Good afternoon everyone!

Though CATCH ME IF YOU CAN has come and gone,  I couldn’t help but share this story with you.

I received an email from one of our awesome DSM Subscribers about her REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE with the REAL FRANK ABAGNALE, JR.! (For her protection, I have not listed her name.) A special thank you to her for sharing this story with us!

My husband and I were in SHOCK and AWE over how much we enjoyed this musical!  For our anniversary, my husband told me he would take me to see “Catch Me If You Can,” since he knew I have a direct connection to the play.  I was one of the co-eds Frank Abagnale “interviewed” back in the early 70s on the campus of Arizona State University.  He had posted flyers on campus that Pan Am was interviewing for stewardesses.  I set up an appointment, and met Frank in one of the buildings on campus for the interview.  When I found out I was going to go for an interview on campus, I contacted Pan Am and requested an official stewardess application, so I could go to my interview looking very professional.  Pan Am mailed the application to me, and I brought it to my interview all filled out with a picture attached.  The “captain” who interviewed me, (Frank), seemed VERY concerned as to WHERE I got this application form.  I remember that I thought it odd that his focus was on my application form, and NOT what my qualifications were.  I must have convinced him that my getting the form was pretty innocent. Not long after the interview, he called to tell me I had gotten the job.  I was so excited, and told my family and friends right away.  Frank came over to my dorm to give me the news directly, then asked me for dinner. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and khakis, which I also thought was a little odd.  I had prior commitments, and couldn’t go out, but he said he’d be back in touch.  Since in my mind I was going to be a stewardess, I kept contacting Pan Am to ask when and where I should report.  I kept getting the “run around,” and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get a straight answer.  I finally got a letter from Pan Am about the fraud, and that Frank had been caught in Marietta, GA.  I was SO disappointed, and never did become a stewardess after all that!  My mom and I were flabbergasted when the book came out with the full story, (even though the book says the interviews were at the U. of AZ, instead of A.S.U.) I can’t help but think what would have happened to me if I had agreed to go to that dinner with him!!! WOW…I was that close!

Hope you enjoyed her story as much as I did!

Have a wonderful day!

-DSM Amanda

Hey DSM Fans!

We are SO excited!  Last week Dallas Summer Musicals launched their STUDENT RUSH program, finally making it affordable for STUDENTS to see some of DSM’s 2013 shows!  One hour before the show, anyone with a valid student ID can purchase the best available seating for ONLY $25!  Students: this means there’s a chance YOU could snag a great seat -front and center- for a fraction of the price…  It’s totally worth it!

STUDENT RUSH will be offered at select performances, so Like Us On Facebook to know when you’ll be able to take advantage of this sweet deal.

• Tickets available 1 hour before performance – 6:30pm evenings / 12:30pm matinees
• $25 tickets – best available at time of purchase – first come first served
• Present valid student ID at time of purchase for maximum of 2 tickets **PLEASE NOTE: For the 2015 Season and going forward, Student Rush is only 1 ticket per valid ID.**
• Only available with certain DSM shows at select performances
• Parking is FREE when you park on Fair Park grounds

   TONIGHT IS THE LAST STUDENT RUSH FOR      CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

Students, we hope to see you at The Music Hall at Fair Park soon!

(Follow @dsmusicals on Twitter & Instagram too!) 

-DSM Haley

Hey DSM Fans!

 Growing up, theatre was the last thing on my mind.  I’m one of three boys so I spent my time roughhousing with my brothers and playing sports. Needless to say, there were no showtunes playing in my house.  I wasn’t introduced to musical theatre until my junior year of high school when I saw WICKED in New York City.  Going into WICKED I had no idea what I was embarking on, and by the end of the show I was blown away by the intricate set, familiar story line and especially the musical talent.  To be honest, I was shocked that I enjoyed the experience as much as I did.  From then on I was a little more open to the idea of musical theatre.

 On my very first day at DSM I was asked to make some calls regarding ticket sales for MEMPHIS the musical.  Before that day, I had never even heard of MEMPHIS and I definitely had no idea how much it would impact my life.  I saw the show opening night and I was blown away once again by the impeccable dancing, the authentic sets and most importantly the charm and talent of the leading actress. I went home that night and just had to buy the entire soundtrack. Two days later I saw the show again, twice in one day, and by the end of that night I knew all the words to each song. When the show came back to Ft. Worth earlier this month I went and saw it again, I think obsessed was an understatement at that moment for me. This was the way I felt when I saw CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. I went in not knowing what to expect and left the show wanting more.

