A treat for the entire family! And that’s not hyperbole!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, May 30, 2014
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

The Magic of Opera and Live Music
TDO $5 Family Programming
Presented by Texas Instruments
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With additional support from
Lockheed Martin
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Part of “The Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs”
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“THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF”
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, 2:00 p.m. and
Saturday, April 11, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House
AT&T Performing Arts Center
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“THE DALLAS OPERA FAMILY CONCERT”
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, 2:00 p.m. and
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House
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“THE ELIXIR OF LOVE”
$5 FAMILY PERFORMANCE
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, 2:00 p.m. and
Sunday, Mar. 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House

DALLAS, MAY 30, 2014 – Put those computers, tablets, and smart phones aside and take advantage of some magical, live performances offered by the Dallas Opera (TDO) this season! The Dallas Opera Educational/Family Series, part of The Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs, is presented by Texas Instruments and made possible with additional generous support from Lockheed Martin.

Budget-minded Family Performance subscriptions are available Monday, June 2 for just $12 – for all three performances. Call the patron service specialists at The Dallas Opera Ticket Office, 214-443-1000 or purchase at your convenience online at dallasopera.org/family.

THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF, TDO’s newest production is an adaptation of the popular folk tale based on scenes from operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini. Incorporated into the lively performance are key messages for students, including the importance of attending school regularly and the need to be kind. The performances will be conducted on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 11, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Performed in English at the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House, located at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas 75201.
There are two casts for BILLY GOATS GRUFF. They feature mezzo-soprano Brandi Estwick and soprano Agostina Migoni in the role of Lucy, mezzo-sopranos Laura Gastinel and Laura Begley in the role of Ernesto, tenors Christopher Leach and Charles Karanja in the role of Dandini, as well as, baritone Christian Teague and bass Travis McGuire in the role of Osmin.
Prior to the performance the Dallas Opera offers a host of hands-on crafts and activities.
These will take place in the C. Vincent Prothro Lobby of the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center which will open at 12:30 p.m.
Single tickets for this event are on sale July 14th for just $5 apiece!
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The FAMILY CONCERT is a parade of opera’s greatest hits including a wide variety of types of arias and overtures. Patrons may be surprised at just how many pieces they already know and love and this event is sure to be enjoyed by fans of all ages. Featuring the Dallas Opera Orchestra, the performances will be held Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the concert The C. Vincent Prothro Lobby of the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center will open at 12:30 p.m. for a host of hands-on crafts and activities for children, followed by the performance at 2:00 p.m.

Just $5 per ticket and subscriptions are on sale now! Buy online, 24/7, at dallasopera.org or call 214.443.1000. What better chance to introduce the extraordinary music, the magic, and the incredible excitement of live theater and opera to your children, grandchildren or loved ones!
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THE ELIXIR OF LOVE is a fun, fully-staged one-act opera about a young man who hopes to win the heart of his true love, with the help of a quack “doctor” and his mysterious potion! This comedy is a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to the beautiful music of Gaetano Donizetti, who bridged the gap between Rossini and Verdi. This charming opera will be presented in English. It is being held at the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House located at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas 75201. Performance dates and times are Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are family budget-priced at $5 apiece and go on sale July 14, 2014. Contact the Dallas Opera at 214.443.1000 or purchase subscriptions online at dallasopera.org. Single tickets will also be available at the door.

“One of the most exciting developments during my four years in Dallas” explains General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, “has been our ability to disperse our education and community outreach efforts to reach tens of thousands of people across North Texas, and to invite newcomers – particularly children and families – to experience the richness, color and excitement of opera in the magnificent Winspear Opera House.

“The Dallas Opera is touching lives in a profound new way,” Cerny adds, “and reaching people who never knew that opera is genuinely accessible and entertaining.”

