For the first time since 2019, the Texas Ballet Theater company will be dazzling audiences by dancing to live music in its upcoming rendition of Ben Stevenson’s acclaimed Dracula.
The Fort-Worth-based company will be performing this spectacle inspired by Bram Stoker’s timeless novel at two different venues.
Dallas’ Winspear Opera House at 2403 Flora St. will host the performance in collaboration with the Dallas Opera Orchestra from September 15 to 17.
Next, it will run without live orchestration at Fort Worth’s Bass Performance Hall at 525 Commerce St. from October 6 to 8.
“Enter the terrifying domain of the legendary vampire whose insatiable bloodlust wrecks horror and destruction on his unwitting victims,” the Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) website teases.
The troupe last incorporated live orchestration in its production of The Sleeping Beauty, which similarly featured the Dallas Opera Orchestra.
Dracula’s score is an assemblage of the 19th-century Hungarian composer Franz Liszt’s pieces. Liszt’s gothic works offer a dramatic musical backdrop to the captivating visuals on stage created by intricate sets, vibrant costumes, and gripping special effects, including pyrotechnics and flying.
Expect goosebumps when one sequence brings 18 of Dracula’s brides to dance across the stage.
“I am thrilled TBT is opening our season with Artistic Director Laureate Ben Stevenson’s Dracula. This is one of Ben’s best ballets and a must-see production,” TBT Artistic Director Tim O’Keefe said in a press release.
O’Keefe was actually the lead when Dracula was first showcased in 1997 to mark the 100th anniversary of Stoker’s gripping tale. This ballet has been delighting mature audiences ever since.
“Having danced in the original production, I look forward to working with Ben on restaging and coaching our dancers in bringing this classically beautiful and eerie ballet to the stage,” added O’Keefe.
Dracula was last produced by TBT back in 2015.
Tickets to this year’s show range from about $20 to $125.
Season packages are available for those looking to experience other productions — like The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast — slated for this season while taking advantage of several perks, such as flexible booking.