Lyric Stage, a theatre company dedicated to the development and preservation of the musical, announces its 31^st season. The company will produce three shows at its intimate Lyric Studio Space: Forever Plaid - Plaid Tidings, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, and Jekyll & Hyde. Lyric Stage will produce the final production, Guys & Dolls, at the Moody Performance Hall in partnership with Turtle Creek Chorale.

In addition to the season, Lyric Stage will also produce a new series of free summer concerts on the lawn behind the studio space called Lyric Under the Stars. Shows will take place on June 22^nd & 29^th and July 13^th & 20^th at 8:30 p.m. 

FOREVER PLAID - PLAID TIDINGS

November 29 to December 22, 2024 | Lyric Stage Studio

Lyric Stage opens its 31^st season with this holiday classic by Stewart Ross. It will be presented at the Lyric Studios Space with both general admission and reserved café tables. 

At first, Francis, Jinx, Smudge and Sparky aren't sure why they've returned to Earth for another posthumous performance, but a phone call from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they're needed to put a little harmony into a discordant world. Sprinkled among the Christmas offerings are audience favorites, like their riotous three-minute-and-eleven-second version of The Ed Sullivan Show – this time, featuring the Rockettes, the Chipmunks and The Vienna Boys Choir, as well as a Plaid Caribbean Christmas that puts the "Day-O" in Excelsis! The production is rated G and is fun for the whole family.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL

January 31 to February 23, 2025 | Lyric Stage Studio

To honor Black History Month, Lyric Stage will present Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. The performance will be presented at the Lyric Studios Space with both general admission and reserved café tables.

In 1959, in a small, intimate bar in Philadelphia, Billie Holiday puts on a show that unbeknownst to the audience, will leave them witnesses to one of the last performances of her lifetime. Through her brilliant voice and sometimes haunting songs, one of the greatest jazz singers of all time shares her loves and her losses. The production is rated R.

JEKYLL & HYDE

March 28 to April 19, 2025 | Lyric Stage Studio

The third show is Jekyll & Hyde. Presented at the Lyric Studios Space and based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, the performance features a thrilling score of pop-rock hits from multi-Grammy and Tony-nominated Frank Wildhorn and double-Oscar- and Grammy-winning Leslie Bricusse.

An evocative tale of two men – one, a doctor, passionate and romantic; the other, a terrifying madman – and two women – one, beautiful and trusting; the other, beautiful and trusting only herself– both women in love with the same man and both unaware of his dark secret. A devoted man of science, Dr. Henry Jekyll is driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind's most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons along with the man that the world would come to know as Mr. Hyde. The production is rated PG-13.

GUYS & DOLLS

August 15-17, 2025 | The Moody Performance Hall

The final show of the season for Lyric Stage is a co-production with the amazing artists from Turtle Creek Chorale presented at The Moody Performance Hall with a full orchestra and large cast

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys & Dolls ran for 1,200 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1950. It received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics and won a bevy of awards, including Tony Awards, Drama Desks, and Olivier’s. The production is rated PG.

Scott Guenther, Lyric Stage’s general manager, said, “Lyric Stage looks forward to sharing these exciting productions with the community. Our talented actors and actresses are dedicated to entertaining you with compelling and engaging performances crafted under the guidance of Executive Producer Catherine Carpenter Cox.”

For more information, visit https://www.lyricstage.org/season31.

Tickets, which range in price from $35 to $65, will be available on soon.

Lyric Stage is located at 1170 Quaker St., Dallas, TX 75207.

About Lyric Stage:

Lyric Stage, a Dallas-based 501c3 not-for-profit professional musical theatre company, was established in 1993 with the mission of the development and preservation of the musical, a unique art form. In its thirty-year history, Lyric Stage has produced over 125 productions, which include 21 world-premiere musicals and 2 Off-Broadway shows. For more information, visit www.lyricstage.org

Texas Woman’s University presented the 2024 Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award to Abigail “Abby” and Todd Williams at the Dallas Leadership Luncheon on March 21 at noon at The Arts District Mansion. Abigail "Abby" Williams is founder and CEO of United to Learn, a Dallas-based education non-profit organization; and her husband Todd Williams is founding chairman and CEO of The Commit Partnership, the nation’s largest education collective impact organization.

The award recognizes exceptional leaders who have made significant contributions through their commitment to furthering education and the quality of life in the Dallas community.

TWU’s Interim Vice President for University Advancement and Alumni Engagement Lisa Rampy welcomed guests that included a half dozen representatives from the office of elected officials, TWU Foundation board members, and members of the university’s Board of Regents.