The two casts for THE ELIXIR OF LOVE feature soprano Audra Methvin and lyric soprano Erin Alcorn in the role of Adina, tenors Jeawook Lee and Martin Clark, Jr. as Nemorino, bass-baritones Langelihle Mngxati and Austin Siebert as Belcore, with bass Travis McGuire and bass-baritone Matthew Stump as Dulcamara.

The set and costumes for THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF and THE ELIXIR OF LOVE were designed by TDO Properties Designer and Costume Design Consultant Tommy Bourgeois. Nancy Schaeffer of Dallas Children’s Theater staged THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF. Mary Dibbern is TDO’s Music Director for Education and Family Programming for THE ELIXIR OF LOVE and THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF and put together the abridged English-language version of the heart-warming Donizetti romance, THE ELIXIR OF LOVE. John Davies is THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF composer and librettist. He uses the music of Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti.

The C. Vincent Prothro Lobby of the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center will open at 12:30 p.m. for a host of hands-on crafts and activities, followed by the performance at 2:00 p.m.
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Save on the three productions by purchasing your tickets in advance and see all three for just $12 per person!

“THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF” CAST BIOS:

LAURA BEGLEY (Ernesto)
Mezzo-soprano Laura Begley is returning for a second year as a Young Artist with Dallas Opera. Some of her roles include Meg Page (Falstaff), Dritte Dame & Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Female Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), and the Mother (Amahl). Ms. Begley received her Bachelor of Music at Colorado State University and is finishing her Masters’ at the University of North Texas. Her competition highlights include: the Jennifer White Memorial award at the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, Division Winner in for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, finalist in the NOA Competition and Classical Singer Competitions, the UNT Concerto Competition winner, a semi-finalist in the George London Foundation for Singers Competition and the Dallas Lyric Opera Guild Competition. This past winter, she made her company debut in Opera Fayetteville Dead Man Walking as Mrs. De Rocher and recently returned as an Apprentice Artist with Opera Saratoga debuting on the mainstage as Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor.

AGOSTINA MIGONI (Lucy)
Ms. Migoni, soprano, is a first year master student at the University of North Texas. This summer she will be performing the role of Abigail Williams in Robert Ward’s The Crucible in Austin, Texas. Ms. Migoni sang the role of Noémie in UNT’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon last fall. During her time in Cleveland, she appeared as Prioress Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Musetta in La Bohème, Violetta in La Traviata and La Chatte in L’enfant et les sortilèges. She won First Place for two consecutive years at the Ohio Buckeye NATS Competition and Audience Favorite at the Lois Alba Competition in Houston, Texas. Ms. Migoni was a participant of the Castleton Artist Training Seminar where she appeared as Fredrika in A Little Night Music, Maria from West Side Story, Marguerite from Faust, Musetta in La Bohème , and, led by Lorin Maazel, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, La Bohème, Carmen, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem, and Verdi’s Otello. Ms. Migoni has also appeared at the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman.

BRANDI ESTWICK (Lucy)
Ms. Estwick, mezzo-soprano, is a graduate voice performance major at Texas Woman’s University where she studies voice with Dr. Joni Jensen. As a member of the TWU Opera Ensemble, she has had the pleasure of performing in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, as well as in numerous scenes programs. She currently performs throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex in collaboration with classical guitarist, Eddie Healy. She also serves as the Assistant Director of the Brookhaven-Allegro Guitar Orchestra.

CHRISTOPHER LEACH (Dandini)
Tenor Christopher Leach is a native of Kingsville, Texas and is finishing up his undergraduate work at the University of North Texas with a focus in operatic performance. He has studied under the direction of Dr. Arikka Gregory, John Ector, and Ronald Montgomery. Mr. Leach has been a part of a number of ensembles including the Georgia Southern Chorale, the South Texas Chorale and has spent the past two seasons singing with the chorus of the Fort Worth Opera Company. Mr. Leach has studied and performed a wide range of roles at both Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and Georgia Southern University. Other past performances include Don Hilarión from Tomás Bretón’s La verbena de la Paloma with the TAMUK Opera, Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with the Georgia Southern Opera and Donald in Douglas Moore’s Gallantry, also with the Georgia Southern Opera.

