Taking Center Stage

Dallas' SMU gets $15 million gift for new program in musical theater

Joel Ferrell is the inaugural director of the G. Marlyne Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre.

Photo by Carson Nicely

The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University is expanding, thanks to a very generous gift.

Philanthropist and Broadway producer G. Marlyne Sexton has donated $15 million to create a specialization in musical theater.

Sexton's gift funds both the new G. Marlyne Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre and the G. Marlyne Sexton Director of Musical Theatre – plus operating funds to begin during the 2023-24 school year.

“Marlyne Sexton’s gift builds on the strong Meadows School of the Arts programs in theater, music and dance,” says SMU president R. Gerald Turner. “It also augments the arts scene in Dallas, inspiring artistic expression and adding to SMU Meadows’ status as a premier artistic and cultural institution.”

Joel Ferrell, the previous associate artistic director at Dallas Theater Center, has been announced as the inaugural director of this new institute.

“SMU Meadows produces some of the best professional artists in the world, and I am proud to support this addition to the school’s repertoire,” says Sexton. “As they entertain, I hope students of musical theater will develop their abilities to inspire us and build our capacity to empathize for others.”

Musical theatre students enrolled in the program will participate in "cutting-edge productions and gain valuable training and expertise from internationally recognized faculty and performers."

Students will be able to obtain an BFA in theater with a specialization in musical theater, in addition to existing concentrations in acting and theater studies.

“For many years, prospective students have told us they are looking for musical theater training like this,” says Samuel S. Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School. “Marlyne Sexton’s gift will help SMU attract artistic and talented performers, and help us achieve our goal of becoming nationally competitive in this discipline within five years of launching the program.”

Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sexton is a dedicated supporter and parent of two SMU alumnae, Nicole Sexton ’87 and Tracy Copeland ’82. She has also been involved in producing and funding Broadway productions in New York and London.

Previously, as part of the enhanced SMU Meadows facilities for the visual arts, Sexton and her family made a gift to establish the Sexton Family Courtyard, the renovated west entrance to the arts building; the Sexton Family Art Studio and Terrace, an expansive indoor-outdoor space; and the Sexton Family Suite for Creative Computation as part of school’s enhanced facilities for the visual arts.

On The Move

Pegasus Theatre brings Living Black & White shows to new home in Addison

Photo courtesy of Pegasus Theatre

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Beginning October 2025, Pegasus Theatre will have a new home. The Dallas company known for its trademarked Living Black & White shows is taking up residence for its 40th season at The Addison Performing Arts Centre.

"The Addison Performing Arts Centre and Pegasus Theatre have reached a co-production agreement which will allow Pegasus to produce in all three venues at The Addison: the Terry Martin Main Stage, Studio Theatre, and Stone Cottage," writes Pegasus' production manager Leslie Patrick. "We can’t wait for our audience to feel the benefits of the stability of this arrangement for a feeling we have not really been able to recreate since we closed our original space on Main Street in Deep Ellum in 2002."

Pegasus Theatre was founded in 1985 by Kurt Kleinmann, who also writes the majority of the nonprofit company's original plays and serves as artistic director. His wife, Barbara Weinberger, joined the company in 1986 and is currently its executive director.

Many of these 1930s and '40s-set comedic mysteries follow the bumbling detective/wannabe actor Harry Hunsacker, his "good friend and paid-by-the-hour assistant Nigel Grouse," and the dogged Lt. Foster. Kleinmann portrayed Hunsacker until 2016, when understudy Scott Nixon took over the role full-time. Ben Bryant and Chad Cline regularly appear as Nigel and Lt. Foster.

The productions' trade-secret makeup, special lighting, meticulous costuming, and detailed set creation, combined with stylized acting, creates the illusion that audiences are watching a black-and-white movie brought to life. The signature Lady in Red appears during curtain call to further illustrate the jaw-dropping illusion.

"We are excited to bring our Living Black & White shows with Harry Hunsacker to the Main Stage, including, in time, the return of our New Year’s Eve Celebration show," continues Patrick. "The goal is to bring upwards of 75 performance days a year across all The Addison Performing Arts Centre’s venues, including our RadioVizion shows, a return of our new play festival, and a mix of comedic works."

Until recently, Pegasus Theatre performed at the Eisemann Center in Richardson and the Bath House Cultural Center near White Rock Lake.

In 2024, the Town of Addison unveiled a plan to reorganize the programming at The Addison Performing Arts Center, formerly known as the Addison Conference and Theatre Centre.

This plan included reducing space occupied by longtime tenant WaterTower Theatre and encouraging more "lit nights" from a variety of organizations. Manager Nichole Belford was hired earlier this year to steer the changes.

Pegasus Theatre also hints at a kick-off event to be held October 4 at The Addison, with details to be announced.

pegasus theatre addison addison performing arts centre living black and white radiovizion harry hunsacker theater