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.

Photo: Jeremy Dickie

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is nothing new to locals, but provides a stunning new look to the Dallas skyline for visitors. Since June 2010, the signature 400-foot arch can be seen from miles away in daylight. That changes tonight as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and other dignitaries will hold a special lighting ceremony of the cable-stayed suspension bridge.

Although the bridge officially opens to traffic in March, tonight’s ceremony will kick off two weeks of lighting and testing before grand opening celebrations currently schedule for March 2-4. Opening weekend festivities include local artists, entertainment, and the best new view in town.

The Santiago Calatrava-designed bridge will be a destination for citizens and visitors. It is the first vehicular bridge to be built in the U.S. by the Spanish architect, and the first of three planned to span the Trinity River.

Construction of the cable-stayed suspension bridge began in 2007 and features six lanes of roadway over a 1,200 foot span held by more than 50 cables. It is designed to connect Woodall Rogers Freeway across the Trinity River into West Dallas.

For more information on opening weekend festivities and schedules, please visit www.mhhbridgecelebration.com.

Travel + Leisure magazine readers have ranked the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House as No. 5 among Top Arenas and Performance Venues around the world. The magazine’s readers also listed the Winspear in the AT&T Performing Arts Center as No. 36 among the Most Visited Landmarks.

The rankings appear in the article 2012 Top New Landmarks in T + L’s January 2012 edition.

“This just reaffirms the significant investments that Dallas has made in the arts,” said Mark Weinstein, president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. “These iconic structures were designed to be among the finest performance venues in the world. But with their stunning architecture, they make a powerful statement about Dallas today, and the role that culture and the arts play in our community.”

The 2,200 seat Winspear Opera House opened to national and international acclaim in 2009, along with the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre and the Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park.  The open air theater, Annette Strauss Square opened last year. All are part of the Center’s 10-acre campus.

The Winspear Opera House was designed by Foster + Partners of London under the direction of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster and deputy chairman Spencer de Grey. It is a 21st century interpretation of the traditional “horseshoe” shape of traditional European opera houses which utilizes technological advances to be a very cost efficient venue.

The Winspear is the home to the Dallas Opera, one of the Center’s resident companies. It was designed to be an intimate hall with superior acoustics providing a premier showcase for the Opera. Texas Ballet Theater, TITAS, the Center’s Lexus Broadway Series, Brinker International Forum and other programs are performed at the Winspear as well.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center, a multi-venue Center for music, opera, theatre and dance opened in October 2009, completing the 30-year vision of the Dallas Arts District. Located at 2403 Flora Street, the Center serves as a gateway from downtown Dallas’s business center to the Dallas Arts District.

If you’re still thinking about what to do for New Year’s Eve, then consider Big D NYE at Victory Park. With live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display at midnight, Big D NYE is sure to be a hit for people of all ages.

Now in its 5^th year, Big D NYE brings the entertainment and excitement of Times Square right here in Dallas, without the nearly 1 million revelers. This event isn’t something to take lightly though. Last year, organizers say that nearly 45,000 patrons attended the event. The event even attracts visitors from around the region as Dallas is a low-cost destination that offers much to see and do.

“Victory has that same Times Square feel with all of the mega screens and stages,” event spokesman John McGill told The Dallas Morning News following last year’s event. “We may not be as big as Times Square in attendance, but with the party on the street and in the air, I would put it up against anyone’s.”

Entertainment includes live concerts on Big D NYE and Chevy Music stages. Performances will be projected on gigantic high-definition video screens adjacent to Victory Plaza for the overflowing crowds to enjoy.

The night culminates with a traditional countdown to midnight and the Stream Energy Fireworks Spectacular that will be visible from all over the downtown region, glittering high above Dallas’ skyline.

Big D NYE is also aired live locally on WFAA Channel 8 as well as in the Houston and New Orleans television markets.

Nearby parking is available for guests, but everyone is highly encouraged to take public transportation. With the DART Green Line now operational, you can travel to the Victory Park Station and mosey on over to AT&T Plaza.

For more information about this fabulous event, or to plan your evening, check out the Big D NYE website by visiting www.bigdnye.com.

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.

If you love fashion and art, then the Dallas Museum of Art should definitely make it to the top of your destination list within the next  couple of months.  “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is the DMA’s newest exhibit that opened this month and it has already made quite the news.

You see, this is the first international exhibition devoted to Gaultier’s oeuvre. In addition, the exhibit marks the first time the DMA explores the art of contemporary fashion. What better way to explore the area than with the work of Gaultier?!

