PERFORMING ARTS NEWS AND NOTES
Tailgate With TJ at Cowboys Stadium
Before the Dallas Opera's Magic Flute simulcast on Saturday, find TheaterJones in the parking lot for hog dogs and giveaways, including tickets to Andrea Bocelli and Cliburn Concerts.
by Mark Lowry
published Thursday, April 26, 2012
Arlington — It's looking like the Dallas Opera could set a record this Saturday with its live simulcast of The Magic Flute at Cowboys Stadium. That would be for the most attendees at an American opera event. The record was set in 2010 in San Francisco for a production of Aida from the War Memorial Opera House, which drew 32,000 attendees.
At last count, the Dallas Opera—which is offering tickets for free through its website at www.dallasopera.org/cowboys—was closing in on that number, with requests coming from across Texas and 26 other states, and elsewhere.
The interest has to be a combination of several things: First, Mozart's masterful singspiel opera will be seen on the world's largest high-definition screen. Next, admission and parking are free. If you've been gouged at the Stadium for football and other events, you know what a luxury free parking is. We're guessing some will show up just to take a look-see at Jerry World. And, well, opera tickets aren't cheap either. So this free thing is win-win.
And if you need more enticement, TheaterJones will be among the organizations doing a tailgating party in Entry A of Parking Lot 1, not far from our friends at WRR/101.1 FM. At our shindig, 5-7 p.m., come by for a pre-game, er, pre-opera hot dog, and enter for a chance to win tickets to local performing arts events, including pianist Emanuel Ax at Cliburn Concerts in Fort Worth (May 1) and a pair of tickets to the Andrea Bocelli concert in November at another local sports arena, American Airlines Center.
We'll also have tix for Dallas Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Summer Musicals, Theatre Three, Dallas Theater Center, Uptown Players, Jubilee Theatre, Stage West, Hip Pocket Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, AT&T Performing Arts Center (including to American Idiot), Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Paula Poundstone at the Lakewood Theater.
Come by and say hello. We'll also be Tweeting the event (and the opera simulcast) (www.twitter.com/theaterjones) and our staff will be roaming the event with more giveaways.
◊ To get directions to Cowboys Stadium, go here.
◊ Here are our reviews of The Magic Flute and La Traviata.