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Dallas Symphony Orchestra to begin welcoming audiences to the Meyerson in September

DSO starts its new fall season with a concert showcasing brass, organ, and percussion.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Facebook

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is planning to welcome patrons back to the Meyerson Symphony Center for live concerts as soon as September 4, with a revised lineup in place for the rest of 2020.

The carefully curated programming, titled "Next Stage" by incoming DSO music director Fabio Luisi, places an emphasis on small orchestra and chamber ensembles, and caps audiences at 50-75 people per concert.

"There is no substitute for performances on our stage at the Meyerson with an audience," says DSO president and CEO Kim Noltemy in a release. "We look forward to safely welcoming small audiences back this fall, and though attending concerts will be different than in previous seasons, our musicians will continue to inspire you."

DSO musicians will volunteer for the concerts and receive COVID-19 testing prior to playing. Strict distancing will be enforced in backstage areas, and additional cleaning will be part of musician common areas. For the audience side, there will be no intermissions or valet parking, arrival and departure times will be staggered, patrons will be asked to wear masks, and voluntary temperature checks will be conducted before entering the venue.

"We tested these protocols in June, and I felt safe and confident playing with my colleagues," says principal second violin Angela Fuller Heyde. "We are so grateful that our health and safety are being taken so seriously and that every possible precaution is being taken. I can't wait to be back on stage at the Meyerson!"

Heyde is referencing the more than 40 outdoor chamber music concerts and four programs recorded in the Meyerson that the DSO organized during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking of recordings, a new robotic camera system and video studio is being installed at the Meyerson to capture concerts for on-demand viewing or live streaming. Subscribers will have access to this collection of performances free of charge, while non-subscribers will be able to view for a fee.

Throughout the fall programming, the orchestra will feature works by Black composers including Adolphus Hailstork, Scott Joplin, Quinn Mason, Jessie Montgomery, Jelly Roll Morton, and George Walker. This is a first step in diversifying the selection of works being performed and providing opportunities for composers of color.

"We have much work to do in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusion," says Noltemy, "but it is a priority for the DSO, and very soon we will share our comprehensive plan to ensure that the DSO takes a leadership role in this important work."

One major step is the concert previously announced for November 11 that will honor lives lost to racial violence and injustice. Done in partnership with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Project Unity, and featuring baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. and musicians from the Young Strings Program, the program will include a newly commissioned work by Dallas-based Quinn Mason.

The full fall lineup is as follows:

September 4-6, 2020
Brass, Organ & Percussion of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Sarah Hicks conducts
Bradley Hunter Welch, organ

September 10-13, 2020
Bronfman Plays Beethoven
Fabio Luisi conducts
Yefim Bronfman, piano

September 18-20, 2020
Ragtime & Jazz
Jeff Tyzik conducts
Byron Stripling, trumpet

September 24-27, 2020
Texas Instruments Classical Series
Gemma New conducts
Emily Levin, harp

October 1-4, 2020
Bold and New: Beethoven, Dessner and Kodály
Juraj Valcuha conducts
Jörgen Van Rijen, trombone

October 9-11, 2020
Mahler's Song of the Earth
Fabio Luisi conducts
Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano
Stuart Skelton, tenor

October 16-18, 2020
Kelli O'Hara In Concert with the DSO
Rob Fisher conducts
Kelli O’Hara, vocalist

October 22-25, 2020
Abduraimov Plays Beethoven
Jukka-Pekka Saraste conducts
Behzod Abduraimov, piano

October 29-November 1, 2020
Verdi Selections with Fabio
Fabio Luisi conducts
Krassimira Stoyanova, soprano
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Piero Pretti, tenor
Wenwei Zhang, bass

October 31, 2020
Dia De Los Muertos Concert
Katharina Wincor conducts

November 5- 8, 2020
Female Pioneers: Alsop and Hahn
Marin Alsop conducts
Hilary Hahn, violin

November 11, 2020
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Project Unity Present: Concert to Honor Lives Lost to Racial Violence and Injustice
Reginald Smith, Jr., baritone
Further vocal soloists to be confirmed
Dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Musicians of the DSO Young Strings Program

November 12, 2020
Erich Bergen's Hollywood Songbook
Jeff Tyzik conducts
Erich Bergen, vocalist

November 13-15, 2020
Queens of Soul
Jeff Tyzik conducts
Shayna Steele, vocalist

November 27- 29, 2020
The Nutcracker
Andrew Grams conducts

Some originally scheduled Pops Series and movie programming has been moved to later dates.

