Idina Menzel Shines as the Star of a Record-Breaking Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gala

This year’s Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) gala committee pulled off a fairy godmother-level transformation for guests at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Orange-leaf trees rose through the lobby as overflowing arrangements of roses, hydrangeas, and other blooms topped dining tables throughout. Overhead, colored uplighting washed the Meyerson’s pale stone in pink, orange, purple, and green.

The lobby swelled with elegantly gowned ladies and dapper gents excitedly chatting up old acquaintances and new friends. My guest, former Dallas Chamber Music Society executive director Yoori Marti, made frequent pit stops on our way to the bar as she greeted old friends.

A lavish gala and the opportunity for an up-close performance by Idina Menzel *swoons* were only part of my excitement. We were also meeting two friends we hadn’t seen in possibly years. As we settled in for dinner, another delight: My last-minute request to be seated with Paul Hendershot and his husband, Jeffrey SoRelle, came through.

During a well-choreographed dinner centered on filet of beef, Gulf shrimp, and pommes purée, I caught up with Hendershot — the most ardent Mahler fan I know — about his work on the DSO’s board of directors. His transformative experience at Kinhaven Music School as a youth now drives his support of the DSO and its educational initiatives.

Then it was time for a sold-out concert with — The. Idina. Menzel.

Idina Menzel Lights Up the Meyerson

If you know Tony Award-winning Broadway icon Idina Menzel, it’s probably because you’re in one of two camps: those who have followed her expansive career from Rent in the mid-1990s to her acting roles (Enchanted, Uncut Gems, Glee) and solo albums — or — have children who asked to watch Frozen again, again, and again.

After 600 replays, I am a fully fledged member of that second camp.

Backed by conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and the DSO, Menzel drew uproarious applause as she took the stage. Befitting a black-tie gala with all eyes fixed on one star, Lopez-Yañez kept the opening strains of “The Life of the Party” circling as Menzel greeted the audience before launching into the Off-Broadway hit. As the massive ensemble pivoted and parried to her every move, she joked about how well these “Juilliard” musicians follow.

The evening’s comedic highlight came as Menzel primped her hair onstage in preparation for “Let It Go.” John Travolta’s infamous 2014 Academy Awards intro filled the hall, replaying the moment he mangled Menzel’s name as “Adele Dazeem.” As she began to sing, Menzel wondered whether Brad Pitt — who apparently looked even better up close — would even remember her name.

That night, Menzel did the impossible. She transformed — there’s that fairy godmother again — the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center into an intimate New York jazz lounge, where even lead performers take unscheduled pauses to chat up audience members. Her calls for impromptu co-stars from the audience for Rent’s “Take Me or Leave Me” were particularly memorable.

Behind the Magic of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gala

Pulling off an evening of that scale takes months of planning. Gala Chair Allison Brodnax tells PaperCity that the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s annual gala “brings together so many people who care deeply about this city and its cultural life. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is such an important part of the cultural fabric of Dallas, and this event beautifully reflects that. From the work that happens on stage to the meaningful education and community engagement initiatives, the DSO’s work allows the transformative power of music to reach far beyond the concert hall.”

Brodnax describes the months of preparation as “multiple productions happening in one night,” with staff, volunteers, vendors, and others working behind the scenes on everything from the guest experience to Menzel’s concert production. The work paid off. This year’s gala raised a record-breaking $1.3 million, while selling out both the fundraising dinner and public concert.

From Gala Chairs Allison and Brett Brodnax to the DSO’s musicians and Idina Menzel, we at PaperCity say, “Bravo.”

PC Seen: Linda Burk, John Gilmore, Laura Harris-Means and Patrick Means, Jennifer Perez, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Grace Cook, Jane Montgomery, Calvert Collins-Bratton and Vince Bratton, Michael Catrino and Claire Catrino, Michelle Miller Burns, Marena Gault and Roger Gault, and Brett Brodnax.