Dallas Opera dives into dramatic new season with world premiere and big artist debuts

SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT

Photo by Philip Groshong/Cincinnati Opera

Dallas Opera fans who've been waiting for the 2023-24 season announcement now have plenty to applaud: The DO's 66th mainstage season will feature a highly anticipated world premiere, plus three new-to-Dallas productions, big artist debuts, some annual family favorites, and the return of live-streaming.

"We are thrilled to bring three new-to-Dallas productions and a long-awaited world premiere to our audiences, both near and far, in the 2023/2024 Mainstage Season," says General Director and CEO Ian Derrer in a March 16 release.

Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca will open the season in dramatic fashion, featuring the debut of Joseph Calleja and his “honey-tone tenor” (as dubbed by The New York Times). Alongside Calleja as the lovesick namesake of the production is Ewa Płonka. Conspiratorial Scarpia will be played by Gihoon Kim, 2021’s Cardiff Singer of the World.

The director of the high drama (in his company debut) is Andrew Nienaber, alongside Dallas Opera Orchestra and Chorus music director Emmanuel Villaume. Sets and costumes are designed by Robert Perdziola. The production is by the Cincinnati Opera with original direction by Jose Maria Condemi. Tosca will run October 13, 15 (matinee), 18, and 21, 2023.

Following Tosca is the world premiere of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, led by Grammy-Award winner Lucas Meachem as Jean-Dominique Bauby. The star-studded cast is complete with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Richard Croft, soprano Deanna Breiwick, bass Kevin Burdette, soprano Andriana Chuchman, and tenor Andrew Bidlack.

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the remarkable true story of a man whose determination leads to one of the most poignant memoirs ever written,” says Derrer in the release. “We are honored to bring this story to our stage for the first time anywhere.”

This based-on-a-true-story tale is composed by Joby Talbot and directed by Leonard Foglia, with Villaume conducting the orchestra. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly will run November 3, 5 (matinee), 8, and 11, 2023.

Villaume says that conducting this world premiere production is an “extraordinary and rare opportunity.”

In a glorious return after a quarter century, Richard Strauss’ Elektrawill take the stage for the second time in Dallas Opera history. The Opera’s 2002 Vocal Competition winner Marjorie Owens will make her debut in the titular role, with “operatic superstar” Denyce Graves also making her debut as Klytämnestra. Additional co-stars include soprano Angela Meade as Chrysothemis, Alfred Walker debuting as Orest, and company favorite Clifton Forbis as Aegisth.

Nick Sandys is making his company debut as director, Villaume as conductor, and costumes by John Macfarlane. Elektra runs February 9, 11 (matinee), 14, and 17, 2024.

A timeless, romantic classic will debut two of the most anticipated leads this season: tenor Long Long and soprano Golda Schultz as star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. In his Dallas Opera return, the legendary Donnie Ray Albert will star as Lord Capulet.

This new-to-Dallas performance is co-produced alongside the Houston Grand Opera and Atlanta Opera. Nicole Paiement will conduct the orchestra and chorus while Romain Gilbert makes his Dallas Opera directorial debut. It runs March 1, 3 (matinee), 6, and 9, 2024.

The final performances of all four mainstage shows will be livestreamed by the Dallas Opera on a “pay-what-you-can” basis.

"In an exciting continuation from last season, we will livestream the last performance of all four mainstage productions," says Derrer. "Our commitment to bringing world-class opera to audiences, wherever they may be, is as strong as ever. Making these performances available on a pay-what-you’re-able basis keeps our artform accessible to all viewers."

Familiar favorites making a return to the Dallas Opera’s 66th season include the annual free People’s Choice Concert on October 7 at 7:30 pm and the Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Family Recital on Sunday, January 24, 2024 at 2 pm.

The Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors Showcase Concert will take place on Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 7:30 pm. It is the only program of its kind globally that highlights gender imbalances of leadership and advocates for women conductors worldwide.

Family Shows are also returning in the fall and spring of 2023-24 with The Billy Goats Gruff (October 14, 2023 and March 10, 2024) and Pépito(November 12, 2023 and March 2, 2024).

