CONTESTS ALERT – The Bridges of Madison County

The Tony Award-winning musical THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY will make its Dallas debut at the Music Hall at Fair Park, February 2-14, 2016, and we’d like to give you the opportunity to win tickets to Opening Night! 

We have 2 contests happening right now – The Bridges Photo Exhibition and the BRIDGES: Covered Music Competition. Check out the details below. HURRY! The deadlines for submissions are VERY soon and we don’t want you to miss out!

 

The Bridges Photo Exhibition

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DSM is hosting a photography exhibition, offering you the chance to display your work at the Music Hall at Fair Park for the run of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. Photographers, both amateur and professional, are invited to submit original photographs that capture the beauty of North Texas bridges. All submissions will undergo a review process and a special selection will be hand-picked for public display at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Photographers featured in the exhibition will receive a pair of tickets to opening night, Feb. 2nd! DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS SUNDAY, 1/24!

For more details and to submit your photo, click here!

 

BRIDGES: COVERED
Music Competition

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DSM is hosting a BRIDGES: COVERED Music Competition. We want to hear your best covers of Jason Robert Brown’s songs from the show!

North Texas musicians, both amateur and professional, are invited to submit their own artistic take on the Tony Award-winning music of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY. Any and all genres and styles are welcome! Vocal, instrumental, solo, group, classical, jazz, hip-hop or anything in-between: we want you to bring your own unique style and creativity to this celebrated score!

All entries will be reviewed by the DSM Team, and the top submissions will be selected as BRIDGES: COVERED finalists. The finalists will then be voted on by the public, and the crowd favorite will be deemed Dallas Summer Musicals’ BRIDGES: COVERED Music Competition winner! The Music Competition winner will receive tickets to opening night, Feb. 2nd! DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS SUNDAY, 1/24!

For more details and to submit your video, click here!

 

We hope that you will join us in these contests and don’t forget to have fun! We’ll see you at the theater!

-DSM Amanda

Your 2015 DSM Holiday Gift Guide is Here!

It’s that time of year again – gift buying season is here! Sometimes the task can be a bit daunting, but we’ve got your current (and soon-to-be) Broadway fans covered! Check out Dallas Summer Musicals’ Holiday Gift Guide for some ideas and inspiration!

Not sure who to give Broadway to this season?

For the Holiday Family Outing – Elf The Musical
For the Broadway Music Lover – The Bridges of Madison County
For the Disney Princess or Prince – The Little Mermaid
For the Oz Fan – Wicked
For the History Buff – Ragtime The Musical
For the Woody Allen Movie Fanatic – Bullets Over Broadway
For the Showbiz Lover – 42nd Street

8 Reasons Tickets Make A Great Gift

  1. You’re giving an EXPERIENCE.
  2. Do you really remember every gift you received last year? 5 years ago? Give your loved ones something they’ll remember for years to come.
  3. You won’t be wasting your hard earned cash – unlike a sweater, tie or pink bunny footie pajamas… tickets won’t get pushed to the back of a closet.
  4. Instead of playing the gift guessing game with a toy that gets tossed to the side, introduce the kids to the magic of theatre.
  5. Date night. Need we say more?
  6. We all know that in-laws are difficult to buy for. Make it a 4-pack and they’ll be pleased with your willingness to share date night with them.
  7. Ladies: choose to give tickets over gift cards this year, and change up your Girl’s Night Out routine!
  8. Check the entire family off of your gift-giving list and make it a family affair! It only takes 10 people to qualify for our Group Discount!

From all of us here at DSM, we hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season!

-DSM Amanda

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*Does not include processing fee. WICKED requires 4 or more.

DSM Guest Blog: My Weekend with Jason Robert Brown

My Weekend with Jason Robert Brown

by Megan Anthony, Guest DSM Blogger and DSM Intern

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to drive out to Fort Worth and see the one and only Jason Robert Brown. Texas Christian University was hosting their 2nd annual “Festival of American Song,” this year featuring the renowned musical theater composer.

For those who don’t recognize the name, Jason Robert Brown is the composer and lyricist of The Bridges of Madison County, which happens to be coming to DSM in February 2016! In addition to Bridges, JRB is also known for The Last 5 Years (recently made into a movie starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan), Parade, and Songs for a New World (less a musical, more a set of songs that are brought together by the people singing them). JRB has received 3 Tony awards for his work. Bridges received the Tony awards for Best Orchestration and Best Original Score, and then in 1999 Parade won for Best Original Score.

I first heard Jason Robert Brown’s music in high school, although it didn’t really occur to me until much later that it was all the same person, let alone that he was a “big deal.” Now that I’ve gone through college, growing in my knowledge of musical theatre, I became more familiar with his works. That being said, being able to see him in person was probably comparable to my little sister being introduced to Taylor Swift (it was more subtle I hope… but I’m serious.)

