For announcements of any kind that are associated with music, Shirley and Bill McIntyre‘s home is splendid. Ah, heck, it’s great for any occasion. Beautifully designed to blend in with the surrounding landscape, it was the perfect place for the October 21st First Night Patron Party Thursday. To add to the perfection was the weather. Not too warm, not too cold, just . . . perfect. Drat! There goes that “P” word again, but it was.
With a backdrop of the McIntyres’ backyard with its bridge over the creek into lush trees and greenery, Dallas Opera General Director/CEO Keith Cerny and First Night Chair Kaki Hopkins presented the plans for the launch night for the 2011-2012 season.
Keith recognized Patti and Blaine Nelson of Deloitte fame (Deloitte is sponsoring First Night) and reported that “Lucia di Lammermoor” rehearsals were going well for the First Night. According to Keith, soprano Elena Mosuc had been rehearsing the “mad scene” the night before and doing very well.
As part of the DO’s shaking things up, Keith told guests the performance would be simulcast to the public for free. While a couple of the guests gave each other the “What’s that?” look, other recognized the simulcast would reach an audience that might love opera but not be able to afford a ticket.
Keith also added that weather.com was reporting that the weather was going to be fine and that there would be no World Series that night. Hmm, you’ve got to think that either the muses are smiling on the DO folks, or the DO team has got all their bases covered.
Then Kaki stepped up and after thanking her bud Joyce
Mitchell for her guidance, she said, “We used to be so fashionable in Dallas.” Interesting comment, but she went on to say that Dallas’ standing in the fashion world had inspired her to create a red carpet complete with celebrities, paparazzi, designer fashions and magic. For this she and her committee had arranged
to have designers create gowns for celebrity models. Oh, and it just so happened that a couple of those types were in attendance — Abi Ferrin with her model/mom Tanya Foster, Khanh Nguyen with her model Liz Kimple and D’Andra Simmons.
Kaki went on to reveal that the dinner following the performance would be held in a tent in the Annette Strauss Square with floral designers interpreting each of the season’s operas in five magnificent seating areas.
It should be a perfect night of opera, fashion, food, flowers and only one mad scene.