Opera for Christmas

Dallas Opera taps world-renowned composer for new holiday opera

Mark Adamo will create a new holiday opera for the Dallas Opera in 2015.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Opera

Opera fans got an early holiday present when the Dallas Opera announced that renowned composer-librettist Mark Adamo would create a new holiday work for the company. The opera, to be titled Young Santa Claus, is scheduled to premiere in December 2015 at the Winspear Opera House.

Adamo gained worldwide fame in 1998 when his debut opera, Little Women, premiered for the Houston Grand Opera. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, it has become one of the most frequently performed modern operas.

Mark Adamo gained worldwide fame in 1998 for his debut, Little Women, which has become one of the most frequently performed modern operas.

Young Santa Claus will be Adamo's fourth complete opera; his other works include 2005's Lysistrata, which played in Fort Worth in 2012, and 2013's The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, which premiered in San Francisco earlier this year.

The new opera is one of a string of new works commissioned recently by the Dallas Opera. 2010 saw the premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, and two other new operas will premiere in 2015: Great Scott from composer Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally, and Everest, the debut opera by British composer Joby Talbot, working with librettist Scheer.

Young Santa Claus will be a part of the 2015-2016 Dallas Opera season, along with Great Scott, which premieres in October 2015. Everest will be part of the 2014-2015 season, as it is scheduled to premiere in February 2015.

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Fear the Dragon

Dallas theater will host a 6-hour live Dungeons & Dragons session

Photo courtesy of Shawn Gann

Theatre Three will present a Dungeons & Dragons fundraiser led by Shawn Gann on January 3.

The role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons seems to be all the rage in Dallas these days, and joining the fun will be local theater company Theatre Three, who will present a six-hour live Dungeons & Dragons session on Saturday, January 3.

The one-day-only event will feature a variety of well-known voice actors, guided by master storyteller Shawn Gann (Dragon Ball Super, One Piece, Star Wars, Ultraman, and Borderlands) as Dungeon Master.

Audience members will be able to watch the campaign unfold from beginning to end, or come and go as they please, as the players navigate the perils and pitfalls along the way as they complete their quest using their strength, smarts, and if need be, casting a spell or two.

Other participants will include Hayden Daviau, Caitlin Glass, Parker Davis Gray, Lydia Mackay, and Alejandro Saab, each of whom have extensive voice acting credits on their resumes.

The live campaign joins other ongoing or upcoming D&D-themed events in the area like Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest (taking place through at least February 1 in Plano) and Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern (taking place at Wyly Theatre, January 20-February 1).

The six-hour event — taking place from 3-10 pm, with a one-hour break for dinner — will feature snacks, drinks, and more in Theatre Three's lobby. There are also several restaurants and bars within walking distance for audience members to enjoy.

Tickets for the fundraising event for Theatre Three are on sale now at givebutter.com/60DRCN, ranging from $75-$100.

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