The program that followed included recognition of the current Virginia Chandler Dykes scholarship recipients Jennifer Conner/College of Arts and Science, Ruth George/College of Business, Alondra Ammon/College of Health Sciences, Kelsie Barta/College of Nursing, and Gladys Elena Roa Albert/College of Professional Education.

Arcilia Acosta, advisory council chair for TWU’s Jane Nelson Institute, past Virginia Chandler Dykes Award recipient) and Carcon Industries and & Construction CEO, gave remarks. Attendees watched a commemorative video remembering Virginia Chandler Dykes and recognition of her family. Event Committee Chair was Ralph Hawkins, former chairman of the board for HKS Architects.

TWU Chancellor and President Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D. communicated important TWU updates, such as the university’s recent launch of the Dream Big $125 million anniversary fundraising campaign, the recent appointment of Monica Christopher as the inaugural president of TWU Dallas, and the TWU Pioneers’ historic advancement to the Final Four for women’s basketball.

The program’s highlight was an intriguing conversation with Abby and Todd Williams led by Early Matters Dallas Board Chair and personal friend, Regen Horchow. Horchow asked thought-provoking questions about the couple’s views on education and earlier transformative life experiences and influential life figures.

Abby Williams thanked presenting sponsor, Luther King Capital Management, who “heavily endowed my scholarship at SMU.” She added, “Ensuring access to a quality education is our life’s mission, so Todd and I are excited to have the opportunity to support Texas Woman’s University graduate programs, which is doing exactly that for countless students every day. Scholarships didn’t just pay my tuition and fees; they changed my life’s trajectory.”

Since the TWU alumna and Board of Regent member Virginia Chandler Dykes created the luncheon in 2002, the event has generated more than $1.3 million to benefit TWU graduate students.

This year’s affair was sponsored by many generous donors:

Presenting Sponsor: Luther King Capital Management

Luncheon Sponsor: TWU’s Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership

VIP Reception Sponsor: Lucy and Henry Billingsley

Pioneer Investors: Sue S. Bancroft, H-E-B

Pioneer Premier Partner: The Hersh Foundation

Pioneer Partners: Children’s Health System of Texas, Monica and Brent Christopher, Locke Lord LLP

Maroon & White Patrons: Alpine Group, Baylor Scott & White Health, Carcon Industries/STL Engineers, Dallas Regional Chamber, Goldman Sachs Gives, Nancy E. Perot and Rod C. Jones, Dr. Sheila Kellagher, Lyda Hill Philanthropies/LH Capital Inc., Elizabeth Martin, Parkland Health Foundation, Southwest Medical Foundation, Texas Women’s Foundation, Dr. Melissa D. Tonn and William J. Minick, III, Valeo Partners LLC, TWU Regent Mary P. Wilson and William R. Wilson, Jr., Young Women’s Preparatory Network.

WHO/WHAT:

Haynes Boone will present the Eric Nadel Birthday Benefit benefiting GrantHalliburton Foundation on Thursday, May 16, at The Kessler Theater featuring headliner Rhett Miller. KXT 91.7 is the media sponsor.

Tickets are on sale and going fast, with standing-room-only tickets remaining. Sponsorships are sold out. Celebrating its 12thannual concert, the Eric Nadel Birthday Benefit is the namesake’s way of giving back to help further mental health efforts. A mental health advocate, Nadel is best known as the longtime radio voice of the Texas Rangers, the 2023 World Series Champions.

The event features Dallas native Rhett Miller, acclaimed singer, songwriter, and best known as the frontman of the Dallas-based alt-country band the Old 97’s. He is also a long-time mental health advocate. Opening the show is Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson, who drew worldwide attention for her collaboration with Jackson Browne on “Human Touch,” written and performed for the 2019 documentary film “5B.”

The fundraiser event also features a live and silent auction to help raise funds to support the work of Grant Halliburton Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides mental health education, training, and support to North Texas children, teens, and families. For more information, visit GrantHalliburton.org.

WHEN:

Thursday, May 16, 2024

7:00 p.m. Doors open

7:45 p.m. Leslie Mendelson, opener, performs

9:00 p.m. Rhett Miller, headliner, performs

WHERE: The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., Dallas

INFORMATION/TICKETS: GrantHalliburton.org/ericnadel.

Talent Bios:

Rhett Miller, a Dallas native, is best-known as the frontman of the Dallas-based alt-country band the Old 97’s, although he has also pursued a critically acclaimed solo career and toured relentlessly for many years. Most of Miller’s solo albums are dominated by cool, melodic pop tunes with a drier and more confessional bent than his work with the band.

