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    THE GOLDEN COCKEREL Opens Friday, Oct. 25th

    King Dodon and his court (Photo by Karen Almond)

    MEDIA RELEASE

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Wednesday, October 23, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    The Dallas Opera is Delighted to Present

    THE GOLDEN COCKEREL

    ~~~~

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Brilliant Political Satire about Sex, War, and Power

    OCTOBER 25 – NOVEMBER 2, 2019

    Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume

    Directed by Paul Curran

    ~~~~

    Starring Nikolay Didenko (King Dodon), Olga Pudova (Queen of Shemakha), Kevin Burdette (General Polkan), Barry Banks (Astrologer), Lindsay Ammann (Amelfa), Viktor Antipenko (Prince Guidon), Corey Crider (Prince Afron) and Jeni Houser as the Voice of the Golden Cockerel

    ~~~~

    DALLAS, OCTOBER 23, 2019 – The Dallas Opera’s 2019-2020 “Standing Ovation” Season scales new comedic heights this Friday with the opening of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s hilarious-yet-thought-provoking final opera, The Golden Cockerel.

    The October 25, 2019 performance in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will begin at 7:30 p.m.

    Conducted by Maestro Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director of The Dallas Opera) and directed by Paul Curran (The James R. Seitz, Jr., Stage Director), this rarely-performed work has not been seen on The Dallas Opera stage since 1973.

    This opulent new co-production garnered rave reviews when it opened in Santa Fe during the 2017 summer opera festival. “Gary McCann’s vibrant and kitschy costumes,” wrote Arya Roshanian for OperaWire, “inspired by Russian matryoshka dolls, contain some of the most fabulous and original costumes of the season.”

    Opera Warhorses praised Maestro Villaume’s “majestically-contoured, sensitive performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Orientalist score.” And Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News had high praise for the score itself: “The orchestral writing mixes bright-colored Russian impressionism and echoes of Russian folk idioms. The Queen weaves her spell with showcase vocalism alternately slithery and flickering.”

    Rimsky-Korsakov’s turn-of-the-century cautionary tale about lust and power (or the lust for power) may be more relevant than ever.

    The Golden Cockerel, a three-act satirical masterpiece, premiered in Moscow in 1909 after initially being banned by government censors. The composer, Rimsky-Korsakov, did not live to see his work on stage.

    Tickets for The Golden Cockerel may be purchased by phone (214.443.1000), online (dallasopera.org) or at the door, starting at just $19.

    ~~~~

    Russian bass Nikolay 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 coloratura soprano Olga Pudova will be making her company debut as the exotic and sultry Queen of Shemakha. Ms. Pudova is an audience favorite at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, where this season alone, she sings the roles of Tytania in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nanetta in Falstaff, Adina in L’elisir d’amore and the title role in Ruslan and Lyudmila.

    Bass Kevin Burdette (Everest, Great Scott), described by The New York Times as “the Robin Williams of opera,” is the king’s loyal commander, General Polkan.

    Renowned mezzo-soprano 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 and (possibly) control all.

    Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko in his Dallas Opera debut, and American baritone Corey Crider will sing the roles of Dodon’s backstabbing, bone-headed sons, Prince Guidon and Prince Afron.

    Last but certainly not least, soprano Jeni Houser (currently appearing in TDO’s season opener, The Magic Flute, as the Queen of the Night) is the voice of the Golden Cockerel.

    The other principals in this production are Jay Gardner and Christopher Harrison as Boyars. Samuel P.J. Lopez will sing the tenor solo.

    ~~~~

    All four performances of The Golden Cockerel will be conducted by internationally-acclaimed Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, praised for the sensitivity of his conducting by Zachary Woolfe of The New York Times.

    Wayne Lee Gay of Texas Classical Review noted in his analysis of last season’s 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.”

    This season, in his recent review of The Magic Flute, Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell observed that “Villaume got well disciplined, suave playing from The Dallas Opera Orchestra. Ensemble singing in the first act was impressively precise.” Meanwhile, Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of TheaterJones.com wrote, “Emmanuel Villaume’s extensive research into the score presents a refreshing new take…that will delight those familiar with the music.”

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

    Set and costume designs are by famed 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 Opera Philadelphia; and the sets for My Fair Lady for Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

    Lighting design for this production is by Paul Hackenmueller with projections designed by Driscoll Otto. Wig and make-up designs are by Dawn Rivard.