LAURA GASTINEL (Ernesto)
Laura Gastinel is a mezzo-soprano who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at Southern Methodist University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Texas Christian University in 2009. While at Texas Christian University, she performed Nerillo from L’Ormindo, Eleonora from Prima la musica, Petra from A Little Night Music, Meg from Little Women and Bianca from La rondine. She was most recently seen as Ramiro in the Meadows Opera Theater’s production of La finta giardiniera. Ms. Gastinel has performed in the Opera Studio at the AIMS Music Festival in Graz, Austria and in master classes with Mary Jane Johnson, Gabriele Lechner and Marilyn Horne.
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CHRISTIAN TEAGUE (Osmin)
Baritone Christian Teague made his debut as a principal artist with The Dallas Opera as Ambrogio in The Barber of Seville. He was born in Fort Worth and first discovered his passion for music through piano lessons and performing in the Birdville School district of North Richland Hills. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University where he performed the roles of Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Kecal in Smetana’s Bartered Bride, and the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. While still in college, he had the opportunity to be a featured soloist in works performed in Italy, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Teague was the winner of the senior men’s division and was awarded the Grady Harlan Award for most promising professional voice at the Texoma NATS competition. As a result, he attended the AIMS training program in Graz, Austria. He recently performed the role of the Giant in The Dallas Opera’s outreach production of Jack and the Beanstalk and is the baritone in residence at First United Methodist Church of Hurst and the First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth.

“THE ELIXIR OF LOVE” CAST BIOS:

AUDRA METHVIN (Adina)
Soprano Audra Methvin recently won first place in The Dallas Opera Guild Competition In the same competition she placed in the top ten the previous three years, and was the first place winner at the 2012 Vocal Artistry Art Song Competition in Albuquerque. Ms. Methvin’s growing list of professional credits includes two years in Central City Opera’s Young Artist Studio and performances with the WTAM University Orchestra, Southwest Symphony, Caprock Pro Musica, Roswell Symphony Orchestra, Denver Lyric Opera Guild, University of Denver Orchestra, Boulder Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Ballet and St. John’s Cathedral of Denver. Ms. Methvin received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Eastern New Mexico University, where she won the Friends of Music Competition in 2011 and was a top finalist in 2012. Her vocal and musical talents have also earned her a number of other awards that include the Ross L. Tyler award at Central City Opera, sixth place in the Denver Lyric Opera Competition, and a Grant Award from Allied Arts of Denver. She appeared in the title role of Suor Angelica with ENMU Opera. She joined the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria for summer 2013, and is in the Performer’s Diploma program at Southern Methodist University.

JEAWOOK LEE (Nemorino)
Tenor, Jeawook Lee, received the Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University in August of 2009. He entered the Performance Diploma program in 2011 and in that same year was a Finalist in the Regional Competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. In summer 2012, he sang the role of Tamino in The Magic Flute in Amalfi Coast Music Festival production in Naples, Italy. Mr. Lee sang the role of Don Basilio in the SMU Opera Theater productions of The Marriage of Figaro, and in the production of Albert Herring, he performed the role of Mayor. Jeawook has been a finalist in The Dallas Opera Guild Competition and in the National Opera Association Competition. He completed the Performance Diploma in May 2013 and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree at Southern Methodist University.

