Dallas music lovers have gotten used to seeing Turtle Creek Chorale bring in some of the biggest stars — not to mention LGBTQ+ icons — to town for the chorale’s annual Rhapsody gala. Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Cyndi Lauper and, last year, David Foster and his wife Katharine McPhee — how do you follow all that?!
Well, you shake things up and offer something brand new.
This year, the Turtle Creek Chorale will transform the Arts District Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave., into an immersive “house of music” for its sixth annual Rhapsody fundraising gala on Sept. 26, “inviting guests to unlock rooms filled with live performances, TCC history and unexpected experiences before the evening culminates with all 250+ voices of the Chorale performing together,” according to a press release about the event.
“Rhapsody has always been an opportunity to celebrate the Turtle Creek Chorale in a memorable way, and this year, we wanted the Chorale itself to be at the heart of the experience,” explained Dr. Whitney Strauss, chair of both Rhapsody at Turtle Manor and TCC Board of Directors. “Guests will experience different sounds, stories and surprises throughout the evening. But, ultimately, every room leads back to the more than 250 voices that make the Chorale what it is.”
Rhapsody at Turtle Manor will include:
• a “House Key” for each guest to use to explore rooms dedicated to jazz, classical, soul, barbershop, drag and more
• intimate performances, cocktails, archival storytelling and surprise encounters throughout the Arts District Mansion
• a hidden Speakeasy experience available to a limited number of premium Black Key holders, featuring craft cocktails, special performances and an additional experience behind the curtain
• “One Voice,” a finale featuring a performance by the full Turtle Creek Chorale, Texas’ largest male chorus, and
• the opportunity to support TCC’s musical, cultural, and educational programming in Dallas and beyond.
TCC Executive Director Dr. Dawson B. Taylor said, “For 46 years, the Turtle Creek Chorale has brought people together through music, and Rhapsody gives our community an opportunity to experience the Chorale in a new, intimate and personalized way.
“This year’s event celebrates the voices, history and people who have shaped TCC while helping ensure the Chorale can continue sharing its music with Dallas and beyond for years to come.”
General admission tickets begin at $300, with VIP tickets beginning at $600. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at the Rhapsody at Turtle Manor event website.
Funds raised through Rhapsody at Turtle Manor will “support the Chorale’s mission to entertain, educate, unite and inspire through its musical, cultural and educational programs, according to the press release.
Now in its 46th year, Turtle Creek Chorale is the second-largest arts organization in the city of Dallas and the most recorded male chorus in the world, with 38 albums and performances ranging from Carnegie Hall to an appearance before Queen Elizabeth II.
— Tammye Nash