The Dallas Opera Announces the OH, SAY, CAN YOU SING? National Anthem Competition

Just in time for the 200th Anniversary of "The Star-Spangled Banner," The Dallas Opera is thrilled to announce a brand-new competition designed to encourage the inner opera diva - or divo - in you! The "Oh, Say, Can You Sing?" National Anthem Competition™ offers men, women and children the opportunity to compete - via YouTube submissions - for the unique chance to bring down the house at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The winner, who must be available on Friday, April 11, 2014, will make a live appearance at the stadium to sing the national anthem - a cappella - prior to that evening's performance of Rossini's 1816 masterpiece, The Barber of Seville at 7:30 p.m.

Children above the age of nine (with the consent of a parent or guardian) are permitted to compete but must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

WHO CAN ENTER:

Any singer above the age of nine (minors, with the consent of a parent or guardian), male or female, who can be present at AT&T Stadium in Arlington the evening of April 11, 2014 to sing before a live audience. Knowledge of the U.S. National Anthem is mandatory.

HOW TO ENTER:

Create a video of yourself or someone else singing the national anthem without music (a cappella) and post it to YouTube or Vimeo. Then, go to dallasopera.org/simulcast and grant the Dallas Opera permission to share it internally and, potentially, with the general public for voting purposes.

WHEN TO ENTER:

Submissions for the "Oh, Say Can You Sing?" National Anthem Competition must be submitted todallasopera.org/simulcast by March 28th. Finalists will be selected by the Dallas Opera Senior Staff and professional music educators. The winner will be chosen by popular vote (one vote per person) ending at 11:50 p.m. on April 6, 2014 and announced by Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny on WFAA Television's "News 8 Midday" on April 9th.

WHERE TO ENTER:

Once your YouTube, Vimeo or online audition is posted, apply by filling out the form atdallasopera.org/simulcast. Please include the competitor's complete name, address, telephone number, and date of birth (so we get the basic things right when we announce you as the WINNER!) Be prepared to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" amplified but without accompaniment (a cappella) on the evening of Friday, April 11, 2014 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.

The Dallas Opera's April 11th AT&T Stadium Simulcast of The Barber of Seville is presented by The Dallas Foundation with additional support from the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m., followed at 7:00 with the world's largest screening of the Warner Brothers Classics cartoon "Rabbit of Seville," a 1950 Chuck Jones masterpiece starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. One lucky and talented singer will regale the simulcast audience on the gigantic stadium screens with an amplified, unaccompanied performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The Dallas Opera's Barber, produced with generous support from TACA, will star Dallas Opera favorite Nathan Gunn in the title role, with acclaimed mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (courtesy of The Charron and Peter Denker Rising Stars Endowment Fund) as Rosina, lyric tenor Alek Shrader as love-struck Count Almaviva, the inimitable Donato DiStefano as Dr. Bartolo and Turkish bassBurak Bilgili as Don Basilio in this all-star ensemble cast.

Free general admission tickets for the April 11th AT&T Stadium Simulcast (with a convenient print-at-home option) can be obtained through the Dallas Opera website at www.dallasopera.org/simulcast.

"It's been a personal goal of mine to engage remarkable world-class artists to create an unforgettable entertainment experience for people from all walks of life," commented Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, "and nothing does this better than opera-a spectacular art form made even more so when viewed on the largest high-definition screens in the country.

"The Dallas Opera is deeply honored that The Dallas Foundation is presenting this event for a third consecutive year and we are equally grateful for the generosity of the Jones Family, who encouraged this extraordinary collaboration with the Cowboys organization from the moment we made our dream known to them.

"I am also very pleased that the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation is providing additional support for this year's stadium simulcast and I hope that the centralized location of AT&T Stadium will-once again-prove to be an irresistible magnet," Mr. Cerny added.

"With free parking, a classic cartoon and a wonderful new singing competition, a wear-what-you-want dress code, world-class performances, on-screen English language supertitles and plenty of available concessions-this night will continue to redefine 21stcentury opera as a genuinely exciting and user-friendly entertainment experience."

And what could be more "user friendly" than Gioachino Rossini's wildest and most popular romp? Disguises and false identities abound as men-young and old-vie for the hand of the beautiful Rosina in one of the funniest and most frenetic operas ever composed!

The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 9th on WFAA Television's noon-hour program, "News 8 Midday."

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