Page 24 - Winterreise Coverage Book, 2021 - 22

Botanical Gardens as well as outside of local libraries, the opera company aimed to reinforce
its identity as a community resource.

The Juneteenth Jamboree included free seminars and master classes for student and
aspiring vocalists. Several kid- and family-friendly productions were also offered in
accessible yet nontraditional settings, including pop-up shows at Trinity Rail stops.

In April 2021, the Dallas Opera took the concept of bringing opera to the people in an
imaginative, literal way with the introduction of its OperaTruck. Presenting family-friendly,
one-act operas such as Jack and the Beanstalk on an 18-wheel flatbed truck, safely distanced
performances were made available to new audiences throughout North Texas. In an effort to
honor those who served the community, OperaTruck also made visits to the North
Texas Food Bank and to local homeless family support organization Family Gateway.

The inventive ways in which both companies kept the music going during the pandemic
seems to have influenced their respective calendars through 2022. Let’s take a look at what
the Fort Worth Opera and Dallas Opera have in store for this spring.

January

Dallas
German baritone Benjamin Appl has been a promising top international talent for the past
few years now, long enough to be fulfilling that promise. The 39-year-old’s recordings of
classic works by the likes of Austrian great Franz Schubert have won critical praise in recent
years. On Jan. 30, Appl will perform a recital in the Moody Performance Hall.

Fort Worth
Continuing its tradition of producing Spanish language operas, the FWO will present Zorro at
the Rose Marine Theater in the Stockyards on Jan. 26-28 and a final performance on
Sunday, Jan. 30 at Will Rogers Auditorium. Starring tenor Cesar Delgado and mezzo-
soprano Guadalupe Paz, this production features a number of performers fans of the FWO
will recognize from past productions.

February

Dallas
In the history of opera, few works are more well-recognized and beloved than Giacomo
Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Based on a short story of the same name, this tragic tale of a
geisha wife who falls in love with an American naval officer is nothing short of timeless.
Starring lyrical soprano and native Texan Latonia Moore, these performances will offer
virtual “pre-opera talks” as well as “post-opera talkbacks” held from the stage before and
after select performances.

Fort Worth
The FWO official website describes Women, Words and Wisdom: Songs by Black Female
Composers as “a celebration of Black female composers from the 20th and 21st century.” This
free-to-attend production will include local soprano Audra Scott and iconic works from
trailblazers Nina Simone and Margaret Bond, among many others. On Feb. 20, women again
hold center stage for another Black History Month program. The event Say It Loud: A Night of
Black Excellence, Songs of a Revolution will showcase classical music, spoken word poetry, an