The DMA is the first of two U.S. venues to host this critically acclaimed international exhibition after its premier at the organizing institution, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Dubbed fashion’s “enfant terrible” from the time of his first runway shows in the 1970s, Jean Paul Gaultier is indisputably one of the most important fashion designers of recent decades.

Very early on, his avant‐garde fashions reflected an understanding of a multicultural society’s issues and preoccupations, shaking up-with invariable good humor-established societal and aesthetic codes.

More of a contemporary installation than a fashion retrospective, this major exhibition-which the couturier considers to be a creation in its own right-features approximately 140 ensembles spanning over 35 years from the designer’s couture and ready-to-wear collections, along with their accessories, and numerous archival documents.

Many of these extraordinary pieces have never before been exhibited, including a costume from one of Almodóvar’ s recent films and a leather corset that will be shown for the first time during the DMA’s presentation.

Keenly interested in all the world’s cultures and countercultures, Gaultier has picked up on the current trends and proclaimed the right to be different, and in the process conceived a new kind of fashion in both the way it is made and worn. Through twists, transformations, transgressions, and reinterpretations, he not only erases the boundaries between cultures but also the sexes, creating a new androgyny or playing with subverting established fashion codes.

Located in the vibrant Dallas Arts District, the DMA ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and groundbreaking educational programs. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 24,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures.

Established in 1903, the Museum welcomes approximately 600,000 visitors annually and acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary readings, and dramatic and dance presentations.

“The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is on display now through Feb. 12, 2012. Tickets range from $12 to $20 and can be purchased online from the DMA’s website.

While you’re in the area, be sure to check out the fabulous exhibits at the Nasher Sculpture Center and The Crow Collection of Asian Art. One Arts Plaza has a collection of fabulous restaurants that are ideal for completing your visit.

The holiday season is in full swing and it wouldn’t be complete without another fabulous concert from the Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC) to make sure you’re in full spirit. Be sure to catch “My Favorite Things” from the all-men’s chorus on Dec. 4, 11 and 21 in Dallas.

This holiday tradition-that’s right, tradition-has long been a favorite by locals for more than 20 years.  The TCC is known for creating a fabulous combination of beautiful holiday music and comedic entertainment.

Laughter and tears (sometimes both at the same time) will accompany the beauty of the season as this 200-voice internationally recognized men’s chorus performs favorites like “Angel Carol”, “We Need A Little Christmas”, “The First Noel”, “Jingle Bells”,” O Holy Night”, “Silent Night”, and more!

According to Trey Jacobs, the Chorale’s interim conductor, he is thrilled to celebrate the season through music.

“This concert will be a high point for all who hear it because the heart of this chorus comes shining through in every note they sing,” Jacobs said. “This is a gift that you will surely want to share with your friends and family.”

The organization will continue their holiday tradition by hosting the 22nd annual toy drive, benefiting Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital. The TCC invites patrons to bring a new, unwrapped toy with them to the concert to donate. Each year, the hospitals count on the donations to help children, especially patients, know that Santa remembers them.

“My Favorite Things” (which happens to indeed be… one of our favorite things) premieres Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, with subsequent concerts on Dec. 11 and 21. Tickets range from $20-65 and may be purchased online at www.turtlecreek.org or by phone at 214-526-3214. Be sure to tell them your friends at the Dallas CVB sent ya!

If you love gaming and are a fan of The Legend of Zelda video game series, then you won’t want to miss Nintendo’s musical tribute on January 10 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District. Made possible through the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, orchestral arrangements of music from the game’s 25-year history will be performed, accompanied by video content from the games themselves.

Nintendo has teamed up with Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc. to provide video game fans with the ultimate musical experience for The Legend of Zelda. The highlight of this new musical program is a full four-movement symphony that will guide fans through a musical retelling of key chapters from The Legend of Zelda franchise.

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concerts will be conducted by Irish-born conductor Eímear Noone, and the multimedia show will pair iconic music and gorgeous visuals from classic Zelda titles including the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii^TM console.

“The love that fans feel for The Legend of Zelda series cannot be overstated,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. “In 2012, we want to give people across the country a chance to come together and enjoy the music from the games that mean so much to so many.”

The tour will be something both fans of the franchise and music enthusiasts alike won’t want to miss.

For more information about the concerts, visit www.zelda-symphony.com. For more information about the ticket discount available to Club Nintendo members, please visit club.nintendo.com.