    As always, The Dallas Opera Chorus will be prepared by The Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.

    Sung in Russian (the original language) with English supertitles projected above the stage, The Golden Cockerel can also be enjoyed at additional performances 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. Student Rush Tickets are available at the box office 90 minutes prior to curtain – a valid student ID is required for each $15 or $25 ticket (price varies by seat location).

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

     

    The Dallas Opera Wishes to Express Our Gratitude to Those

    Whose Generous Contributions Made Possible

    This 2019 Production of The Golden Cockerel:

    The James R. Seitz, Jr. Stage Director in Honor of John Gage: Paul Curran

    Additional Special Support Provided by:

    Robert L. and Myra Barker Hull

    James R. Seitz, Jr.

    Joanna L. and T. Peter Townsend

     

    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
    ~~~~

    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 dallasopera.org.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

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    Designing The Golden Cockerel

    Set and Costume Designer Gary McCann and Projections Designer Driscoll Otto answered Playbill’s questions about the process that resulted in their striking visuals.

    What guidance did you receive from director Paul Curran about the design of this new production?  And what specific ideas did you bring to the table for discussion?
    D.O.: Paul and I spoke at length about the design about a year out from the original Santa Fe production. The discussion was about how we could create the worlds of The Golden Cockerel with the use of imagery and also about the possibility of having the Cockerel be an animated character with a singer off stage singing the role.  The challenges of the animated Cockerel were huge, but I agreed with Paul that we would have stronger story telling with an animated character vs. a person in a cockerel costume.  The designing of the actual Cockerel character was one of my favorite moments in our process.
    G.M.: Paul Curran and I have been working together for quite a few years now – so the question of being able to divide up responsibility for ideas is somewhat unnecessary. That is to say, we have a shorthand in terms of our communication, as well as a real understanding of how the other person works creatively.  Together, we shaped how the production looks and is staged.

    Had either of you designed a Russian opera before?  What possibilities did that open up, in terms of color, style, and motifs?
    G.M.: This is my first Russian opera design – although I’m currently preparing designs for Eugene Onegin which is a completely different affair altogether. Cockerel is a savage political critique wrapped up in the sheep’s clothing of a folk tale set in imaginary olden times. In terms of costume, I looked at traditional Russian dress from the 18th and 19th Centuries, and wildly exaggerated the scale of the patterns and color palettes to give the design both a fantastical quality and a satirical edge.
    D.O.: Golden Cockerel was my first Russian Opera, as well…though I quickly followed that up with a production of Iolanta with Paul (Curran). The themes and motifs in that era of Russian history are rich with color and texture. Projection-wise, we found ourselves in a hybrid of an animated Russian world paired with a modern sharp and also a “carnivalesque” world.

    What were some of the other influences on your designs?
    D.O.:  Russian Artist Tatiana Plakhova was a huge inspiration as her style resembles fractal art, but, amazingly enough, hers is a hundred percent handmade creation.  The world of the Astronomer is built from her art.
    G.M.: The sets are designed to sit in direct contrast with the costume designs. I often like to do this as it creates an interesting frisson in what the audience sees and therefore how they understand the narrative. The set is inspired by 20th Century constructivist art and architecture (think – Tatlin’s tower). It is made from perforated metal and one can see the twisting truss which supports the transparent metal surfaces. It is thus almost like an illusion – partly there, partly not, and able to transform Holodeck-style into any kind of space we want through the use of projection and the changing of light.

    The composer of The Golden Cockerel didn’t live to see his final opera performed, so we don’t know what Rimsky-Korsakov sought, in terms of a design. However, I’m sure his music must have inspired each of you.  Explain how the music helped shape your designs.
    D.O.:  The music is always where I begin. The music in Cockerel is so rich and beautiful it begged for texture, color and movement to support its sound. Between Gary’s sets and costumes, Paul Hackenmueller’s lighting, and my video, I think we found a gorgeous realm for this piece to exist in.
    G.M.: Also, the music has a fluidity and sensuousness, which is reflected in the curvature of the abstract scenic elements.

    The composer is most famous for his Scheherazade, and I couldn’t help thinking of his take on the Arabian Nights when I saw the exotic costumes for the Queen of Shemakha. Coincidence?
    G.M.: I don’t think this is such a coincidence. Shemakha is a mythical Eastern Kingdom, which is controlled by a beautiful and clever Queen. The Queen and her retinue have their own identifiable aesthetic which is complimentary yet very different to the humorously exaggerated world of King Dodon. She wears a multi-layered Kingfisher green gown, which she slowly peels away over the course of her first aria.

