Season Announcement

It's candy and clowns for The Dallas Opera's 65th anniversary season

Cosi fan tutte at the San Francisco Opera

A new production Così fan tutte from San Francisco Opera is part of the season.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Opera

For its 65th anniversary season, The Dallas Opera is featuring four new-to-Dallas productions along with the return of family operas, a free people's choice concert, and a recital from soprano Ying Fang.

"The past two years have taught us that people's appetite for grand opera has never been greater," says TDO general director and CEO Ian Derrer. "First-rate singing, lavish and imaginative productions, a renowned orchestra and chorus — audiences will enjoy them all in TDO's 65th Anniversary celebration. Four spectacular new-to-Dallas productions of classic operas — all absent from our repertoire for more than a decade — and more than a dozen TDO debuts, plus the exquisite Ying Fang in recital, make this a season to truly savor."

Verdi's powerful Rigoletto opens the season with TDO debuts for baritone George Gagnidze in the title role and rising-star American soprano Madison Leonard in the role of Gilda.

Tenor René Barbera (you might remember him from The Pearl Fishers in the 2021-22 season) sings the role of The Duke of Mantua in a new-to-Dallas co-production with the Atlanta and Houston Grand operas, directed by Tomer Zvulun and conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, with sets by Erhard Rom and costumes by Jessica Jahn. Rigoletto runs October 8, 12, 14, and 16 (matinee), 2022.

Hansel and Gretel, based on the classic fairytale and last presented by the company two decades ago, is composer Engelbert Humperdinck's most famous work. Perfect for audiences of all ages and sung in English, Hansel and Gretel brings back soprano Elena Villalón (Flight, 2021-22), as Gretel, and marks the TDO debut of countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim in the role of Hansel.

The great soprano Patricia Racette sings the roles of both the Witch and the Mother, and baritone Mark Delavan is the Father, under the baton of Emmanuel Villaume in a production from LA Opera that's directed and designed by Doug Fitch. It runs October 28, 30 (matinee), November 2, and 5, 2022.

Wagner's Das Rheingold returns to The Dallas Opera stage for the first time in 25 years in a new production from The Atlanta Opera. American bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee (La bohème, 2018-19) stars as Wotan, while South African soprano Amanda Echalaz makes her TDO debut as Fricka and American soprano Karen Slack makes her Dallas Opera debut as Freia.

Tenor Barry Banks sings the role of Mime, bass-baritone Michael Mayes sings Alberich, and tenor Brenton Ryan is Loge. Tomer Zvulun directs and Emmanuel Villaume conducts. It runs February 10, 12 (matinee), 15, and 18, 2023.

Mozart's comical and incisive Così fan tutte closes the season in 2023, bringing a new production from San Francisco Opera and Michael Cavanagh.

One of Mozart's three Da Ponte operas, Così stars sopranos Sara Gartland as Fiordiligi and Diana Newman as Despina, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong (in her TDO debut) as Dorabella, baritone Lucas Meachem (last season's The Barber of Seville) as Guglielmo, tenor David Portillo as Ferrando, and baritone Rod Gilfry, as Don Alfonso.

Elizabeth Askren, an alumna of the second TDO Hart Institute for Women Conductors, makes her TDO debut leading The Dallas Opera Orchestra. It runs March 24, 26 (matinee), 29 and April 1, 2023.

"We are all extremely excited for this next season, our 65th," says music director Emmanuel Villaume. "It is one of the best we have ever planned, and it will give to our community world-class performances. We are also proud of the latest achievements of our orchestra, and know they will shine even more in this extraordinary repertoire."

Dallas Opera chorus master Alexander Rom will prepare The Dallas Opera Chorus for Rigoletto and Così fan tutte in his final season with the company.

"Maestro Rom has been a fixture of The Dallas Opera's artistic team for more than three decades, leading our outstanding chorus in an impressive array of operatic styles, genres, and languages. He leaves an indelible mark on TDO through the many lives he has shaped with his immense knowledge of, and passion for, great singing. He will be greatly missed, and we look forward to celebrating him throughout our 65th anniversary season."

Family operas return in the fall and spring of 2022/23 with afternoon performances of The Billy Goats Gruff (October 29 and November 6, 2022) and The Elixir of Love (February 5 and March 25, 2023). Shorter run time and family content are suitable for all ages.

