If you love opera and have never had the opportunity to check out the amazing Cowboys Stadium, you might not want to miss this upcoming opportunity. The Dallas Opera, in partnership with Cowboys Stadium, has announced the first classical music simulcast ever conducted in a North Texas sports venue.

“Sports and art are not typically thought of as belonging together,” said Gene Jones, the wife of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.  “Yet sporting events and great art do something similar-they get people talking.”

The Dallas Opera’s 2012 Cowboys Stadium Simulcast of Mozart’s The Magic Flute will take place on April 28, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.  at the high-tech home of the Dallas Cowboys.  How is this possible you ask? Simple. The unabridged live performance will be displayed on the world’s largest high-definition video board that hangs over the center field.

“We are excited to partner with the Dallas Opera on such a distinctive event,” said Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Brand Management Charlotte Anderson.  “Our organization admires and respects The Dallas Opera’s original thinking and stewardship in making a ground-breaking event like this a reality.  We truly value the importance of the arts in our community, and we hope that this first-of-its-kind opera broadcast gives us a way of sharing our love of the arts with a new audience at Cowboys Stadium.”

If you’ve been to Cowboys Stadium before, you know there’s practically no bad seat in the house.  The incredibly huge display boasts four massive viewing screen with the two largest measuring 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide.

“I hope that the centralized location of Cowboys Stadium will draw music and theater lovers from all across North Texas to this free simulcast of Mozart’s action-packed masterpiece,” said Keith Cerny, general director and CEO of The Dallas Opera. “Especially those who, for a variety of reasons, have perceived opera as an intimidating or challenging art form, rather than the fantastic entertainment experience it is.”

Where else can you experience opera in this unique way… and for free at that?! Oh, did we forget that part? It’s all free! Seating will be reserved and free tickets can be obtained through the Dallas Opera website, effective immediately, at www.dallasopera.org/cowboys.

Opened in 2009, Cowboys Stadium is the largest venue in the NFL, seating up to 80,000 guests. The $1.33 billion stadium holds a number of world records, including the largest domed stadium and the largest column free interior.

For more information about this incredible opportunity, please visit The Dallas Opera’s website at www.dallasopera.org.

It is estimated that more than 33 million people are living with HIV and AIDS today. This year marks the 30^th anniversary since AIDS was first discovered. Bringing light to this worldwide epidemic, the Dallas arts community is hosting a benefit performing featuring an unprecedented collaboration  between some of the finest performing arts organizations in the city.

“A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS” will feature 12 Dallas cultural institutions with a cast of more than 200 performers. All organizations involved are donating their time and talent for this unique event. One hundred percent of the proceeds of this remarking event will directly benefit four of Dallas’ leading HIV/AIDS service organizations.

“This is the first time so many Dallas arts organizations, a dozen in total, are coming together for any single cause,” said Charles Santos, executive director of TITAS and producer of “A Gathering”. “It really is going to be a remarkable night of solidarity, song and dance.”

The beneficiaries of the performance include the AIDS Arms, AIDS Interfaith Network, AIDS Services of Dallas, and Resource Center Dallas. These organizations are in the forefront of the fight against AIDS, and for many years have provided services such as food banks, counseling and medical aid to thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS in North Texas.

“The funds that will be raised come at a critical time,” said Don Maison with AIDS Services of Dallas. “Many of our clients are low-income or unemployed, so our services quite literally are keeping them alive. The generosity of the artists and the audience is just overwhelming.”

“A Gathering” will feature a stunningly diverse range of theater, music, opera, video and dance. The evening will include original choreography created especially for “A Gathering” and an impressive roster of Dallas’ most accomplished vocalists, actors and dancers.

The arts organizations involved include the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Booker T. Washington High School of the Performing and Visual Arts, Bruce Wood Dance Project, CharlieUniformTango, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Wind Symphony, SMU Meadows School of the Arts, Texas Ballet Theater, TITAS, Turtle Creek Chorale, as well as many individual artists. Local community leaders and dignitaries will also participate in the program.