IMG_0841The day started off with a masterclass, in which JRB worked with five of TCU’s recent alumni. [Side note: He was sitting 2 rows directly in front of me. I could have touched him. I might have been freaking out a little.] Right off the bat, I was impressed with how knowledgeable this man was. Each singer he helped to make their performance seem more natural and musical, while giving tips on how and where to stand (or sit) and what songs/characters they should/should not audition for.

After the class, JRB momentarily sat down at a piano. But only to readjust the seat… still giving us hope that he would be playing later that night at the talk back entitled “A Conversation with Jason Robert Brown.”

It was in this “conversation” that I (and the rest of the audience in TCU’s recital hall) learned how JRB began his career in music [a pump organ found in his grandfather’s basement] and how he chose his path after high school [he was a “good Jewish boy so he went to a university” and his grades were terrible… so his only choice was a music school. Eastman (one of the top music schools in the country)]. How he premiered Songs for a New World when he was only 25, and how he got asked to write the music for Parade on the whim of an impatient director [because “Steve” Sondheim backed out].

Every once in a while, in between questions, the moderator would turn and say, “Why don’t you play [insert random song choice here] for us?” And JRB would naturally agree and just start playing some of the most complicated piano music you’ve ever heard, all while keeping a beat with his left foot and singing his own songs. One song, “I Could Be In Love With Someone Like You” was actually cut from The Last 5 Years, and another “I Love Betsy” is featured in his most recent show, Honeymoon in Vegas.

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All in all, if I wasn’t excited about seeing Jason Robert Brown’s Bridges of Madison County before [false… I was already excited], I am even more so now! Make sure you come check it out at DSM, February 2-14, 2016, along with the rest of our 2015-2016 season beginning in November with The Sound of Music!!!

Megan Anthony is originally from Flower Mound, TX and has been an Intern with DSM this summer. She currently attends Hardin-Simmons University and will graduate with a degree in Music Business/Management.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is presented by Dallas Summer Musicals February 2-14, 2016 at Music Hall Fair Park. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, one of the most romantic stories ever written, is now an irresistible, two-time Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical. Based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY tells the story of Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with traveling photographer Robert Kincaid. It’s an unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more.

This stunning new production features gorgeous, soulful music by Tony Award®-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years) that draws upon the rich textures of Americana and folk and the sweeping, expressive balladry of classic Broadway. The Daily News hails it as “one of Broadway’s best scores in the last decade.”

With a book by Pulitzer Prize Winner Marcia Norman (The Secret Garden, The Color Purple) and direction by Tony®-winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza), THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is “an evening you will cherish long after the show’s over!” (NPR)

Click on the poster below for more details and a sneak peek video!

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Casting Announced for the National Tour of The Bridges of Madison County!

ELIZABETH STANLEY & ANDREW SAMONSKY
TO STAR AS FRANCESCA & ROBERT
IN
THE NATIONAL TOUR OF

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THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MUSICAL TO MAKE NORTH TEXAS DEBUT FEBRUARY 2-14, 2016 AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK

“The score by Jason Robert Brown is SUMPTUOUS!”
-New York Times

“MAGIC! An evening you will cherish long after the show’s over!”
–NPR

“The beating heart of the show is Brown’s score. It’s richly melodic and rhythmic — and one of Broadway’s best in the last decade!”
-Daily News

“GORGEOUS, POWERFUL & RAPTUROUS! ‘BRIDGES’ is one of the few recent Broadway musicals to take up the challenges laid down by the great works of Rodgers and Hammerstein – to tell important stories and somehow make them sing.”
–New York Magazine

The producers of the upcoming national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY have announced that Elizabeth Stanley, currently starring in the role of Claire De Loone on Broadway in the revival of ON THE TOWN, and Andrew Samonsky, last seen in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at the Paper Mill Playhouse, will star as Francesca Johnson and Robert Kincaid. Featuring gorgeous, soulful music by three-time Tony Award® winner JASON ROBERT BROWN that draws upon the rich textures of Americana and folk and the sweeping balladry of classic Broadway, Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News hails it as “one of Broadway’s best scores in the last decade.” Tom Geier of Entertainment Weekly exclaims that Brown “has written a lush and deeply romantic score, filled with rich and melodic duets,” and NPR proclaims it’s “MAGIC! An evening you will cherish long after the show is over!” As previously announced, the production will begin performances on November 28 at the Des Moines Civic Center in Des Moines, IA and will continue to over 15 additional major markets across North America in its first season.