    The Golden Cockerel was a stinging indictment of the Russo-Japanese War and Tsarist foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century. How did your design choices underscore the anti-war sentiment of the piece?
    G.M.: The design choices hopefully help illustrate the anti-war sentiments quite clearly. King Dodon is shown as an absurd man-baby in a one piece red Union suit, who is utterly incompetent as a ruler. This is further amplified by his enormous throne—which he is simply incapable of filling, and has to scramble up onto the seat in a ridiculous manner. His court filled with pompous advisors who offer little more in the way of brain cells than the king possesses himself. Like him, they have bizarrely colored beards coupled with enormous hats, and outlandishly patterned robes.
    D.O.:  The Parade section of the opera is a moment of pure reaction from the cast as we present the people being brought back to Dodon’s kingdom in a film that we created. The idea of war/spoils of war/ and fear of the unknown are our main themes as the parade progresses. By the end of the parade we see soldiers metaphorically stomping on the people who are watching and reacting.

    Tell us more about the decision to make the Golden Cockerel itself a projection rather than a physical presence on the set.
    G.M.: Making the cockerel a projection allows her to be much more fluid and magical as a character – she can expand and contract and do all sorts of interesting things in her animations. We felt this was a more exciting way to depict her, than having a performer in a bird suit on stage.

    How did the three of you collaborate on lighting, projections, and set design to create the world of Pushkin’s imagination?  What was the biggest single challenge in that partnership?
    G.M.: Collaborating from my end was very organic and we all had the same end point in mind and worked towards that. The major challenge we experienced was the creation of such a technically ambitious show as part of the repertoire system at Santa Fe opera, with limited time on stage and more often than not rehearsing on stage during daylight hours, which made viewing lighting and projected imagery impossible.
    D.O.:  Throughout the process we shared storyboards of the production.  This gave Paul Curran, Paul Hackenmueller, Gary and I the ability to react to each other as we imagined the piece. There are always changes once we move into the theater, but with all of prior collaboration it was easy to adapt.

    What did you experience in designing this production that has carried over into subsequent projects?
    G.M.: This is the first time that I’ve had so many fabrics printed from scratch. I was lucky in that I found the most wonderful book of patterns – Russian Textiles by Susan Meller. I wrote to Susan and she very kindly granted me access to all her fabulous high-resolution photos she took of original 19th century fabrics. We there then able to use these in digital prints, which lend the costumes an incredible vibrancy and an authenticity within the exaggerated aesthetic. I’ll certainly look to print fabrics in the future when I can.

    Your work was extremely well received by both critics and audiences when The Golden Cockerel premiered in Santa Fe in 2017. Will there be any significant design changes in 2019?
    D.O.:  As of now, there are very few changes in the projections, but that doesn’t mean we won’t walk into the theater and discover new ideas.
    G.M.: However, if it ain’t broke…..!

    Featured Artist – Paul Curran

    2019-2020 “Standing Ovation” Season Announced

    Thursday, January 24, 2019

    Contact: suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA PROUDLY PRESENTS ITS

    63rd INTERNATIONAL SEASON

    ~~~~

    “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

    ~~~~

    SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    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.

     

    ~~~~

    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.

    ~~~~

     

    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.

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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 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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    Six Women Selected for Institute for Women Conductors!

    103 Applicants for Elite Program; Institute Makes Room for Four Additional Women Conductors to Observe

    An International Inaugural Session of The Institute for Women Conductors At The Dallas Opera

    Nov. 28 – Dec. 6, 2015

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    Launched with Generous Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation

    DALLAS, JUNE 5, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the six distinguished professionals selected to participate in the inaugural session of the Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera:

    • Jennifer Condon (Australia/Germany)
    • Jessica Gethin (Australia)
    • Natalie Murray Beale (UK)
    • Stephanie Rhodes (USA)
    • Anna Skryleva (Russia/Germany)
    • Lidiya Yankovskaya (USA)

    Working to address a long-standing career issue in the opera world, The Dallas Opera is launching a unique, new residential program designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors.  Female conductors age forty and younger, as well as accomplished women singers, opera coaches and accompanists, and instrumentalists with established careers seeking a new career at the podium, were encouraged to apply. 