Me with Bryan Fenkart (Huey) from Memphis the Musical.

 We are in the middle of our second week of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and I highly recommend coming to see the show!  It’s a show that everyone can love and appreciate. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is smart, clever and without a doubt the most fun you will have all year. Broadway has finally established a show that men of all ages can take pleasure in and maybe by the end of the show, you will see your life in living color.

 So remember not to let the words “musical theatre” scare you. If I hadn’t taken a risk seeing WICKED, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today and working in this industry. I am still that guy’s guy who is obsessed with sports, but there will always be a place in my heart for musical theatre. Let’s just say I have been “changed for the better”.

 -DSM Luke

“…on my very first flight I was stuck in Sydney for 5 days.  They put us up in a really nice hotel, gave us a per diem in the currency of the country and said, ‘As long as you’re in uniform 5 days from now, you can do whatever you want!’”                                                                            -Pat Smith

Hey DSM Fans!

In 1963, a very ambitious 22-year-old Pat Smith took a pilot’s advice and applied to work for an international airline.  She got the job, and for 3 years Pat circled the globe living the notoriously glamourous life of a 1960s Pan Am flight attendant!  Luke and I were thrilled that Pat was willing to answer some of our questions, and with CATCH ME IF YOU CAN opening on Tuesday (2/12), the timing was perfect!

Pat Smith – Tokyo – 1963

How old were you when you became a Pan Am flight attendant?

I was 22 years of age, 2 weeks out of graduating from the University of Oregon.  It was 1963.

What made you decide to apply for the job?

First of all, my dad was in real estate in California and he was selling beautiful lots right outside of San Francisco with a group of Pan Am pilots.  In my senior year at school I had met a bunch of these pilots and they encouraged me to join Pan Am. I was not familiar with it but they told me you fly internationally and it just kind of sounded terribly exciting to me! So that’s how I was introduced to it. I Interviewed and was accepted, and then unbeknownst to me there were 5 other girls from the University of Oregon that were accepted with Pan Am and we all became roommates in San Francisco.

What was Pan Am’s training program like?

We had to have a foreign language. I spoke French so I passed that test. For me, the toughest thing was the swimming test.  Even though I could swim, I’ve always been afraid of water, and the application questionnaire asked if you could swim, so I said yes, not realizing that part of the training was jumping in a large Olympic sized pool to prove it! So all 30 of the people jumped in the pool except for me. I’m still standing on the side of the pool thinking, ‘how bad do I really wanna do this??’ So I didn’t dive in, I gently climbed in and did the sidestroke to the other end of the pool. 

We also practiced with life rafts, we did customer relations, we had the white gloves and silver trays, we were told never to take a silver coffee pot out into the isle without having it on a silver tray with cream and sugar on the tray. And in 1^st class we cooked! I mean, we literally cooked. And that was hard because it was like a 7 course meal. They’d start off with a beautiful fish course, they’d have caviar, a salad course, the roast with vegetables, and then cherries jubilee.  One of my biggest nightmares was when I forgot to take the ice cream out of the dry ice and it was hard as a rock.  It was easy to forget when you’d have 20-25 people in first class and you’re preparing food for all of them.

Did you fly with the girls you were living with?  

A couple of times, but very rarely because we were junior. I don’t know if you saw the Pan Am series where those girls all flew together, but it wasn’t like that. Pan Am hired a majority of their flight attendants outside of the U.S. because they had to speak the language fluently to operate a foreign flight carrier. They hired a lot of French, German, Japanese, and Chinese gals – they’d hire a lot of Icelandic gals because they were so multilingual, which I thought was interesting. So in most cases I was the only American girl on a flight crew of 6.  To me, at 22 years of age right out of college, this was a totally new experience to be talking with all of these girls from Norway and Germany and Tokyo….

What was the average pay for a Pan Am Flight Attendant in the 60s?

I think when we started… I wanna say, annually maybe like $7,000 or $8,000 dollars

Did Pan Am pay for your living expenses in San Francisco or NY?

No, you had to pay for all of that on your own.  In New York, the apartments were so expensive that there were 5 or 6 of us in a 1-bedroom apartment! So we had bunk beds in the bedroom, and another little twin bed, and a rollaway in the living room.  You didn’t really want people to come in and open the kitchen drawers because they wouldn’t find knives and spoons and forks, they’d find all of our clothes!  But with our different flight schedules we were never there at the same time so it worked out.