The National Vocal Competition will make its return this season, with finalists set to compete on March 8, 2024 at 7:30 pm.

Subscriptions will be available on Wednesday, April 19 with packages starting at $89 for all four operas. Single tickets go on sale Friday, July 21. The Opera’s newest membership initiative, Crescendo, is in its second season and is currently accepting new membership registrations ($60). The program includes two complimentary tickets for the upcoming season with additional discounts, special event invitations, and more.

More information about the Dallas Opera’s 2023-24 season and tickets can be found on their website.

The Arts Community Alliance Facebook

The Arts Community Alliance (TACA)

The Arts Community Alliance (TACA)< div> WEBSITE >

MISSION

The Arts Community Alliance’s mission is to support excellence and impact in the arts through grant-making, capacity building, and thought leadership. TACA envisions an innovative, inclusive, sustainable cultural sector, recognized for its essential contribution to a vibrant, prosperous community.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

You can support TACA, The Arts Community Alliance, by giving a singular gift, joining one of the giving programs, or attending an event.

MEMBERSHIP

Should you choose to join one of the giving programs, there will be no fees beyond your annual gift.

BIG EVENT

Party on the Green, Silver Cup Luncheon, and Concert on the Green are TACA's big annual events.

HeARTS of Maya/Instagram

HeARTS of Maya

HeARTS of Maya< div> WEBSITE >

MISSION

The mission of HeARTS of Maya (HOM) is to share Maya Delgado's love of the arts by providing educational scholarships to youth in financial need who demonstrate a desire to pursue music, acting, and/or dance.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

One hundred percent of donations and contributions go toward scholarships for youth between the ages of 9 to 17 from the Dallas area and who have financial hardship in pursuing the arts. HOM has special interest for youth of military families.

BIG EVENT

An annual showcase celebrates the accomplishments of recipients, and community fundraisers are held throughout the year.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture

Ladies in Film & Television

Ladies in Film & Television< div> WEBSITE >

MISSION

This group has a simple, but robust mission: to help ladies in the film industry be the best version of themselves by empowering them with resources and tools to aid them in their success. They do that by focusing on community-based efforts including education, awareness, and mentoring opportunities.

MEMBERSHIP

There are membership levels: Student ($50), Career ($75), Executive $100), and Corporate ($300, for three employees). All applications are reviewed by residing board of directors and accepted based on membership criteria guidelines

BIG EVENT

The Ladies in Film & Television organization is launching January 18, 2020. Composer Elvin Ross, from Tyler Perry Studios, will attend as they also launch a Film Maker Master Class with lots of signature events planned for the year.

Arts Incubator of Richardson/Facebook

Arts Incubator of Richardson

Arts Incubator of Richardson< div> WEBSITE >

MISSION

AIR's mission is to provide the Richardson community with a facility and resources for nurturing artists and innovative thinkers, and igniting a spirit of creativity that permeates the entire community.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

You can donate here, or email info@artsincubatorrichardson.org for more information about helping AIR during special events.

BIG EVENT

AIR Time is a signature artist interview series featuring artists and creative thinkers in Richardson and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where artists share about their art and why their creativity makes a difference. Loosely based on the concept of the Algonquin Round Table, AIR Time aims to bring creative minds together to share, nurture, and challenge one another all while providing greater awareness of the creativity within Richardson and the North Texas area.

Presented in partnership with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Richardson, AIR Time consists of an interview with a guest artist/creative ("arts" is defined very broadly) followed by a film that pertains to that guest artist's area of creativity. There are six AIR Time presentations each season; each is audio recorded and later podcast on iTunes.

Admission is free but reservations are recommended ($5 online through Alamo's reservation system, which gets you a $5 voucher for food and beverage).

The Art Station/Facebook

The Art Station

The Art Station< div> WEBSITE >

MISSION

This group provides a safe and encouraging environment where art making can be used to promote personal growth, uplift hearts, and help heal minds and bodies. Art therapy is defined as a human service profession that uses art, media, images, and the creative process to help individuals understand and communicate their thoughts, feelings, relationships, interests, concerns, and conflicts.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Every dollar donated makes a difference, and your gift allows The Art Station to continue its mission of making art therapy available to everyone. You can also host a "Friend-Raiser" event or volunteer.

