Dallas, TX (July 8, 2019) – Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) announced today that single tickets for An Evening with the Best of Broadway, the highly anticipated concert finale to the 2019 DSM Gala, will go on sale Friday, July 12, 2019 at 10 a.m.

On November 1, DSM will celebrate the magic of musical theatre and the culmination of a successful annual Gala by bringing an extraordinary trio of award-winning women to the Music Hall at Fair Park for one night only. The evening’s lineup includes Tony Award^® winner Kelli O’Hara and Olivier Award winner Amber Riley, and will be hosted by Tony Award^® winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Chita Rivera. In continuation of DSM’s newest Gala tradition, surprise special guests will also be making appearances throughout the evening.

Single tickets for An Evening with the Best of Broadway start at $25 (pricing subject to change) and are available at DallasSummerMusicals.org or by phone at 800-982-2787. They can also be purchased in person at the Music Hall at Fair Park Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Orders for groups of ten (10) or more may be placed by calling (214) 426-4768 or emailing Groups@DallasSummerMusicals.org.

Rivera, who will serve as the evening’s emcee, is one of the most decorated performers of all time. Throughout her career, she has earned 10 Tony Award® nominations, won twice and in 2018 received the special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the theatre. Rivera was a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and was honored as a Living Landmark in 2018. Rivera had starring roles in many Broadway productions including Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman, but is best known for originating the role of Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Story. Most recently, Rivera starred in The Visit on Broadway.

O’Hara is one of Broadway’s most respected and admired leading ladies. She has received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her roles in The Pajama Game, South Pacific, Nice Work If You Can Get It and The Bridges of Madison County, and won the 2015 Tony Award® for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in the Broadway revival of The King and I. Most recently, O’Hara received Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her starring role in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me Kate. In addition to her work on the stage, she received an Emmy Award nomination for her role as Katie Bonner in the hit web series “The Accidental Wolf.” O’Hara’s other film and television credits include Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, Sex and the City 2, Martin Scorsese’s The Key to Reserva, Blue Bloods and Numb3rs.

Riley received the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as “Effie White” in the West End premiere of Dreamgirls. She is best known for her role as Mercedes Jones in the hit television show Glee, which became a cultural phenomenon earning four Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes, including Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical in 2010. In 2013, Riley won the coveted mirror ball trophy as the season 17 champion of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars alongside her partner Derek Hough. She also starred in NBC’s The Wiz Live! with Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige, and most recently Riley appeared as Kali in Tyler Perry’s 2018 film, Nobody’s Fool.

ENJOY THE SIGNATURE GALA EXPERIENCE 2019 DSM GALA – AN EVENING WITH THE BEST OF BROADWAY

Prior to the public performance, Dallas Summer Musicals will host its annual 2019 DSM Gala – An Evening with the Best of Broadway, co-chaired by Helen & Brendan McGuire and Calvert Collins-Bratton & Vince Bratton, which celebrates DSM and the magic of musical theatre. Participation in the 2019 DSM Gala will support the nonprofit DSM in its mission to bring the very best of Broadway to North Texas, develop appreciation of musical theatre among diverse audiences and foster meaningful arts experiences for children and families in our community. Since 1941, DSM has contributed to the rich cultural history of Dallas and North Texas bringing award-winning musical theatre productions to the region. DSM has received countless accolades and holds a special place in the hearts of the nearly twenty-five million patrons it has entertained.

DSM’s remarkable 2019-2020 season lineup, featuring Dear Evan Hansen and Disney’s Frozen, provides opportunities for meaningful and significant education and community programming for children and families. Each year, DSM continues to build upon its community impact through the DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards (in national partnership with The Broadway League), Seats for Kids, Seats for Vets, Kids Club and Hear Us Now. The Gala will benefit these programs as well as DSM’s growing portfolio of diverse, innovative and immersive education programming to engage our neighbors – people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Gala guests will enjoy an incredible culinary experience, a silent auction featuring luxury items, valet parking and meet-and-greet opportunities prior to and following the An Evening with the Best of Broadway performance. This will be a wonderful opportunity to indulge in everything patrons love about Broadway and DSM at the historic Music Hall at Fair Park.

