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Dallas Opera Seeks High Falutin Men for Moby-Dick

If you’ve ever had the acting bug or wanted to appear in an opera, now’s your chance. Just two things:

1. You can’t be afraid of heights.
2. You’ve got to be a guy. Now, ladies, don’t get all huffy. There’s a reason that even NOW would understand.

Here’s the scenario: The Dallas Opera is looking for some stout-hearted men for its upcoming world premiere of Moby-Dick. According to Dallas Opera’s Suzanne “The Voice” Calvin:

“We need men with a slim to medium build, ages 16 and up who are able and willing to climb a truss up to 30 feet in the air without hesitation.  They should have absolutely no fear of heights. No previous opera/theatre experience necessary.

“As the supernumeraries or ‘supers’ (non-speaking, non-singing extras) you would add height to the workings of the ship by appearing in the crow’s nest and other various parts of the ship above the rest of the “Ship’s Crew” throughout the show.”

Ladies, you’ve probably calmed down by now knowing that there weren’t any women on whaling ships in the 1850′s and besides what woman would be crazy enough to climb up in the crow’s nest?

The open casting call  (“just bring yourself, no equipment necessary”) is Tuesday, March 16, between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. at the Karayanis Rehearsal Production Center, 4301 S. Fitzhugh. That’s on the edge of Fair Park off of Gaisford Street. Please park at the back of the building and enter through the back door.

Private Supper for Dallas Opera’s Benefactors was a Great Staged Event

Last week was a busy, busy one for the folks over at the Dallas Opera. Tuesday they announced the opera’s second season at the Winspear, which FrontRow’s Peter Simek covered.

But the night before, the annual dinner was held for the major donors (think annual gifts of $10,000 and up), who have been so instrumental in coordinating and raising the funding for such seasons. The group dined on Ted and Shannon Skokos Stage at the Winspear thanks to the Dallas Opera and Northern Trust. With tables situated on the Monte Carlo set of Cosi fan tutte, even the Garden Gate’s centerpieces alone were good enough to eat.

Guests included Shanee and Steve Birch (pictured), Margaret McDermott, Caroline Rose Hunt, Arlene and John Dayton, Carol and Bruce Calder, Joyce and Harvey Mitchell, Holly and Tom Mayer, Mary Beth and Jay Marshall, and Ellen and Don Winspear (pictured left with Marianne and Steve Lagerstrom).

To top off the evening, Sir Thomas Allen (he is Don Alfonso in Cosi) sang a Cole Porter “ditty.” Needless to say, the crowd was charmed. Nuccia Focile (she plays Despina in Cosi) sang a selection from West Side Story. Other performers who entertained the crowd included Nathan Gunn, Donato DiStefano, Jennifer Holloway, Michael Todd Simpson, Brian Anderson, and Norman Shankle.

It was an opera lover’s night of wonderful.

Dallas Opera’s Women’s Board To Honor Marnie And Kern Wildenthal

With the recent death of Henry S. Miller Jr., it seems like the glory days of The Dallas Opera‘s founding mothers and fathers had come full circle. Juanita Miller, Elsa von Seggern, Larry Kelly, Nicola Rescigno, John “Cute Curmudgeon” Ardoin, and so many others, who strove to bring the best of La Scala to the dusty plains of North Texas, are long gone.

Photo provided by the Women's Board of The Dallas Opera

We have now moved into the next generation of leaders for the opera. These are the people who took the dreams of their predecessors and turned them into reality. Need an example? Drive on over to the Winspear Opera House.

While there are individuals who have been part of the driving force for the opera’s growth, it’s become a true passion for certain couples. With as much concern as parents of a child, they have nurtured the opera to its present position. One of those couple is Marnie and Kern Wildenthal. They have used their individual strengths to help so many organizations in our community. For instance, (more…)

From Divine Deborah To Fabulous Frocks, OnStage Gala Was Simply Breathtaking

Saturday night the Winspear glistened like a royal jewel box for OnStage Gala with Deborah Voigt, the final chapter of the Dallas Opera’s grand opening celebration. Because the evening weather was a step above beautiful, the mammoth glass walls alongside the Winspear cafe were opened allowing the 500 guests plenty of room to stroll, sit, and just look downright gorgeous. We know, we know. You want to hear about the fashions (pictured). You’re such a slave to the couture lifestyle, but wait. It’s coming.

After the champagne reception, the fabulous 500 made their way into the theatre. With a handful of musicians on stage including Voigt’s fav piano man Ted Sperling, the guest settled back awaiting the lady’s grand entrance. Surprise! That Deborah gal knows how to make an entrance. With a voice singing up to the chandelier, she caught the group off-guard by entering from the back of the theatre. The audience immediately recognized that they weren’t dealing with a stuffy diva. No, she may be an international opera queen, but Saturday night she was an adorable blonde with the world’s highest cheekbones, bluest eyes, and a kittenish personality that would have made the late Beverly “Bubbles” Sills seem boring. Let’s face it–anyone whose first spoken words of the night are, “This (the Winspear) is spectacular!” is going to hit a home run immediately with the home crowd. Why she even had her father, nieces, and nephews in the audience.By the end of the evening, all 500 were family. (more…)

No Excuses For Tonight

There is absolutely no excuse for being home tonight unless you have a flu or a cold. Why? Here’s a smattering of what’s going on in the area among the nonprofits for fun:

“Lights! Camera! Action Gala” benefiting Bea’s Kids (6:30 p.m. at the Addison Conference Center) — The  dinner and silent/live auctions will provide education and personal development programs for children from low-income families so they will stay in school and break the cycle of poverty. Sponsors include 98.7 KLUV, American Airlines, and Coca-Cola. (cocktail attire)

“The BeatLeukemia Ball” benefiting Cheers for Charity (6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole)  – Featuring The Fab Four and Children’s Chorus of Grater Dallas, Lindalyn Adams is honorary chair and Cynthia and Brice Beaird are ball chairs. All proceeds remain in Texas to sustain the Research and Patient Aid programs of Leukemia Texas. Presenting sponsor is RSM McGladney. (black tie) (more…)

Standing O: Otello Opening Night Crowd Gets a Two-Hour Reprieve

This just in: Those wonderful people at TxDOT, who are closing down Woodall Rodgers this weekend, have adjusted their work schedules to accommodate the Dallas Opera‘s OVATION opening night of Otello at the Winspear. Instead of shutting WR down at 9 p.m., as originally planned, it will close down at 11 p.m.

Bravo, TxDOT and the infamous people-behind-the-scenes who made this happen!