This new concert series will kick off in Dallas, then tour the U.S. in 2012. Tickets for the Dallas performance are now available directly from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at dallassymphony.com or by calling 214-692-0203. Seats range in price from $19 to $115.

Tickets are available to Club Nintendo members at a 15% discount now through Nov. 30.

Halloween in Dallas is expected to spawn countless unique costumes at the 2011 Oak Lawn Halloween Street Party. The annual free celebration is one of the largest in the Southwest and will take place on Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m.

“The Oak Lawn Halloween Street Party is a popular event that showcases Dallas’ vibrant lesbian and gay community,” said Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “The street party attracts locals as well as visitors from across the nation.”

The Oak Lawn Halloween Street Party originally began as an unplanned outing by hundreds of costumed party-goers along the Cedar Springs strip. The outing gained recognition and eventually evolved into the annual event it is today.  Patrons, spectators and participants dress up and mingle along the strip, socializing and showing off their elaborately designed costumes.

The highlight of the event is an official costume contest where patrons have the opportunity to display their costumes as they walk down the catwalk on the Cedar Springs Strip.  Attendees can also enjoy a variety of food, drinks and live entertainment. Area businesses and night clubs will offer special events and costume contests for patrons.

“Visitors in town for Oak Lawn’s Halloween Street Party also have the opportunity to experience the ‘new’ Dallas, including our vibrant entertainment districts, the nation’s largest urban arts district, a thriving culinary scene and the best shopping in the Southwest U.S.,” said Jones.

The Oak Lawn Halloween Street Party is presented by Caven Enterprises and will take place on Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. at the 3900 block of Cedar Springs Rd., between Oak Lawn Ave. and Throckmorton St.  The event area will be gated and outside food and drinks will not be permitted. Admission to the event is free and patrons of all ages are welcome.

Dew the Boo

Looking for more Dallas thrills? The DFW Area Tourism Council has teamed up with Pepsi to bring you the Dew the Boo Halloween Pass. With this unique pass, you will have the opportunity to experience all types of terror-inspired thrills as you get to explore three fantastic haunts in North Texas. For more information on the Dew the Boo attractions pass, please visit www.dfwandbeyond.com/save.

The Turtle Creek Chorale (TCC), Dallas’ world-renowned male chorus, will kick off its 32nd concert season with “Messiah” on Oct. 23, 2011 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. This concert marks the Dallas debut of Ira M. (Trey) Jacobs III as the TCC Interim Conductor for the season.

Jacobs, a resident of Mobile, Ala. is a 20-year choral veteran and one of the most sought after clinicians in America.  After dedicating his life to music education and award-winning choral conducting, he is passionate about the belief that “music is a gift that binds people together.”

In the first half of “Messiah”, the Chorale will perform some of its finest and favorite pieces including, “We’re Not Lost, We’re Here”; the “Last Words of David and Majesty and Glory of his Name”.  To end the act, the Texas State University (TSU) Women’s Choir will join TCC on stage to perform Paul Bassler’s electrifying “Alleluia”.

“I remember how I felt the first time I heard the Chorale sing! You will experience that power in the opening moments of this concert,” said David Fisher, executive director of the Chorale.

In the second act, the Chorale will be joined on stage by the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Meadows School of the Arts Concert Choir, Dr. Pamela Elrod, conductor; the TSU Women’s Choir, Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer, conductor; and singers from over 50 Dallas-area faith institutions who are part of the 300+ voice Partners In Harmony mass choir. Also joining will be soloists Jammieca Mott, soprano; Augustine Mercante, countertenor; Aaron Blake, tenor; and David Grogan, bass.

The Partners In Harmony massed choir will perform selections from Handel’s masterwork, “Messiah”. Past performances of the Partners In Harmony massed choir have included Mozart’s “Requiem” and John Rutter’s “Gloria”.

“Eight years ago, we created a program called Partners In Harmony where Dallas-based religious organizations were encouraged to affirm our belief that all people are created equal,” said Rev. Dawson Taylor, chair of the board of the TCC.

Today, there are more than 50 churches and two synagogues that have pledged support of this credo.

Accompanying the massed choir will be members of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. According to the organization’s president, Amy Adkins, the Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to partner with the Chorale on this program.

“It is going to be a grand event and we are honored to be a part of it,” Adkins explained.

The Partners In Harmony concert, “Messiah”, marks the beginning of the 32nd performance season. The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center will host all four TCC season concert performances. The remaining performances will be presented in December of 2011 and in March and May of 2012.

Tickets for this one-night only event range from $20-65 and may be purchased online at www.turtlecreek.org.