Dallas Theater Center Inspires “A Brand New Day” With Broadway Legend André De Shields
(Featured photo: Kevin Moriarty, Linda and Bill Custard, Donna Wilhelm, Jonathan Norton, Hamilton A Sneed.)*
Dallas Theater Center held its gala and fundraiser, CENTERSTAGE 40: A Brand New Day, at Fashion Industry Gallery on Saturday, May 4. CENTERSTAGE Event Chair Hamilton A Sneed, along with Honorary Chairs T.D. and Serita Jakes and Helen and Frank Risch welcomed distinguished guests, arts enthusiasts, Dallas luminaries and philanthropists to celebrate 65 years of the Dallas Theater Center as well as the 40th annual gathering of its recognized CENTERSTAGE fundraiser. The evening event was an opportunity for patrons to support the on-stage productions and education & community outreach programs of the TONY AWARD® winning theater company.
Nearly 260 guests, including Linda and Bill Custard, Anita Hawkins, Kimberly Alexander, Chuck Steelman, Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld, Diane and Hal Brierley, and Kristen and Reed Gibbons, basked in the ambiance of a cabaret-jazz-inspired evening styled after Broadway’s Supper Club, 54 Below. Guests enjoyed themed cocktails, live entertainment and luxury raffle & live auction experiences, followed by a seated dinner. A dazzling performance by Broadway deity and headliner for the evening, André De Shields followed thereafter, along with a VIP private meet-and-greet with the legend himself.
Prior to being seated, guests were greeted with Lallier Champagne, and private rooms boasted live entertainment by Diane & Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company members Tiffany Solano and Zachary J. Willis — while in adjoining rooms, a pop-up gallery of artistic works by DTC’s Public Works participants and Project Discovery historical flashbacks were illuminated on display. Guests perused from room to room during the pre-event cocktail reception enjoying The Macallan including a limited edition “Harmony Collection” and sipping the evening’s signature cocktail “The Ruby”— featuring Divertido Tequila.
CENTERSTAGE Event Chair Hamilton A Sneed welcomed the crowd of gala goers with heartfelt thank you’s and remarks including recognizing the 1984 Centerstage Chairs Linda Custard, Bess Enloe and Jane Dune. “Tonight is all about celebrating not only the work that DTC does on the stage, but also the work that DTC does off the stage and in our community,” Sneed said. “I want to challenge you tonight to think about the next generation of young people and the next 65+ years of the theater. We don’t get to 40 Centerstage nights or 65 years of theater without the support of friends like each of you.” Sneed exited the stage with spotlighting his role as a 2024 NorthPark Center Ambassador representing DTC, but also with an unexpected surprise announcement that he will be returning as the event chair for Dallas Theater Center’s CENTERSTAGE 41 event in 2025.
A chef-curated, three-course dinner prepared by Vestals Catering, complete with menu items inspired by headliner André De Shields and the 2023-2024 DTC season, was savored by guests as they looked on to witness the Linda and Bill Custard Award being given by DTC’s newly appointed interim Artistic Director Jonathan Norton, 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 Broadway experience with tickets to the Broadway revival of The WIZ; an ultimate Napa experience featuring visits to over 10 wineries and vineyards—but it was the FERRAGAMO Brand Experience with 2 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 now current Theater Director at Lancaster High School. His school participates in the Project Discovery program and his message to the audience inspired and set the tone for the Public Works Paddle Raise. DTC Executive Director, Kevin Moriarty closed the evening by thanking donors for their generosity and gave a very Dallas welcome to the featured headliner for the evening.
The night continued with a toe-tapping, awe-inspiring performance by the Emmy, GRAMMY, and TONY AWARD® winning André De Shields. Admitting to aligning his song choices with the gala’s theme “A Brand New Day”, De Shields said, “There can be no brand new day, if we are not investing with love…a smile, and with laughter—and recognizing within ourselves, everyone in the community.”
Guests sang, danced, and some even cried, as the iconic talent performed notable hits such as “Let the Good Times Roll”, “Stand By Me”, “Bad Boy”, “Symphony Rap”, and an entertaining mash-up of sultry, soulful tunes. “I’ve spent many days in Dallas, and not one of them do I regret,” De Shields ended as he wrapped the evening, and received an overwhelming standing ovation by gala attendees.
The 2024 Dallas Theater Center CENTERSTAGE 40 “Company” level sponsors include Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Linda and Bill Custard, Diane and Hal Brierley, Edward W. Rose III Family Fund at The Dallas Foundation, The Addy Foundation, HALL Arts Hotel and HALL Arts Residences, and the T.D. Jakes Foundation.
Additional sponsors at the “Cast,” “Director” and “Troupe” levels include Brett and Lester Levy, Hamilton A Sneed, PNC Bank, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Paula and Scott Orr, Cindy Thomas and Bert Headden, Donna M. Wilhelm, Stephanie and Todd Anderson, Kay and Elliot Cattarulla, Rebecca and Barron Fletcher, Ruth Robinson, Stacey Jones Angel & Venise and Larry Stuart, and Texas Instruments.
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.
ABOUT DALLAS THEATER CENTER
One of the leading regional theaters in the country and the 2017 Regional Theatre Tony Award Recipient, Dallas Theater Center (DTC) performs to an audience of more than 100,000 North Texas residents annually. Founded in 1959, DTC is now a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and presents its Mainstage season at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, and at its original home, the Kalita Humphreys Theater, the only freestanding theater designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Dallas Theater Center is one of only two theaters in Texas that is a member of the League of Resident Theatres, the largest and most prestigious non-profit professional theater association in the country.
ABOUT ANDRE DE SHIELDS
In a career spanning fifty-five years, André De Shields, at age 78, has distinguished himself as a legendary actor/activist, iconic philanthropist and Broadway deity. As Actor, Mr. De Shields’ mission is to fill intimate spaces with enormous beauty, defining intimate spaces as the hearts of humanity. As Activist, he endeavors to restore majesty, elegance and literacy to the Black Thespian’s toolbox; to advocate for long term survivors of HIV and AIDS, and to champion the legacy of the Wellderly (elderly individuals who continue to kick butt). Additionally, he has—since 1989—served as Distinguished Visiting Professor at a variety of colleges and universities: Southern Methodist University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, SUNY Buffalo State University, Florida Atlantic University, CUNY Hunter College and NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, among others. As Philanthropist, he founded the ANDRÉ DE SHIELDS FUND at his Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to benefit those students who experience cultural marginalization. There also has been established an André De Shields Scholarship at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
Mr. De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Grammy and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in HADESTOWN. Prior to his Tony Award, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: THE WIZ (title role), AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ (Emmy Award), PLAY ON! (Tony nom.), and THE FULL MONTY (Tony nom). Among his many other accolades are three honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees, the OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, three JEFF Awards, nine AUDELCO Awards and the 2023 89th Annual Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater. The ninth of eleven children reared in Baltimore, Maryland Mr. De Shields is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.andredeshields.com. Ubuntu!
* Photos by Tamytha Cameron
** Photos by Thomas Garza
(This Philanthropy Lifestyles Scene courtesy Dallas Theater Center.)
