Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 16, 2016
at the Music Hall at Fair Park

(October 29, 2015 – Dallas, TX)   Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) Curtain Call kicked-off its 2016 gala Cirque du Musicale on October 26^th at a soirée hosted by Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village.

Gala chairs Suzanne and David Palmlund welcomed supporters announcing the gala date of Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, saying this gala will be like none other! Many surprises are in store at Curtain Call which supports Dallas Summer Musicals’ mission to bring the Best of Broadway to North Texas and provide for children’s education and outreach programs.  Sponsors’ support will bring the magic of musical theater to so many children who otherwise would never experience it — magic created through programs such as DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards, Seats for Vets, Seats for Kids, DSM Academy of Performing Arts, Kid’s Club, Stage Right and Hear Us Now!^®. Mayor Mike Rawlings is honorary chair.

Special thanks went to Michael Bratcher, manager of Bistro 31 and host, as patrons enjoyed specialty hors d’oeuvres and wines, including a specialty cocktail created especially for this evening’s announcements.

Patron Party chair Hilary Roberts, well-known Dallas performer, shared a story of her life-long passion for the arts, especially musicals, and treated the gathering to a beautiful rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Afterwards, she announced her own gift of $10,000 and challenged everyone to match those funds, starting with a $5,000 bid, which was matched. In another challenge to meet or beat that amount, a lump sum of $30,000 was pledged. Hilary remarked how this generosity and dedication to DSM touches all of our hearts, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. A total of $45,000 was raised at this evening’s event!

DSM’s premier fundraiser of the year, Curtain Call is an exciting evening of gourmet delights, inspiration, and entertainment! Curtain Call – Cirque du Musicale will provide guests with a break from the traditional seated dinner format and transport them to a creative, cirque-influenced dining experience and evening filled with cirque entertainment, delicious tastes and bites from a select menu designed by a celebrity chef and prepared by M Dining at the Music Hall, exciting auctions, and open bars – all followed by a special performance in the theatre and a night cap at a cabaret, dessert, and cigar lounge. This is your opportunity to indulge in everything you love about DSM and musical theatre, and share in the Magic of the Music Hall at Fair Park with your closest clients, friends, and family.

Sponsorships and underwriting available starting at $5,000. Cirque Party of 10 packages start at $4,000. Diamond Cirque VIP gala event tickets are $760 and include all event benefits: early access at 6: 00 p.m. to cocktail reception, first look at auctions, gourmet dinner, and concert. Individual gala event tickets are $400 and include:  access at 7:00 p.m., cocktails and dinner, and concert. All Curtain Call underwriting opportunities and benefits are available through the web site at: dallassummermusicals.org  and can be purchased online at dallassummermusicals.giv.sh/756d or by calling the Development office at DSM, 214-413-3961 and email at jjenner@dallassummermusicals.org

Curtain Call Sponsors:  The Greatest Star/Patron Party Sponsors: Hilary L. Roberts and J. Baxter Brinkmann; Superstar Cirque Announcer: Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians; Cirque Trapeze Star: Texas Instruments. Media Sponsors: Park Cities News/The Waters Family.

Dallas Summer Musicals presenting sponsor is Texas Instruments. Season sponsors are American Airlines, The Dallas Morning News and WFAA Channel 8.

Beyond presenting Broadway shows and extraordinary musical theatre performances, DSM annually invests in sustaining and expanding the following DSM educational and programming initiatives:

DSM ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS offers professional training – integrating the disciplines of singing, acting and dancing – in satellite locations throughout the Dallas metro area.  To ensure access to all learners, the school offers scholarships to promising students with limited financial resources. For more information, visit: dsmschool.org

DSM HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS is patterned after Broadway’s Tony^® Awards and celebrates the power of the Arts to significantly improve all areas of education.  The 5^th Annual High School Musical Theatre Awards is scheduled for April 14, 2016.  Sponsorships start at $5,000 and support college scholarships to outstanding and deserving participants. For more information visit: dallassummermusicals.giv.sh/b5c7

KIDS CLUB is a free membership program created to develop tomorrow’s musical theatre audience.  Through exciting activities, special events, backstage tours and informational exchanges, children gain an interest, hands-on knowledge and appreciation of the performing arts. For more information visit: dallassummermusicals.org/showpage-forkids or email kidsclub@dallassummermusicals.org

SEATS FOR KIDS provides a meaningful theatre arts experience to low-income, at-risk and special needs children.  Every year DSM provides children in the Dallas area experience live musical theatre, many for the first time, through this program.