Did they always put you up in the nicest hotels?

Yes.  It wasn’t ever second rate. And at that time Pan Am owned the Intercontinental Hotel chain, which was a very first-class hotel, and if we got into a city that didn’t have them we stayed somewhere of that same caliber. They took very good care of us. I mean, here we are all over the world, you couldn’t read this in books, it was just a marvelous experience.

When you made the choice to become a flight attendant, did you realize what you were getting yourself into?

I had a goal. My goal was to see the world.  And I flew for 3 years because I was pretty ambitious and I had other things I wanted to do, but I knew I couldn’t pass this up.  I was hardly ever home when I lived in San Francisco and New York because I’d be gone for 2 weeks at a time.  I’d bid, I chose to go on these trips. I wouldn’t always get my first bid but I knew exactly what I wanted and that was to get as much travel as I possibly could.  

Who were some of your most memorable passengers?

I had Yul Brynner – he was very nice, and very quiet. 

Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. 

Jean Simmons, the movie star – she and Mayor Joseph Alioto were on my flight from Tokyo to San Francisco.  It was November 22 1963, and I’m in the first class galley cooking eggs when the pilot came on and said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re about an hour outside of Honolulu, but I wanted to let you know that President John F. Kennedy has been shot.”  And that’s where I was.

I had the Rolling Stones!  They were in coach where I was working and they were so entertaining.  They were up and down the aisle, one of them – I don’t remember who it was because I don’t think they were really famous yet – came back and asked for my sweeper, and he swept up and down the aisle.  He kept coming in and actually bothering me because I was trying to get the scrambled eggs out, but they were hysterical!

Did you know anyone at Pan Am who crossed paths with Frank Abagnale, Jr.?

My friend Sylvia’s roommate actually knew Frank, and he arrived one night in uniform and asked to borrow $200 from her.  She gave it to him and never saw it again! 

Frank Abagnale, Jr. was not a trained pilot, so when he made it on to the plane, what would he do?

He’d come on and posed as a deadhead, so he was never actually flying the plane. His whole imposter was wearing the uniform and riding as a passenger, that’s how he traveled. One time they told Frank he could sit in the jump seat because the plane was full, and he walked into the cockpit and couldn’t find the seat because he had no idea that you were supposed to pull it down.

How is flying today different from when you were a flight attendant?

Oh, so much! The food especially. We’d pride ourselves on the presentation, I mean we had orchids on all the displays, and the best champagne and best wine.  But I think #1 would have to be customer relations.  We were told those passengers were like our family.  Smiles, how can I help, if there was a baby on board we’d warm their milk, it was all about being proactive – not waiting until someone asks for something.

But we also had height and weight restrictions, your hair couldn’t touch your shoulders, you reported an hour and a half before your flight and your grooming supervisor would weigh you, and check your uniform, and if you didn’t look right they’d pull you off the flight! But I loved the quality – I think that’s what made Pan Am so special – we were hired, but by golly we better live up to that Pan Am image. 

 Do you still keep in touch with the girls you used to fly with?

They’re my best friends. 8 of them were just here a couple years ago.  They’re in San Francisco, Connecticut, Arizona, etc… but I keep in touch because they are my best friends.  There’s definitely still a bond.

“Spring comes to Maiden Lane” in San Francisco
Barbara Longnecker (left) and Pat Smith (right) with the District Sales Manager from the Pan Am sales office on Union Square, 1963

Today, Pat Smith owns her own trade show management company.  She is also President of the DFW chapter of World Wings International.  Currently, there are 40 chapters all around the world, and they each support a local charity.  Pat and the DFW chapter work hard selling cookbooks and calendars, and doing annual fundraisers all to raise money for the local charity, SafeHaven.

-DSM Haley

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN NATIONAL TOUR FLIES
INTO THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK IN DALLAS

Based on the hit DreamWorks film and the incredible true story that inspired it, the first national tour of the high-flying Broadway musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will land in Dallas, Texas, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals at the Music Hall at Fair Park for a limited engagement February 12-24, 2013.  Single tickets will be priced from $15-$85 at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, and all Ticketmaster locations, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.  For groups of 15 or more, call 214-426-GROUP (4768).

