Most Admired Woman

Michelle Obama returns to Dallas' Winspear to lead off star-filled speaker series

Michelle Obama will appear in Dallas on September 26.

Photo courtesy of ABC13

UPDATE: Single tickets will go on sale at 10 am Friday, August 30, the Winspear has announced. Tickets may be purchased online at www.attpac.org/hearhere, by phone at 214-880-0202, or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House Box Office at 2403 Flora Street.

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Former first lady Michelle Obama will return to Dallas for a one-night-only speaking engagement in the fall. The event will take place at 7:30 pm September 26 at the Winspear Opera House and will open the AT&T Performing Arts Center's 2019-2020 "hearhere" distinguished speaker series.

Obama, whose memoir, Becoming, sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018, recently was named the most admired woman in the world in a poll conducted by online research firm YouGov. She last appeared in Dallas in December 2018, at a stop on her book tour, at the American Airlines Center. She spoke on the "hearhere" series at the Winspear in March 2018.

ATTPAC announced her new appearance in a release on July 22. Other speakers in the series will include renowned film director and actor Spike Lee, astronaut Scott Kelly, culinary expert Samin Nosrat, and science expert Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“Everyone in this season is preeminent in their field, and we’re excited to bring them to Dallas,” says Debbie Storey, president and CEO of AT&T Performing Arts Center, in a release. “All of these shows will be cerebral, inspiring, and fun.”

Current subscribers can renew their seats now through July 29. New subscriptions will go on sale at 10 am August 2. Five-show packages will range from $211.50 to $852.50. Tickets may be purchased online at www.attpac.org/hearhere, by telephone at 214-880-0202 or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Winspear Opera House Box Office at 2403 Flora St.

Here's a closer look at the season, with descriptions provided by ATTPAC:

An Evening with Former First Lady Michelle Obama — 7:30 pm Thursday, September 26, 2019
Michelle Robinson Obama served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. As a transformative first lady, Obama launched and led four key initiatives: Let’s Move!, to address the challenge of childhood obesity; Joining Forces, to support veterans, service members, and their families; Reach Higher, to inspire young people to seek higher education; and Let Girls Learn, to help adolescent girls around the world go to school. Now a best-selling author, she and husband Barack Obama currently live in Washington, D.C., and have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

Spike Lee — 8 pm Saturday, December 14, 2019
Oscar-award winning Spike Lee is a director, writer, actor, producer, author, and NYU Graduate Film tenured professor whose body of work continues to grow over the last three decades. Recent projects include BLACKkKLANSMAN, based on a true story by Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer who infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan during the 1970s, which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received the esteemed Prix de la Jeunesse Award. Lee’s filming of the play Pass Over, premiered at Sundance. He also directed all 10 episodes of the hit Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, which will be returning for a second season. Spike has directed and produced more than 30 films since his first feature film, the independently produced She’s Gotta Have It, which also premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986 and received the esteemed Prix de la Jeunesse Award.

Captain Scott Kelly — 7:30 pm Thursday, January 23, 2020
Captain Scott Kelly’s epic Year In Space, now a New York Times best-selling book, solidified his status as one of the greatest pioneers in history. In his acclaimed speech appearances, he now brings audiences to the edge of their seats with transcendent insights that inspire and challenge them to dream big, test the status quo, and “choose to do the hard things.” One of a select group of Americans who embody a defining moment in the nation’s history, he captivated the world and seized the imagination of millions during his record-breaking voyage — proving that the sky is not the limit when it comes to the potential of the human spirit.

Samin Nosrat — 8 pm Saturday, June 13, 2020
As an undergraduate studying English at UC Berkeley, Samin Nosrat took a detour into the kitchen at Chez Panisse restaurant that happily determined the course of her life and career. Since 2000, she pursued her twin passions of food and words with equal vigor, aiming to create work that inspires, creates community, and raises cultural, social, and environmental awareness. Her book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking is a New York Times bestseller, and also 2018 James Beard General Cookbook of the Year, 2018 Fortnum & Mason Debut Cookbook, 2018 IACP Cookbook of the Year, 2018 IACP Julia Child First Book Award, and Sunday Times Food Book of the Year 2017. A documentary series based on the book is now streaming on Netflix.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Delusions of Space Enthusiasts” — 7:30 pm Monday, June 22, 2020
Neil deGrasse Tyson earned his bachelor of arts degree in physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson's professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. In addition to dozens of professional publications, Tyson has written and continues to write for the public. For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA's program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe. During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a stable of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular podcast, and a limited-run television series on the National Geographic channel, StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science.

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Sports Q&A

Volleying questions to tennis star Frances Tiafoe during the 2023 Dallas Open

Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Frances Tiafoe is playing in the 2023 Dallas Open.

The Dallas Open, the only indoor tournament on the men’s pro tennis tour in America, runs February 5-12 at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex on the SMU campus. The event features 60 international players headed by top seeds Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe from the U.S. in singles action.