TRAVIS MCGUIRE (Dulcamara) (Osmin in The Billy Goats Gruff)
Travis Wiley McGuire, bass, graduated from Southern Methodist University with an Masters of Music in Voice Performance studying under Virginia Dupuy, Martha Gerhart, and Simon Sargon. His Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Music and Biblical Text are from Abilene Christian University. In Abilene, he appeared as Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, as Gianni Schicchi, and as Frank Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. He also sang with the Abilene Opera Association as the Imperial Registrar in Madama Butterfly, as Sonora in La Fanciulla del West, and as Smee in Peter Pan. He also appeared as Prison Warden Frank in the Abilene Tri-Collegiate Opera’s Die Fledermaus. Mr. McGuire participated in the Los Angeles-based program, OperaWorks! where he worked with noted coach, Ann Baltz. He recently appeared in several of the SMU Opera Ensemble’s “Opera Free for All” series concerts, in addition to appearances as the Narrator in The Old Maid and the Thief, the Sorceror in Dido and Aeneas, Alcindoro in La Boheme, Grandpa Moss in an award-winning production of Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land, and the Learned Judge in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. Most recently he performed the role of the Giant in the Dallas Opera’s outreach production of Jack and the Beanstalk and is also a member of the Dallas Opera chorus.

LANGELIHLE MNGXATI (Belcore)
Mr. Mngxati, bass-baritone, studied music at the Universityof KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He has studied with Marc Poupard and SMU graduate Lionel Mkhwanazi. He won the 7th Festival of Italian Opera Competition for first year students. He performed the role of Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah with the Pietermaritzburg City Orchestra and the Mass choir. Mr. Mngxati won the National Competition for all South African Universities called South African Tertiary Institutions Choral Association. He sang in the SMU-UKZN production of West Side Story with the students from SMU and Professor Barbara Hill-Moore. Mr. Mngxati was a soloist in Haydn’s Missa Sanctae Caeciliae with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and he sang the role of Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. He also performed the role of Emile in the SMU/UKZN production of South Pacific. He is now in the Performance Diploma Program at SMU and continuing his studies with Ms. Hill-Moore.

AUSTIN SIEBERT (Belcore)
Bass-baritone Austin Siebert is currently studying for his Masters under full scholarship at the University of North Texas. Recent performances include Omar in Abu Hassan, Mustafa in a scene from L’italiana in Algeri, and the Executioner in a scene from The Rose of Persia with Spotlight on Opera in Austin, TX. He also appeared in I pagliacci and Faust with Austin Lyric Opera’s Chorus. Mr. Siebert has also performed scenes as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, Marcello in La Bohéme, Pandolfe in Cendrillon, Sergeant Meryll in Yeoman of the Guard and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. Mr. Siebert appeared as the Bass Soloist in Northwestern University’s Fauré Requiem and Schubert’s Mass in A Flat. Other credits include bass solos in the Mozart Requiem, Bach Magnificat, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus at American University.

ERIN ALCORN (Adina)
Lyric soprano Erin Alcorn is originally from Dallas, Texas. She most recently was seen in concert with Voces Intimae: The Art of Song, UT Dallas’ Music Nova, and in the roles of La Bergère and La Chouette in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges with the Oberlin Opera Theater. Her other stage credits with Oberlin include Giulietta in I capuleti e i montecchi, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Zaïre in Les Indes Galantes, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Erin was also seen as Casilda in The Gondoliers with the Oberlin Gilbert and Sullivan Society. On the contemporary side of things, she performed in the staged production of Exercices de Style by French-Canadian composer José Evangelista with the Oberlin Opera Theater, and was invited to sing in Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians and David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble. She placed First in State for the Arden J. Yockey Scholarship for Voice sponsored by the Tuesday Musical Association and second place in the Hal Leonard Vocal Competition. Ms. Alcorn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

MATTHEW STUMP (Dulcamara)
Matthew Stump is a bass from Goshen, Indiana playing the part of Dulcamara in this production of The Elixir of Love. He has studied at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa under Dr. David Judisch where he received his Bachelor of the Arts degree. He currently studies at the University of North Texas pursuing a Masters degree in operatic performance. His previous engagements include singing Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Frank Maurrant in Street Scene, Don Alfonso in Cosí fan tutte, Capulet in Romeo et Juliette, Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, and most recently as Raphael in Haydn’s oratorio The Creation. Recently he placed second in the Dallas Opera Guild Competition and was a district winner/regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Competition. His future engagements include an appointment in Lincoln, Nebraska as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah and in a recording session with the professional choir out of Detroit, Michigan called Sounding Light.