“A Gathering” will take place on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the benefit performance range from $12-$300 and can be purchased through the AT&T Performing Arts Center ticket office at www.attpac.org/gathering or 214-880-0202.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center is privileged to announce that-in partnership with the Dallas Opera-all the excitement and thrills of the Opening Night of the opera company’s upcoming 2011-2012 “Tragic Obsessions” Season will be on street-level, public display, free of charge.

This will be a night for everyone, from the red-carpet arrivals to the outdoor curtain-calls for the cast and chorus that will bring this remarkable evening to a fitting close.

“Plazacast @ the Center” will be held in Sammons Park and other areas of the plaza in front of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.  This glittering event takes place October 21, 2011, beginning at 6:20 p.m. (curtain time: 7:30 p.m.).

The new location has the added advantage of allowing music aficionados and the opera-curious to bring their own blankets, picnic baskets and lawn chairs; to make a full evening of this festive affair, supported by SmartWater.

Attendees will have an outstanding view of the red carpet “fashion show” that kicks-off the event and a gigantic screen on the lawn will transport them inside the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall and down to the Shannon and Ted Skokos Stage for opening remarks, prior to the evening’s eagerly-anticipated performance.

The opera itself will be sung in the original language, Italian, with English language subtitles projected onto the screen.  Whether indoors or out, Center patrons won’t miss a moment of the melodrama!

This Plazacast also marks the company’s most recent collaboration with the Dallas Opera, which partnered with ATTPAC for last season’s opening night simulcast from the newly re-dedicated Annette Strauss Square.

“We have found that simulcasts are extraordinary magnets for families and individuals who have never before been to an opera,” explains Dallas Opera Chief Marketing Officer & Director of Community Outreach Jennifer Schuder.

“Although our tickets are priced to suit any budget, some people are reluctant to commit their hard-earned cash without knowing whether it’s the kind of experience they’re likely to enjoy.  Events like the Plazacast at the Center allow them to make that discovery-and its costs nothing more than a few hours of their time.

“But, even for those who already adore opera, it’s a terrific chance to relax on the lawn, with a glass in-hand, to enjoy the music and the performance in a wonderfully casual, communal setting.”

Paid parking-including handicapped parking- will be available beneath the Winspear Opera House (Lexus Red) and the Wyly Theatre across the street (Lexus Silver Parking).  Additional paid parking is available in-and-around the Arts District, in both garages and surface lots.

SmartWater will provide free water for Plazacast patrons at their clearly marked tent.  Other food and drink will be available on-site and within easy walking distance of the simulcast.  Restroom facilities will be located across Flora Street in well-lit areas.

For more information on upcoming events at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, please visit www.attpac.org.

It’s Thursday! Wondering how to kick off your Independence Day weekend? We recommend grabbing a cocktail and catching a live performance from Prince Poppycock, tonight at Station 4.

Poppycock emerged into popularity with his appearance on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”. Although he didn’t snatch the top prize, he was a finalist and that makes him pretty fabulous. He does a pretty phenomenal job integrating elaborate costumes and theatrics with an amazing voice.

Sharon Osborne, a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” described him as being the “male version of Lady Gaga.” Do you agree? Maybe you should catch him in person before rendering your decision.

Doors to S4 open at 9 p.m. and Prince Poppycock performs at midnight. Admission for guests age 21 and over is $8, those ages 18-20 get in for $15. For more information, visit www.partyattheblock.com.

Everybody has a different coming out story or experience living as an LGBT person. This June, the Latino Cultural Center brings a fabulous one-man play to North Texas that wanders through decades of Chicano history and the gay experience from a unique and personal perspective.

¡Gaytino! was written and performed by Dan Guerrero and has been described by the Washington Post as a “disarming twist on the triumph-of-the-human-spirit theme.” From Mariachi to Merman, Sondheim to César Chávez, this remarkable life journey takes the audience from East L.A. in the 1950s to New York’s Great White Way in the 60s and 70s, and back to Hollywood.

A father/son relationship and a treasured boyhood friendship drive this 75-minute, autobiographical solo play with music. Touching, hilarious and absolutely one-of-a-kind, Guerrero brings his two disparate worlds together in one riveting show.