    A total of 103 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call and applied by the April 15th deadline.  Of that number, nearly half the applicants (44%) came from the United States.  Other nations making a strong showing included Germany, Italy, Israel and Taiwan (followed by Greece, Canada, Australia and Spain).

    Applicants from 27 countries included principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.

    “As a female conductor,” explained IWC Fellow Anna Skryleva, “I’m interested, of course, in programs supporting women—there are still so few of them; I don’t know of any other program of this type in the opera field.  These days in Dallas promise to be very intensive.”

    Jennifer Condon heartily agreed, writing: “The Dallas Opera’s recognition of the need for encouragement and support of women conductors is fabulous. The programme – so generously offered – touches on all aspects relevant to a career in conducting. So far as I am aware, there is no programme of its kind anywhere else in the world.

    “I simply leapt at the chance to be included.”

    “I was so thrilled to see The Dallas Opera offer such an innovative initiative for female conductors to further develop their opera skills on the podium,” responded Jessica Gethin.  “As a young, female, Australian conductor based in Perth, the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Institute for Women Conductors is invaluable at this stage of my conducting career. 

    “Through a generous combination of intense masterclasses on the podium with international mentors, seminars on the challenges we face within the industry and networking opportunities provided, I am looking forward to developing my technical skills and broadening my repertoire knowledge in a uniquely supportive environment and earning my place as an alumna in this brilliant and vital program, watching it grow and nurture the careers of many female conductors from around the world. 

    “I can’t wait to get my hands on the scores,” added Ms. Gethin, “and head over to the other side of the globe to get started!” 

    This new institute will be inaugurated on November 28, 2015 and run through December 6, 2015, with key support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation.

    The IWC will consist of master classes and one-on-ones with Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement; seminars, discussions, and networking opportunities; as well as the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in a public concert performance the evening of December 5, 2015 onstage in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas.

    When asked what she hoped to gain from the experience, Stephanie Rhodes replied: “Everything!  The insights of both Emmanuel Villaume and Nicole Paiement into conducting technique, interpretation, and the various business aspects of the profession are something I imagine will be invaluable, given the wealth of experience they bring to the table.

    “I’m particularly looking forward to building relationships with fellow female conductors,” Ms. Rhodes added, “as I think the support, strength, and perspective we can offer each other now will be critical throughout our careers.”

    IWC Fellow Natalie Murray Beale expressed similar sentiments: “This program is a vital acknowledgement of female conducting talent and a rare opportunity for women conductors.

    “I have great hopes to develop my conducting at the Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera and to make new, positive working relationships with artists and managers alike.  I look forward,” she added, “to emerging a stronger and more visible conductor.”

    In addition to the six Institute participants, four more conductors – all from the United States – have been invited to observe the proceedings.  They are: Arianne Abela, Luçik Aprahämian, Avlana Eisenberg and Co Boi Nguyen.

    Those attending will also be encouraged to take part in an annual two-day networking event, beginning in the summer of 2016. 

    Stated Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny: “The Dallas Opera has demonstrated, in multiple ways, its commitment to reshaping the opera field through the use of innovative public outreach, by exploring new technologies, commissioning new works to expand the operatic repertoire, and programming with passion and imagination.”

    “This much-needed program,” Mr. Cerny added, “will enable more women conductors to add their talents and insights to our collective understanding of this art form, while encouraging conversation about the necessity of women in leadership roles.”

    The Dallas Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor, Nicole Paiement, who also serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor for San Francisco’s renowned contemporary opera company, Opera Parallèle, commented, “In tandem with my work as a professional conductor, I have spent many years striving to develop and support exceptional young talent, both onstage and in the orchestra pit.  I am tremendously pleased to be able to continue this aspect of my career in a leadership role here in Dallas, and to be responsible for guiding each carefully selected group through this newly developed Dallas Opera program.

    “The women taking part in this program will have the all-too-rare opportunity to observe another woman in this leadership role, “ Paiement added, “something that, regrettably, I never experienced in my early career as I sought role models from among my professional peers.  I sincerely hope my work with the women in this institute can serve as a source of both valuable insights and inspiration.”

     

    Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America, remarked: “The Dallas Opera continues to expand its influence and stature among American opera companies, as shown by this exciting new initiative.  The company is to be applauded for taking a significant step to remedy the existing gender imbalance on the podium.  This effort complements OPERA America’s support of the work of female opera composers and promises to enrich the art form by encouraging more gifted artists to express themselves through opera.”

