer: Krista Billings
Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
Starring: Paul Groves* (Wilhelm Arndt), Laura Wilde* (Laura), Brenton Ryan (Florian Döbllinger), Susannah Biller* (Lieschen), and Craig Colclough* (Peter Vogel).
One of the most rarely performed opera gems! In its third professional U.S. production!
SUNKEN GARDEN by Michel van der Aa
March 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018
A phenomenal visual, musical and emotional adventure – live and in 3-D!
Libretto by David Mitchell
Time: Present Day
Place: Unknown
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Director: Michel van der Aa*
Set Designer: Theun Mosk**
Costume Designer: Astrid Schulz**
Lighting Designer: Theun Mosk**
Sound Designer: Tom Gelissen*
Starring: Roderick Williams* (Toby Kramer), Katherine Manley* (Zenna Briggs), and Miah Persson* (Iris Marinus).
Combining live actors and 2-D and 3-D film, to take you where opera has never gone before!
DON GIOVANNI by W.A. Mozart
April 13, 15 (m), 18, 21, 27 and 29 (m), 2018
Mozart’s operatic masterpiece brought vividly to life under the baton of Music Director Emmanuel Villaume!
Time: 20th century
Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Director: Robert Falls*
Set Designer: Walt Spangler*
Costume Designer: Ana Kuzmanic*
Original Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
Lighting Designer: Chris Maravich
Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Mariusz Kwiecień (Don Giovanni), Laura Claycomb (Donna Anna), David Portillo* (Don Ottavio), Katie Van Kooten* (Donna Elvira), Kyle Ketelsen* (Leporello), Virginie Verrez* (Zerlina), Craig Verm (Masetto), and Morris Robinson (The Commendatore).
An evocative and thrilling production from Lyric Opera of Chicago!
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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