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN captures the astonishing true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist who passed himself off as a doctor, a lawyer, and a jet pilot—all before the age of 21.  With straight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on Frank’s trail, we’re off on a jet-setting, cat-and-mouse chase, as a jazzy, swinging-sixties score keeps this adventure in constant motion.  In the end, Agent Hanratty learns he and Frank aren’t so very different after all,  and Frank finds out what happens when love catches up to a man on the run.

This engagement follows hot on the heels of the recent Broadway run, where the show received considerable acclaim.  The New York Times exclaims, “Hot diggity!  This portrait of the con artist as a young man comes to ecstatic life.”  WOR Radio calls it “absolutely marvelous” and proclaims CATCH ME IF YOU CAN “a real Broadway musical with showstoppers to enthrall just about everyone.”  And Vanity Fair says “CATCH ME will move you to live life to the fullest and dance past anything standing in your way,” and urges “Get your seats now!”

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on Frank Abagnale’s New York Times bestselling autobiography, published by Broadway Paperbacks, and the hit 2002 film of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Nominated for four Tony^® Awards and six Drama Desk® Awards, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN features a Tony® Award-winning creative team, with a book by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime), an irresistible score by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray), choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde) and direction by Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Scenic design for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is by David Rockwell (Hairspray), costumes based on the original design by five-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long (The Producers), lighting design is by Tony Award winner Kenneth Posner (Wicked) and sound design is by Peter McBoyle.  For more information, visit www.CatchMeOnTour.com.

All performances will be held at the Music Hall at Fair Park, opening at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 and continuing through Sunday, Feb. 24, with matinees at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16; Sunday, Feb. 17; Thursday, Feb. 21; Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24.  There will be no evening performance Sunday, Feb. 24.

Dallas Summer Musicals’ 73^rd Season of the Best of Broadway continues with the following shows:

Disney and CAMERON MACKINTOSH present MARY POPPINS, March 20-30. Returning to Dallas for two weeks only, the “roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!” as proclaimed by the New York Daily News, features an irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time.

WICKED, THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WITCHES OF OZ, April 10-May 5. So much happened before Dorothy dropped in!  Variety calls WICKED “a cultural phenomenon,” and it has broken box office records and sold out every time it has played Dallas.  Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, WICKED is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster,” according to The New York Times. 

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE MUSICAL, May 14-26. Presenting the most outrageously fun Broadway musical, a spectacular show that tells the uplifting story of a trio of friends on a road trip of a lifetime.  Hopping aboard a battered old bus in search of love and friendship in the middle of the Australian Outback, they end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed.  An international hit with over 500 dazzling, Tony® Award-winning costumes, PRISCILLA features a hit parade of dance-floor favorites including “It’s Raining Men,” “Finally” and “I Will Survive.”

SISTER ACT, A DIVINE MUSICAL COMEDY, June 4-16. Broadway’s feel-amazing musical comedy smash, called by The New York Post “Ridiculously Fun,” has audiences jumping to their feet in total agreement.  Featuring original music by 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), SISTER ACT tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look—a convent.

FLASHDANCE, THE MUSICAL, June 25-July 7. The pop-culture phenomenon and runaway international success is now live on stage.  It all started with a dream.  To be bigger.  To burn brighter. To dance harder.  Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family), this new musical features a score of smash hits including The Academy Award® winning title track “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “I Love Rock & Roll,” and 16 new original songs.

Disney presents THE LION KING, October 2-20, 2013. Experience the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING, Broadway’s Landmark Musical.  Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you’ll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score, including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.”

DSM will continue its 73-year tradition of setting the standard in musical theatre entertainment as their 2014 season begins in December, 2013, with Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS at the Music Hall.

Season sponsors and partners for Dallas Summer Musicals are The Dallas Morning News, Metro PCS, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, The Original Cupcakery, the Frontiers of Flight Museum and Texas Instruments.

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the preeminent non-profit presenter of Broadway theatre in North Texas.  DSM produces, presents and promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through community outreach and education, and enriching the cultural landscape of Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas and the Southwest Region.

DSM is the largest producer and presenter of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theatre organization in the United States, and the fourth largest non-profit theatre company.  In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours productions, and is involved in developing new works.  Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at Fair Park.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call (214) 421-5678 or visit the website at www.dallassummermusicals.org.

# # #

For media information about any of the individual shows or the Dallas Summer Musicals, and for videotape, photos, or reviewer’s passes, please call Jo Ann Holt at 214-413-3977, or email joannholt@gmail.com.