    Lidiya Yankovskaya, another IWC Fellow, wrote: “The Dallas Opera is known for doing innovative and exciting work that has placed the company at the forefront of American Opera and continues to inspire many within the field, myself included.  I relish the opportunity to see this work from the inside and to learn from the company’s phenomenal leadership.  

     “Taking part in Dallas Opera’s program for Women Conductors will be crucial in giving me the push I need to gain exposure and move forward into more regular high-level work in the opera world.  The institute will not only provide the opportunity to receive experience working with the company’s fantastic artists and feedback on my work, but it also represents a chance to gain exposure, and to discover how to make the leap into the next career level.”

    Internationally renowned Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume observed: “No conductor ever stands at the podium alone.  We raise our baton with those who came before us, and those who will follow in our footsteps.

    “It takes a lifetime to become completely at home on the podium,” Villaume adds.  “It was my privilege to be guided and taught by geniuses like Spiros Argiris and Seiji Ozawa, who, in turn, always quoted their own masters.  In fact, they claimed that, only near the end of their performing careers, did they entirely understand some of the comments and advice they received from their mentors.

    “We are always trying to perfect our work.  I feel I am now at a place in my career, where I can begin to effectively share my experiences with the next generation of conductors.”

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    2015 IWC FELLOWS:

    JENNIFER CONDON (Australia/Germany)

    Jennifer Condon has been passionate about opera from an absurdly young age – since her teens she has been fortunate to have fellow Australian, Simone Young, as mentor.  Jennifer studied piano in Sydney, and conducting in Melbourne and Vienna before commencing work as a souffleuse at the Hamburg State Opera in 2008.  She now has a repertoire of over 55 operas.  During her time in Hamburg, Jennifer also brought Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ opera Sappho (1963) from the composer’s hand-written manuscript to the recording studio.  The CD, with an eminent cast including Deborah Polaski, Sir John Tomlinson and Wolfgang Koch with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, has been released to considerable critical acclaim.  Jennifer lives in Berlin and works as a free-lance vocal coach and prompt as she pursues a conducting career.  Assistant conducting engagements to date include Lohengrin in Zurich and Salome in Vienna.  Future engagements include Reimann’s Lear in Budapest and Ariadne auf Naxos in Tokyo.

    JESSICA GETHIN (Australia)

    Australian-born conductor Jessica Gethin has won praise from audiences and critics alike for her dynamic energy, outstanding musicianship and abounding presence on the podium.  A graduate of the exclusive Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, Ms. Gethin commenced her official appointment as Chief Conductor of the Perth Symphony Orchestra (Perth, Australia) in 2011.  Jessica Gethin has performed on stages throughout Europe, USA, UK, Canada, Asia and Australia as conductor, concert presenter, program writer, orchestrator, guest lecturer, music educator and adjudicator.  With a diverse background working across a variety of genres ranging from classical, jazz, opera and ballet to musical theatre, contemporary and film score; Jessica has recorded for numerous CDs, television documentaries, live radio broadcasts and television commercials.  Artist collaborations include conducting Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel, Divinyl’s Chrissy Amphlette, The Ten Tenors, soprano Rachelle Durkin, Australian screen star Lisa McCune, soprano Marina Prior, tenor David Hobson, jazz trumpeter James Morrison and Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman, to name a few.  Ms. Gethin currently resides in Western Australia with her husband and two children.

    NATALIE MURRAY BEALE (UK)

    Conductor Natalie Murray Beale is a BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellow and is being mentored by Esa-Pekka Salonen. She has performed with the Welsh National Opera, Opera Holland Park, Spitalfields Festival, Chamber Orchestra of London and the City of London Sinfonia.  Ms. Murray Beale has also gained valuable experience as Assistant Conductor for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Festival d’Aix, Wiener Festwochen and Den Nye Opera with the Philharmonia, Bergen Philharmonic, B’Rock Orchestra, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie and the Freiburger Barockorchester.  Previous positions include serving on the music staff of Welsh National Opera; as coach at the Royal Opera House, Young Artist Programme; and as Guest Chorus Director of London Symphony Chorus. 