HEAR US NOW utilizes five assistive listening device technologies (T-coils, FM Classroom, Streamers, FM systems, and traditional headsets) to deliver clear and direct audio signal from the performers so that patrons with limited hearing abilities can enjoy the show.

DSM SEATS FOR VETS – DSM has a long established tradition of providing discounted access to military veterans and their families.  The new DSM Seats for Vets initiative is an intentional effort to do more – built on the idea that “their service deserves great seats.”

DSM COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE – As a part of DSM’s 76^th season, Disney’s The Little Mermaid returns to the DSM stage for a three-week run organized by DSM in March, 2016.  During the show’s run, DSM will organize a DSM Community Performance and offer the Dallas community complimentary seats in the Music Hall at Fair Park.

DSM GUILD – The DSM Guild is looking for prospective members and sponsors. Guild members share a love of musical theatre, provide special Dallas hospitality to the traveling companies by hosting opening night cast parties and serving donated meals, and enthusiastically support DSM.  Interested in joining please email dsmguild@dallassummermusicals.org

DSM ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS –The DSM Associate Producers is a dynamic group of young professionals between the ages of 21 and 45. Their mission is to cultivate future patrons and leaders of DSM and to make DSM part of the culture for young professionals in Dallas. To learn more, please visit associateproducers.org

The public can play a part in bringing the Best of Broadway to the young people in our community! Charitable contributions are vital to the sustainability of these initiatives at Dallas Summer Musicals.  Please assist DSM in its mission to build awareness for the enjoyment and educational values of musical theater as it does so through its ongoing education and community programs.

For more information including sponsorships, booking, or program details, please contact the DSM Development Department at 214.413.3961 or jjenner@dallassummermusicals.org.

About Dallas Summer Musicals:

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the preeminent nonprofit 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 education and community outreach programs, while enriching the cultural landscape of Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas and the Southwest Region.

As a 501(c)(3) 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 theatre, 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 Kids Club is a program created to foster tomorrow’s musical theatre audience. Through exciting activities children gain an interest, hands-on-knowledge and appreciation of the performing arts. In addition, Dallas Summer Musicals Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theatre arts training and scholarships to talented students in need. DSM’s High School Musical Theatre Awards are patterned after Broadway’s Tony® Awards and celebrate the power of the arts to significantly improve all areas of education. DSM Associate Producers is a dynamic group of young professionals with a mission to support DSM by cultivating future patrons and leaders by making DSM part of the culture for young professionals in Dallas. DSM Guild is a group of individuals who share a love of musical theatre and support DSM by providing stellar service and hospitality to the cast and crew of every show. Since 2010 the experts at DSM have made significant changes and upgrades to its acoustical systems to improve the sound quality of the productions for all its patrons, including the hearing impaired, leading to the development of Hear Us Now!™; a device which utilizes five assistive listening technologies (T-coils, FM Classroom, Streamers, FM systems, and traditional headsets) to deliver a clear and direct audio signal. It is so unique that a trademark has been allowed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Seats for Vets, DSM’s newest initiative, serves war veterans and their families by providing them discounted access to a unique theatrical experience as a way of thanking them for their service. Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors. Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible.

Dallas Summer Musicals is presented by Texas Instruments and gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors and partners The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and The Original Cupcakery.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call 214.421.5678 or visit our website at DallasSummerMusicals.org.

###

Hey DSM Fans,

Well, this week is a BIG week for DSM and Broadway! We have 2 major events, 7 performances by our DSM Academy, and the Tony Award Nominees were announced today!

DSM HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS – #dsmhsmta14
Our first major event is the 3rd Annual DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards Show tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30th at the Music Hall at Fair Park! What is the DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards? Patterned after Broadway’s Tony® Awards, show business veterans and community celebrities come together to spotlight the achievements of high school students and their school’s musical theatre programs. Fifty-eight shows from Fifty-six high schools are participating. Throughout the year, three judges visit each school and judge the performers in 15 categories. Each school’s performance is evaluated by a panel of judges and ballots are tabulated. The top scoring schools in each category are nominated as finalists. Click here to check out the nominees!

