According to Dallas Summer Musicals President Kenneth Novice,
With a proud, 80-year history of presenting and promoting excellence in live musical theater in the historic Fair Park, the nonprofit Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) has become an essential part of the North Texas community through live entertainment, education, and community outreach.
In partnership with Broadway Across America, DSM presents national Broadway tours to diverse audiences of all ages, from varying regional locations as close as downtown Dallas and as far as neighboring states. For 365 days a year, we work tirelessly to bring to the very best musicals and plays from New York, London’s West End, and around the world to Dallas.
While Broadway is our business, our mission goes far beyond the glitz and glamour of the stage. We work equally as hard to deliver the spirit of Broadway into all corners of our community—for those who need it most. In classrooms and community centers throughout the region, DSM lifts spirits and sparks curiosity through the magic that only live theater can deliver. We’re honored to engage with distinguished organizations, such as Dallas ISD, El Centro Community College, CitySquare, HopeKids, State Fair of Texas, and more. We’re looking forward to the long-term future as our education initiatives expand into integrating the arts into STEM curriculums. Used as a tool to teach math- and science-related courses, the arts can broaden students’ understandings of the world and serve as a catalyst for creative and innovative thinking.
In 2021, DSM will celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of our signature educational programs, the High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA), which honors the outstanding work of more than 5,000 students from local and regional schools. More than an awards show, HSMTA is a school-year program offering participating students and schools professional training through master classes led by local artists and members of national Broadway tours, as well mentorship throughout the rehearsal process. Each year, DSM awards $55,000 in scholarships to students and school programs.
As we all navigate the challenges of this global pandemic and plan for the future, staying connected with one another and sharing stories is more important than ever. Through resilience and flexibility, DSM is proud to fulfill our audiences’ needs for entertainment and engagement in fresh ways. We transformed our annual HSMTA into a fully virtual show this past May, we’ve launched and continued to provide multiple educational series on our YouTube channel, and we are now offering livestream virtual benefit performances
During this time when we are dark in our building, our donors have helped make the light at the end of the tunnel burn more brightly through their generosity. For anyone who has a passion for our mission to enrich the cultural landscape of our region, please join them and us. We encourage and appreciate all donations, available here: https://dallassummermusicals.org/giving-opportunities/make-a-general-donation/.
While Broadway is the core of our mission, community is the center of our heart.
* Photo credit: Jeff Lorch ** Graphic provided by Dallas Summer Musicals
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