    Ms. Murray Beale enjoys collaborating with composers and recently conducted the soundtracks to the video game Alien:Isolation (BAFTA nominated) and the British film Robot Overlords. Her performances of the new opera, We are Shadows, received a Royal Philharmonic Society award.  This year she will make her debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

    STEPHANIE RHODES (USA)

    Stephanie Rhodes is a renowned opera collaborator, having served on the music staff of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, The Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, amongst others. She has garnered experience as a conductor, assistant conductor, prompter, chorus master, rehearsal pianist, orchestral keyboardist and diction coach.  This summer she joins the Miami Summer Music Festival as the Studio Program Director and conductor of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, additionally participating as a fellow in the festival’s Orchestral Conducting Institute. As a Fulbright award recipient, Ms. Rhodes spent the 2012/13 season in Moscow specializing in Russian repertoire and pronunciation for non-native singers. She was recently commissioned by The Dallas Opera to transliterate Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and is currently working on a book to standardize Russian diction for singers. An alum of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and San Francisco’s Merola Opera program, she holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Utah State University in Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance.

    ANNA SKRYLEVA (Russia/Germany)

    Russian conductor Anna Skryleva has lived and worked in Germany for the past 15 years.  Currently, Ms. Skryleva is engaged as principal resident conductor at The State Theatre, Darmstadt, in addition to performing as a concert pianist and a chamber musician in Russia, other European nations and Mexico.  Anna Skryleva’s career as a conductor began in 2002 in Karlsruhe, where she was engaged at the Music College as music assistant of the conductor Prof. Alicja Mounk.  From 2007 to 2012, Anna Skryleva was engaged at the State Opera Hamburg as musical assistant of Simone Young, where she acquired a wide repertoire, from German Romanticism to Italian bel canto to modern music of the 20th century.  After successfully conducting Richard Strauss’ Salome at the State Theatre Darmstadt in 2013, Anna Skryleva was named Darmstadt’s Principal Resident Conductor.  Since then, she has conducted new productions and revivals of works including Otello, Tristan und Isolde, Il trittico, Madame Butterfly, La traviata and many more.  The German publication Main-Echo named Anna Skryleva “Person of the Year 2013.”  Earlier this year, she was nominated for the “Emotion Award 2015” in the Category “Women in Leadership”; winners will be announced later this month.

    LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA (USA)

    Lidiya Yankovskaya’s recent work as a symphonic and opera conductor has been hailed as “superb,” “expert,” and “coax[ing] every possible expressive note from the instrumentalists.”  Currently, Ms. Yankovskaya serves as Music Director of Harvard University’s Lowell House Opera, Artistic Director of Juventas New Music Ensemble, and Music Director with Commonwealth Lyric Theater.  She also works regularly with Gotham Chamber Opera, Center for Contemporary Opera, and New York Lyric Opera.  Last summer, Ms. Yankovskaya served as a conducting fellow under renowned conductor Lorin Maazel at the Castleton Festival, where she had the privilege of assisting Maestro Maazel and filled in for him regularly in rehearsal and performance.  Recent productions have received multiple awards ranging from The American Prize to the National Opera Association Award.  In addition to her work as a conductor, Lidiya is a pianist and coach, recently serving as Music Director for Opera Boston’s education tours.  Presently, she is working as a Russian Diction Coach and occasional rehearsal conductor for Tanglewood Festival Chorus (the chorus of the Boston Symphony). www.LidiyaYankovskaya.com

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    2015 IWC OBSERVERS:

    ARIANNE ABELA (USA)

    Known for her work promoting charitable organizations, conductor Arianne Abela has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and America’s Got Talent as artistic director of “3 Penny,” a non-profit chorus and orchestra, and co-founder of “House of Clouds.”  Arianne served as music director of Saybrook College Orchestra and has conducted the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Wesleyan University Orchestra and the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria.  As a chorusmaster, Abela has prepared choirs for Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Rafael Payare, and Martin Katz, as well as for the University of Michigan Opera in productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.  As a soloist and professional ensemble singer, Abela has performed with major ensembles across North America, Europe and Asia.  Abela is currently a doctoral candidate in conducting at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Jerry Blackstone. She holds a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College.

    LUÇIK APRAHÄMIAN (USA)

    Luçik Aprahämian’s versatility as a conductor makes her equally at home in front of an orchestra, leading a vocal ensemble, or guiding outstanding performances on the opera stage.  With her profound passion for opera, Dr. Aprahämian has served as co-artistic director of Southern Arizona Opera, worked with Opera Parallèle and Bayshore Lyric Opera (both located in the Bay area), and served as assistant conductor and director of the Opera Theatre Program at the University of California at Santa Cruz.  She is an avid exponent of new music and has commissioned and premiered works for choir, orchestra, and opera with ensembles in the Bay Area and Arizona.  Recent premieres include Andrew Pascoe’s opera, God: The Opera and David Evan Jones’s chamber opera, The Rehearsal.   Dr. Aprahämian received her bachelor’s degree in fortepiano performance practice, as well as a master’s degree in conducting, from the University of California at Santa Cruz.  She pursued additional graduate studies to earn her doctorate in conducting from the University of Arizona. 

