A talent competition is the new component of this year’s 4-day Pride month event
GOING HOME | Razzle Dazzle Dallas returns to Cedar Springs Road after two years at Main Street Garden in Downtown Dallas. Organizers said they moved it back to The Strip to celebrate the revitalization of Oak Lawn. (Chuck Marcelo/Dallas Voice)
Razzle Dazzle Dallas returns to Cedar Springs Road after two successful years at Main Street Garden Downtown.
Razzle Dazzle Dallas President John Cooper-Lara said that with the revitalization of The Strip and so many new stores opening, the board thought it was a good year to return to Oak Lawn. New this year is the Big D Talent Show, a two-week talent competition with four preliminaries that began last week and will end with finals on June 5 at The Brick. The winner receives a $500 prize and performs at MetroBall and Razzle Dazzle’s Main Event.
The four-day event begins with a Wine Walk on Cedar Springs on June 4. Board member Jimmy Bartlett said while Wednesday night focuses on the retailers in Oak Lawn, Thursday night moves to the bars, especially those off The Strip.
“In the past we had a pub crawl to the bars not on The Strip,” Bartlett said. “This year we decided to do the talent show.”
The Big D Talent Show began with preliminary competitions at Alexandre’s, Dallas Eagle and JR.’s Bar & Grill. The final preliminary at Woody’s takes place on June 1 at 8 p.m. Cooper-Lara said most of the entries have been singers, but any type of performance, such as comedy, is welcome to compete.
“We wanted to enter a new element to this year’s event that would allow members of this community to participate in this year’s music festival,” Cooper-Lara said.
The winner to be chosen at the Brick on June 5 opens for Andy Bell of Erasure at MetroBall on June 6 and performs on the Cedar Springs stage at the street party on June 7.
MetroBall features Andy Bell from Erasure. The Friday night event takes place at S4 to raise money for the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund.
In its ninth year, MetroBall became part of the weekend when Razzle Dazzle Dallas was revived in 2011 after a decade-long hiatus.
In addition to Bell’s performance, a popular silent auction helps raise money for the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund. GDMAF provides financial assistance for critical needs when resources are exhausted through other local organizations. Cooper-Lara said assistance can be anything from buying a tire for a car to helping with co-pays or replacing a refrigerator. He said buying a tire sounds like an odd request, but when that car is the person’s only transportation to a doctor’s appointment, it can be lifesaving. He said last week he gave a check to a landlord to stop an eviction.
Cooper-Lara said the focus of the Saturday night street party is a music festival in the party pavilion located in the parking lot behind S4. Last year, the music was mostly local.
“This year we’re focusing on national Pride entertainment,” Bartlett said.
Thea Austin, whose 1990s hits include ‘The Power’ and ‘Rhythm is a Dancer,’ headlines the evening. Sordid Lives star Jason Dottley, Australian singer DaniElle DeLaite and singer-songwriter Josh Zuckerman also appear. Bartlett said all have focused on doing Pride festivals around the country in the past few years.
Performing free on the Cedar Springs stage are Chaz Marie, DJ Ray Isaac and the winners of the Big D Talent Show.
“Our hope is we will build over the years that both performers and visitors will think of this as a national destination event,” Cooper-Lara said.
The $10 admission to the music pavilion goes toward Razzle’s beneficiaries — AIDS Arms, AIDS Interfaith Network, Legacy Counseling, Resource Center Food Pantry, The Women’s Chorus of Dallas and the Cedar Springs Beautification Fund.
“This year’s beneficiaries represent the mission of Razzle Dazzle that gives money back to the community through its AIDS organizations and other community groups,” Cooper-Lara said.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition May 30, 2014.