Gala giving opportunities are available here or by contacting the DSM Development Department at 214-426-6333 or DSMGala@dallassummermusicals.org.

About Dallas Summer Musicals:

For more than 75 years, the non-profit Dallas Summer Musicals Inc. (DSM) has presented the very best in Broadway to North Texas audiences. Located in the historic Music Hall at Fair Park, DSM promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through education and community outreach programs, while enriching the cultural landscape of North Texas and the Southwest Region.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to offer affordable ticket prices, preserve the beautiful historic theatre, educate young audiences and develop impactful community programs.

DSM gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors, annual fund donors and corporate partners American Airlines, Texas Instruments, The Dallas Morning News, and WFAA TV Channel 8. For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please call 214.421.5678 or visit our website at DallasSummerMusicals.org.

About Chita Rivera:

A theatrical icon and one of Broadway's greatest triple-threat talents, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned 10 nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

A versatile actress/singer/dancer, she recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway, the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer’s Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age nine) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from the legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Chita’s first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry’s Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes.

Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009 and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. In 2019, Chita performed her solo concert at London’s Cadogan Hall; in 2018 she was honored as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy; in 2016 she headlined at Carnegie Hall and in 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin’ To Do, a retrospective of her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Her current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.

About Kelli O’Hara:

Stage and screen star Kelli O’Hara most recently starred in the Broadway revival of Kiss Me Kate for which she received a 2019 Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actress in A Musical. Kelli received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in the hit web series “The Accidental Wolf”. On Broadway, Kelli’s portrayal of Anna Leonowens in the critically acclaimed revival of The King and I garnered her the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League, Outer Critics and Oliver nominations.

She then reprised her Tony Winning role while making her West End debut this past summer for which The Times hailed her as “Broadway musical’s undisputed queen” adding “Kelli O’Hara does not just play Anna, she owns the part”. Other Broadway credits include The Bridges of Madison County (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The Pajama Game (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The Light in the Piazza (Tony & Drama Desk nominations), Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde. Regional/Off Broadway credits include Far From Heaven (Playwrights Horizons and WTF), King Lear (Public Theater), Bells Are Ringing (City Center Encores), Sunday in the Park with George (Reprise), and My Life With Albertine (Playwright’s Horizons).

Kelli received a 2018 Webby nomination for her role in the hit web-series thriller The Accidental Wolf and appears in the second season of Netflix’s series 13 Reasons Why. Other film and television credits include All The Bright Places, Sex & The City 2, Martin Scorsese’s The Key to Reserva, Showtime’s Masters of Sex, CBS All Access’ The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, Alexander Hamilton, N3mbers, and the animated series Car Talk. In 2015, Kelli made her Metropolitan Opera debut in The Merry Widow. She returned to the opera this past spring as Despina in Così fan tutte.

Her concerts have gained international acclaim, spanning from New York’s Carnegie Hall all the way to Tokyo. She is a frequent performer on PBS’s live telecasts and the Kennedy Center Honors. Along with two Grammy Award nominations, her solo albums, Always and Wonder in the World are available on Ghostlight Records.

About Amber Riley:

Actress and singer Amber Riley is best known for her role as Mercedes Jones in the Golden Globe Award-winning musical comedy, Glee. She recently played the role of Kali in Tyler Perry’s Nobody’s Fool which premiered fall 2018. The film also stars Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, and Whoopi Goldberg. Riley recently wrapped a year-long run in her West End debut of the revival production of Dreamgirls in the iconic role of Effie White. The production marked the UK premiere of the award-winning production. Riley won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. In 2013, she won season 17 of ABC’s hit competition series Dancing with the Stars alongside her partner Derek Hough. Additional recent television appearances include a starring role in the UPtv original movie, My One Christmas Wish and a starring role alongside Queen Latifah, Mary J Blige and newcomer Shanice Williams as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in NBC’s live production of The Wiz. Riley’s numerous theatre credits include Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Into the Woods and Mystery on the Docks with the Los Angeles Opera. In November 2012, she made her New York stage debut to rave reviews in New York City Center’s Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Parade.