What a night! Romeo & Juliet at The Dallas Opera was positively sensational. I can’t even imagine someone watching this production and not falling in love with opera; it was everything I want an opera to be! You even get a bit of ballet in the beginning, which was a welcome surprise.

The Fashion

I paired my favorite comfy tulip-shaped strapless black dress from J.Crew with my sparkly star capelet from Denova Active and felt like a million bucks. I opted for strappy black sandals and a black velvet bow clutch. My friend Kenya always looks like a vision! She went Barbie pink with fabulous jeweled earrings and the most eye-catching floral heels.

The Dinner

It wouldn’t be Dinner & a Show without mentioning dinner! For the first time ever I opted for the Skyline Terrace buffet upstairs at the Winspear Opera House. The menu changes seasonally and on this particular night, we ate a delicious Asian salad with edamame, mandarin oranges, and sesame vinaigrette, ahi tuna, super soft rolls, tender Hawaiian steak with grilled pineapple, whipped wasabi mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, and chocolate cake. At only $35, it was a heck of a deal and the food was delicious!

The Show

Though I’m extremely well acquainted with the Shakespeare story – check out my Romeo & Juliet-inspired dinner here – I had never seen the opera before last night. Romeo & Juliet the opera originally premiered in 1867 in Paris, France and follows the exact same story we all know and love, though is perhaps a bit easier to follow than the play and the music is lovely. The Dallas Opera’s exceptional cast played it as more of a romantic comedy than a tragedy, which I absolutely loved.

Golda Schultz lit up the stage as Juliet. I swear, she’s the best Juliet I’ve ever seen. She brought a light-hearted playfulness to to a normally rather naive and frankly dull character. Not Golda’s Juliet! She pranced around stage bursting with personality and a voice that could move you to tears. Her cheeky performance and iconic voice was reminiscent of a Disney princess, Sleeping Beauty perhaps.

Fitting, since tenor Long Long played Romeo as Prince Charming with a hint of Hamlet. His death scene was a real treat! I loved the deadly fight scene between Romeo and Tybalt, which had such energy and excitement; the two played off each other beautifully. The audience gasped, despite every Shakespeare fan already knowing Tybalt was doomed.