Dallas, TX
Dallas Opera announces 2024-25 season
Two classics never before performed by the Dallas Opera will headline the company’s 2024-25 season. Debussy’s Pelleas and Melisande and Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orpheus and Euridice will be bookended by the standard rep Verdi La traviata and Puccini’s La bohème. The company again is sticking to only four mainstage productions, although this concentration of resources has been yielding particularly fine performances.
The season also will include a People’s Choice concert, a concert featuring participants in the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, the Titus Family Recital with baritone Christian Gerhaher, two family operas (The Three Little Pigs and Pépito) and the Lone Star Vocal Competition.
(The announcement Anglicizes the titles of Pelléas et Mélisande and Orfeo ed Euridice, but not those of the Verdi and Puccini favorites. All four operas will be sung in their original languages, with projected English supertitles.)
Dreamy and mysterious, set in and around an old castle, Debussy’s opera is about an elusive but magnetic young woman, Melisande, who’s torn between two brothers, Golaud and Pelleas. Sensuous music captures the ambiguities of symbolist poet Maurice Maeterlinck’s libretto.
Baritone Benjamin Appl, whose performance of Schubert’s song cycle Die Winterreise in the Titus Family recital series was one of the musical highlights of 2022, will sing the part of Pelleas, with soprano Lauren Snouffer as Melisande and bass Nicolas Courjal as Golaud.
A co-production with Bavarian State Opera will be conducted by Ludovic Morlot.
Told by Virgil and Ovid, the legend of the doomed lovers Orpheus and Euridice has been adapted by poets, novelists, dramatists, filmmakers, composers and choreographers. Coming after the complicated plots and florid vocalism of baroque operas, Gluck’s original 1762 version, in Italian, was revolutionary in its directness. He later produced a considerably revised French version, but the opera will be performed here in the Italian original.
Music director Emmanuel Villaume will conduct a production designed and staged by Joachim Schamberger with countertenor Hugh Cutting as Orpheus, soprano Madison Leonard as Euridice and soprano Amber Norelai as Amore.
Villaume also will conduct La bohème in a revival of the company’s period production directed by Tomer Zvulun. Debuts will include Sylvia D’Eramo as Mimi, Bekhzod Davronov as Rodolfo, Takaoki Onishi as Marcello and Emily Pogorelc as Musetta.
La traviata will be presented in a co-production with Santa Fe Opera, directed by Louisa Muller, with Yaritza Véliz as Violetta, Xabier Anduaga as Alfredo and Alfredo Daza as Germont. Iván López Reynoso will conduct.
Here’s the schedule:
People’s Choice concert: Oct. 5
La traviata: Oct. 18, 20 (matinee), 23, 26 and 27 (matinee)
Pelleas and Melisande: Nov. 8, 10 (matinee), 13 and 16
Hart Institute Showcase Concert: Jan. 25, 2025
Christian Gerhaher Titus Family Recital: Jan. 26
Orpheus and Euridice: Feb. 7, 9 (matinee), 12 and 15
Lone Star Vocal Competition: March 7
La bohème: Feb. 28 and 2 (matinee), March 5, 8 and 9 (matinee)
Subscriptions are on sale now, with confirmed seating for new subscribers starting May 24. Single tickets go on sale July 22. The final matinee performances of La traviata and La bohème will be available only to single-ticket buyers. For information: 214-443-1000, dallasopera.org.

Dallas, TX
Dallas recycling plant fire sends thick smoke into the air

DALLAS – Dallas firefighters put out a large fire at a recycling facility that sent thick black smoke into the air on Sunday.
Dallas recycling plant fire
What we know:
Dallas Fire-Rescue was called to the Cham Star Recycling facility on Singleton Boulevard shortly before 4 p.m.
Firefighters saw lots of flames and smoke coming from the area behind the facility.
The flames were put out, but as of 6:30 p.m. there were still several hot spots that firefighters were working to extinguish.
DFR says most of what was burned was pallets holding paper materials.
There were no injuries reported.
DFR’s HazMat team was called to the area as a precaution, but no hazardous materials were involved.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Dallas Fire-Rescue.
Dallas, TX
Listen: Tre Nagella releases Sonic ID to represent Dallas in 2026 FIFA World Cup