MARTIN CLARK, JR. (Nemorino)
Tenor Martin Clark, Jr. is currently studying vocal performance at the University of North Texas. Mr. Clark is now in his second season performing with The Dallas Opera Education Program singing the leading role of Nemorino in The Elixir of Love. He also performed in the Ensemble and as the understudy of Harpo in Denton Community Theatre’s production of The Color Purple. While an undergraduate at UNT, Mr. Clark has sung in the UNT A Cappella Choir and has had multiple roles with UNT Opera including Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, and Macheath in Kurt Weil’s The Three Penny Opera for UNT Opera. Mr. Clark won the UNT Margot Winspear Opera Scholarship Competition in 2014 and first place of the 2012 NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Texoma Region in Division VI of the Regional Student Auditions. He also received the Cecelia Cunningham Box Scholarship at the University of North Texas as an incoming Freshman.

ARTISTIC/PRODUCTION KEY BIOS:

MARY DIBBERN (Music Director of Education and Family Programs)
American pianist Mary Dibbern joined the Music Staff of The Dallas Opera as Music Director for Education and Family Programs in June 2012. She is an internationally known specialist in the field of vocal coaching, recital accompaniment, recordings, University level master classes, Young Artists Program teaching, television and radio appearances in Europe, the United States and Asia. Dibbern was graduated summa cum laude from SMU with a Master of Music in accompaniment under the direction of Maestro Paul Vellucci. She then moved to Paris to work with the great French musicians Nadia Boulanger and Pierre Bernac. She resided in France from 1978 to 2009, where she was guest coach for the Opéra National de Paris (Bastille), and the operas of Nice, Bordeaux, Lyons, Toulouse, Dijon, Châtelet, the Opéra-Comique, the Festival de Radio France-Montpellier and in Europe at the Théâtre Municipal de Lausanne, the Círculo Portuense de Opera, the Lithuanian National Opera (Vilnius), the Latvian National Opera (Riga) and at the Shanghai Opera House where she was in charge of musical and language preparation for the first French-language productions. In the US, she was guest coach at Seattle Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Memphis and Hawai’i Opera Theatre. She was Head of Music at Minnesota Opera for three seasons, where she collaborated closely with composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell on their world premiere “Silent Night” which subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize for Music 2012. Mary Dibbern is the author of seven books on French music published by Pendragon Press and is the Editorial Consultant for Musik Fabrik’s publications of works by French composer Jacques Leguerney She is a recording artist for Harmonia Mundi France, Claves and Maguelone.

TOMMY BOURGEOIS (Production Designer)
Tommy Bourgeois has been associated with The Dallas Opera for over 25 years. He has been an integral part of the Costume Shop and is the Head of the Properties Department. Mr. Bourgeois has designed costumes and scenery for Ballet Austin, including Romeo and Juliette, The Nut Cracker and an original production of Taming of the Shrew commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Other costume designs include Six Flags over Texas’ Christmas Show, Jazz land in New Orleans and Dixie Stamped in Tennessee. In addition to designing costumes for various theatres in Dallas, he served as Master Carpenter and Costumer for the Lyric Opera of Dallas for four years. He is currently the set designer for the Order of the Alamo Coronation that takes place in San Antonio every spring during Fiesta. Mr. Bourgeois earned a MA in Theatre Design and Dramatic Criticism at Southwest Texas University and went on to earn an MFA at Southern Methodist University where he studied with Bill and Jean Eckhart. In New York, he was the assistant to Beni Montressor on ballets and operas in New York, NY and abroad and worked in the Fashion industry for Joseph Abboud and Emanuel Ungaro.

