Fort Worth Opera Dazzles Guests At Its Annual Dinner With The Stars Gala
In Anticipation of The Opera's 79th Season, Intimate Performances Made This One Night to Remember
BY Courtney Dabney // 10.15.24
Victor Ryan Robertson gives opera fans a taste of what's in store this season. (Photo by Forever Photography)
The Fort Worth Opera hosted its annual Gala on September 24 at The Fort Worth Club. It was a chance for opera lovers and patrons to whet their appetite for the upcoming season, which debuts in November. At Dinner With The Stars, local supporters were treated to cocktails, dinner, as well as some very intimate performances by the stars themselves.
The evening furthered the opera’s mission to enrich the cultural life of Fort Worth and beyond through the high-quality performances by its resident artists and educational programs. The Fort Worth Opera is, after all, all about developing emerging artists and cultivating new opera enthusiasts.
Guests were serenaded during a cocktail reception by Resident Artists Hannah Madeleine Goodman and Mariam Mouawad, with Music Director Emeritus Joe Illick on piano. Cocktail hour was followed by a sit-down dinner of pesto chicken with creamy risotto and au jus. And the triple chocolate decadence flourless cake wasn’t the only dessert they had in store.
The opera’s director, Angela Turner Wilson, welcomed guests before Emily Pulley performed as Julia Child, whipping up a little something in the staged kitchen as she performed Bon Appétit. Then, Victor Ryan Robertson, who will star as Prince Charming in this season’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella), had a few surprises of his own.
What’s In Store For Opera-Goers This Season
Fort Worth Opera’s 79th season will feature two mainstage productions. The first will be a heartwarming adaptation of Mark Adamo’s Little Women at the W. E. Scott Theatre this fall. It debuts on November 22 and 24.
It will be followed by Gioachino Rossini’s comic masterpiece, La Cenerentola, next spring. Cinderella will be performed at Bass Hall on April 25 and 27.
Other highlights of the 2024-2025 season include a holiday-themed Wintersong at Fort Worth Presbyterian Church on December 14, as well as Amahl and the Night Visitors at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens Lecture Hall on December 20 and 21.
The new year brings Elixir of Love showcasing the Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artists at I.M. Terrell’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Academy on Jan 18 and 19. Then, opera fans will welcome vocalists from around the country to the prestigious biennial McCammon Competition on March 23, 2025.
There’s a lot to look forward to in the opera world.
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