Fritz is ranked No. 8 in the world, Tiafoe No. 15. Among the other top players scheduled to appear: Denis Shapovalov of Canada, Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, John Isner of the U.S., Adrian Mannarino of France, Ilya Ivashka of Belarus, and Taro Daniel of Japan. Reilly Opelka, winner of 2022’s inaugural Dallas Open, had to withdraw this year due to injury.

Although Tiafoe is considered one of the fastest players on the pro tour, CultureMap managed to catch up with him on his way to Dallas.

CultureMap: You caused a major fashion ruckus with the mega-decibel outfit you wore during the recent Australian Open. How did that happen? Was it your idea or Nike’s and will you be wearing it during the Dallas Open?

Frances Tiafoe: I’m not in a position where I can sit with Nike and tell them what I want to wear and they’ll make it happen. It definitely wasn’t coming from me. All they told me was, I was going to wear something sleeveless and it’s going to be loud. I said alright, cool.

When I got there and saw it, I said, well, it’s definitely loud. I thought, I’ll rock it. I think I can pull this off. They gave me an alternative outfit but I thought it was kind of bland. Let’s go with the loud one. In Round One, the outfit was going everywhere. Round Two, yeah, all the attention was really cool. I don’t know if I’ll be bringing it out for the next tournament. Maybe I’ll have some different cool ones coming. We’ll see.

CM: Speaking of unusual, your forehand doesn’t resemble anything in a tennis instruction manual. Same question, how did that happen?

FT: I used to have a normal forehand, technique-wise. Everything I do is unorthodox. I have a certain flavor with everything I do. I just tried something different and it felt good, it felt loose. Obviously I’ve had coaches try to change it when I was struggling. I was told that it wouldn’t work at this level or that level. Now I’m sitting close to the top of the game and it’s proved to work at every level. It is what it is. I just hope that kids don’t want to copy it because it’s not ideal.

CM: Unlike many players, you seem to have fun on the court. Is that something that comes naturally or did you have to work at letting yourself enjoy tennis?

FT: No, no, no, it’s not a pre-meditated thing. Who I am on the court is just who I am as a person. I’m a genuine dude. I like to have fun. I’m blessed to be out here playing tennis and playing at a high level in front of people who want to watch me play. I like when people scream my name. I have little kids mimicking some of my celebrations and stuff. It’s already an atmosphere before I even do anything. This is fun.

CM: You beat the great Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open last year. It was one of the most exciting matches ever at the Open. My heart was pounding watching at home as you drew closer to match point. How did you keep your cool down the stretch? Was your heart pounding, too?

FT: Absolutely! My legs were like cement close to the end of the match. It was partly because I was tired, also because I was so nervous. Yeah, the first time you beat a GOAT, those wins are hard to come by. It’s not easy at all, it’s one of those things you don’t know what to expect because you’ve never been there before. I was trying to stay in the moment, stay locked in, not worrying too much about the score line. I thought I did a good job.

CM: You and Jack Sock defeated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at last year’s Laver Cup. It was Federer’s final match of his career. Did any part of you think, maybe this isn’t such a good idea? Maybe I should let Federer win?

FT: I knew what time it was when I got out there. I knew I was going to be behind the 8 ball. Not that everybody was going to be against me, but they would be for Roger. I wasn’t going to lie down. I’m a competitor. It was interesting. I hit him and the crowd booed me. I had never been in a situation like that. Hey, it’s kind of cool to say that I beat Roger Federer in his last match. I don’t think he was apologizing for beating everybody for 20-plus years. I think he’s sleeping perfectly fine at night.

CM: What was the first extravagant or crazy thing you bought when you started cashing big tournament paychecks?

FT: I like to buy nice clothes and stuff. I’m not really a crazy spender. I like knowing I can take care of my family, stuff like that. I got my brother a car, a C-class Mercedes, for his birthday. He’s my twin brother and we turned 25. Seeing other people happy from what I’m able to do for them means more to me.

CM: You seemed heartbroken and practically in tears after you lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the U.S. Open semifinals last year. How do you get over a defeat like that?

FT: Every loss hurts but the Slams hurt a little harder. The Alcaraz match was devastating. The love I felt from the fans was something. I was close to something really special, something I really wasn’t planning when I got to New York. Time helps you get over it. With tennis, there are so many events, there’s always the next thing. I wanted to attack the next thing, which happened to be the Laver Cup. If you go there and clinch the Laver Cup and beat Roger Federer, that helps you.

CM: You’re wearing a necklace that says “Big Foe.” When are you getting your own signature tennis shoe?

FT: I rock the “Big Foe,” man, the lifestyle. I love my nickname. The fans call me that and it’s pretty cool. It’s about being me and enjoying my life. About my own shoe, you’ll have to ask Nike about that. Maybe if I win a Slam that will change. I’m just happy to have some shoes on my feet so I can go out and play this sport.

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The Dallas Open runs daily through February 12 at Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex (at SMU), with sessions at 12 and 7 pm. Tickets and more information at dallasopen.com.

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