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Thursday, January 26, 2012 , Updated 4:27 p.m., March 1, 2012
UPDATED: Cowboys Stadium to become opera venue
That's right: Spectators can grab a hot dog and settle in for night of opera in Jerry's House.
The CEO of the Dallas Opera thinks this photo perfectly illustrates the fusion of opera and sports.
For the first time in North Texas, an opera will be shown in the middle of a football arena. Officials from the Dallas Opera and members of Jerry Jones' family announced Thursday that a free show of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute on April 28 could potentially bring sports fans and arts fans under the same (big) roof at Cowboys Stadium.
About 7,500 seats at the mega-complex will be opened at 6 p.m. April 28, and spectators can watch The Magic Flute simulcast on the large screen while it's performed at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.
[UPDATE: The opera reports that a whopping 21,000 seats have been requested, including from some people who live in Canada. Their data shows that 93% of the people who requested tickets haven't bought tickets with the Dallas Opera before. In effect, it seems this event is targeting people who are brand-new to the opera, just as opera officials had hoped.]
The Cowboys Stadium television screen stretches from the 20 yard line to the 20 yard line, making it one of the biggest in the world.
"If you think you can't see it, you've got another thing coming," joked Charlotte Jones Anderson, daughter of Jerry and Gene Jones and executive vice-president of brand management and president of charities.
The fusion of opera and football helps fulfill Jerry Jones and his wife Gene Jones' vision that Cowboys Stadium would be a sports venue and an art house. And it also helps the Dallas Opera get the lofty art form "off its pedestal," said Keith Cerny, general director and CEO of the Dallas Opera. He hopes it will expose more people to opera and to convince newcomers that spoken theater can be fun.
On April 28, parking as well as admittance into Cowboys Stadium will be free. Concessions stands will be open, and perhaps in another first, spectators will be able to enjoy an aria accompanied with an ice cold beer and a hot dog.
Simulcast of The Magic Flute
- Sat
- Apr
- 28th
- 6PM
- Cowboys Stadium
-
1 Legend Way
Arlington, TX - Age limit: All ages Free
The simulcast is not the Dallas Opera's first, as they've shown past performances in smaller venues, such as Annette Strauss Square in the Dallas Arts District. But it is certainly the largest screen, and likely the grandest venue, that the Dallas Opera has simulcast a performance.
The opera will bring its own sound system, as Cowboys Stadium's set-up isn't designed for opera. The screen will show subtitles since The Magic Flute is in German.
"We want to make sure as many people as possible can enjoy it," Cerny explained. "Just because it's opera doesn't mean people have to think of it as an intimidating performance."
Reserve seats here.
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Nah. That fad is all but gone. Thay use them thar smart phones for stuff like that nowadays, I betch
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Shannon Sutlief, staff:
To me, what was fun about the simulcast at Annette Strauss Square was that people brought blankets to sit on and bought food for picnics - all in the middle of the Arts District's other museums and venues. Driving to Arlington and sitting in a stadium seat doesn't sound quite as festive.
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lisatmp, anonymous:
It's great that Cowboys are showing opera...hooray. But what's even greater is that The Metropolitan Opera has given DISD permission to simulcast its opera to its students, faculty and parents. An HD broadcast of the world premiere of Enchanted Island is being shown to 450 of these lucky folks tomorrow (Jan. 28) at noon at Booker T thanks to a generous donation by the O'Donnell Foundation. Next screening is April 14. See our new video by Quin Mathews at http://www.dallasisd.org/metlive.
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SitizenKane, anonymous:
Opera for the masses is great; but I agree with Shannon. Broadcast the Magic Flute into a more welcoming/relaxing venue. Where viewers can relax, spread out, enjoy some wine, cheese, sandwiches and such......
The way opera was intended to be viewed.
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James Scott, verified:
Sure, but this might appeal to people more in the mid-cities area that wouldn't want to drive all the way to Dallas to sit on a lawn. I suspect the hope is that seeing the opera at the stadium might encourage them to make the trip out to Dallas in the actual opera venue in the future.
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razorphreak, anonymous:
I don't know in what world this would be enjoyable. The sound system in that stadium sucks and the sheer fact that it is a stadium makes it a HORRIBLE venue for something like this. There is a reason operas are done in an OPERA HOUSE.