Toy Story Live in Concert has moved to September 2021, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has moved to November 2021. The Music of Selena has now been rescheduled to June 2021, and Lush Life: The Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn has been postponed to March 2021.

"My husband and I have been sheltering at home, and I had no intention of going further than daily walks," says Cece Smith, Dallas Symphony Association Board of Governors incoming chair. "Then I heard the comments from the musicians and other audience members about how safe they felt in the hall during the concerts performed in June, and we were convinced. It was so well done, and the live music was such a welcome treat, that we went to two more concerts! It is probably the safest place in Dallas."

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Drama kings

Dallas theater lures new leaders away from Hollywood and Broadway

Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

Malcolm Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer familiar for roles in Reacher, iZombie, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Dallas theater company Lyric Stage has looked to Hollywood and Broadway for new leadership, hiring film and television actor and director Malcolm Goodwin and Broadway veteran Victor Hawks as the theater company's new co-artistic directors.

The appointments mark a new chapter for the company, which was founded in 1993 by Steven Jones, executive director Catherine Carpenter Cox says in a November 2 announcement.

Goodwin and Hawks are the co-founders of Team Vision Entertainment, a production company developing and producing film, television, and theater projects.

Their longstanding creative partnership will now extend to Lyric Stage, where they will work alongside Cox to develop programming, support new works, and strengthen the organization's connections to the broader entertainment industry, a press release says.

Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer best known for roles in Amazon Prime Video's Reacher and The CW's iZombie. Other credits include The Fall of the House of Usher, American Gangster, and Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna.

His new role at Lyric Stage brings him back to the art form that first inspired his career.

"Theater is where I first learned how to tell stories and where I discovered that I loved every part of the creative process, not just performing," Goodwin says in the release. "I was building theaters, working with lighting and sound, and learning how everything comes together to create something special for an audience. Being able to return to that world and help create opportunities for other artists is incredibly meaningful to me."

Hawks brings an extensive Broadway background to his new position, having appeared in the original Broadway company of Urinetown the Musical, the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, South Pacific at Lincoln Center, and The Producers national tour.

Victor Hawks, Lyric Stage Victor Hawks.Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

"Musical theater changed the direction of my life," Hawks says in a statement. "I know firsthand what happens when someone gives a young performer an opportunity to learn, grow and be part of something bigger than themselves. That's what makes this next chapter so exciting. Lyric Stage already has an incredible history, and we want to build on that by creating great theater and opening doors for artists who are just beginning their journeys."

Over the past three decades, Lyric Stage has earned a reputation for its professional productions, world premieres, and restoration of classic Broadway works, with a big focus on musicals.

For Cox, the appointments are about bringing together artists who understand the importance of theater while offering the experience and relationships to help the organization grow.

"Steven Jones built something truly special with Lyric Stage, and we have a responsibility to honor what he created while continuing to move the organization forward," Cox says. "Malcolm and Victor have built remarkable careers in entertainment, but what I love most is that theatre is where both of their journeys began. They understand what the stage can mean to an artist, and they share my passion for creating opportunities for the next generation."

Cox also recently moved into a new role as director, making her directorial debut with Lyric Stage's production of the musical Godspell, which finished its run on October 25.

Upcoming Lyric Stage productions include A Very Lyric Christmas, A Chorus Line, Newsies, and Once.

Future planned endeavors for the company include Lyric Stage Academy, an educational program designed to introduce young people to the performing arts, as well as Children's Theatre, Summer Stock, professional training opportunities, a New Works Lab, and master classes.

lyric stage performing-arts theater