In an unsurprising reverse, the Dallas Opera has announced the cancellation of its previously revised 2020-21 season, citing ongoing concerns over COVID-19. The company had planned to present four mainstage productions, in versions edited down to less than 90 minutes, at the Winspear Opera House in the spring. While those performances have been nixed, the world premiere of Joby Talbot’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly — originally slated for March — has been pushed to the 2022-23 season.
“It’s heartbreaking,” says Dallas Opera’s general director and CEO Ian Derrer. “I feel for my staff and donors. Everyone’s been whiplashed. It’s just the nature of what everyone’s been experiencing.”
The Dallas Opera joins a growing list of major American opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera and Houston Grand Opera, which have canceled their entire seasons because of the pandemic.
Starting in February 2022, the Dallas Opera will once again stage full-scale productions at the Winspear. That season’s lineup consists of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers.
In the meantime, the company is cooking up new programs for this year, including recitals at the Winspear beginning in late spring, and outdoor performances. A concert featuring American mezzo Joyce DiDonato at the Winspear is still scheduled for this May. But the Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition and The Hart Institute for Women Conductors Showcase, among other events, will be delayed until later in 2021.
Like countless other performing arts groups that have been forced to pivot during the pandemic, the Dallas Opera will continue to maintain an active online presence. Digital performances currently in production will be released over the next few months.
Subscription holders for the canceled spring season will have their tickets moved to next year at no extra cost.
Details
Dallasopera.org, 214-443-1000.