Tonight is a special night as well – all the judges gather to choose the Best Actor and Best Actress from the nominated students based on their performances this evening. All of the previous scores gathered in the original judging have been eliminated. The winners will be announced at the Awards Show tomorrow evening.

**Tune in to the DSM Twitter and DSM Instagram (@dsmusicals) tonight before, during, and after the Best Actor/Actress judging and tomorrow ALL DAY as we give you inside access and live updates for this annual event!**

Want to come to the Awards Show? Click here for tickets! Can’t make it? Just follow us on Twitter and Instagram – we’ll be live tweeting and posting to give you live updates!

DSM CURTAIN CALL 2014: BROADWAY BOUND
Our second major event is our annual fundraising gala Curtain Call on Friday, May 2nd at the Music Hall at Fair Park! Curtain Call is an evening of entertainment preceded by a seated dinner and a live and silent auction. This year’s featured performer is Broadway Veteran Vivian Reed. Proceeds from Curtain Call support Dallas Summer Musicals’ mission to bring the best of Broadway to Dallas and provide for children’s education and outreach programs, such as the DSM Academy (below) and DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards (above). Click here to learn more and get tickets!

DSM ACADEMY PERFORMS DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR.! – #littlemermaiddsma
This weekend, the DSM Academy presents Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR. Three of our classes will present this musical at the Uptown Theater in Grand Prairie. Dates and times vary – please see below for this info! The DSM Academy strives not only to increase appreciation of the performing arts, but to teach these arts professionally to students from ages 6 to adults. Admission to Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR. is FREE and seating is first come, first served. We hope to see you there to see our very talented students!

SATURDAY, MAY 3rd
Improv 102: The BIG Mermaid – Park Cities Teen Class – 1:30pm
Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR. – Park Cities Teen Class – 4:30pm & 6:30pm

SUNDAY, MAY 4th
Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR.
Town North Youth Class – 11:00am & 2:00pm
Park Cities Youth Class – 12:30pm & 3:30pm

All performances are at the Uptown Theater, 120 E Main St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050.

TONY® AWARD NOMINATIONS
Nominations for the 2014 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, were announced this morning! Click here to see who and what shows were nominated. I can’t believe it’s Tony Season Y’all! 🙂

We’ve been busy prepping for all of these events, and I’ve gotta hop back to it as well. I hope to see you all very soon at any of these awesome events! Oh, and get excited – It’s Broadway’s biggest night in less than 2 months!

-DSM Amanda

Curtain Call 2014 Broadway Bound! Features Broadway Star Vivian Reed
benefiting Dallas Summer Musicals and their Education and Outreach Programs

DSM Special Events and Announcements Media Contact:
Sharon Adams
Adams Communications Public Relations
972-773-9289972-773-9289
Adamscomm1@aol.com

DSM Contact: Kate Finley
Director of Development
214-413-3961214-413-3961
kfinley@dallassummermusicals.org

                (February 18, 2014 – Dallas, TX)  Slated for Friday, May 2^nd, Curtain Call Broadway Bound! will take place at the Music Hall at Fair Park, chaired by Holly and Brad Reeves with honorary chairs Paddy and Barry Epstein. As DSM’s premier fundraiser of the year, Curtain Call is an exciting evening of gourmet delights, inspiration and entertainment!
The evening begins as patrons and sponsors enter the Music Hall strolling along the red carpet and are greeted with fanciful and over-the-top decorations corresponding with the event’s theme. Guests enjoy the VIP cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a gourmet seated dinner prepared by M Dining at the Music Hall.

Following dinner, everyone enters the theatre for a live auction and private concert featuring award winning Broadway performer Vivian Reed and performances from the 3rd Annual High School Musical Theatre Award winners Best Actor and Best Actress before they begin their journey to New York and the national competition, the Jimmy Nederlander Awards. The show also features the Best Musical Award winners, all in musical vignettes arranged by Michael Moricz and choreographed by Michael Tapley, two of Broadway’s best! Join us for a spectacular performance by the future stars of Broadway!

