AT&T Performing Arts Center’s 15th Annual Bravo Gala Puts A Spotlight on The Dallas Arts District

A bright red beacon in the Dallas Arts District year-round, AT&T Performing Arts Center (ATTPAC) shines brightest in the winter when the nation’s largest contiguous urban arts district is lit up for the holidays. Housed in the spectacular Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, ATTPAC hosted its 15th anniversary Bravo! Gala, which raised $530,000 and brought out the city’s most cherished patrons of the arts.

Notable attendees on the 300-person, sold-out guest list included Deedie Rose, Ellen Winspear, Diane and Hal Brierley, Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld, Brendan and Helen McGuire, Matt Hickey, Lynn McBee, Amber Scanlan, Frank and Helen Risch, Lily Weiss, Calvert Collins–Bratton, former Mayor Laura Miller, as well as Dallas City Council members Paul Ridley and Jesse Moreno.

Like last year’s inclusive celebration, the Bravo! Gala showcased the artistry of ATTPAC’s five resident companies: Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, The Dallas Opera, Texas Ballet Theater, and Dallas Theater Center (which primarily resides across Flora Street in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre).

On their special night, ATTPAC utilized the Bravo! Gala to celebrate the artists who breathe life into the space. Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company member Zachary J. Willis emceed the evening, which featured performances from Texas Ballet Theater, The Dallas Opera, and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico during the cocktail hour.

Inside the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall, guests ascended the stage, which the ATTPAC team (along with Junior Villanueva from The Garden Gate) transformed using dramatic lighting and extravagant florals (including peonies! in November!) atop towering lucite displays. Give ’em the ol’ razzle dazzle!

Event chairs Jill B. Louis and Danny Tobey formally welcomed guests to the evening, which honored Matrice Ellis-Kirk. Ellis-Kirk, a board of directors member since its inception in 2000, helped to eliminate ATTPAC’s debt during her time as board chair. In addition, she helped establish the Moody Fund for the Arts, as well as groundbreaking education and community engagement programs. The video package preceding Ellis-Kirk’s acceptance remarks included a surprise cameo from former First Lady Michelle Obama, who praised Kirk’s friendship and tireless advocacy for the arts. (I heard someone yell, “Mic drop!”)

After dinner, Dallas native (and Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts alumnus) Cedric Neal performed, along with Cherish Love Robinson. An original member of the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, Neal charismatically shared stories from the start of his career in Dallas, lavishing praise (and kisses!) on the Brierleys in particular for their steadfast support. B. Moore Dance, a local company, graced the stage with a specially commissioned piece to Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” At the end of their set, guests joined the Olivier-Award-nominated Neal and Robinson on stage for a rendition of “Lean On Me.”

In the PNC Members Lounge upstairs, a spirited after-party included beats from DJ Endolena, flowing espresso martinis, and a fan-favorite photo booth from Motus Booth.

The spirit of collaboration continues to shine as brightly as the lights in the Dallas Arts District. Bravo, AT&T Performing Arts Center!