Originally from East L.A., Guerrero began his career in New York as a 20-year-old performer. He took his last bow in an Off-Broadway show in 1973 before moving to a successful career as a Broadway talent agent representing Tony Award winners and future Hollywood names in the years from A Chorus Line to Cats. Returning to his hometown L.A., the former talent agent became a “born-again Hispanic” fiercely working for more positive Latino images on the screen as a casting director, writer and, for the past 20 years, as a producer of diverse network and cable television programming in English and Spanish.

Guerrero helmed projects for NBC, HBO, Univision and PBS where he co-produced the Concert of the Americas with Quincy Jones among other PBS music specials. An award-winning documentary film he produced and wrote about his late father, Lalo Guerrero The Original Chicano, aired nationally on PBS stations. The elder Guerrero was widely recognized as the Father of Chicano Music and a National Medal of Arts recipient among other honors.

¡Gaytino! is coming to North Texas for the first time with two shows, June 10-11, 2011. Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the Latino Cultural Center. For more information, visit www.dallasculture.org/latinocc.

Dallas Lesbian Festival returns this Sunday, May 15 at Sue Ellen’s. With festivities beginning at 2 p.m., this exciting outdoor event will feature plenty of live music and fun for everyone.

Taking place at the parking lot behind Sue’s, one of the largest (and probably nicest) lesbian bars in the world, Dallas Lesbian Festival brings popular bands and artists direct to you for an afternoon (and evening) of great music. Last year’s festival drew quite a crowd, so organizers this year are preparing for another successful event.

Live performances begin promptly at 3 p.m. with Rich and Rare, followed by Ciao Bella at 4 p.m., Leah Marr at 5 p.m., Lisa Marshall Band at 6:15 p.m., Anton Shaw and The Reason at 7:30 p.m., and Patrice Pike rounding things up at 8:45 p.m.

Dallas Lesbian Festival is a family-friendly event (we mean both “family” and the variety of family that includes parents and the kiddies), so feel free to bring everyone along—including your cute little puppies! You’re encouraged to bring lawn chairs to help your group get comfortable and enjoy the live performances.

The Dallas Lesbian Festival takes place outside Sue Ellen’s on Sunday, May 15 beginning at 2 p.m. The sooner you arrive, the better. Proceeds from this event will benefit Life Walk and AIDS Arms.

For more information, be sure to check out www.partyattheblock.com. See y’all there!

Still wondering where to go to enjoy your Easter Sunday (April 24)? Grab your family and friends and head on over to Robert E. Lee Park for Easter in the Park and the Kroger Pooch Parade.

Organized this year by the fine folks at the Cedar Springs Merchant Association, Easter in the Park attracts thousands of attendees to celebrate the holiday with food, music and a healthy dose of fun.

Easter in the Park is a popular celebration that features beautiful scenery, priceless entertainment, a live classical music concert by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and fashionista pooches in the Pooch Parade. Attendees can bring their own picnic items or enjoy the variety of foods offered by vendors.  In addition, both local and national organizations will be present with booths and tents for spectators to visit.

The Dallas Symphony’s program offers 12 selections which will include a waltz and polka from Johann Strauss, Jr; Promenade from Shall We Dance by George Gershwin; Easter Parade by Irving Berlin and Tchaikovsky’s well-know “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker.

“Easter in the Park is one of our beloved outdoor performance traditions,” said Cynthia Hinojose,
director of community engagement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. “It’s important to the Symphony to bring classical music to members of the community in free public venues.”

The Easter celebration is popular in the local gay community, attracting large groups of friends dressed in colorfully coordinated outfits and elaborately decorated bonnets.  Many attendees even set up tents and decorate them with fabulous Easter décor, inviting other attendees to stop by and mingle.

Easter in the Park festivities include a Pooch Parade and Costume Contest. Last year more than 100 dogs participated in the Pooch Parade on Easter Sunday. Parade coordinator, The Petropolitan, is preparing for another year of pampered pups to be dressed up by, and sometimes with, their owners in their Easter finest.