An accomplished author, Miller has written two children’s books, “No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse” and “The Baby-Changing Station” as well as numerous articles for national publications including “Rolling Stone,” “Salon,” and “The Atlantic.” He also hosts a popular podcast, “Wheels Off,” a show about the messy reality of the creative life. A long-time mental health advocate, Rhett appeared in 2016 as part of the Okay to Say campaign, encouraging the use of therapy to address mental health issues.

Leslie Mendelson, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, drew worldwide attention for her collaboration with Jackson Browne on “Human Touch,” written and performed for the 2019 documentary film “5B.” She then toured with Browne, which included a performance at Austin City Limits. Her collaborations with Bob Weir are frequently streamed on YouTube and she has opened shows for Roger Daltrey and The Who, among many others. Leslie will tour extensively this year to support her soon-to-be-released album, “After the Party,” which includes the singles “Other Girls” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll on the Radio.”

About Grant Halliburton Foundation

Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help families and young people through education, resources, and support. Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health and suicide prevention education and training to more than 325,000 students, educators, parents, and professionals. The Foundation also offers Here For Texas, which includes HereForTexas.com and the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line. These free community tools, available in English and Spanish, aim to offer easy access for North Texans seeking mental health and substance use information and resources. Learn more about Grant Halliburton Foundation at GrantHalliburton.org.

Texas Woman’s University will present the 2024 Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award to Abigail “Abby” and Todd Williams at the Dallas Leadership Luncheon, set for Thursday, March 21 at noon at The Arts District Mansion.

The luncheon is a TWU signature event that generates funds for TWU graduate student scholarships and pays tribute to the life and contributions of Virginia Chandler Dykes (1930-2022), the luncheon founder, who was a distinguished TWU alumna, donor and member of the university’s board of regents.

“The Dallas Leadership Luncheon is a favorite moment for us each year,” Texas Woman’s Chancellor Carine Feyten said. “Not only is it an opportunity to recognize outstanding Dallas leaders like Abby and Todd Williams; it’s an opportunity to shine a spotlight on our amazing graduate programs and the importance of providing access to graduate studies for students from all walks of life.”

About the 2024 award recipients: Philanthropists Abigail “Abby” and Todd Williams have spent their careers as public education advocates. Founder and CEO of Dallas-based education nonprofit United to Learn (U2L), Abby Williams and the U2L team are changing lives by transforming the relationship between community and schools. U2L is focused on accelerating literacy student achievement across 75 Dallas ISD elementary schools with plans to expand to all District Title 1 elementaries over the next two years. Key to this model is mobilizing community partnerships with business, high schools, faith-based organizations, individuals and groups. Todd Williams is the founding Chairman and CEO of The Commit Partnership, the nation’s largest educational collective impact organization with over 200 institutions and educating more than 790,000 students with a focus on improving post-secondary completion and economic mobility levels across the north Texas region and the state overall.

In 2007, Abby and Todd helped found a K-12 free tuition public charter school operated by Uplift Education that educates 1,500 primarily low-income children in northwest Dallas. Together, the couple also served as the founding chairs of Teach for America DFW’s Regional Advisory Board. Abby and Todd have successfully advocated locally and in the Texas Legislature for investments in education and have sponsored hundreds of scholarships to increase college accessibility for local students.

“Ensuring access to a quality education is our life’s mission, so Todd and I are excited to have the opportunity to support Texas Woman’s University graduate programs, which is doing exactly that for countless students every day,” said Abby Williams. “My mother, a single parent who worked tirelessly to provide for and encourage my siblings and me, also trusted in the transformative power of education to break the cycle of poverty for us and put her faith in generous benefactors who might support me through that process. Scholarships didn’t just pay my tuition and fees; they changed my life’s trajectory.”

About the Luncheon:  Established in 2002, the Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award is presented annually at the Dallas Leadership Luncheon to a Dallas leader(s) who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving the quality of life in the community and to furthering the importance of education.

The award honors the life work of Virginia Chandler Dykes as an outstanding healthcare provider whose professional and civic achievements represent a lifetime committed to helping others. Recent award recipients include Lucy Billingsley (2023), Arcilia Acosta (2022), Cynt Marshall (2021), and Jennifer Staubach Gates (2020). Here’s more about Virginia Chandler Dykes.

The Dallas Leadership Luncheon will take place at noon on March 21 at The Arts District Mansion (2101 Ross Ave., Dallas 75201), following a VIP reception at 11 a.m. Proceeds from the luncheon benefit Texas Woman’s graduate student scholarships.

This year’s presenting luncheon sponsor is Luther King Capital Management. The event chair is Ralph Hawkins; committee members are Arcilia Acosta, Lucy Billingsley, and TWU Chancellor Carine Feyten.

