It’s a panel discussion next week that shouldn’t be missed! The Dallas Opera and Dallas Holocaust Museum are the proud partners of what promises to be an extraordinary panel discussion on the life, the work and the legacy of exiled twentieth-century composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Details follow. Read more →
From the Desk of Artistic Director Jonathan Pell
I was in Denton at the University of North Texas on Monday and Tuesday working with some of the very talented students pursuing graduate degrees in voice. I did this two years ago, and was asked back by Stephen Dubberly and Paula Homer to select this year’s recipient of the bi-annual Winspear Opera Scholarship.
It was also an opportunity to hear some singers who have the potential to become involved with the Dallas Opera’s education and outreach programs that are produced in cooperation with both UNT and SMU.
I don’t want to scoop UNT’s press announcement by divulging the winner here, but I was very impressed by several of the competitors, and enjoyed meeting and getting to know these promising young musicians.
On another unrelated topic, I don’t know if any of you have been watching the new ABC TV series GCB. It is trying to be a sort of cross between DALLAS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.
Frankly, I don’t know anyone in town who is still watching (which may be because they are easily offended by the unfortunate stereotyping of Dallas society or simply be because the writers haven’t found their stride yet) but I bring it up for one very important reason.
In two separate episodes different characters have mentioned going to The Dallas Opera. In last Sunday’s episode the character played by Annie Potts mentioned that she was underwriting the elephants in AIDA next season. Now I have no way of knowing if the show’s writers actually knew that we were opening next year with that opera, or if it was simply a coincidence, but I now feel justified in continuing to watch this “guilty pleasure” just in case our opera company gets mentioned again.
Oh, and by the way, unless Annie Potts sends us a check, we don’t plan to have any elephants in our AIDA.
Sorry Annie.
UNT’s THEODORA making a stop at the Winspear, TDO Music Director Graeme Jenkins Conducting
Theodora
February 23 (Denton) and 24 (Dallas) at 7:30 p.m.
Ava Pine, Theodora * Ryland Angel, Didymus
Richard Croft, Septimius * Jeffrey Snider, Valens * Jennifer Lane, Irene
Pre-concert lecture: Dr. Ruth Davis, University of Cambridge, at 6:30 p.m.
A tragic tale of love, faith and virtue set in 4th century Antioch, Handel’s oratorio Theodora follows the martyred princess Theodora and her Roman lover Didymus. Featuring extraordinary soloists, including Ava Pine and Ryland Angel alongside UNT faculty members Richard Croft, Jeffrey Snider and Jennifer Lane, Dallas Opera Music Director Graeme Jenkins will lead the UNT Baroque Orchestra and Collegium Singers at both Winspear halls—the Winspear Performance Hall in Denton and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.
Continuing the tradition of UNT faculty/student performance collaborations, a student will also join this outstanding cast in the role of the Messenger through a competitive audition process.
Theodora is presented by UNT College of Music and is made possible by the UNT Fine Arts Series, the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Dallas Opera, and Don and Ellen Winspear. This will be the fifth production of UNT’s Handel Oratorio series.
Ticket Information:
The Feb. 23 performance will take place in the Winspear Performance Hall at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton. Tickets are $12-$20 and can be purchased by visiting music.unt.edu/mpac or by calling 940-369-7802.
The Feb. 24 performance will take place in the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. Tickets are $12-$20 and can be purchased by visiting www.attpac.org, or by calling 214-880-0202.
“Out of the Opera Box”
Gregory Sullivan Isaacs never takes his job lightly, even when reviewing a production specifically designed for the pre-teen set. Here is his take for “Theater Jones” on the Dallas Opera’s new production of Georges Bizet’s youthful operetta, “Doctor Miracle,” and its talented ensemble cast selected from area university programs. Read the review here.
Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR
Doctor Miracle Tickles Various Fancies at DCT
If you’ve been wondering whether the Dallas Opera’s new children’s production of Georges Bizet’s charming “Doctor Miracle” might prove a great introduction to the art form for all the little ones in your family, check out Sandie Newton’s report for CBS-11. The next performance is this Friday night at Dallas Children’s Theater. Tickets are $12 and available through the Dallas Opera ticket services office (214.443.1000). You can also purchase online at dallasopera.org.
Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media and PR
Getting More Family-Friendly
And sparking some great collaborations in the process. See the release below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Contact: Suzanne Calvin
214-443-1014/suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA ANNOUNCES
MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY
INITIATIVES FOR 2011-2012!
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NEW TDO FAMILY PERFORMANCES!
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SMU, UNT,
AND DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER!
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TDO FAMILY CONCERT@THE WINSPEAR!
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NEW “PARENTS GUIDE TO THE SEASON”
AVAILABLE ONLINE 24/7
DALLAS, AUGUST 23, 2011 – The Dallas Opera is extremely pleased to announce a host of new family-friendly initiatives and special musical events designed to encourage patrons of all ages to experience the thrills, the laughter and the joys of opera!