    AVLANA EISENBERG (USA)

    Music Director of the Boston Chamber Symphony, Avlana Eisenberg has conducted orchestras throughout the United States and in France, Germany, Austria, Scotland, Spain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Her debut CD, with soloist Zina Schiff and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV, features violin concertos by Sibelius and Barber and the world premiere orchestral recording of Ben-Haim’s Three Songs without Words.  Eisenberg received a Fulbright Fellowship for conducting study in Paris and apprenticeship at the Paris National Opera and was one of Glamour magazine’s “Top Ten College Women of the Year.”  As an undergraduate at Yale University, she founded and directed the Silliman Symphony and was honored with Yale’s “V. Browne Irish Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts.”  An alumna of Interlochen Arts Camp and the Aspen Music Festival, Eisenberg holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute.

    CO BOI NGUYEN (USA)

    Ms. Co Boi Nguyen has been on the faculty of the University of Redlands, School of Music since 2006, serving as music director of the University of Redlands Orchestra and Opera.  From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Nguyen was conductor and faculty member of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival at Long Island University, New York.  At the same time, she also worked as assistant conductor to Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun in New York.  As an alumna of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Ms. Nguyen returns to Hanoi regularly to perform and to give master classes.  She made her highly acclaimed debut with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra at the Hanoi Opera House in July 2002, making her the first woman ever to lead the ensemble.  Ms. Nguyen is a graduate of the conducting programs at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York.

     ~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

     

    VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     

    For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print or to arrange an interview

    Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations

    214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

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

     

    Ticket Information for the 2015-2016 Dallas Opera Season

    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described.  Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and will be available July 15.  Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now starting at $75.  Family performance tickets (available June 1) are just $5. 

    For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2015-2016 FALL SEASON INFORMATION

    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Ninth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated.  English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired.  The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.

     

    GREAT SCOTT by Jake Heggie

    October 30, November 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015

    A Thrilling Dallas Opera World Premiere!

    Libretto by Terrence McNally*

    Time: Present Day

    Place: A Major American City

    Conductor: Patrick Summers

    Stage Director: Jack O’Brien*

    Production Design: Bob Crowley

    Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt*

    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Joyce DiDonato* (Arden Scott), Ailyn Pérez (Tatyana Bakst), Frederica von Stade (Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato), Nathan Gunn (Sid Taylor), Anthony Roth Costanzo* (Roane Heckle), Kevin Burdette (Eric Gold) and Michael Mayes* (Wendell Swan).  A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!

     

    TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini

    November 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015

    A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production

    An opera in three acts first performed in Rome, Italy on January 14, 1900

    Text by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa after Victorien Sardou’s 1887 French-language play, La Tosca

    Time: Early 19th century

    Place: Locations in and around the City of Rome

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Stage Director: Ellen Douglas Schlaefer*

    Production Design: Ulisse Santicchi

    Lighting Design: Marie Barrett

    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Children’s Chorus Master: TBA

    Starring: Emily Magee (Floria Tosca), Giancarlo Monsalve* (Mario Cavaradossi), Raymond Aceto (Baron Scarpia), William Ferguson (Spoletta), Dale Travis* (A Sacristan) and Ryan Kuster (Angelotti).

    One of The Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!

     

    BECOMING SANTA CLAUS by Mark Adamo

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

    An Eagerly Awaited Dallas Opera World Premiere!

    Libretto by the composer, Mark Adamo.

    Time: Now

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

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Stage Director: Paul Curran

    Production Design: Gary McCann*

    Video Design: Driscoll Otto*

    Lighting Design: Paul Hackenmueller*

    Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Jennifer Rivera* (Queen Sophine), Juan José de León (Prince Claus), Matt Boehler* (Donkey) Another New Dallas Opera Production

     

    * Dallas Opera Debut

    ** American Debut

    ________________________________________________________________________The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from:  Texas Instruments Foundation, TACA, City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.  Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.  Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.  A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for its continuing support.

     

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