It’s that time of year again! (I just wish it was colder, and felt more like Holiday time…) I bet you have either finished your holiday gift shopping or, if you’re like me, you are procrastinating because the thought of going to the mall right now gives you nightmares. Well for all you Broadway loving fans, I have great news for you – avoid the mall and the chaos of shopping for gifts and give the gift of Broadway this year! AND it’s not just a normal gift – it’s a full, live experience. Take a look below at what DSM can offer you and your loved ones for your Holiday gifts this year – a gift that will keep giving all year long. Or you can nudge that loved one who can’t decide what to give you. 🙂 It may not be looking a whole lot like Christmas right now, but it definitely is the best time to get tickets to the best of Broadway!

2013 DSM SEASON TICKETS

Join us for the season and enjoy the best Broadway shows, in the best seats, at the best price! See 7 shows for as low as $125! A 2013 DSM Season Ticket includes: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MARY POPPINS, WICKED, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, SISTER ACT, FLASHDANCE, and THE LION KING. To see our full 2013 Season Brochure, click here. Become a Dallas Summer Musicals subscriber and get the whole package – great shows, the best seats, lowest price, priority offers and exclusive benefits – including: Savings up to $85, (based on regular ticket prices if purchased separately), first opportunity to get the best seats available for the season, and many more! A season ticket is the best way to see the Dallas Summer Musicals. For all of the information on this season, visit our website here. To view further information about this season’s shows, just click on one of the posters above!

Season tickets are only available for purchase for a limited time before the season starts and seats are assigned based on the date you place your order. Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase DSM season tickets! Click here to get your 2013 DSM Season Tickets Now!

2013 DSM MINI PACKS

For a limited time, pick 4 or more shows from our 2013 Season: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MARY POPPINS, WICKED, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, SISTER ACT, FLASHDANCE, and THE LION KING. To see our full 2013 Season Brochure, click here. Become a Dallas Summer Musicals subscriber and get the whole package – great shows, the best seats, lowest price, priority offers and exclusive benefits – including: the best seats available for the season, huge savings over single ticket prices, and more! (Please note: If you are purchasing a 4-show package, your package cannot include both WICKED and THE LION KING.)

Mini Packs are great holiday gifts – and you get to pick the shows, dates, times, and price level for your package! We met up with Stephen Anthony who plays Frank Abagnale, Jr. in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN to let you know about Mini Packs. Check out the video below!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqpKQBu0sJM?rel=0]

Click here to get your 2013 DSM Mini Pack Tickets Now!

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Not sure or can’t decide what ticket package or show to give? A Dallas Summer Musicals Gift Certificate is a unique gift, perfect for almost anyone. Whether you are looking to buy for the person who has everything, or shopping for that special someone who loves musicals, now there is an excellent way for you to give the gift of live theatre – all year round. Think about a DSM Gift Certificate as an excellent stocking stuffer or even a generous gift for employees, bosses, or colleagues. DSM Gift Certificates may be purchased in any increment. Sounds good to you? Click here for full details!

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN PRESALE
Just in time for Holiday gifts! DSM friends and family exclusively are able to purchase tickets to CATCH ME IF YOU CAN before they go on sale to the public! Don’t know much about this show? That’s okay! I will tell you that the music is great and you’ll leave the theater with a smile on your face! This show opens up our 73^rd Season on February 12-24^th! Check out our CATCH ME IF YOU CAN web page here to get full details & get access to our exclusive presale!

WICKED PRESALE
DSM Family and Friends get an Exclusive Priority Offer – WICKED Returns to Dallas/Fort Worth for 4 Weeks ONLY! Go to http://budurl.com/WickedFIRST and use the code FIRST to get the best seats before tickets go on sale to the general public! WICKED flies into Dallas April 10 – May 5. For full details about the show, click here. We’ve had to say the words “Sold Out” for this show, so HURRY – tickets go on sale to the public Monday, January 7th!

While it is a crazy time of the year with family, lots of food and drinks, traveling, decorating, shopping, and so much more, we do hope you are able to pause this Holiday season to feel joy, show love and give thanks. We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and hope to see you in 2013 for our new season!

-DSM Amanda

DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS ANNOUNCES 2013 SEASON
OF THE BEST OF BROADWAY AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) has announced their 73rd season of shows, with seven touring Broadway productions coming to the Music Hall at Fair Park.  DSM has been entertaining North Texas audiences with the finest in professional live theatrical entertainment since 1941.