How would you give a well-known tune heard by millions around the world a distinctive Dallas sound?
How about incorporating a bit of country rhythm with dobro chords and entrusting the mission to a thriving local producer who has won four Grammys?
Meet Tre Nagella, the creator of the FIFA 2026 Official World Cup Sonic ID for the Dallas venue.
A Sonic ID is a combination of sound and music that brands and corporations use to establish instant recognition among the public.
Essentially, a Sonic ID is an auditory logo.
FIFA, the international soccer governing body, uses the Sonic ID to open and close each World Cup match broadcast. Television networks also use it before and after commercial breaks.
The Dallas Sonic ID will be unveiled during the first quarter of Sunday’s Mavericks game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“My goal was to take that theme and somehow incorporate other musical elements to better represent the city of Dallas,” Nagella said while playing the theme in his Addison production studios.
The 1:57-long Sonic ID has enough elements to distinguish itself from the other 15 Sonic IDs each World Cup host city prepared.
FIFA imposed certain constraints, such as not changing the tempo of the track because they had timed things out for broadcast and promos.
This is the first time FIFA will have city-specific Sonic IDs so that each city can put its stamp on the World Cup.
Nagella incorporated a country-style sound, but to avoid any confusion or comparison with Nashville, and to have a sound representative of Texas, the producer used acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and the dobro, a guitar-like instrument more native to the South.
“I didn’t want it to be too cliche and just be all country. Dallas has a big urban scene. We have a lot of hip-hop. We have a lot of gospel music. So I wanted to incorporate some urban elements as well,” Nagella said.
The World Cup, to be played in the summer of 2026, will be the first in history with 48 national teams competing in 104 matches.
Nagella took care of every detail in his production, recreating the most important and dramatic elements surrounding a soccer match.
Nagella’s creative production includes the clamor of fans in a stadium chanting a goal, the ticking clock signaling the passage of time, and the effects of the players’ panting breaths.
“There are a lot of elements to this that most people probably wouldn’t pick up right away. I literally use sound effects that aren’t musical at all and just put a big stadium full of people here,” said Nagella, 45.
Nagella, born and raised in Dallas, had a passion for music since he was 12 when he started playing guitar in school.
His love for music led him to study at Full Sail University — Music Production College in Orlando.
Producing gospel music for Kirk Franklin opened the door to a career that has led him to work alongside other major stars, such as Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott, Aaron Lazar, Blake Shelton, Lady Gaga and many others.
Nagella and Paul Loomis co-own Luminous Sound Studios, a 6,500-square-foot facility with three state-of-the-art studios and a two-story tracking room.
“Besides technology, you need talent to produce music,” said Nagella, who describes himself as a mix of musician, producer, mixer, and sound engineer.
“Even with all the advanced technology, the song’s melody and heart and soul still have to come from a human. You still have to be creative, and the computer can’t make it for you. There’s a reason why we still listen to songs that are old,” Nagella said.
Nagella said his most exciting moments as a music producer have come when he feels like he’s created something magical in a studio.
The FIFA 2026 Official World Cup theme is one of those moments.
“I put a lot of thought into best representing our city,” Nagella said.
“When people around the world hear the theme, the first thing they’ll think of is Dallas, that’s exciting.”
Find more FC Dallas coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Dallas, TX
NBA Offseason Rumors: Dallas Mavericks could sign $203 million Charlotte Hornets superstar to bolster Championship hopes; stable replacement for Luka Doncic? | NBA News – The Times of India

The Dallas Mavericks are facing a critical offseason after a disastrous season marred by injuries and underwhelming performances. With star player Luka Doncic carrying a heavy load, the franchise is reportedly considering a bold move to reshape its roster. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Mavericks could target Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball as a potential replacement for Kyrie Irving, who recently suffered a torn ACL.
“The Mavericks must decide about Irving, who recently tore his ACL. Can the franchise afford to wait for him? Will he be his usual self early in the year, or will he need more than a year to return to form? They ‘probably’ do, but pivoting to a younger scoring point guard like LaMelo Ball could be a radical but viable alternative,” Pincus wrote. Ball, a 23-year-old rising superstar, is seen as a dynamic playmaker who could complement Doncic and inject new energy into the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup.

LaMelo Ball (Image via Getty)
Irving’s injury has left Dallas with tough decisions. If the team opts to trade him, they could package him with other assets to acquire LaMelo Ball. Alternatively, the Mavericks might offer players like Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Caleb Martin, along with future first-round draft picks, to entice the Hornets. Gafford, a reliable center, and Washington, a versatile forward, could be valuable pieces for Charlotte, while Dallas would gain a young, high-ceiling guard in Ball.
The Dallas Mavericks are also keen on retaining promising young center Dereck Lively II, who has shown flashes of potential. However, the team’s immediate focus is on addressing their backcourt issues and finding a long-term solution to support Doncic. A trade for Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball would signal a shift toward building a younger, more dynamic core.
Also read: NBA Offseason Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers looking to bag $179,299,750 Denver Nuggets superstar to bolster roster; perfect fit for Luka-LeBron duo?
This offseason is pivotal for the Dallas Mavericks. After a season derailed by injuries and questionable roster moves, the franchise must make strategic decisions to return to championship contention. Whether they pursue Ball or explore other options, the goal remains clear: to bring optimism back to their fan base and position themselves as serious contenders in the Western Conference. The clock is ticking for Dallas to make the right moves and turn the page on a disappointing chapter.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
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