Upcoming program highlights, all of which can be accessed through a single web page, http://www.dallasopera.org/family/, include (but are not limited to):
- DOCTOR MIRACLE, a hilarious, one-act comic opera by Georges Bizet, sung in English and suitable for the entire family. Performances run just under an hour (without intermission) and audience members are free to leave the performance as needed. Tickets are just $12 per person and will go on sale to the public September 12!
A love-struck young man wants to marry the mayor’s daughter. In order to win her hand, he must disguise himself, first, as a servant who concocts a “poisonous” omelet—and then as the doctor called in to save the day! Will true love triumph in the end, with or without bicarbonate of soda? Find out by attending one of four performances, featuring future opera stars from the Southern Methodist University Vocal Department and the University of North Texas Opera Program.
DOCTOR MIRACLE also marks the first creative partnership between the Dallas Opera and Dallas Children’s Theater, where the work will be performed with a rousing piano accompaniment!
PERFORMANCE DATES
Friday, October 7, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
All performances begin at 7:30 PM at Dallas Children’s Theater, Rosewood Center for Family Arts, located at 5938 Skillman, Dallas, 75231. Tickets may be purchased through the Dallas Opera’s Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at http://www.dallasopera.org/family/performances/2011-2012/drmiracle/.
Dallas Children’s Theater Executive Artistic Director Robyn Flatt believes now more than ever, groups must work together to advance the arts, as a whole, in our community. She says, “We’re very pleased that through this partnership with the Dallas Opera, our family-friendly space at Rosewood Center is going to be where many youngsters and their parents are introduced to the beauty of opera. And we’re so honored to have the opportunity to showcase excerpts from the very popular play, Madeline’s Christmas, in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
“It’s going to be a meaningful experience for us all.”
- Please note: In celebration of “Art in October,” the Dallas Opera is instituting very special, discount pricing for one matinee performance of DOCTOR MIRACLE on Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 2:00 PM in the Winspear Opera House! Tickets for the $5 Family Matinee will be available, beginning September 12th, at 214.443.1000 or at the door.
- DALLAS OPERA FAMILY CONCERT @ THE WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE. It may appear self-explanatory, but there’s more here than meets the eye! Join the Dallas Opera in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at AT&T Performing Arts Center at noon on Saturday, November 12th for an afternoon of fun.
The lobby opens at noon for free family activities that include face-painting, crafts, hands-on opera creation and more.
At 1:30 PM, Dallas Children’s Theater will present a half-hour preview of excerpts from their upcoming production of Madeline’s Christmas, marking the welcome return of everybody’s favorite little girl from Paris in merry, musical new escapades!
Lobby activities resume from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM, at which time parents and children will be invited to take their seats inside the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall for our $5 Family Concert! The superb Dallas Opera Orchestra, conducted by the highly regarded Maestro Anthony Barrese, will be joined by a high-voltage trio of North Texas favorites: acclaimed soprano Ava Pine, Dallas Opera Resident Young Artist Aaron Blake, and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cook. Music selections will include many of your all-time favorites from classic Saturday morning cartoons!
TDO Subscribers are eligible to receive up to four tickets as part of their TDO Experience by requesting them online at www.dallasopera.org/myTDO. Non-subscribers can purchase their five-dollar concert tickets in advance online at http://www.dallasopera.org/family/performances/2011-2012/familyconcert/ or by contacting the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000. Patrons may also purchase tickets at the door on the day of the performance.
- PARENT’S GUIDE TO THE DALLAS OPERA SEASON. While the Dallas Opera believes everyone, from every walk-of-life, should have access to great opera—not every opera is a perfect fit for your family. Some operas contain adult themes better suited to a mature audience. To help you determine which operas are appropriate for the ones you love, TDO has compiled an easy-to-download Parent’s Guide to the Dallas Opera Season, located online at http://www.dallasopera.org/family/season/2011-2012/. The guide contains plot overviews, ratings and other specifics to help parents make an informed judgment.
- We also provide the answers to our most frequently asked questions in TDO’S GUIDE TO BRINGING CHILDREN TO THE OPERA, which can be accessed, day or night, at http://www.dallasopera.org/family/bringingkids/. Little things it often helps to know, before you go.
“We want every child to have the chance to fall in love with opera,” explains Dallas Opera Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Community Outreach Jennifer Schuder. “However, because that first impression often stays with a youngster for life; we want to do everything possible to ensure that your kid—or grandkid’s—initial experience with The Dallas Opera is positive, awe-inspiring, and smooth.
“We strive to provide the same great experience for our young patrons’ parents or guardians,” Miss Schuder adds, “who may worry about whether their children will enjoy the performance. If experience is any guide, kids click with the bigger-than-life drama, actions, and emotions of this art form, while the music simply sweeps them off their seats!”
About DCT
Rated by TIME magazine as one of the top five theaters in the nation performing for youth, Dallas Children’s Theater features paid professional actors performing for an annual audience of 250,000 young people and their families through nine mainstage productions, a national touring company, and an arts-in-education program. As the only major organization in Dallas focusing solely on youth and family theater, DCT builds bridges of understanding between generations and cultures, instilling an early appreciation of literature, art and the performing arts in tomorrow’s artists and patrons.
