What an incredible start to the season! I look forward to The Dallas Opera‘s First Night event all year long: the fashion, the artistry, the after party, the red carpet…what’s not to love? I was particularly excited to see La Traviata at The Dallas Opera on this perfect Friday in October because it’s one of my favorite shows.

Thank you The Dallas Opera for hosting me!

The Fashion

People watching is one of the best reasons to go to the opera! First Night is especially fun because so many patrons are in fabulous formalwear. I opted for a simple floor-length red gown, beige heels with a sparkly bow, statement earrings, and a black and tan clutch.

My friend Rachel wore a fabulous magenta dress with sparkly high heels and a high pony tail.

Pro tip: plan to eat dinner in the Dallas Arts District so you can park at the Winspear early and take red carpet photos when you first arrive before it gets crowded. Though the carpet does look awfully magical after dark!

Dinner at La Stella Cucina Verace

Right across the street from the Winspear is La Stella Cucina Verace, a delicious Italian restaurant with live music and a luxurious atmosphere. I kicked things off with a sparkling lemon cocktail, the Italian 75. Our server brought us super soft bread with a delightful butter trio: basil pesto, white truffle, and something spicy. We were quite literally moaning over the white truffle butter.

This was my first time ordering the Mediterranean Branzino at La Stella and I may never order anything else. This has to be one of the top five best dishes in Dallas. It was melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. Succulent, perfectly cooked branzino was served with the most incredible lemon caper butter sauce and spinach. It’s a 10/10!

We also split the insalata mista, a light and lemony salad with exceptional shaved parmesan, and the U’Purp: chargrilled spanish octopus with crispy potatoes, olives, and lemon saffron aioli.

La Traviata

Sadly, we had no time for dessert and rushed back to the Winspear for the show. The excitement was palpable as we made our way into the lobby. We gasped when we discovered we had fifth row seats! If you’ve never seen La Traviata, it’s basically Moulin Rouge with sweeping operatic music you’re sure to recognize.

Yaritza Véliz commanded the stage with her enchanting performance as Violetta. She and Javier Camarena had fantastic chemistry on stage and their duets were nothing short of incredible.

Set and costume designer Christopher Oram did a phenomenal job. This might be one of the coolest turntable sets I’ve ever seen and The Dallas Opera used it to its full potential. One of my favorite moments was a couple kissing in an alleyway while the stage spun around. It’s those kinds of life-like details that really help immerse me in a story.

The entire company was in fine form for opening night. I especially loved that we got a little ballet in act three! What a treat.

The After Party

One of the perks of attending First Night is the after party. We had a blast dancing the night away and noshing on charcuterie cups. What a wonderful way to kick off the season!