Fort Worth: Fort Worth Opera Presents Scalia/Ginsburg at Ridglea Theater (Nov 13)
November 13 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$50
Fort Worth Opera brings Derrick Wang’s “Scalia/Ginsburg” to the historic Ridglea Theater for a two-night run beginning Friday, November 13, with tickets starting at $50.
“Scalia/Ginsburg” is a comic one-act opera imagining a fantastical trial pitting the late Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg against each other over their opposing views of the U.S. Constitution — a real friendship between two ideological opposites turned into operatic argument, complete with coloratura vocal writing that mirrors the Justices’ own combative, often funny dissents and opinions. Composer Derrick Wang built the libretto directly from the two Justices’ actual writings and speeches, and the opera has been performed at opera houses and law schools alike since its 2015 premiere at the Castleton Festival.
The Ridglea Theater has watched over Camp Bowie Boulevard on Fort Worth’s west side since 1950, its 70-foot Spanish Mission-style tower visible for blocks. Built as a movie palace and passed through the Interstate and Cinemark chains before closing in 2011, the theater was restored by local entrepreneur Jerry Shults and reopened in 2012 with its original terrazzo compass-rose floor and Eugene Gilboe mural intact, alongside a modern sound system. Depending on configuration, the room holds anywhere from around 700 seated guests to roughly 1,200 standing. Read more on its Texas Music Map venue page. The Ridglea’s calendar mixes concerts, screenings, and private events, so showtimes vary week to week.
Get tickets for Scalia/Ginsburg at the Ridglea Theater
Fort Worth Opera has increasingly staged smaller, more contemporary works in non-traditional rooms like the Ridglea rather than only its main-stage venues, and this two-night run gives the historic movie-palace stage a rare turn as an opera house.
Doors typically open about an hour ahead of the 7:30 PM curtain; a second performance follows the next night, Saturday, November 14.