BIG EVENT

In June, The Art Station hosts its annual Byrne Foundation Charity Golf Tournament.

Ad Placement 300x100

Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

Dallas-Fort Worth arrives at surprising spot among top summer travel destinations

SUMMERTIME blues

Dallas-Fort Worth recently racked up more than a dozen accolades at the 2023 Texas Travel Awards. But a new survey reveals it's not necessarily such a hot travel destination this summer.

DFW comes in at a middle-of-the-road No. 45 in WalletHub's recent 2023 Best Summer Travel Destinations report.

The report compared 100 of the largest metro areas in America across 41 metrics, including number of attractions.

DFW scored an overall rating of 52.56 out of 100. Broken down by category, the Metroplex ranked 86th in "Travel Costs & Hassles;" 32nd in "Local Costs;" 20th in "Attractions;" 41st in "Weather;" 27th in "Activities;" and 50th in "Safety."

Taking the top spot in Texas was San Antonio, at No. 11, with Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown at No. 14. Behind Austin and San Antonio in the 2023 rankings is El Paso (No. 18), then Houston (No. 38). After 45th ranked DFW came Corpus Christi (No. 62), and McAllen (No. 86).

Dr. Susan Weidmann, assistant professor in the department of recreational management and physical education at Appalachian State University, said in the report that summer 2023 is going to be a “good season for travel” despite recent economic downturns that have many worried about a recession.

“Coming out of Covid, I think many people have taken these last few years to really evaluate what they want out of life, and for those that love travel, I think they have probably put it at the top of their list of things to do,” she said. “As far as economics are concerned, many may have saved their traveling money from the last multiple years, so will have money to spend. That being said, after the airline chaos of last year, many people may be thinking about domestic travel over the long-haul, just to alleviate many of the concerns that airlines, especially in Europe, are still grappling with, such as reduced staffing leading to flight cancellations.”

Weidmann predicts the time period between July and early August will be the most popular season for National Parks, like Texas’ Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains.

Despite none of them being in Texas, the top 10 destinations in WalletHub’s report are all popular cities worth a glance in sun-friendly states like Hawaii, New York, and Florida.

The top 10 best summer destinations are:

No. 1 – Atlanta
No. 2 – Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 3 – Washington, D.C.
No. 4 – Wichita, Kansas
No. 5 – New York City
No. 6 – Chicago
No. 7 – Tampa, Florida
No. 8 – Orlando, Florida
No. 9 – Richmond, Virginia
No. 10 – Springfield, Missouri

Score a hole in one at these 10 top public golf courses in Dallas-Fort Worth

Tee Time

North Texas recently popped the cork for the new $520 million Omni PGA Frisco Resort, which opened in May and features its own entertainment district, full-service spa and salon, four swimming pools, 500 guest rooms and suites, 10 private ranch houses, and 13 unique dining options.

But as the name hints, the resort is very much about the golf. With Father's Day around the corner, we're revisiting Dallas-Fort Worth's best public courses, including the two newest ones found in Frisco and their alternative ways to play.

Load up the clubs and hit the green with this list:

Fields Ranch
Frisco
Omni PGA Frisco Resort boasts two 18-hole championship golf courses, collectively known as Fields Ranch. Fields Ranch East was designed by Gil Hanse, and Fields Ranch West by Beau Welling.

Registered hotel guests can book tee times 120 days in advance of their stay to play Fields Ranch, which will be home to 26 major championships starting in May and continuing through 2034.

Not ready for the full 18-hole experience? Take a few practice swings at the Fields Ranch Practice Facility, then head to The Swing, a lighted 10-hole, par-3 short course, or The Dance Floor, a two-acre putting course and entertainment area.

This will also be the site of Frisco's first Lounge by Topgolf and PGA of America's new headquarters.

Take advantage of all that expertise at the PGA Coaching Center, which offers a high-tech, data-driven club-fitting and instruction experience.

