BROADWAY DALLAS AND DALLAS ISD ANNOUNCE DISTRICT-WIDE EDUCATION PROGRAM THEMED TO HADESTOWN

Posted on October 24th, 2024

Broadway Dallas and Dallas Independent School District
announce groundbreaking district-wide
STEAM education program
themed to touring Broadway musical HADESTOWN

3,400 Dallas ISD theater students and teachers to participate in bespoke in-classroom STEAM-based curriculum and attend a dedicated performance of HADESTOWN during its Dallas engagement

The Addy Foundation, a major sponsor of the program since its inception, continues its multi-year partnership, with additional support from the Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, H-E-B/Central Market, Texas Counter Fitters, Galleria Dallas and more

Dallas, TX (October 24, 2024) – Broadway Dallas, Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) and a consortium of generous underwriters announced today a district-wide STEAM education program themed around the Broadway musical HADESTOWN.

Over the course of multiple weeks, 3,400 theatre students and teachers from 26 Dallas ISD High Schools will participate in specially created curriculum that relates to the production. As part of the lesson plan, all the participating students and teachers will attend a dedicated performance of HADESTOWN at the Music Hall at Fair Park, where the show will play from February 25 – March 2, 2025.

The program was borne of a growing partnership between Broadway Dallas and Dallas ISD, which strives to provide students with access to “the spirit of Broadway” through a wide array of programs and initiatives. This program has previously centered around the national tours of HAMILTON, AIN’T TOO PROUD – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS, and BEETLEJUICE.

This year, the curriculum was developed to prepare students for college and 21st-century careers and includes a sequence of lesson plans where students will learn the art and science of costume design. Students will utilize algebra and geometry to construct creative iterations of the New Orleans inspired HADESTOWN costumes.

“At Broadway Dallas we believe in the power of live theater and the positive impact it can have on students in our community,” said Ken Novice, President and CEO of Broadway Dallas. “Through this program and its exposure to theater industry work, students will learn various career and life skills that they can apply in their future endeavors.”

“The arts provide a platform for self-expression and an appreciation of the world’s aesthetics, while STEAM education seamlessly combines science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics,” said Dr. Michele Broughton, Deputy Chief of Academic Services for Dallas ISD. “In the Dallas ISD, we believe that through the integration of these disciplines, students are empowered to develop essential critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration skills. Dallas ISD is committed to prioritizing the delivery of exceptional arts experiences, such as offering theater arts students from 26 high schools the opportunity to witness the musical HADESTOWN. We are appreciative of organizations like Broadway Dallas that allow us to adequately expose students to an integrated STEAM curriculum, the arts, and prepare them for higher education and future careers.”

Additional project funding is being provided by corporate, foundation, and individual donors supporting Broadway Dallas Education: On Stage, In Classrooms and Throughout the Community, and its Give A Kid A Seat Campaign.

About HADESTOWN
HADESTOWN is the most honored show of the 2018-2019 Broadway season. In addition to the show’s eight Tony Awards®, it has been honored with four Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

The acclaimed new musical is by celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award® winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with original director and Tony Award® winner Rachel Chavkin. HADESTOWN marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat.

The show opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway (219 West 48th Street, New York) on April 17, 2019, where it played sold out houses nightly before performances were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HADESTOWN resumed performances September 2, 2021 as one of the first musicals to reopen on Broadway where it continues to play today.

The show originated as Mitchell’s indie theater project that toured Vermont which she then turned into an acclaimed album. With Chavkin, her artistic collaborator, HADESTOWN has been transformed into a genre-defying new musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale.

Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — HADESTOWN invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers, HADESTOWN delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.

About Broadway Dallas
In 2022, Dallas Summer Musicals changed its name to Broadway Dallas. Since 1941, the non-profit Broadway Dallas has presented the Best of Broadway to North Texas audiences. Located in the historic Music Hall at Fair Park, Broadway Dallas promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through education and community outreach programs, while enriching the cultural landscape of North Texas and the Southwest Region.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Broadway Dallas relies on a variety of funding sources to offer affordable ticket prices, preserve the beautiful historic theatre, educate young audiences and develop impactful community programs.

Broadway Dallas gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors, American Airlines and Texas Instruments, as well as our annual fund donors and corporate partners. For more information about Broadway Dallas, visit our website at BroadwayDallas.org.

About Dallas ISD
The Dallas Independent School District sits in the heart of a large, diverse and dynamic region with a metropolitan population of 6.5 million people in the 12 counties in North Central Texas. Dallas ISD comprises 384 square miles and encompasses the cities of Dallas, Cockrell Hill, Seagoville, Addison, Wilmer, Hutchins and parts of Carrollton, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Garland, Highland Park, Lancaster, Mesquite, Balch Springs, and Combine. The district is the second-largest public school district in the state and the 16th-largest in the nation.

We are proud of our award-winning schools, outstanding teachers and staff, committed parents and volunteers who comprise the dedicated team that serves approximately 145,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, in 230 schools, served by 22,000 dedicated professionals.

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