NANCY SCHAEFFER (Stage Director – The Billy Goats Gruff)
Nancy Schaeffer has served Dallas Children’s Theater since its founding in 1984, first as a teacher and actor and now as Director of all Education Programs and outreach activities. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Ms. Schaeffer has directed numerous DCT productions including Junie B. Jones…; How I Became a Pirate; don’t u luv me?; Madeline’s Christmas; EAT (It’s Not About Food); Goodnight Moon; The Secret Life of Girls; Stuart Little; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; The Island of the Skog; Honk!; Babe, the Sheep-Pig; Jack & the Giant Beanstalk; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Bunnicula; Lyle the Crocodile; Miss Nelson is Missing (1999 &2010); Miss Nelson is Back!; If You Give a Moose a Muffin and If You Give a Pig a Party (both of which she adapted for the stage); and twelve productions of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! Ms. Schaeffer also directed DCT’s highly successful touring production of The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales which toured the US and then traveled to Shanghai, China playing at the 2006 Shanghai International Children’s Culture and Arts Expo. As Education Director, Ms. Schaeffer oversees numerous programs including: DCT Academy, which offers year-round classes to more than 1,800 young people, ages 3 through 18; Curtains Up On Reading, an in-school residency program that integrates drama, literature, language arts, social studies, and history; After School and Summer Drama Classes that benefit “at-risk” youth through eight after-school satellite arts programs, and DCT’s Teen Scene, which nurtures the theater audiences and professionals of tomorrow by opening communication between teens, theater professionals and the community at large.

KEITH CHAMBERS – (Conductor – The Elixir of Love and Family Concert)
Mr. Chambers, Assistant Conductor at the Dallas Opera, has been praised by the Dallas Morning News for the “taut and carefully scaled playing” of his orchestra. The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote that “it is easy to see why the conductor Keith Chambers is in demand.” Recent appointments include the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Emerging Artist Program for Opera New Jersey. This season is his conducting debut at the Dallas Opera, leading education performances of The Elixir of Love and The Dallas Opera Family Concert. He will serve as Assistant Conductor for Salome and will assist the Dallas Opera’s Music Director Emmanuel Villaume for productions of Marriage of Figaro, and Iolanta. He joins Opera Saratoga as Chorus Master for its summer festival and conducts Handel’s Radamisto for Manhattan Opera Studio. In the 2013-14 season he was assistant to Emmanuel Villaume for the Dallas Opera’s production of Carmen. In New York City, he debuted with the PROTOTYPE Festival for Gregory Spears’ Paul’s Case and he conducts concert performances of La Bohème at Carnegie Hall and Der Rosenkavalier at the National Opera Center.

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EVENTS AND GUEST ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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

For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

Ticket Information for the 2014-2015 Dallas Opera Season

All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and Flex Subscriptions are on sale starting at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

Student Rush, best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) or $50 for orchestra level, ninety minutes prior to each performance.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2014-2015 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Eighth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk begins one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
October 24, 26(m), 29, November 1, 7 and 9(m), 2014
In a single crazy, romantic day, doors will be locked and unlocked, disguised donned, kisses exchanged and innermost hearts revealed—to some of the most memorable music Mozart ever composed.
An opera in four acts first performed in Vienna on May 1, 1786
Text by Lorenzo Da Ponte after the 1784 play La folle journée, ou Le mariage de Figaro by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Time: The late 18th century
Place: Aguasfrescas near Seville, Spain, the Almaviva’s country house
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty
Production Design: John Bury*
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Choreography: Joel Ferrell*
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Mirco Palazzi (Figaro) , Beate Ritter** (Susanna), Joshua Hopkins (Count Almaviva), Nicole Car** (Countess Almaviva), Emily Fons (Cherubino), Diana Montague* (Marcellina), Kevin Langan (Doctor Bartolo), Doug Jones (Don Basilio), Angela Mannino (Barbarina), Adam Lau* (Antonio) and Jon Kolbet (Don Curzio).
Production Owned by Lyric Opera of Chicago

