(Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Pop legend, LGBTQ ally and simply iconic — Cyndi Lauper brings her hits to TCC’s ‘Rhapsody’
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
The Turtle Creek Chorale is readying itself for a legendary night. Not only is the organization helping kick off Pride Month with its annual Rhapsody gala, TCC is teaming up with an icon to do so.
In the past, the organization has hosted Broadway stars Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald and, last year, Patti LuPone. This time, the chorale has not only moved to a different venue, but it moved from Broadway to pop with headliner Cyndi Lauper, who will perform a private concert for Rhapsody guests.
She bop, he bop, we bop indeed on Saturday, June 1, at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
“LGBTQ+ choruses have been making the world a better place and uniting society through music for decades. That is why I’m excited to be performing at Turtle Creek Chorale’s Rhapsody gala on June 1,” Lauper told the Dallas Voice.
The Turtles are going big with such a headliner and venue. For the past two years, Rhapsody was held at the Meyerson. But this isn’t TCC’s first foray outside of a music hall. In fact, its first Rhapsody was held at The Statler Hotel with Menzel.
“There was this amazing intimacy there,” said Mike Dilbeck, senior director of advancement for TCC. “It was like seeing the headliner with 500 of her closest friends.
(Photo by Ruven Afanador)
We sat, had our wine, got to see her easily — and it was awesome. I think people missed that” during the next two years of the event at the Meyerson.
Dilbeck expects a similar vibe with Lauper in the Omni’s ballroom. Once they were set on Lauper as the special guest performer, the organizers wanted the right vibe for the colorful singer, and the Omni fit that bill. It’s a grand space but more suitable than the Meyerson for her pop hits.
“We love the Meyerson, and we love singing there, but this space and decor will fit her vibe better than a symphony hall might,” he said.
Plus, Dilbeck said he and the four gala co-chairs wanted to go a little mainstream this year. The three divas before are certainly big names, but — GASP! — not everyone is a theater queen. Shocking, I know!
But it’s a more than safe bet to say everyone’s heard of Cyndi Lauper.
“We’ve built a great reputation as a top gala in a short time, so that compelled us to elevate Rhapsody this time,” Dilbeck said. “Going more mainstream will welcome a bigger audience.”
And a bigger audience will always mean more funds raised for the organization.
Rhapsody helps Turtle Creek Chorale raise money for its cultural and educational programming, its concert season and its general operating expenses. TCC’s concerts alone don’t bring in the funding to cover the chorale’s operating expenses.
“Ticket sales from concerts make up 15 percent of our budget,” Dilbeck said. “Fundraising makes up the other 85 percent. So we need Rhapsody to cover those costs and to also cover salaries, commissions, technical aspects, musicians we hire — those are major costs we are responsible for.”
This year’s co-chairs are Grace Cook, Sheilon King, Tara Lewis and Whitney Strauss.
“To get them was a coup for us,” Dilbeck said. “Their demonstration of credibility and respect and philanthropy are just amazing. I don’t know how that happened for us.”
Lewis has been involved with area arts nonprofits and was a past chair for the The Arts Community Alliance (TACA). Joining this cause wasn’t out of her scope, but as she described it, helping with Rhapsody is a privilege.
“I’ve been attending [TCC] concerts for at least a decade, so I’m certainly a fan. The holiday concert is a staple for me,” Lewis said. “What’s always impressed me is that we live in a community that’s supportive of the chorale, and they add so much fabulousness to our world. I’ve received so much joy from them that I wanted to give something back.”
King, assistant vice president of product development AT&T, said she appreciates how representation figures into both the event and the chorale in general: “The work that they do is important to the different communities of Dallas and to Dallas overall — especially the LGBTQ community here.
“They show us what getting together can do,” she continued, “and what they do is create this remarkable product. I’m a great believer in making the arts accessible, and, for me, raising this money will increase that because everyone should have the arts move you.”
King points out that at some of TCC’s concerts, some admission costs are “choose your price,” leaving the door open for audiences who may not always be able to spend the average price of a ticket to such a shows. Last Sunday’s Pages concert was one such performance.
“The way you measure a city is not just by its population or airports but also its depth of arts,” King said. “The chorale works to let everyone have the opportunity to enjoy the music, which is so great for the Dallas community.”
With Rhapsody still a few days out, the committee and Dilbeck are in the final stretch of selling tickets and tables for people who just wanna have fun.
“Our motto is ‘No speeches. No awards. All entertainment,’” Dilbeck said. “It is Pride weekend, and we think this will be a good vibe for it. I really do feel this will be our best Rhapsody yet.”
For more information and tickets, visit TCCGala.com.