52 Years: The Dallas Opera Finale at the Music Hall at Fair Park

I'm a little restless and I'm having difficulty falling asleep, even after the celbratory champagne and cuba libres.

After 52 years, the Dallas Opera is no longer performing at the Music Hall at Fair Park, pictured above. Tonight we closed the 2009 run of "L'Italiana in Algeri" (Italian Girl in Algiers). Interestingly, this was also the first opera performed by the Dallas Civic Opera all those years ago.

My journey with the company began in 1999 with performances of "La Clemenzo di Tito" and has now included more than 40 productions with the them; making my solo debut in 2000 with the controversial "Wozzeck" by Alban Berg.

But tonight was not so much a collection of memories of what has been. It was a sponge-like effort to observe the formidable amount of Capra-esque qualities of the night that seem to lurk around every corner. Probably never again will I look out over the hall during a performance and see the faces of the 1000's in attendance looking up at us as we sing. It is a sobering thought. Not as a finality--but as a nostalgic step towards the new Winspear Opera House; the vision of Bill Winspear.

At the conclusion of the show and subsequent cast bows, Maestro Graeme Jenkins took a microphone and uttered a few lines regarding the history of the place, and beckoned the great singers of the past to move along with us to the Winspear.The culmination of this public portion of events was the invitation for everyone present to link hands and sing Robert Burns' Auld Lang Syne:

"Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old times since ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne."

It was quite a poignant moment to hear the audience - a packed house seating 3400 -- join us in song; throaty, hearty voices joining in a historic moment.

After the bevy of cast hugs, kudos and photos were taken on stage, the festivities moved to backstage for a champagne toast and word of thanks from the President of the Dallas Opera, Dr. Kern Wildenthal. The backstage festivites lasted easily another 45 minutes as more photos were taken, company members not in this production joined in, drinks were had; and general merriment washed over the hall. It seemed almost like the last day of school when everyone signs yearbooks and the seniors look at the halls of the school they have come to rule. For us the yearbooks were actually season posters and the seniors were the company members.

History has unfolded a little more tonight. And it shall not be easily forgot.

The Dallas Opera opens the 2009-2010 season in The Winspear Opera House, below, with "Othello".