SALOME by Richard Strauss
October 30, November 2(m), 5, 8, 2014
Once in a great while, the term “over the top” doesn’t seem nearly high enough.
An opera in one act first performed in Dresden, Germany on December 9, 1905
Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of Oscar Wilde’s French language play
Time: During the time of Jesus Christ
Place: King Herod’s palace on the Sea of Galilee
Conductor: Evan Rogister*
Stage Director: Francesca Zambello
Original Production: Francesca Zambello
Scenic Design: Peter J. Davison*
Costume Design: Anita Yavich
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Choreography: Yael Levitin*
Starring: Deborah Voigt* (Salome), Robert Brubaker (Herod), Greer Grimsley* (Jokanaan), Susan Bickley* (Herodias), Scott Quinn (Narraboth), Heather Johnson* (Herodias’Page), Bradley Garvin (First Nazarene), Grigory Soloviov* (First Soldier), Jason Grant (Second Soldier), Joseph Hu (First Jew), Jay Gardner (Second Jew), John Robert Lindsey (Third Jew), Steven Haal (Fourth Jew), Patrick Guetti* (Fifth Jew), Tyler Simpson* (Second Nazarene), NaGuanda Nobles (A Slave) and Matthew Stump* (A Cappadocian).

A RARE DALLAS OPERA DOUBLE BILL:

LA WALLY by Alfredo Catalani
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
The Climactic Final Act!
First performed in Milan, Italy on January 20, 1892
Text by Luigi Illica after Wilhelmine von Hillern’s story, Die Geyer-Wally
Time: Around the year 1800
Place: The Austrian Alps
Conductor: Anthony Barrese
Stage Director: Candace Evans
Scenic Design: TBD
Costume Design: TBD
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Latonia Moore (Wally), Carl Tanner* (Giuseppe Hagenbach) and Jennifer Chung (Walter)
A brand-new Dallas Opera production!

EVEREST by Joby Talbot
January 30, February 1(m), 4 and 7, 2015
A Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Text by Gene Scheer
Time: Modern Day
Place: In the Death Zone on Mount Everest
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Leonard Foglia
Scenic Design: Robert Brill
Costume Design: TBD
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Andrew Bidlack (Rob Hall), Sasha Cooke (Jan Arnold), Kevin Burdette* (Beck Weathers) and Craig Verm* (Doug Hansen).

LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini
March 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in four acts first performed in Turin, Italy on February 1, 1896
Text by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica after Henry Murger’s novel Scènes de la vie de bohème
Time: mid-19th century
Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza*
Stage Director: Peter Kazaras
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotton
Starring: Ana Maria Martinez (Mimi), Bryan Hymel (Rodolfo), Davinia Rodriguez* (Musetta), Jonathan Beyer (Marcello), Alexander Vinogradov* (Colline), Stephen LaBrie (Schaunard) and Stefan Szkafarowsky (Benoit).

IOLANTA by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
April 10, 12(m), 15 and 18, 2015
A rarely performed Tchaikovsky gem, set in Medieval Provence!
First performed in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892
Text by Modest Tchaikovsky based on the Danish play King Rene’s Daughter by Henrik Hertz
Time: The 15th century
Place: Provence, a mountainous region in Southern France
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Scenic Design: TBD
Costume Design: TBD
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Thomas C. Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Ekaterina Scherbachenko* (Iolanta), Sergey Skorokhodov* (Count Vaudémont), Joanna Mongiardo* (Brigitta), Lauren McNeese (Laura), Tamara Mumford* (Marta), Andrei Bondarenko** (Robert, Duke of Burgandy), Mikhail Kolelishvili (Renè, King of Provence), Andrew Bidlack (Alméric), Vladislav Sulimsky** (Ibn-Hakia) and Jordan Bisch (Bertrand).

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

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