In announcing the new season, Michael A. Jenkins, President and Managing Director of Dallas Summer Musicals, said, “Our 73^rd season provides a Destination to unparalleled entertainment with the unprecedented number of three Blockbuster hit shows within the season schedule, in which all shows are direct from Broadway.  With DSM’s affordable prices, this means our subscribers will enjoy an unbeatable entertainment value in 2013.”

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the preeminent non-profit presenter of Broadway theatre in North Texas.  DSM produces, presents and promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through community outreach and education, and enriching the cultural landscape of Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas and the Southwest Region.

DSM is the largest producer and presenter of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theatre organization in the United States, and the fourth largest non-profit theatre company.  In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours productions, and is involved in developing new works.  Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at Fair Park.

DSM 2013 SEASON AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, February 12-24, 2013. Based on the hit Dreamworks Film and the incredible true story that inspired it, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying, splashy new Broadway musical that tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., a teenager who runs away from home in search of the glamorous life.  With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer—living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams.  But when Frank’s lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Carl chases Frank to the end—and finds something he never expected.  A big-hearted musical adventure based on an astonishing real-life story of being young, in love, and in deep, deep trouble.

Disney and CAMERON MACKINTOSH present MARY POPPINS, March 20-30, 2013. Returning to Dallas for two weeks only, the “roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!” as proclaimed by the New York Daily News, features an irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time.  With brand-new breathtaking dance numbers and spectacular stage-craft, MARY POPPINS is everything you could ever want in a hit Broadway show.  Get swept up in the fun of this high-flying musical the New York Post gave four out of four stars, calling it “a certifiable super hit!”

WICKED, THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WITCHES OF OZ, April 10-May 5, 2013. So much happened before Dorothy dropped in!  Variety calls WICKED “a cultural phenomenon,” and it has broken box office records and sold out every time it has played Dallas.  Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, WICKED is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster,” according to The New York Times.  Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One—born with emerald green skin—is smart, fiery and misunderstood.  The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular.  How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the most complete—and completely satisfying—new musical in a long time.”  (USA Today).

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE MUSICAL, May 14-26, 2013. Presenting the most outrageously fun Broadway musical, a spectacular show that tells the uplifting story of a trio of friends on a road trip of a lifetime.  Hopping aboard a battered old bus in search of love and friendship in the middle of the Australian Outback, they end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed.  An international hit with over 500 dazzling, Tony® Award-winning costumes, PRISCILLA features a hit parade of dance-floor favorites including “It’s Raining Men,” “Finally” and “I Will Survive.”  The Hollywood Reporter calls PRISCILLA “funny and fabulous!  Joyous entertainment with eye-popping visuals and unexpected heart!”

SISTER ACT, A DIVINE MUSICAL COMEDY, June 4-16, 2013. Broadway’s feel-amazing musical comedy smash, called by The New York Post “Ridiculously Fun,” has audiences jumping to their feet in total agreement.  Featuring original music by 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), SISTER ACT tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look—a convent.  Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.  A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, SISTER ACT is reason to rejoice.

FLASHDANCE, THE MUSICAL, June 25-July 7, 2013. The pop-culture phenomenon and runaway international success is now live on stage.  It all started with a dream.  To be bigger.  To burn brighter. To dance harder.  Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis, The Addams Family), this new musical features a score of smash hits including The Academy Award® winning title track “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “I Love Rock & Roll,” and 16 new original songs.  Experience the magic all over again, as FLASHDANCE leaves you begging for more.

Disney presents THE LION KING, October 2-20, 2013. Experience the phenomenon of Disney’s  THE LION KING, Broadway’s Landmark Musical.  Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you’ll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score, including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.”  Let your imagination run wild at the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Newsweek calls “a landmark event in entertainment.”  THE LION KING will be the 2013 State Fair of Texas musical.

Season tickets, priced from $125-$710, go on sale Tuesday, August 28 at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, #542 in Dallas.  Subscribers may order by mail or in person at The Box Office, by phoning 214-346-3300, by faxing 214-691-7386, or online at www.dallassummermusicals.org. For groups, please call 214-426-GROUP.

Season subscribers enjoy such benefits as first opportunity to get the best seats available for the season, plus huge savings over single ticket prices and easy payment plans, lost ticket replacement, ticket exchange privileges and a 20% discount on all DSM logo merchandise.  Plus, season subscribers have first option on their seats for the following season, and can save significant amounts over the cost of single tickets.