As a gift to Texas audiences, the season begins with a free people's choice concert, which will take place on Saturday, October 1. Programming and ticket availability will be announced at a later date.

The Dallas Opera's annual Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Family Recital returns on Sunday, January 15, 2023, and will feature renowned soprano Ying Fang and pianist Ken Noda at Moody Performance Hall.

The Hart Institute for Women Conductors Showcase Concert, featuring participants in the 2022 class of rising talent from around the world leading The Dallas Opera Orchestra, is set for January 28, 2023. Participants and faculty — as well as which events are open to the public — will be announced at a later date.

The biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition — which took place virtually in 2021 — returns in person on March 31, 2023.

Subscription renewals for the 2022-23 season are available now. New subscriptions will be available starting Friday, April 15, 2022. Four mainstage series packages are available to subscribers, with the family operas and recital available as add-ons before single tickets go on sale July 29.

Subscription packages start at $89 for all four operas, with subscribers saving up to 30 percent over the cost of purchasing operas individually. A subscription price freeze is guaranteed through June 30, 2022.

opera

Dance Off

Texas ballet company turns Timothée Chalamet dig into genius promotion

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It was a shot fired from Austin that rang out around the art world: In a recent CNN/Variety Town Hall featuring actors Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey, Chalamet offered an assessment of ballet and opera that immediately went viral.

During the onstage conversation at the University of Texas at Austin, Chalamet said, "I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it's like, 'hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.' All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership."

Chalamet immediately seemed to experience a twinge of regret, awkwardly adding, "But um...damn, I just took shots for no reason." He also sang a note and hid his face behind the cards he was holding.

Stars of the art forms, from Andrea Bocelli to Misty Copeland, immediately began to leap (jeté, if you will) to the the defense of opera and ballet.

In a genius marketing move, Austin's hometown ballet company is taking the unique opportunity to turn a hot topic into a promotion for its next production: Ballet Austin is inviting anyone named Timothée, Timothee, or Timothy to claim a free ticket to its upcoming world premiere of Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles, running March 27-29 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

"Timothée… you were in Austin? We were literally down the street," a Ballet Austin post says. "Austin has brisket. Austin has music. Austin also has ballet."

All Timothées and folks with similar names will have to do to claim a ticket is send a message to Ballet Austin on social media and show identification. Everyone else who wants to see the supernatural show where "the line between victim and villain blurs" will have to purchase a ticket ($25-$125) at balletaustin.org.

Ballet Austin Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles Ballet Austin isn't afraid to add some edge to classic stories. Photo courtesy of Ballet Austin

Even if Chalamet's words were dismissive, he's obviously not wrong about the relative distribution of public interest between the classical arts and major films like Marty Supreme, the late 2025 film he stars in and is busy promoting. The film's commercially successful release set a record for A24, an already renowned studio.

Chalamet brought up ballet and opera in service of a larger point about pacing in movies. He said he exists in a middle ground as a consumer between wanting to be drawn in early and being more patient as a film progresses. Ultimately, he juxtaposed Barbie and Oppenheimer with the classical arts, pointing out that if the masses want to go see a film, they will "be loud and proud about it" organically, without needing performers to advocate for the seriousness of the art form.

Coincidentally, there couldn't be a better counterpoint to this argument than Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles.

As the title suggests, the story follows historical figure Marie Antoinette as she chooses to become a vampire, seeking "power, immortality, and vengeance," according to a press release. It takes a somewhat silly premise and gives it dramatic gravitas, with an original score by Austin composer Graham Reynolds, who is known outside of classical circles and sometimes composes for movie soundtracks.

"For Ballet Austin, the moment is an opportunity to remind audiences that ballet isn’t fading away," says a release about the new promotion. "It’s evolving, drawing new audiences and continuing to thrive in creative cities like Austin."

If Chalamet really does fall in the middle of instant and delayed artistic gratification, this sounds like the perfect production to draw him in.

And perhaps Ballet Austin should add people named Matthew to their promotion, since McConaughey threw the younger star a bone after his momentary walk-back, saying, "That's not a shot — I hear what you're saying."

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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