Surrounded by a backdrop of twinkling lighted trees, the glowing red Winspear Opera House threw open its doors for more than 250 guests on November 18 for the AT&T Performing Arts Center's annual Bravo! Gala.
These arts-loving patrons were on hand to celebrate the Center's education and community engagement initiatives, plus programming that ranges from touring Broadway shows to its five resident companies.
Dallas Theater Center, Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Texas Ballet Theater each had their moment to shine with individual performances staged in the lobby and mezzanine during cocktail hour.
Once inside the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, the black tie-clad guests ascended onto the stage itself for a decadent seated dinner of herb-crusted tenderloin filet and truffled Yukon whipped potatoes.
A specially composed tribute to Cher, in a nod to the upcoming December 14-16 tour stop of The Cher Show at the Winspear, played while the iconic chandelier retracted into the ceiling.
The Dallas Opera performed while the crowd dined on a dessert of dulce de leche caramel cheesecake.
A surprise performance from 101 Dalmatians featuring "puppies" from Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy garnered the loudest applause of the night.
Bravo! Gala co-chairs Diane Brierley and Ellen Winspear welcomed the Center's supporters and introduced the night's honorees, the Moody Foundation.
Jamie Williams and Kristina Whitcomb from the Moody Foundation joined prominent guests Deedie Rose, Barbara Thomas Lemmon, Grace Cook (Eugene McDermott Foundation), Matt Hickey (AT&T), Brendan McGuire and Amber Scanlan (PNC), and board chair Danny Tobey.
Several Dallas arts and culture leaders were also recognized, including Councilmember Paul Ridley, Councilmember Chad West, State Representative John Bryant, Benjamin Espino, assistant director of the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture; David Small, chair of the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee; and Lily Weiss, executive director of the Dallas Arts District.
Critically acclaimed alternative band Lake Street Dive then took the stage, enthralling guests with their hits "Good Kisser" and "Better Than," among others.
More than $437,000 was raised during the starry night, which will partially go to help build sustainable musical theater programs in Dallas schools.
Photo by Turk Turkyilmaz
The Dallas Opera performed during dessert.