Cowboys Golf Club
Grapevine
If you're a die-hard fan of both the 'Boys and the links, here's where your passions combine. The par-72, 6,553-yard course is as swanky as you'd expect from Jerry Jones, with years of Cowboys history scattered throughout. Of course, with all this top-of-the-line design comes a rather hefty price tag for the green fees, but you do definitely get your money's worth.

Meadowbrook Golf Course
Fort Worth
The 18-hole regulation facility is considered one of the top in Texas, with a par 71 that covers the most rolling terrain in the city. It's also a popular course, with a golf association of more than 200 members who play regularly.

Stevens Park Golf Course
Oak Cliff
All 18 holes of this par-70 course were completely redesigned in 2011, including new tee boxes, fairways, greens, and bunkers. Even the carts boast newly installed TekGPS units that track yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green (and help keep play moving). Appreciate mature oaks, dramatic elevation changes, and great views of downtown Dallas while you traverse the course, which is also affectionately known as "Little Augusta."

Pecan Valley
Fort Worth
Originally designed by golf course architect Ralph Plummer in 1963, Pecan Valley is actually two 18-hole golf courses separated by the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. The "River" course is considered one of the top municipal courses in Texas, while the "Hills" course is approximately 150 yards shorter. Several hundred trees were semi-recently planted and are just beginning to mature, which only bodes well for playing conditions in the years to come.

Texas Star Golf Course
Euless
The accolades come rolling in for this course, which has been recognized for its beauty and serene atmosphere by Golf Digest and Golf Weekly, among others. Unlike most public courses, which back up to private homes or run along busy streets, this par-71, 6,529-yard course is truly secluded, surrounded only by ponds, waterfalls, woodlands, and fairways. Reasonable green fees are a bonus, with residents of Euless receiving a 15 percent discount with proof of residence.

Tierra Verde Golf Club
Arlington
As the first municipal course in the world to be certified as an Audubon Signature Sanctuary, Tierra Verde offers breathtaking natural scenery to go along with its challenging holes. The par-72 6,085-yard layout boasts some of the most uniquely designed holes in DFW, and was named the top course in DFW in 2012 by Avid Golfer.

The Tribute Golf Club
The Colony
Not had the chance to play Hogan's Alley at Carnoustie, Nos. 1 and 18 from St. Andrews, or the fifth from Royal Troon? Then you can experience the next best thing here in Texas, without having to fly across the pond. This par-72, 7,000-yard course is brilliantly designed while replicating the best links-style courses from the United Kingdom.

Waterchase Golf Club
Fort Worth
Like its name implies, Waterchase does indeed boast a cascading waterfall, found between the ninth and eighteenth greens. From tree-lined doglegs to split fairways, the risk and reward opportunities are abundant for the six sets of tees on the par-72 course. The club even received a nomination to Golf Digest's best new courses and promises to be "a round you'll remember."

Dallas steakhouse famous for big carrot opens location in McKinney

Steak News

McKinney gets its own location of an epic Dallas steakhouse: We're talking about Bob's Steak & Chop House, which is opening a location in District 121, the mixed-use development at the northeast corner of State Highway 121 and Alma Road, adjacent to Craig Ranch. It's opening on June 2.

According to a release, the expansion to McKinney represents a milestone for founder Bob Sambol, with roots that trace back to the original location on Lemmon Avenue since its inception in 1993.

The concept now has locations in Austin, downtown Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, and San Antonio, among others.

The McKinney location will have the same menu of steaks accompanied by baked potato and the restaurant's signature oversized carrot, plus a la carte sides, desserts, and seafood, as well.

The interior features a dining and bar area and cigar lounge done in jewel tones, and attentive staff, leather-bound host stand, custom green wallcovering, floor-to-ceiling fireplace made of calacatta marble, and sconces that resemble jewelry, which are said to cast a gentle glow upon the bar.

The grand opening of Bob's Steak & Chop House in District 121 has been in the works for more than a year. The restaurant is but one of many that are opening at the McKinney complex. Others include Mi Cocina, Common Table, 400 Gradi, the upscale Italian restaurant with Neapolitan pizza, and Zero Gradi, the dessert offshoot of 400 Gradi.

View All Listings