Proceeds support Dallas Summer Musicals’ mission to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas and provide for children’s education and outreach programs.  Sponsors’ support will bring the magic of musical theater to so many children who otherwise would never experience it — magic created through programs such as DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards, Seats for Kids, DSM Academy of Performing Arts, Kid’s Club and Stage Right.
Dallas Summer Musicals season sponsors are American Airlines, Dallas Morning News, WFAA Channel 8 and Texas Instruments.  DSM Season partners are The Original Cupcakery and The Frontiers of Flight Museum.

Curtain Call sponsors are Modern Luxury Dallas, Park Cities News/The Waters Family; Kick-Off party sponsor, SĒR Steak + Spirits; Invitations sponsor, Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians.
Sponsorships and underwriting available starting at $2,500. Individual gala event tickets are $350 each and include all event benefits: Cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and concert.  An Entertainment ticket is available for $50 for the concert only, including balcony seating and two drink tickets. All Curtain Call underwriting opportunities and benefits are available through the web site at: http://www.curtaincallgala.org

For additional information, contact the Development Office at DSM, 214-413-3957214-413-3957 and email at curtaincall@dallassummermusicals.org

#

About Dallas Summer Musicals

Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) is the preeminent nonprofit 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. Visit the website at www.dallassummermusicals.org

• DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards: Patterned after Broadway’s Tony Awards^®, the event celebrates the power of the Arts to significantly improve all areas of education. Show business veterans and community celebrities come together to spotlight the achievements of high school students and their school’s musical theatre programs. DSM awards scholarships to a number of outstanding and deserving participants. Students are nominated by their teachers and judged by a separate scholarship committee.

• DSM Academy of Performing Arts: The first component of Dallas Summer Musicals’ outreach initiatives, DSM Academy of Performing Arts, extends the legacy of former DSM Managing Director Tom Hughes’ vision, to create the broadest possible avenue for dramatic expression within our community.  In 1999, the DSM Academy of Performing Arts was established to provide training for students ages 7 – adult, as well as continuing education for adults in theater arts.  Professional instruction helps students integrate the disciplines of singing, dancing, and acting into the unique genre of musical theater.  To ensure access and availability, the school offers limited scholarships to promising students with limited financial resources. Instruction includes classes, workshops and performance. When possible, workshops are provided by cast members of productions playing at Dallas Summer Musicals.

• Seats for Kids: Created in 2003 to provide a meaningful theater arts experience to low-income, at-risk and special needs children, Seats for Kids serves approximately 2,000 children each year.  Nonprofit youth agencies and Title 1 schools are eligible to participate in the program. DSM provides children, their teachers and chaperones with free tickets as well as a professionally drafted study guide to support attending the performance.

• Kids Club: This free membership program for kids was created to develop tomorrow’s musical theater audience.  Through exciting activities, special events, backstage tours and informational     exchanges about shows included in the Kids Club membership, children gain an interest, knowledge and appreciation of the performing arts.

• Stage Right: In 2005, the Stage Right program to introduce at-risk youth ages 12-15 to arts and cultural events, was created in partnership with the Dallas Police Department.   Together, DSM and DPD are “Raising the curtain for education and spotlighting the appreciation of the arts through experience and positive quality lifestyles.” The students entering the program are recommended by Dallas area teachers and counselors and other youth programs including Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc. and Dallas Recreation Centers as part of their ongoing efforts to keep students from joining gangs, getting involved in drugs and crime, or engaging in other activities that prevent their enjoying success in school.  Stage Right, with educational support from the Phoenix House, seeks to raise awareness of the arts, increase appreciation for different lifestyles and also increase self-esteem.

The public can play a part in bringing the Best of Broadway
to the young people in our community!

Charitable contributions are vital to the sustainability of these initiatives at Dallas Summer Musicals.  Please assist DSM in its mission to build awareness for the enjoyment and educational values of musical theater as it does so through its ongoing outreach programs.

For more information including sponsorships, booking or program details, please contact the DSM Development Department at 214.413.3957214.413.3957 or development@dallassummermuscals.org