Written by DSM Columnists on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 8:22 AM
Dallas, TX…Michael A. Jenkins, President and Managing Director of Dallas Summer Musicals, received the prestigious Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Manager (Samuel J. L’Hommedieu) Award at the Broadway League’s 2011 Spring Road Conference held in NYC last week.
Under his leadership, Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) has produced or invested in 123 Broadway productions, and presented 438 national tours. Jenkins is a leader in his community, founding programs that bring Broadway and the arts to special needs and at-risk youth in the Dallas area. Executive Director of The Broadway League Charlotte St. Martin presented the award to Jenkins for demonstrating excellence in management. Honorees of the Broadway League Awards, honoring excellence and achievement for Touring Broadway, were greeted by George Hamilton at the opening session of the Spring Road Conference.
The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. Members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters and general managers in New York and more than 250 other North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Each year, League members bring Broadway to more than 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U. S. and Canada.
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.
Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments. For more information about DSM, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.
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For media information or to schedule an interview, please call Jo Ann Holt at 469-363-7371, or email joannholt@gmail.com.
Written by DSM Columnists on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 9:54 AM
MEDIA CONTACT:Jo Ann Holt
469-363-7371 or joannholt@gmail.com
DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS, PRESENTED BY COMERICA BANK,
ANNOUNCES PICK-A-PACK STILL AVAILABLE FOR THREE SHOWS
Dallas, TX…Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM), presented by Comerica Bank, has announced the sale of special mini-packs will continue through the final shows of the 2011 season. See 3 shows starting as low as $36. Pick-A-Pack that includes any three musicals and receive the best seats and lowest prices, plus other benefits such as lost ticket replacement or ticket exchange.
To order, visit www.dallassummermusicals.org and download a Pick-A-Pack order form.Orders may be placed in person at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center in Dallas.Credit card orders may be phoned in to 214-346-3300 or faxed to 214-691-7386.There is a $10 per order processing fee, with an additional convenience charge of $3 per ticket for phone orders.
Single tickets, ranging from $15-$85, are also on sale at The Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet, or by calling 1-800-982-ARTS, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.For groups of 15 or more, call 214-426-GROUP.The following shows, presented at the Music Hall at Fair Park, are still available for purchase.
9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, May 18-29, 2011.This musical is the most fun you will have all season, with its hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era.The new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton’s original hit title song along with her new Tony® Award and Grammy® nominated score.
STOMP, June 7-12, 2011.This one-week special returns to the Music Hall at Fair Park with new surprises!Explosive, provocative, sophisticated, sexy, and utterly unique, STOMP is a great family show that appeals to audiences of all ages.
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT, June 14-26, 2011.The second coming of Broadway’s #1 Musical Comedy Smash, called “A No-Holds-Barred Smash Hit” by The New Yorker.The funniest show on earth is back to taunt Dallas for a second time.Winner of the 2005 Tony® Award for Best Musical, SPAMALOT, the musical comedy sensation lovingly ripped off from the film classic “Monty Python and The Holy Grail,” now returns to spread laughter and cheer throughout the kingdom.
GUYS AND DOLLS, July 19-31, 2011. Big League Productions is proud to announce a sparkling new production of the timeless Broadway classic, GUYS AND DOLLS.Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy—considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy—soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to the cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon.The New York Times calls it “The show that defines Broadway dazzle!”
WEST SIDE STORY, October 4-23, 2011, is also the 2011 State Fair of Texas musical.“Bold, fresh and transcendent,” said The New Yorker.More than 50 years ago, one musical changed theater forever.Back on Broadway mesmerizing audiences once again, from the first note to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY soars as the greatest love story of all time.Directed by two-time Tony® Award winning librettist Arthur Laurents, WEST SIDE STORY remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever.The new Broadway cast album recently won the 2010 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album.
In 2012, DSM will bring such terrific straight-from-Broadway musicals as MEMPHIS, the winner of five 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love, filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll.Also on the season lineup will be THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a huge audience favorite on Broadway, created by Tony nominated® Andrew Lippa (best score), Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman.Also coming in 2012: The delightful new musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, reprising the fabled 1956 concert by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, all gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for one of the greatest jam sessions ever, and the recent Broadwy revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, the hilarious story of Georges (suave owner of a glitzy drag club on the French Riviera, and his high-strung star performer, Albin (who goes by the stage name ZaZa).They live a charmed life—until Georges’ son, Jean-Michel, turns up engaged to the daughter of a conservative right-wing politician who’s coming to dinner.
Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are The Dallas Morning News, 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, presented by Comerica Bank, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.
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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 High School Musical Theatre Awards Launches for the 2011 – 2012 School Year
All Dallas Metropolitan Area High Schools Encouraged to Participate!
This is a national program, with over 30 cities participating.
Based on Broadway’s Tony Awards®, the DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards are designed to recognize and reward excellence in the production of high school musical theatre in 15 categories. See # 5 below.
All Dallas metropolitan area high schools (private and public) are invited to participate. Fort Worth has their “Betty Buckley” Awards, and we do not want to compete with them, so no TarrantCounty. Eligible school districts include CollinCounty, DentonCounty, KaufmanCounty, EllisCounty, RockwallCounty, Highland Park ISD.
Each school can register for 1 musical to be judged. If they want to submit another one, the fee is $300. (Kansas City does that, as well.)
Three judges will visit each school and judge the performers in 15 categories:
Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, Best Choreography, Best Orchestra, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting, Best Ensemble, Best Crew, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Featured Performer.
The top eight finalists in each category will be announced.
DSM will be awarding scholarships of not less than $1,000 to a number of deserving students.
Deadline for registration is September 30, 2011.
Ballots are submitted to the accounting firm of Grant-Thornton and announced the night of the awards ceremony.
Awards Ceremony: Spring 2012: Top eight schools will perform a production number from their show. It will be at the Music Hall at FairPark.
Winners of the Best Performance by an Actor and Actress will receive an all expenses paid trip for five days to New York City to represent their school in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Nederlander Award) for the chance to win up to a full four year scholarship to the NYU Tisch School of Drama, valued at up to $100,000.
Twitter is an online community specializing in simply 1 question: "What are you doing right now?" DSM uses it to "broadcast", in 1 sentence, what we're up to day-to-day, special events, discounts and upcoming announcements! It's completely free and you even have the option to have our messages delivered to your cell phone as a standard SMS text message. (standard txt rates apply according to your cell plan)