THE DALLAS OPERA GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES
THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOUNDATION,
PRESENTER OF THE 2011-2012 SEASON
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “AUGUST 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
THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:
AMERICAN AIRLINES – OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS – OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
CARTIER – OFFICIAL JEWELER & WATCHMAKER OF THE DALLAS OPERA
ROSEWOOD CRESCENT HOTEL – OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE DALLAS OPERA
Ticket Information for the 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Season subscriptions start at just $76, FLEX subscriptions (three performances) begin at $75—and are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale in September. For more information, contact the friendly staff at The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org. Principal cast members and events may be subject to change. All ticket sales are final.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2011-2012 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Fifth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. With the exception of Tristan & Isolde, evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. Tristan’s evening performances will start at 7:00 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m. Performances of The Lighthouse (new chamber opera series) will take place in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located directly across the street from the Winspear in the AT&T Performing Arts Center. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR by Gaetano Donizetti
Dead Men DO Wear Plaid!
October 21, 23(m), 26 & 29, and November 6(m), 2011
An opera in three acts first performed at Teatro San Carlo, Naples on September 26, 1835.
Text by Salvatore Cammarano, based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel, The Bride of Lammermoor.
Time: Around 1700
Place: Scotland
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Garnett Bruce
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Marie Barrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Fight Choreographer: Bill Lengfelder
Starring: Elena Mosuc* (Lucia Ashton), Bryan Hymel* (Sir Edgardo di Ravenwood), Luca Grassi** (Lord Enrico Ashton), Jordan Bisch* (Raimondo Bidebent), Scott Quinn (Normanno), Aaron Blake (Lord Arturo Bucklaw), and Cynthia Hanna* (Alisa).
TRISTAN & ISOLDE by Richard Wagner
February 16, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2012
A Special Opera-in-Concert, with projections by Moby-Dick’s Elaine McCarthy!
Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic! And a special curtain time: 7:00 p.m.!
An opera in two acts first performed in Munich, June 10, 1865.
Text by Richard Wagner, based on an ancient Celtic and Icelandic legend.
Time: Legendary
Place: A ship at sea; outside King Marke’s palace, Cornwall; Tristan’s castle at Kareol
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Video Design: Elaine McCarthy
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet (Isolde), Clifton Forbis (Tristan), Elizabeth Bishop (Brangäne), Jukka Rasilainen** (Kurvenal), Kristinn Sigmundsson* (King Marke), Erik Nelson Werner (Melot), and Aaron Blake (A Young Sailor/A Shepherd).
THE LIGHTHOUSE by Peter Maxwell Davies
Inaugural production of the Dallas Opera Chamber Series
Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center
In the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
March 16, 17 & 18(m), 2012
A chilling supernatural and psychological thriller!
Time: December 1900
Place: Edinburgh Court of Enquiry, Fladda Isle Lighthouse off the Scottish coast
Conductor: Nicole Paiement*
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty* (opera directorial debut)
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt*
Costume Design: Claudia Stephens*
LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi
April 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 & 29(m), 2012
Let’s Party Like It’s 1849!
An opera in three acts first performed in Venice at Teatro La Fenice, March 6, 1853
Text by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Alexandre Dumas’ play, La dame aux camélias
Time: 19th century
Place: Paris
Conductor: Marco Guidarini
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Choreographer: Rosa Mercedes*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Myrtò Papatanasiu** (Violetta Valéry), James Valenti (Alfredo Germont), Laurent Naouri* (Giorgio Germont), Amanda Crider* (Flora Bervoix), Timothy Mix* (Baron Douphol), Mark McCrory (Marchese D’Obigny), Ethan Herschenfeld* (Doctor Grenvil), and Susan Nicely (Annina).
THE MAGIC FLUTE by W.A. Mozart
April 20, 22(m), 25, 28, May 4 & 6(m), 2012
Hearts Tested, Tried and True!
An opera in two acts first performed in Vienna, September 30, 1791.
Text by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Time: Legendary
Place: Mythological Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Production: August Everding
Stage Director: Matthew Lata
Scenic Design: Jörg Zimmermann*
Costume Design: Renate Kalanke*
Lighting Design: Duane Schuler
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Ava Pine (Pamina), Shawn Mathey* (Tamina), Patrick Carfizzi (Papageno), L’ubica Vargicová* (The Queen of the Night), Raymond Aceto (Sarastro), Kevin Langan (The Speaker), David Cangelosi (Monostatos), Angela Mannino* (Papagena), Caitlin Lynch* (First Lady), Lauren McNeese* (Second Lady), Maya Lahyani* (Third Lady), Aaron Blake (First Man in Armour) and Darren K. Stokes* (Second Man in Armour).
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; 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. Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera. Rosewood Crescent Hotel is the official hotel of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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