The Dallas Opera is just days away from the premiere of its 2009 - 2010 season in its new home at the Winspear Opera House.
While crews work to complete the venue, people are working around the clock getting everything ready for the opera's production of Otello.
The costumes just arrived at the Dallas Costume shop from Slovenia. Designers custom made each one specifically to measure for each chorister.
"We're going through a process where we go through every single person and we make sure those things look absolutely perfect," said production and set designer Anthony Baker.
Every person involved with the productions excited about the season.
"Not only are we moving into our beautiful new home in the Winspear Opera House, but we're opening the season with a brand new production of Otello, which is one of Verdi's masterpieces," said Jennifer Schuder, Marketing Director for the Dallas Opera. Otello is based on William Shakespeare's drama.
Baker is the mastermind behind the nearly one hundred costumes and the set.
"This is the time when you're seeing the things that have been in your head for a long time actually realized and it's at this stage when you really hope that your reaction is not, oh my god why did i decide to do that? But your reaction is actually, no that was the right decision and that's going to work very well," said Baker.
Otello premieres October 23rd at the Winspear Opera House. The new venue is part of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts which is still under construction.
The design is based on a european-style opera house. All of the seats are no more than 90 feet away from the stage, giving the audience an intimate look at each production.
"Once you're in the building, you can enjoy the building for the building's sake, but once the curtain goes up on this production, my job is to help you understand and to tell this story of Otello as clearly as possible" says Baker. "I think you're going to have one of the most stunning opera houses in the United States."
Tickets are on sale for Otello starting at $75 through the Dallas Opera's website.
