The Dallas Opera celebrates 50 years of triumphant productions.
The trills and thrills have rarely been more anticipated. The composers, sets and singers have seldom been more astounding. Behold the 50th International Season of The Dallas Opera, filled with a once-in-a-lifetime collection of productions…some never before performed by the world-renowned company. Appropriately titled “A Season of Masters,” the November 10 through February 24 performances will captivate opera novices and aficionados alike with magnificent, yet familiar music.
Who hasn’t heard Figaro’s aria from The Barber of Seville (“Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!”) by Gioachino Rossini, in movies like Robots and Mrs. Doubtfire? Lohengrin’s “Bridal Chorus” has been played at countless weddings and echoed in films such as Out of Africa.
High notes, high drama.
Each show has something unique to offer, according to Suzanne Calvin, Associate Director of Marketing, Media and Public Relations for The Dallas Opera. “Verdi’s Nabucco, our season opener about King Nebuchadnezzar in the Old Testament, features incredible sets and costumes. It was also the most requested opera in patron surveys, because it is so red-blooded, vigorous, and powerful.”
“Donizetti’s Mary, Queen of Scots is an edge-of-your-seat duel of the divas. La Rondine, one of Puccini’s most notable works, is a lush but rarely performed romance filled with unexpected moments of genuine passion and heartbreak. Wagner’s Lohengrin, the season finale, elevates the medieval legend of the Holy Grail to stirring and stunning heights.”
Every work had to be mastered in record time, a feat more remarkable given that each work—except The Barber of Seville—had never been performed before by The Dallas Opera. “When we do something new it creates a palpable energy,” believes Dallas Opera General Director Karen Stone. “There’s a freshness, a cutting edge feel to the process. And because we rent out our productions after we create them, it generates additional income for the opera.”
From Maria Callas to the present, making operatic history.
Fair Park has been The Dallas Opera’s home ever since its 1957 inaugural concert featured the incomparable Greek soprano, Maria Callas. Many international stars have made their American debuts here, including Dame Joan Sutherland and Placido Domingo. Such a celebrated past makes the 50th Season that much more exhilarating. Opera is finding many new fans, with its blend of theater, singing, dancing, orchestral music, stunning costumes and marvelous sets. With so many hummable songs, English translations projected above the stage, and tickets starting at just $19 (if purchased in advance), what are you waiting for?
For a synopsis of each production of The Dallas Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season, details on composers and ticket information, visit www.dallasopera.org.
Photo Credit for Dallas Opera Productions photos: Karen Almond
