Razzle Dazzle Dallas breaks even; organization rethinks June Pride
BEDAZZLED | New Razzle Dazzle Dallas board members, from left, David Hearn, Kelvin Myers, Rodd Gray, Mark Lampkin, Tom Dance and Bobby Jackson, met this week to begin mapping out next year’s event. (Dallas Voice/David Taffet)
While MetroBall raised a record $47,240 for the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund at its June 6 event, the Razzle Dazzle Dallas main event, held the next night, was not financially successful, organizers have announced.
MetroBall and Razzle Dazzle Dallas are two separate events, but have been held the same weekend since 2011 as part of a Dallas June Pride weekend. Dallas’ Pride parade, called the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, is held in September.
Since its resurrection in 2011, Razzle Dallas Dallas, along with MetroBall, has contributed $223,000 to community organizations. But after two successful years at Main Street Garden, the Saturday night event returned to Cedar Springs Road this year. And proceeds dropped.
In contrast, attendance doubled this year for MetroBall, which featured Erasure’s Andy Bell. Last year’s draw was Thelma Houston.
Razzle Dazzle Dallas and MetroBall President John Cooper-Lara said paid attendance at RDD was down this year, but also general attendance on the street decreased for the main event on Saturday night.
Because Cedar Springs is a public street, admission can’t be charged. However, the parking lot behind the bars was closed to cars and used as a paid entertainment area. Expenses for the main event were lower this year than last, but a number of regular sponsors didn’t participate at the $500 and $1,000 level, Cooper-Lara said.
Razzle Dazzle Dallas didn’t make any money to return to beneficiaries this year, but the event wasn’t the financial disaster of 2003 when the Village People appeared and bankrupted the organization.
“We paid all our bills,” Cooper-Lara said. He said gate admission and beer sales are the major fundraiser for Razzle Dazzle, and both declined this year.
“Most of our money [for MetroBall] comes through the silent auction,” Cooper-Lara said. “And we have a solid base of support.”
And when more people attend to see an attraction like Bell, more people participate in the silent auction.
Cooper-Lara will continue to head MetroBall next year.
Incoming Razzle Dazzle Dallas President Tom Dance, who met with his new board on Tuesday, said next year’s event is being completely retooled. He said the board liked the idea of making Razzle Dazzle into a music concert event.
Board member Rodd Gray said this year’s set up, with multiple stages, was confusing to people who attended. He said people saw the free stage on Cedar Springs but didn’t know there was another stage behind Sue Ellen’s featuring Thea Austin of Snap, Jason Dottley, DaniElle DeLatte, Josh Zuckerman and his band and Patrick Boyd.
Gray, who is heading next year’s entertainment committee, said he’d like to see a mix of local and national names on the stage and has already been in touch with several people who have expressed interest in appearing.
The board has discussed whether holding its event during June is a priority. Board members said they are looking for more input from the public and are exploring options.
They’re also looking at a number of possible venues and at having RDD become an annual fundraiser for one organization, rather than having multiple beneficiaries.
“We’re excited,” Dance said. “We have a good future and a new generation of board members.”
Cooper-Lara said planning is already underway for next year’s 10th anniversary MetroBall, which is the flagship fundraiser for GDMAF. That organization provides financial assistance for critical needs when resources are exhausted through other local AIDS organizations.
Both MetroBall and Razzle Dazzle Dallas are already looking for sponsors and volunteers for next year’s events and can be contacted through their websites.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 1, 2014.