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May 2, 20192 min read

The Dallas Opera Enchants Audiences with Verdi's Falstaff


The Dallas Opera closed its season with a hilarious rendition of Verdi's Falstaff, a comic opera centered on Shakespeare's shining character Falstaff, a drunken knight that has seen better days. This is the first time Falstaff has been presented by The Dallas Opera in its 60-year history. Although an unconventional choice to close the season, Falstaff delivered non-stop laughs, beautiful performances, and staging with perfect comedic timing. I can honestly say I had a smile on my face for the entire performance, laughing at Falstaff's false self-confidence at his skill in wooing women, his drunk acquaintances, and the giddy wives' plotting and revenge. This was a true delight and a thoroughly enjoyable performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat and laughing the whole night through. Additional performances on April 28, May 1 and May 4 with tickets starting at $19 on the Dallas Opera website.

The last of Verdi's 28 masterpieces with a libretto by Arrigo Boito, Falstaff transports the audience to the world of Shakespeare, focused on his work The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry IV. The story revolves around Falstaff, a knight long past his prime now known for his endlessly inflating waistline and his unpaid bar tab. In a moment of clarity, he devises a plan to pay his bill and live out in comfort for the rest of his days by seducing 2 wealthy wives simultaneously, Alice Ford and Meg Page. Unluckily for Falstaff, the two women are good friends, and soon discover his plan, and plot themselves to teach him some manners for his behavior. The story is intertwined with a pair of lovers, Nannetta and Fenton, who must wed amid Nannetta's father attempting to marry her to an old doctor. These plots are overseen by Mistress Quickly, the resident matriarch of sneaky plans and double-crosses.

This superlative international cast is led by American bass-baritone Mark Delavan in the title role of Sir John Falstaff. The star-studded cast also includes show-stopping soprano Angela Mead as Alice Ford, as well as beloved mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as Mistress Quickly and renowned German soprano Mojca Erdmann as Nannetta in their eagerly-awaited company debuts. Other principal singers in the impressive ensemble are baritone Quinn Kelsey, Spanish tenor Airam Hernández, mezzo-soprano Megan Marino, tenor Alex Mansoori, Italian bass Andrea Silvestrelli and tenor Robert Brubaker.

All photos by Karen Almond, Dallas Opera

Apr 19, 20192 min read

Celebrate Easter with Furry Friends at the Easter Bacon Hunt 2019!


I know I don't usually post articles about holiday or pet events, but I can't pass up a chance to share bacon with puppies! Below is the info for the Homegrown Hounds Easter Bacon Hunt 2019 on April 20th, with all proceeds benefiting rescue dogs!

There will be a costume contest, so bring your dog out in their Sunday best to win prizes and take pictures with the Easter Bunny! The Snackin' Waggin' will also be there for you to pick up your dog's favorite treats and an Easter basket of course!

They will have rescues with their adoptable dogs, so you can find a new member for your pack, too! TCAP will also be there with low cost vaccinations from 12-2pm!

Pre-purchase your tickets here

Sign Up to be a Rescue/Vendor/Sponsor here

Want to volunteer? Sign up here!

Event Info:

All participants will sign up at the entrance table no later than 15 minutes before the event start time.

12-2pm, TCAP with low cost vaccinations and microchipping.

1pm, Costume Contest (Free to enter)- Winners will be judged on creativity and adorableness and win prizes and bragging rights!

2pm, Take Pics with the Easter Bunny! $15 gets you a pic with as many people or dogs as you want. Also partake in our raffle with amazing prizes donated by local businesses!

3:00pm, Easter Bacon Hunt- Dogs and their owners will line up in front of a field full of human-grade bacon to hunt until every last piece is gone! There will also be plastic eggs with donated prizes for humans to pick up and join in the fun.

Admission for the Hunt is $10 for one dog and $15 for two. Tickets can be pre-purchased here:

All dogs must remain on leash, if using a retractable leash, please keep it short. It's required that your dog not be food aggressive to participate in the hunt!

So put on your sneakers and get ready for a huntin' good time! Dogs are people too after all!

Apr 11, 20192 min read

Dallas Art Fair and Dallas Museum of Art Announce Fourth Annual Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisiti


The Dallas Art Fair and the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) are pleased to announce the selections for the fourth annual Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program, an acquisition gift for the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection. The eight selected artworks are by Sheila Hicks, Don Dudley, Arcmanoro Niles, Samuel Levi Jones, Emmanuel Van der Auwera, Maja Ruznic, Nobutaka Aozaki, and Dike Blair. This year marks the fourth edition of the program, which is an annual initiative devised to foster a relationship between the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Art Fair, and the fair’s global network of participating galleries and artists. The 2019 program is generously funded with a $150,000 grant. The Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program has funded $450,000 for the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection to date. Dr. Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director of the DMA and Dr. Anna Katherine Brodbeck, the Museum’s Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, helped lead the group of donors that selected the works from the fair. Donors include Tricia and Gil Besing, Linda and David Rogers, Susan and Shawn Bonsell, Sheryl and Geoff Green, Dianne and Mark Laroe, Gowri and Alex N.K. Sharma, Marlene and John Sughrue, Cliff Risman, David and Zoe Bonnette, Fraser and Rhonda Marcus, and The Dallas Art Fair Foundation. “The artists acquired from the Dallas Art Fair exemplify the historical strengths of our collection as well as our commitment to inclusivity across categories of nationality, race, gender, and medium,” says DMA Senior Curator Dr. Anna Katherine Brodbeck. “Included are artists who were part of the historic development of groundbreaking art movements from the 1960s to 1980s like Don Dudley, Dike Blair, and Sheila Hicks, younger artists like Samuel Levi Jones, Arcmanoro Niles, and Nobutaka Aozaki who are incorporating socio political content in their re-envisioning of those historic movements, and artists who are innovating time-based media in immersive installations like Emmanuel Van der Auwera. We look forward to the stories that these works can tell in the context of our encyclopedic Museum.” “We’re thrilled to partner with the museum once again and help contribute to their impeccable collection. The DMA is a vital national art institution, and we are pleased to help bridge a dialogue between their permanent collection and our global exhibitors,” says Dallas Art Fair Director Kelly Cornell. “We are delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with the Dallas Art Fair, whose generous fund has allowed the DMA to support promising, dynamic contemporary artists at the forefront of the field. We are excited for the opportunity to once again experience the best of local and international artistic production here in Texas through the Dallas Art Fair, which reinforces the strength of the thriving artistic community here in Dallas,” says DMA Director Dr. Agustín Arteaga.

For its eleventh edition, the fair presented the donors with works from almost 100 exhibitors from over 30 different cities across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Beyond the Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Program, the fair continually seeks ways in which to further deepen its impact on the city’s cultural community and expand the offerings of the Dallas Art Fair to its exhibitors. This year, the fair launched 214 Projects, its permanent exhibition space in the Design District.

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