YP Power

Young professionals do a world of good with 5 of the most fun events in Dallas

A competitive golf tournament. A swank, celebrity chef-led dinner. An exclusive fashion show. They sound like appointments in an A-lister’s social datebook, but it’s just a sampling of the events hosted by Young Texans Against Cancer (YTAC) Dallas.

YTAC is a group of young professionals — all of whom have been touched by cancer in some way — that chooses to fight cancer in its own way, by fundraising and advocating for organizations involved in research, care, and support of cancer patients and their families. And with annual events like the Chili Cook-off for a Cure and a race/fun run, as well as this year’s first-ever STRUT fashion show, YTAC members know how to have fun while changing the world.

Here’s what 2016 has in store for YTAC members:

STRUT Fashion Show
On March 3, guests will gather at Front Door Fashion in the Dallas Design District for a posh fashion show called STRUT: Striving to Resolve, Unite & Triumph in the fight against cancer. This year is STRUT’s first and includes a VIP reception before the fashion show.

VIP ticket holders will meet and greet the models while enjoying exclusive tastings from Urban Taco, Sissy’s Southern Kitchen, and Nothing Bundt Cakes, as well as top-shelf drinks from Stoli, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, and David Frost Wine. They can also shop the Nicole Miller pop-up shop before doors open for general admission at 7 pm.

General admission attendees will get to sample from the same restaurants, plus imbibe Stoli cocktails, beer, and wine. STRUT also features a silent auction — including jewelry, bags, clothing, and a private tasting dinner from Nick & Sam’s — and the requisite party photo booth.

Local personalities Steve Kemble and Natalie Solis will emcee the runway show, featuring beneficiary models accessorized exclusively by Kendra Scott. Adding to the deeply personal feel of the event is the fact that each beneficiary model is a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth community and has been touched by cancer in some way.

“We found models who really deserve some pampering,” said YTAC Dallas president Phuong Tran. “It’s a great way to bring awareness to real women battling a very real disease.” Partners include Benefit Cosmetics, DryBar NorthPark, and Kate Somerville Skincare, making beneficiary models feel fabulous. RSC Show Productions and the Callidus Agency are also donating time and services to the event.

After the beneficiary fashion show, attendees will be treated to highlights of Nicole Miller’s new line. Silent auction winners will be announced at the dance party near the end of the event, which is expected to run until 10 pm.

STRUT takes place on Thursday, March 3, 7-10 pm, at Front Door Fashion. Tickets may be purchased online in advance of the event.

Chili Cook-off for a Cure
Members will bring the heat at this year’s fourth annual chili cook-off held at The Foundry. The hip outdoor space is the perfect place for competitors to spread out and make some killer chili while listening to some live local music, including local favorite Troy Cartwright.

Guests will enjoy sampling competitors’ recipes and washing down the spicy eats with ice-cold beer from Four Corners Brewing Company this April, just when things start to heat up here in North Texas. Local celebrity chef judges will award prizes for the best-tasting chili, best theme/costume, and more.

YTAC’s Chili Cook-off for a Cure takes place on Saturday, April 2, 1-4 pm, at The Foundry. Tickets are available online.

YTRAC
Lace up your running shoes for YTRAC: Young Texans Race Against Cancer this summer. The 5K, 10K, and fun run event benefits Camp iHope, a summer camp that serves children from 7 to 16 years of age with any cancer diagnosis.

Developed by Medical City Children’s Hospital in 2011, Camp iHope also serves siblings of cancer patients and lets kids “just be kids” during a week-long camp in a supportive, safe, and fun environment. YTRAC will allow 110 kids with cancer and their siblings to attend camp this year.

Runners will gather at Trinity Groves on Saturday, May 7, at 8 am for the fun run; the 5K/10K starts at 8:30. Be sure to register at YTRAC.org.

BubblyQ
It goes without saying that YTAC’s biggest annual fundraising event is BubblyQ. Who wouldn’t want to party it up at Fearing’s Restaurant while giving back to the community? Last year the event raised $200,000 for local Dallas beneficiary organizations, and members are hoping to beat that amount in 2016.

Led by chef Dean Fearing and friends, BubblyQ showcases dishes from some of Dallas’ best chefs and cocktails from top local mixologists. More than 60 percent of YTAC’s $1 million-plus funds given to North Texas organizations has come from this event, which celebrates its ninth year in 2016.

BubblyQ takes place on Thursday, October 13, 7-10 pm, at Fearing’s at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.

Drive Cancer Away Golf Tournament
Every year, golf enthusiasts and players of all skill levels come together for YTAC’s Drive Cancer Away Golf Tournament. This year, four-person teams will play 18 holes to raise money for cancer education, research, and patient support through North Texas organizations. Although the date and location have yet to be determined, golfers will be playing for a good cause this November.

YTAC’s 2016 beneficiaries include Hope Lodge Dallas, First Descents, Leukemia Texas, Bridge Breast Network, 1 Million for Anna, Clayton Dabney, Medical City Children’s Hospitals’ Camp iHope, Mary Crowley Research Center, and UT Southwestern Research.