To reserve tables or tickets: Individual tickets for the Dallas Leadership Luncheon are $175; couple tickets are $300. Table sponsorships begin at $1,500.

To learn more or make a ticket purchase, call 940.898.3870 or visit twu.edu/DallasLeadership

HANDOUT IMAGE (Abby and Todd Williams): Download here.

Photo credit: Simon Luna

About TWU
Texas Woman’s University is the nation’s largest woman-focused university system with campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston. Founded in 1901, TWU has built a reputation on contributions in nursing, healthcare, education, the arts and sciences and business. TWU’s inclusive culture prioritizes experiential learning, leadership, service, discovery and health and well-being, and national media have recognized the university as a top college for student-parents, veterans and social mobility. In 2023, TWU publicly launched Dream Big, a $125 million fundraising effort to support programming, equipment, scholarships and faculty. To learn more about the campaign or the university, visit dreambig.twu.eduor twu.edu, or connect with TWU on Facebook @TexasWomansUniversity, Instagram @txwomans, Twitter @txwomans, and LinkedIn @texaswomansuniversity.

VolunteerNow has set its Hearts of Texas Luncheon for April 18, 2024, at the Arts District Mansion, with a reception at 11:30 a.m. followed by the luncheon at 12:00 p.m. For 17 years, the centerpiece of this event has been the Lifetime Achievement Award, and this year’s honoree is Randy Bowman, businessman, nonprofit founder and philanthropist. He joins the ranks of notable community leaders such as the late Ruth Altshuler, Lyda Hill, Erle Nye, Roger Staubach and former First Lady Laura Bush.

VolunteerNow will also recognize and honor Community Partners of Dallas with the Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for excellent stewardship of volunteers. Lewisville ISD will receive the Tammy Richards Impact Award for driving greater volunteer impact through their partnership with VOLY.org.

Rachel Currie Triska, VolunteerNow CEO, said, “Every year at Hearts of Texas, we bring together people with BIG hearts doing BIG good in the BIG D and beyond. This year, we look forward to celebrating Randy’s outstanding achievements, and Community Partners of Dallas and Lewisville ISD for the exceptional work they and their volunteers do every day. The event is held in April during National Volunteer Month to highlight the power of volunteerism to create the change we want to see in the world.”

Luncheon Chair Chitra Raman added, “Through a fireside chat led by Gordon Keith of The Ticket, we will hear about Randy Bowman’s legacy and his devotion to his mother, Annie Lois Hunt Bowman, who inspired him to achieve and serve in transformative ways. He is an extraordinary leader and dedicated civic contributor whose service is an inspiration to us all, and we are excited to honor him.”

Randy Bowman: Bowman is known as an innovator in law and business, building successful careers in both, including 17 years as president of the successful logistics company he co-founded. He has served Dallas for decades, including as chair of Parkland Foundation, Employee Retirement Fund of the City of Dallas and Impact Dallas Capital boards. But in philanthropy, he is best known as the founder, CEO and driving force behind AT LAST! – The Urban Boarding Experience (https://atlastboarding.com).

Born into an impoverished family, Bowman possesses a unique understanding and respect for the challenges faced by such families, and an acute belief that stability and home life resources are fundamental to enabling children to learn.  On March 7, 2021, his idea manifested in launching AT LAST!, a weekday boarding experience for kids in poverty. Today, AT LAST! ensures that elementary school-aged children from impoverished families have the types of educational resources available to them during the home life portion of the school day that are available to children living in more prosperous households.

Bowman said, “I regard myself as the product of an amazing earthly mother and a grace-yielding Heavenly Father, and I want my work to reflect my unending gratitude to each. I’m honored to be receiving this prestigious award and thankful to VolunteerNow for it. My mother taught me that education is the key to a better life. I seek to honor her and the sacrifices she made to enable me to have this adult life. I do so through AT LAST!, which helps today’s similarly-situated moms access the educational resources necessary to enable their kids to have better adult lives.”

Hearts of Texas Luncheon sponsorships start at $2,500, and tickets are $150. To purchase sponsorships and tickets and for more information, visit https://www.volnow.org/heartsoftexas or contact Rachel Currie Triska at rcurrietriska@volnow.org or call 972.971.3450.

About VolunteerNow: VolunteerNow was founded in 1971 as the Dallas Voluntary Action Center by four visionary leaders –  Annette Strauss, Helen Boothman, Mitch Jericho and Jan Sanders – who knew how much the service of volunteers matters to the nonprofit community.  Today, VolunteerNow is one of the nation’s largest volunteer centers, widely recognized for our impact in marshalling thousands of volunteers to strengthen more than 4,200 nonprofit organizations. Learn more at https://www.volnow.org.