DSM will continue its 73-year tradition of bringing the Best of Broadway to North Texas, setting the standard in musical theatre entertainment. DSM’s 2014 season will begin in December, 2013, with  Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS at the Music Hall.

Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals are The Dallas Morning News, Metro PCS, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments.

As a nonprofit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas at affordable ticket prices, as well as to preserve the beautiful historic theater, educate young audiences and create important community programs.  DSM’s Seats for Kids program provides a meaningful arts education experience to thousands of low income, at-risk and special needs children. DSM provides positive incentives for youth that are at risk for gang membership through the Stage Right program. In addition, the Dallas Summer Musicals Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theater arts training and scholarships to talented students in need.  Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors.  Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call (214) 421-5678 or visit the website at www.dallassummermusicals.org

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For media information about any of the individual shows or the Dallas Summer Musicals, and for videotape, photos, or reviewer’s passes, please call Jo Ann Holt at 214-413-3977, or email joannholt@gmail.com.

Dallas Summer Musicals is pleased to announce our 73^rd Season!

Let the 2013 Season at Dallas Summer Musicals be Your Passport to Broadway as we take you on a journey!

Now announcing the 2013 DSM Season! CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MARY POPPINS, WICKED, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, SISTER ACT, FLASHDANCE, and THE LION KING

2013 Season Tickets are ON SALE NOW! Join us for the season and enjoy the best Broadway shows, in the best seats, at the best price! See 7 shows for as low as $125 and save $85 on single ticket prices!

The 2013 DSM Season is 7 Broadway touring shows:

Catch Me If You Can – February 12 – 24, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Mary Poppins – March 20 – 30, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Wicked – April 10 – May 5, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – May 14 – 26, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Sister Act – June 4 – 16, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Flashdance – June 25 – July 7, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

The Lion King – October 2 – 20, 2013 – Music Hall at Fair Park

Check out this video to get a sneak peek of the 2013 Season:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itS3v-N9zfc?rel=0]

Season tickets are only available for purchase for a limited time before the season starts and seats are assigned based on the date you place your order. Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase DSM season tickets! Click here to get more info and to buy now!

Make sure you like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and follow us on this blog (at the top on the right – just enter your e-mail address) to get the latest news on our 2013 Season, behind the scenes facts, special contests, and more throughout the season!

Feel free to leave your comments below!

We look forward to seeing you soon at the 2013 DSM Season!

-DSM Amanda

Coming to Dallas Summer Musicals February 12-24, 2013!

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
ANNOUNCES NATIONAL TOUR CAST

Troika Entertainment, LLC is pleased to announce initial casting for the CATCH ME IF YOU CAN national tour, which officially kicks off at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI on October 7. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN will be in Dallas February 12-24, 2013 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.

The charming, high-flying con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. will be played by Stephen Anthony and Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who is always on Frank’s tracks, will be played by Merritt David Janes. Additional casting includes Aubrey Mae Davis as Brenda Strong, Caitlin Maloney as Paula Abagnale, Amy Burgmaieras Carol Strong, D. Scott Withers as Roger Strong, Travis Mitchellas Agent Branton, Ben Laxton as Agent Dollar, Derrick Parks as Agent Cod, Amanda Braun, Ashley Chasteen, Taylor Collins, Vanessa Dunleavy, Michael Graceffa, Colleen Hayes, Mary Claire King, Trevor Leaderbrand, Casey Renee Rogers, Daniel J. Self, Allyson Tolbert, Nadia Vynnytsky and Bradley Allan Zarr.

Additional casting will be released at a later date.

Based on the hit DreamWorks film, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN captures the astonishing true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a world-class con artist who passed himself off as a doctor, a lawyer, and a jet pilot—all before the age of 21.  With straight-arrow FBI agent Carl Hanratty on Frank’s trail, we’re off on a jet-setting, cat-and-mouse chase, as a jazzy, swinging-sixties score keeps this adventure in constant motion.  In the end, Agent Hanratty learns he and Frank aren’t so very different after all,  and Frank finds out what happens when love catches up to a man on the run.

