Good afternoon friends. We kicked up our heels for a night out on the town last weekend and attended The Dallas Opera. We saw Mozart’s The Magic Flute and it was amazing. This was our first chance to attend the opera, and it was such a fun time. As much as we like familiar things, its also fun to get out of your comfort zone and experience something new. #amIright?
We began our date night with dinner at Musume Dallas. This Contemporary Asian restaurant has delicious food, including world class sushi selections. It is conveniently located across the street from the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. We especially love trying new restaurants, and the Dallas Arts District has many options. Dining close to the Opera House helped us enjoy dinner without the stress of rushing to get to the performance on time.
We weren’t sure if we would be able to understand the performance, knowing that Operas are in a foreign language. The Magic Flute is sung in German. The subtitles were displayed in English at the top of the stage, making it easy to follow along.
The Magic Flute is a beautiful show that captures people’s hearts. It’s basically about doing the right thing (saving an innocent girl from her captor), and persevering until the end, despite the obstacles. It’s a good vs. evil battle, that lead this young couple to love and enlightenment. The costumes were elaborate, and the makeup of the cast was intricate and detailed. The voices were beautifully blended with optimal range and each performance was captivating.
Favorite Character: Papageno is a colorful character whose personality is fun and entertaining. We enjoyed the humor he brought to the show.
Five Tips for attending the Opera:
Arrive a little early. The doors close promptly at start time, and no entry is allowed until intermission.
Pre-order intermission drinks before the start of the Opera, to pick up during intermission. Doing this saves time, which allows more time to snap pics, mingle, or visit the ladies/men’s room before the start of the second half of the performance.
Dressing fancy is optional. I took the opportunity to get dressed up for this event, but there were many ladies in more casual attire, like dress pants and a blouse and sweater. Guys, you don’t have to wear a tie: A sports coat and slacks or even nice jeans is appropriate.
If you arrive early, you can join The Dallas Opera for the Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks. Pre-Opera Talks are informative and interactive 30-minute lectures featuring opera experts from all over DFW. The Talks are FREE with a ticket to an Opera performance and are guaranteed to increase your knowledge and enjoyment of opera. Pre-Opera talks are held in the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, one hour before each TDO mainstage performance.
This is a great opportunity to enjoy a night out on the town. While children are allowed, you may want to consider a matinee performance if you bring them. The weekend performances are more for adult outings. We really enjoyed dipping our toe in the Dallas arts and culture scene and saw many couples who must have gotten a sitter to enjoy their #datenight as well.
You can find the next showing of The Magic Flute or check for other showings at The Dallas Opera. I hope you’ll catch a performance and hope you enjoy your evening as much as we did.
Thanks for stopping by.
This post is sponsored by The Dallas Opera. All opinions are my own.