Elizabeth StanleyElizabeth Stanley is currently starring as the man-crazed anthropologist Claire De Loone in the Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN (Drama Desk Nomination). Other roles originated on Broadway: Dyanne in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET; Allison in CRY-BABY, and April in the Tony Award-winning revival of COMPANY First National Tour: Kira in XANADU. Off-Broadway: Gussie in the New York City Center, Encores! production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, and The Nurse in HELLO, AGAIN (Transport Theatre Group—Drama League Nomination, best ensemble). Favorite regional roles: Kate in KISS ME KATE, Sugar in SUGAR, Constanze in AMADEUS. TV: Black Box, Made in Jersey, Fringe, The Chappelle Show, and PBS Great Performances —Company. Graduate of Indiana University. www.elizabethstanley.net

Andrew SamonskyAndrew Samonsky recently played Captain Phoebus in the American premiere of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at the Paper Mill and La Jolla Playhouse. Broadway: THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROO (Neville), SCANDALOUS (Kenneth Ormisten, original cast recording), and SOUTH PACIFIC (Lt. Cable, including the Live From Lincoln Center PBS broadcast). Off-Broadway: Queen of the Mist as Frank Russell (Drama Desk Award nomination, original cast recording), and Encores! productions of Fiorello! and Merrily We Roll Along.  Original productions of Somewhere in Time (Richard, Portland Center Stage), TALES OF THE CITY (Beauchamp, ACT), LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (La Jolla Playhouse, Joshua), and DISNEY’S ON THE RECORD (Original Cast Recording).  He’s a soloist with symphonies across the country.  TV/Film: Elementary, Guiding Light.

The critically acclaimed musical of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams with music and lyrics by three-time Tony Award®-winning composer JASON ROBERT BROWN (PARADE, THE LAST FIVE YEARS), book by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer MARSHA NORMAN (THE SECRET GARDEN, THE COLOR PURPLE, ‘NIGHT, MOTHER), and led by the Tony Award®-winning director BARTLETT SHER (SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA).

The team also includes scenic design by two-time Tony Award®winner MICHAEL YEARGAN (THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, SOUTH PACIFIC), costume design by six-time Tony Award® winner CATHERINE ZUBER (SOUTH PACIFIC, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, THE COAST OF UTOPIA), lighting design by two-time Tony Award® winner DONALD HOLDER (SOUTH PACIFIC, THE LION KING), sound design by JON WESTON, orchestrations by JASON ROBERT BROWN, and movement by DANNY MEFFORD.

Based on the best-selling novel by ROBERT JAMES WALLER, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY tells the story of Iowa housewife Francesca Johnson and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with traveling photographer Robert Kincaid. It’s an unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at so much more.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY will launch in Des Moines, IA at the Des Moines Civic Center with performances beginning Saturday, November 28th and will travel to more than 15 cities in its first season. The previously released tour route is available by clicking here with additional cities to be announced soon.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, now available on Ghostlight Records, was released on April 15, 2014 and debuted as the #1 Cast Recording on the Billboard charts. For more information or to purchase the Cast Recording, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/bridgesofmadisoncounty.

For more information about the upcoming tour, please visit www.BridgesMusical.com

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is part of Dallas Summer Musicals’ highly anticipated 2015-2016 Season. The new season will kick off with the North Texas debut of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC, November 3-22, 2015; followed by ELF The Musical, December 8-20, 2015; THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, February 2-14, 2016; DSM’s production of Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, March 11-27, 2016; WICKED, April 20 – May 22, 2016; RAGTIME, May 24 – June 5, 2016; BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, June 14-26, 2016; and closing the season will be 42ND STREET, June 28 – July 10, 2016.

Dallas Summer Musicals’ seven-show season tickets, starting at $134, are now on sale online at DallasSummerMusicals.org, in person at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, Suite 542 in Dallas or by phone at 214-346-3300. In addition, season ticket buyers have the option to add on WICKED, April 20 – May 22, 2016, to their season subscription for an 8-show package starting at $174.

Groups of 10 or more receive a 15% discount for all shows excluding WICKED where groups of 15 or more save on select performances. All groups receive priority seating and many more benefits. Please call 214-426-GROUP (4768) or email Groups@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 community outreach and education, and 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 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 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 celebrates the power of the arts to significantly improve all areas of education. Hear Us Now!™ is DSM’s newest initiative. 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. It is so unique that a trademark has been allowed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Coming this fall, Seats for Vets will serve war veterans and their families by providing them with a unique theatrical experience and 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.

 

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BIOS:

MARSHA NORMAN (Book) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and co-chair of Playwriting at Juilliard. She won a Tony for THE SECRET GARDEN, and another nomination for THE COLOR PURPLE. Her first play, GETTING OUT, received the John Gassner Playwriting Medallion, the Newsday Oppenheimer Award, and a citation from the American Critics Association. Other plays include THE LAUNDROMAT, THE POOL HALL, LOVING DANIEL BOONE,TRUDY BLUE, and her newest play, LAST DANCE.