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Jason Rice, verified:
Razor pegs it. I have been lured by the cinema broadcasts because there is some meager assumption that sound quality has to meet a base minimum for THX certification....
...but it takes nothing to play clips like the first 2 measures of Another One Bites The Dust.
no interest. pretend you have some other cultural contribution to offer. you're a sports product.
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James Scott, verified:
razorphreak - did you actually read the article?
The opera will bring its own sound system, as Cowboys Stadium's set-up isn't designed for opera
Not to say that means it will be great, but at least it will be better than the stadium's sound.
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Jason Rice, verified:
James - I can't imagine ANY amount of sound processing can compensate for the acoustics - but maybe they have some plan for echo cancellation or a very selective seating configuration.
Wouldn't it be nice if the same venue could actually host an orchestral/opera event? But seriously - if it's not designed for it.... aaargh. I don't get the cross marketing attempt. It's not a multi-use facility. It wasn't seriously touted as such and the amount of beer required to compensate for that just doesn't match up with the demographic that would attend.... but then maybe that is what is missing in the modern classical world... lots and lots of booze.
Mahler's Fifth takes on a whole new light, doesn't it.
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Sarah Blaskovich, staff:
Because there's only one simulcast on the books at Cowboys Stadium right now, I gather that it'll be a barometer of what's to come. If turnout isn't good or the sound system doesn't pan out, my guess would be that they would reconsider doing it at Cowboys Stadium again. Opera officials didn't say all that directly, but consider this one a test.
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Jason Rice, verified:
All kvetching aside, it's an excellent score with which to attempt it. It's accessible. It's often quoted in pop media. It's a perfect test balloon. If anything will work, it has got to be this one.
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James Scott, verified:
Agreed Jason - regardless of the sound system, it's probably not going to sound that great. Obviously Dallas Cowboys Stadium is only really for good football to be played...or...well, nevermind.
Still think it's an interesting idea to promote to those that might never be exposed to it otherwise. I'd be curious if 7500 people actually show up.
The price is right - so I'm betting some people might show up just to take a peek at the stadium they haven't had the $$$ to get in to as of yet.
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unlisted, anonymous:
I agree that some will come just to check out the stadium. Or perhaps they've never been to an opera before and are curious. Or they don't have anything better to do on a Saturday night, and the price is right. It likely won't be the ATTPAC crowd, anyway. And-- who knows?-- maybe it will actually strike a positive nerve and get some of those folks turned on to opera. BTW, I think "Barber of Seville" would be even more accessible to those requiring a dumbing down, with its numerous cartoon quotes, but they're not doing it this year.
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Sarah Blaskovich, staff:
Note the update above; the opera has had 21,000 people request seats to this event. They initially wanted to fill just 7,500. Impressive.
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alexander troup, verified:
Sometimes you have to observe....Good taste and bad......one thing you dont put a Cathoolic church in a Baptist Church parking lot...Opera does not belong in Sports it is not a sport, it is an Art of Theater and Music....not beer and babes who say...Oh where is that Viking Chick....A/T, Hillbillies from Arkansas can do Opera in the Mississippi.....
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mezzetin_subaquatic, anonymous:
there are places, i remember..
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hanover66, anonymous:
Get off your high horses, JS and JR -- it's The Magic Flute. It will be fun. I saw the Stars Wars concert in the stadium with a full orchestra and was surprised by the pretty good quality of the sound (I'm not an expert). Each instrument section of the orchestra was distinct and clear, and I was sitting at the opposite end of the field from the orchestra.
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Jason Rice, verified:
But I like it up here.
I have an irrational bias against that facility and third clarinets.
Hmm. So it must be the facility.
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Jason Rice, verified:
But seriously - whatever it takes to keep opera alive.
Please report back how you like the event.
All snark aside - totally interested in a normal human take on it.
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Sarah Blaskovich, staff:
Jason, we'll have a reviewer there who can give us a recap. It'll be a writer who's not a classical music critic, so we'll have the ability to look at it from an "average person" standpoint.
Meantime, there's a little more info on the event on Saturday from a story just posted this morning: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2012/....
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Jason Rice, verified:
Cool. Thanks.
Average Person standpoint is worth following. "Real" critic - not so much.
It would be a boon indeed if our modern cathedrals could offer some reassurance that civilization has a component of persistence. Sports and diet products are by design fleeting and in constant need of repurchase.
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What do you think?