Local comedian and entertainer Paul J. Williams will emcee the pooch parade. The Special Guest Grand Marshal will be announced later this week. The judges include Dallas City Council Members, Angela Hunt and Pauline Medrono.

The afternoon’s schedule of events is as follows:

• 11:00 a.m. - Pooch Parade Registration Opens ($10.00 per pet/cash)
• 12:00 p.m. - Food & Beverage Vendors Open
• 1:00 p.m. - Pooch Parade Begins with Special Guest Emcee Paul J. Williams
• 3:00 p.m. - Dallas Symphony Performs
• 5:00 p.m. - Food & Beverage Vendors Close
• 6:30 p.m. - Easter Bonnet Contests begin at select Cedar Springs Clubs

Cirque du Soleil is well known around the world for entertaining audiences with an amazing spectacle of imaginary worlds filled with aerobatics, dances, and other forms of performing art. Ovo is no exception and the touring show has stopped in North Texas for a month filled with amazing performances.

Ovo, which means “egg” in Portuguese, immerses the audience in a day in the life of an insect community. Carefully orchestrated with Brazilian rhythms, the show begins when a mysterious egg (er… ovo) appears and the insects become crazy curious about it.

Along the way, a goofy insect arrives and falls in love with a sassy ladybug. The show follows the two through a hilarious and mesmerizing world of jumping grasshoppers, dancing worms, active crickets, and other creatures that never cease to impress the audience.

In elaborately designed costumes, the insects perform all sorts of acts that will leave the audience on the edge of their seats - literally. You’ll never know when the insects will make their way into the audience to provide an exciting and interactive experience. You might even be pulled into the show!

At this family-friendly show, you can expect to see everything from hand stands to foot jugglers, high-wire acts to trapeze jumps. When you leave the Chapiteau (aka Tent), that voice inside your head will pretty much make you wish you had gone to the gym yesterday after all.

Before the show and during intermission, you can browse through the Cirque shop that has many goodies and souvenirs available for purchase. The decorations are nothing short of exciting and while the sales pushes are a little hard, you might want to go ahead and spring for the program and CD package. Really. The music is pretty phenomenal.

Crique du Soleil currently has 22 unique productions around the world, and if you’re not one to travel outside North Texas, Ovo is definitely a great bet for your Cirque dollar.

Ovo takes place under the Big Top at the Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco through February 27. Performances are Tuesdays thru Thursdays at 8:00 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. There are no performances on Mondays. Tickets can be purchased online directly from Cirque du Soleil.

Super Bowl XLV is coming to North Texas on February 6, but Dallas is preparing for one super, big weekend filled with plenty to do and see. We previously told you about a few great events to keep your eyes on, but now we have another!

For three consecutive nights, XLV Party at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas’ historic Fair Park will showcase some of the hottest stars in the entertainment world to host the biggest celebrity-driven party in Dallas. Beginning Thursday, February 3, 2011, America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru, Steve Kemble, will host elite guests to Belvedere Vodka and Moet & Chandon Champagne’s red carpet events with celebrity DJs and musical acts.

Featuring more than 60,000 square feet of tented space and a 5,000 square foot dance floor, guests will enjoy a night filled with pure entertainment. What better way to kick off a fabulous event than with some interesting gay acts!

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We’re half-way through the month and pretty soon the holiday season will be over. If you still haven’t made time to indulge in a holiday performance, then we have a great recommendation for you this week. The Turtle Creek Chorale, the most recorded men’s chorus in the world, will open their holiday concert with “O Holy Night” on Wednesday, December 15.

Known for delivering an exceptional holiday concert that has become quite the local tradition, you can count on the men of the TCC to lift your spirits and entertain you with laughter and song. Unlike many of the holiday performances out there, the TCC knows how to keep you engaged year after year.

To answer your question, yes—they will be singing many of the fabulous traditional songs such as “Silver Bells” and “Silent Night”. What kind of holiday concert would it be without those staples? The draw is the creative twist they put on these and many of your other holiday favorites.

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