This engagement follows hot on the heels of the recent Broadway run, where the show received considerable acclaim.  The New York Times exclaims, “Hot diggity!  This portrait of the con artist as a young man comes to ecstatic life.”  WOR Radio calls it “absolutely marvelous” and proclaims CATCH ME IF YOU CAN “a real Broadway musical with showstoppers to enthrall just about everyone.”  And Vanity Fair says “CATCH ME will move you to live life to the fullest and dance past anything standing in your way,” and urges “Get your seats now!”

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is based on the book and hit 2002 film of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg with screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and book by Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Nominated for four Tony^® Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN features a Tony Award-winning creativeteam, with a book by Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime), an irresistible score by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray), choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde) and direction by Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Scenic design for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is by David Rockwell (Hairspray),costumes based on the original design by five-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long (The Producers), lighting design is byTony Award winner Kenneth Posner (Wicked) and sound design is by Peter McBoyle.

For more information visit www.CatchMeOnTour.com

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN TOUR CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Stephen Anthony as Frank Abagnale Jr.

STEPHEN ANTHONY (Frank Abagnale, Jr.) is thrilled to be touring the country for the first time with this incredible story. Favorite credits include: Lend Me a Tenor (Max), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus), Hairspray (Link), Legally Blonde (Warner), The 25th…Spelling Bee (Chip), Carousel (Mr. Snow, concert featuring Davis Gaines). B.M. 2012 from FSU. Many thanks to family, MT’12, Troika, and Joy Dewing Casting.

Merritt David Janes as Carl Hanratty

MERRITT DAVID JANES (Carl Hanratty) A UMaine and Circle in the Square graduate originally from Colchester, VT. Broadway National Tours: Sweeney Todd (Sweeney), Shrek (Farquaad), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere), The Wedding Singer (Robbie Hard). Regional: Little Shop… (The Dentist), Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Duke), Grease (Danny), Works of Shakespeare Abridged (Adam). Janes has also given performances at Carnegie Hall, Bway’s Beacon Theatre and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

AUBREY MAE DAVIS (Brenda Strong) is beyond thrilled to be embarking on her fourth national tour with Catch Me! Favorite credits include: Legally Blonde (Margot), Hairspray (Amber), and Little Shop (Audrey). A special thanks to Matt Lenz for this wonderful opportunity. And to my family, I love you.

CAITLIN MALONEY (Paula Abagnale) Off Broadway: I Married Wyatt Earp, Tours: Young Frankenstein, The Great American Trailer Park Musical! (Pickles) Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Wizard of Oz (Glinda/Aunt Em). Regional: Annie Get Your Gun! (Annie Oakley), Pajama Game (Babe Williams), Eleanor: An American Love Story (Eleanor Roosevelt).

AMY BURGMAIER (Carol Strong/Principal Owings/Character Woman) favorite credits include: Legally Blonde (Paulette), Reefer Madness (Mary Lane), Chicago (Roxie), Hairspray (F.A.F.) and Forbidden Broadway. She’s an Iowa State University graduate in advertising and design (BA) and journalism (MS). Sincerest gratitude to Joy Dewing Casting, coaches and family!

D. SCOTT WITHERS (Roger Strong/Character Man/u/s Agent Carl Hanratty/Frank Abagnale, Sr.) National tour debut! Regional: Gypsy (Phoenix Theatre); Hairspray (Arkansas Rep); Baby (AZ Broadway); Lyle the Crocodile (Childsplay); Frog and Toad (Seattle Children’s Theatre); Lost and Foundling (Geva). BFA Theatre: AZ State. Much love to Withers clan, CP family and AJP!

TRAVIS MITCHELL (Agent Branton/ u/s Agent Carl Hanratty/ u/s Frank Sr. / u/s Roger Strong) National tours: Spring Awakening. Off Broadway: The Bus (59E59 Theatre). Recent Regional: Spring Awakening (ReVision), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Sound of Music (TriArts). TV: Law & Order, As the World Turns. Much love and respect to Jules.

BEN LAXTON (Agent Dollar/u/s Frank Abagnale, Jr.) is thrilled to be joining his first national tour! Regional: Next to Normal (Gabe), Spring Awakening (Melchior), Avenue Q (Princeton/Rod), Sound of Music (Rolf) and Urinetown (Bobby). Thanks Mom, Dad, Tori, Andrea, Mrs. Halbert and Sham. Proud Belmont University alum.

DERRICK PARKS (Agent Cod) is making his debut in Catch Me If You Can. Recently he traveled abroad as a performer with Royal Caribbean International. His parents and family are credited with exceedingly abundant love and support.