Published collections of her works include Four Plays, Collected Works of Marsha Norman, Vol. 1, and a novel, The Fortune Teller. She has also worked extensively in television and film and has an upcoming play for the UN about trafficking and violence toward women. She is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, a former advisory member of the Sewanee Writers Conference, and current vice president of The Dramatists Guild of America. She serves on the boards of the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Independent Committee for Arts Policy. Ms. Norman was elected to the Agnes Scott College Board of Trustees in 2003. She lives with her two children in Monterey, MA and New York City.

JASON ROBERT BROWN (Music, Lyrics and Orchestrations) has won three Tony Awards for his groundbreaking work as a composer, lyricist, and orchestrator. His emotionally incisive, ferociously energetic, and deeply human scores for HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations), PARADE (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), THE LAST FIVE YEARS (Drama Desk Award), 13, and SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD have brought his unique voice and highly personal songs to stages all over the world. Other works include his “novel symphony,” The Trumpet of the Swan (written with Marsha Norman), which he conducted with the National Symphony Orchestra. Jason also tours with his band The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, with whom he has recorded a CD, Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes.                                                                                           

BARTLETT SHER (Director). LCT: THE KING AND I; GOLDEN BOY (Tony nomination); BLOOD AND GIFTS; WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (also current London production); JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE (Tony nom.); SOUTH PACIFIC (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics awards; also London and Australia); AWAKE AND SING!, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (Tony noms.). Recent New York: THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (Schoenfeld), PRAYER FOR MY ENEMY (Playwrights Horizons), WASTE (Best Play Obie Award), CYMBELINE (Callaway Award, also at Royal Shakespeare Company), Don Juan, Pericles (TFANA, BAM). Artistic director of Seattle’s Intiman Theater (2000-2009). Previously company director for the Guthrie Theater and associate artistic director at Hartford Stage. Opera: Faust (Baden Baden); Two Boys (ENO, Metropolitan Opera); Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Le Comte Ory, L’Elisir d’Amore (Metropolitan Opera); Romeo et Juliette (Salzburg, Milan, Chicago); Mourning Becomes Electra (Seattle Opera, New York City Opera). Upcoming productions include Otello (Metropolitan Opera), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF(Broadway), Adam Guettel’s new musical MILLIONS.

Just Announced – 2015/2016 DSM Season!

Season_CreatingMemories

It’s official! We have announced our 2015/2016 DSM Season!

Here are the shows coming to DSM next season:

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC
November 3-22, 2015
#SoundOfMusicDSM
The classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical returns to Dallas! For more details, click here.

ELF THE MUSICAL
December 8-20, 2015
#ElfDSM
ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, who embarks on a journey to NYC to find his birth father and discover his true identity. For more details, click here.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
February 2-14, 2016
#BridgesDSM
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, one of the most romantic stories ever written, is now an irresistible, two-time Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical. For more details, click here.

Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID
March 11-27, 2016
#LittleMermaidDSM
THE LITTLE MERMAID returns to Dallas with the story about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. For more details, click here.

WICKED
April 20 – May 22, 2016
#WickedDSM
Back by “popular” demand, long before that girl from Kansas, two girls meet in the land of Oz! For more details, click here.

RAGTIME THE MUSICAL
May 24 – June 4, 2016
#RagtimeDSM
The lives of a family of upper-class WASPs, an African-American couple and some Eastern-European Jewish immigrants intersect as they try to make a success in America. For more details, click here.

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
June 14-26, 2016
#BulletsDSM
Based on the Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath film, this musical comedy is loaded with big laughs, colorful characters, and the songs that made the 20s roar! For more details, click here.

42nd STREET
June 28 – July 10, 2016
#42StreetDSM
Facing adversity from all directions, the young but talented Peggy Sawyer learns about show business and discovers which relationships are most important in life. For more details, click here.

All performances are at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

For photos from some of the shows, check out our slideshow at the bottom of this post! We hope you will join us next season!

Check out this quick video for a sneak peek at each show:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5VMBZPlvo]

 

Also, in case you hadn’t heard, we’re partnering up with Performing Arts Fort Worth for 3 of our shows: THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE LITTLE MERMAID, and 42nd STREET! These shows will play 2 weeks here at DSM in Dallas, then travel to the Bass Performance Hall for a one-week engagement. We are very excited to be working closer with PAFW and hope that this will help bring more people to see live theatre!

Season tickets are now on sale online at www.dallassummermusicals.org, and at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, Suite 542 in Dallas. Subscribers may order by mail or in person at The Box Office, by phoning 214-346-3300 or by faxing 214-691-7386. For groups of 10 or more, 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 up to $101 over the cost of single tickets.

We’re so excited about our upcoming season, and we hope you are too! For more information about each show, season tickets, etc., please visit our website at www.dallassummermusicals.org.

We’ll see you at the Music Hall soon!

-DSM Amanda