A Brand New Day

Broadway legend holds court at jewel-toned Dallas Theater Center gala

This year was a big milestone for Dallas Theater Center, and the Tony Award-winning company celebrated accordingly at its annual gala.

Titled "Centerstage 40: A Brand New Day," the gala not only commemorated its 40th year of fundraising but also 65 years of DTC itself. The event's name was a nod to the musical The Wiz, which is currently enjoying a Broadway revival. The gala's guest star, musical theater legend André De Shields, starred in its original 1975 run.

Event chair Hamilton A. Sneed, along with honorary chairs T.D. and Serita Jakes and Helen and Frank Risch, welcomed arts enthusiasts, Dallas luminaries and philanthropists, and colorfully dressed guests to Fashion Industry Gallery on May 4.

The cabaret-inspired evening was styled after 54 Below, an intimate New York City performance venue/supper club known as Broadway's Living Room.

Upon entry, guests were greeted with Lallier Champagne before ducking into luxuriously styled rooms featuring live entertainment by Diane & Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company members Tiffany Solano and Zachary J. Willis, accompanied by Vicky Nooe and Jesse Fry.

In adjoining rooms, a pop-up gallery offering a look back on DTC’s Public Works and Project Discovery was on display. The nearly 260 gala guests were encouraged to write their favorite things about DTC on the temporary walls, with several mentions of how it improves the community appearing throughout the night.

Bars served up several different ages of The Macallan scotch, along with the evening’s signature cocktail “The Ruby,” featuring Divertido tequila.

Once everyone was seated at the rainbow-inspired tables, Sneed welcomed the crowd and recognized the 1984 Centerstage chairs Linda Custard, Bess Enloe, and Jane Dune. Spotted applauding in the crowd were Anita Hawkins, Kimberly Alexander, Chuck Steelman, Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld, Diane and Hal Brierley, and Kristen and Reed Gibbons.

Vestals Catering served a three-course meal with menu items inspired by headliner De Shields and the 2023-24 DTC season, before newly appointed interim artistic director Jonathan Norton delivered the Linda and Bill Custard Award to DTC Life Trustee Donna M. Wilhelm.

Auctioneer Morgan Hopson then kicked up the intensity by auctioning luxury experience packages that included an in-home dinner with celebrity chef Tiffany Derry and fellow female chefs Janice Provost, Tracy Miller, Nikky Phinyawatana, and Jill Bates; a NYC experience with tickets to the Broadway revival of The Wiz; and an ultimate Napa experience featuring visits to over 10 wineries and vineyards. But it was the Ferragamo brand experience with two tickets to the spring/summer 2025 runway show in Milan that stole the show, selling for $45,000.

Remarks by Brandi Giles, DTC director of Public Works, followed, which also included a heartfelt introduction of Christian Wilson, a former Project Discovery student and current theater director at Lancaster High School.

His message set the tone for the Public Works paddle raise before it was time for DTC executive director Kevin Moriarty to introduce the evening's headliner.

The Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning De Shields first took an excitement-inducing stroll through the audience, greeting, complimenting, posing with, and absolutely making the night of many attendees. He then performed such notable hits as “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Stand By Me,” “Bad Boy,” “Symphony Rap,” and an entertaining mash-up of sultry, soulful tunes.

Proceeds raised from Centerstage makes it possible for DTC to continue the inclusive and creative work of the organization with community and engagement programs such as Project Discovery, the Public Works Pageant, and many others. See DTC's 2024-25 season here.

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

De’Erica Blakely, Hamilton A. Sneed, Nyiala Harris.

Sneed will return as the event chair for Dallas Theater Center’s Centerstage 41 event in 2025.

theater fundraisers galas

Coffee news

Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits

Courtesy

Chalkboard at Starbucks celebrates Resource Center.

In a one-of-a-kind charitable program, coffee giant Starbucks has bestowed more than two dozen grants to organizations across Dallas — organizations selected by Starbucks employees themselves.

Called The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants program, it's unique as a charitable effort thanks to its profound level of engagement, by allowing employees to nominate nonprofit recipients.

The Starbucks Foundation is the company's charitable arm which issues grants to nonprofits — from coffee and tea-growing communities around the world to neighborhood groups.

The Neighborhood Grants program gives their "partners" (what they call their employees) the opportunity to support the local organizations they care most about. This year, more than 3,200 grants are being awarded across the U.S. and Canada. Of that number, 27 organizations in Dallas received a Neighborhood Grant, totaling $53,000.

That included a $4,000 grant to Resource Center, a Dallas provider of LGBTQIA+ services and a big Starbucks staff favorite: It was nominated by an unprecedented 40 partners, and has previously earned seven grants totaling $20,000 from The Starbucks Foundation since 2019.

Resource Center's director of corporate engagement & events Bill Scott says that the grant is part of a larger meaningful partnership.

"In the current climate, we've seen many corporations turn away from our community, but Starbucks has remained steadfast," Scott says. "And we see it in ways that go beyond the grants, whether it's volunteering at our food bank or being ready for any fundraising event where they'll set up a coffee station to distribute to our guests."

Founded in 1983, Resource Center focuses on three pillars: positive social engagement in safe spaces, supportive services to promote wellness, and skill-building opportunities to promote growth.

Resource Center accepts grant from Starbucks Foundation, from left to right: Bill Scott (RC), Daniel Sanchez (RC), Tres Brown (RC), and Howard Jackson (SBUX).Jeffrey McWhorter

"The grant will help us continue to serve and uplift our community with more programming in areas like health and wellness," Scott says. "Last year, we opened our first low-income affordable housing complex for seniors, and before it even opened, it was sold out. We can see that the services we provide fill a real need."

It's a rare scenario in the corporate world, Scott says.

"There are not many companies I have dealt with like the Starbucks Foundation where they rely on their partners to make recommendations and listen to their partners," he says.

For Starbucks partners like Marsh King, an operations consultation manager who's been with the company for nearly 28 years, Starbucks' priority on being mission-driven has been a big incentive to stay with the company.

"When you see a grant that might give Resource Center the funds to do something like buy more refrigeration for the food pantry they just opened — it's gratifying to see that direct impact and know that you're a part of it," she says.

The level of engagement is very grass-roots, says senior partner employee relations associate Howard Jackson.

"We have customers who come in and say, 'I saw you at that event last weekend," he says. "We support the community, and they are our customers, as well. Through this work, we connect a lot of dots."

charity coffee

A Brand New Day

Broadway legend holds court at jewel-toned Dallas Theater Center gala

Coffee news

Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits

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