Find out more about YTAC’s beneficiary organizations by visiting the website, following along on Facebook, or signing up for email updates.

Julia Tran, Natalie Solis, Phuong Tran, and Rupal Patel at last year's BubblyQ.

Julia Tran, Natalie Solis, Phuong Tran, Rupal Patel

Photo by Michael Bruno

Julia Tran, Natalie Solis, Phuong Tran, and Rupal Patel at last year's BubblyQ.

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Centerstage spotlight

Showstopping Dallas Theater Center gala raises the curtain on a new era

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

On a picture-perfect Saturday night, more than 250 of Dallas’ most devoted arts patrons gathered at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre for CENTERSTAGE 42, the annual gala benefiting Dallas Theater Center. The elegant evening on May 2 proved to be both a celebration of Dallas theater’s past and a curtain-raising for its future.

As the sun began to set across the Diane and Hal Brierley Esplanade in the Dallas Arts District, guests descended the outdoor staircase for an al fresco cocktail reception. One popular stop was just inside the doors of the lobby: A "Ziya" digital photo booth from local company Make Life Sweeter that turned patrons' posed photos into stylized watercolor portraits.

Throughout the venue, installations highlighting Dallas Theater Center’s Public Works initiative reminded attendees that the organization’s impact stretches from the stage to the neighborhoods of North Texas.

A multicourse dinner was served on the stage inside the Potter Rose Performance Hall, making attendees feel like the stars of the show in the intimate, theatrical atmosphere.

One of the night’s most meaningful moments came with the presentation of the prestigious Linda and Bill Custard Award to Larry Angelilli, recognized for more than three decades of leadership and advocacy that helped shape Dallas’ cultural landscape. The gala also paused to honor the memories of two beloved arts patrons, Linda Custard and Sarah Warnecke, both longtime champions of Dallas Theater Center and the broader arts community.

Inspired by their example, guests bid high for fabulous live auction items, including trips to Palm Springs and Hawaii and a private dinner with actor Michael Urie at a home on White Rock Lake. A paddle raise followed, with patrons giving generously all around the room.

Every $100 counted - from upstage, downstage, and closer to the wings - as the sold-out fundraiser's earnings totaled an impressive $545,000 in support of the Tony Award-winning theater company and its education and community engagement programs, including Project Discovery, Summer Stage, Saturday Sessions, and Community Workshops.

It wouldn't have been a theater benefit without a showstopping performer. When scheduled headliner Michael Urie was called away for filming commitments tied to Shrinking, Dallas Theater Center called on homegrown talent — and the result brought the crowd to its feet. Broadway performer Tiffany Mann, a DFW native with credits including Be More Chill and Waitress, delivered a powerhouse performance - and a few sparkly outfit changes.

The entire program was emceed by Bri Woods and Akron Watson, both fresh off Dallas Theater Center’s acclaimed production of Ragtime. Woods, an SMU Meadows graduate and Linda and Bill Custard Meadows Actor in the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, represented the next generation of Dallas theater talent, while Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-winning Watson brought Broadway pedigree and star power to the gala stage.

This year’s gala leadership reflected the milestone spirit of the evening. Rather than appointing a single chair, Dallas Theater Center reunited gala chairs from the past decade to lead CENTERSTAGE 42 collectively. Leadership included Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Mickie and Jeff Bragalone, Stephanie Byrd, Scott Davis, Melinda Johnson, Brett Levy, Michelle Lockhart, Ann Mahowald, Deborah McMurray, Scott Moore, Scott Orr, Andy Smith, Paul Von Wupperfeld, Hamilton Sneed, and Krista Farber Weinstein.

The evening also marked an exciting turning point for Dallas Theater Center as it prepares to enter a new era under incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda, a TCU grad who is making his return to DFW. The affable leader introduced himself to the audience with a few fun personal anecdotes (including one involving an Easter bunny suit) and expressed his enthusiasm for the vision and direction of DTC.

Cheers went up as Castañeda made a surprise announcement: That The Lehman Trilogy would be the final show in DTC's 2026-27 season.

Upon retrieving their cars from valet, guests departed with an ingenious gift on their front seat: A thank-you note and invitation for two tickets to the DTC's next production, the world premiere of Jonathan Norton's play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem -on stage now through June 7. "We look forward to welcoming you back to the theater!" read the note.

Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the evening, were DTC patrons and supporters including Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Ann Mahowald, Michelle Lockhart, Hamilton A Sneed, Krista Farber Weinstein, Caroline Hamilton, Brandi Willis, Paul von Wupperfeld, Andy Smith, Mickie Bragalone, Jeff Bragalone, Deborah McMurray, Glen Davison, Cynthia Smoot, Jeff Netzer, Jeremy Lock, D'Andra Simmons Lock, Lynn Richardson, Elvenn Richardson, Michelle Lockhart, Krista Weinstein, Paul von Wupperfeld, Sarah Jackson, Andy Smith, and many more. (Scroll through the photos, above, to see highlights of the night.)

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

dallas theater center theater galas