Dallas Center for the Performing Arts begins the first dig to create a 320,000 cubic foot hole for underground parking garage - Summer 2006
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The stage was set with only a Yamaha piano (complete with synthesizer and sound coordinator), water stand and the incomparable Elton John. Glowing red stars were suspended from the ceiling and a single misting machine did its thing while a light show accompanied each song.

Elton John was dressed in a black tux-and-tails like jacket, embroidered with a rhinestone design of himself in a crocodile's mouth on the back, a dark blue satin shirt with the tail out, a huge jewel encrusted cross, black slacks and slightly tinted glasses.

From the very first note, his voice and piano filled the hall. The piano interludes ranged from melodic to funky to jazz. His gentle but powerful voice overtook the enthralled audience with familiar tunes, even to the point of his singing his own ah-ahs in Get Back Honkey Cat and standing up and encouraging the audience to fill-in singing the la-la-la-la-las in Crocodile Rock. Many did. Most didn't. What did it matter ... We were having a ball!

His rendition of Rocket Man included a light show of dark blue cellophanes with round cut-outs so the white light shined through like stars, encircling the entire hall in a virtual outer space. The intro. was a 10 minute piano solo of fabulous elements of the song.

The rockin' beat of Philadelphia Freedom had some of the audience clapping along and Elton John standing up while playing the piano. After which, as after each song, there was a standing ovation as he walked the stage, smiling, gesturing thanks to the audience.

The 90 minute private concert went quickly, each song empowered with piano solos never before heard by this crowd, who most likely has a new respect for this fabulous musician.

We are on the lookout for a recording of an Elton John live concert with those wonderful piano interludes and intros ... just to sit back and relax and enjoy the evening with one of the most talented musicians in the world today.

Sponsors and Underwriters

Alon USA,
headquartered in Dallas, a $1 million contributor to the campaign to build the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and the presenting sponsor of the November 2005 historic groundbreaking events is the producing sponsor of ACT TWO.

Brinker International, headquartered in Dallas, is a $1 million contributor to the Center's campaign and the presenting sponsor of the Brinker International Lecture Series which has featured Mary Tyler Moore in 2003, John Travolta in 2004 and, most recently, Robert Redford in 2005 is the underwriting sponsor of ACT TWO's internationally renowned grand performer, Elton John.

JPMorgan Chase, a cornerstone donor to the project with a recent gift of $1 million, has been a longtime supporter of the campaign and will sponsor the elegant ACT TWO gala dinner.

Neiman Marcus, also headquartered in Dallas, has supported the campaign to build the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts through cash and in-kind gifts from the inception of the project, will support ACT TWO, ensuring its elegance, sophistication and quality.

Diane and Hal Brierley, presenting sponsors of Julie Andrews, have played an integral role in the Center's campaign as a Founding Family donor as well as sponsors of celebrity appearances by Bernadette Peters, Sidney Poitier and Tommy Lee Jones.

Additional generous support is provided by Jackson Walker L.L.P., wine sponsor for the evening; Park Place Dealerships, valet sponsor; and, The Weitzman Group/Cencor Realty Services, printing sponsor.

"Our original goals were to have forty Host Committee couples and three major sponsors of ACT TWO. I am very pleased ninety couples have served on the Committee to ensure its success and eight remarkable companies have committed $1.1 million in major corporate underwriting for the event," Ms. Clossey added.

ACT TWO is the Centers' first gala since ACT ONE, which was held on March 4, 2002 and celebrated the public launch of the campaign to build the Center with celebrity appearances by Bernadette Peters, Sidney Poitier, Beverly Sills and Carol Vaness.

Act Two features performance by Sir Elton John - Amazing

Introduction and comments by Dame Julie Andrews - Eloquent

at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

Jeanne Marie Clossey, Chairman, Act Two Host Committee

Photos from the VIP receptions by
Weston Adams

(Published October 26, 2006)

This black-tie event celebrated the beginning of construction of Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theatre of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.

The evening began with a champagne reception for the Very-VIP crowd downstairs at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Some of the patrons joining chairman Jeanne Marie Clossey were Diane and Hal Brierley, who underwrote the appearance by Dame Julie Andrews, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and her husband, Ray Hutchison; Mary McDermott Cook, Raymond Nasher, founder of Nasher Sculpture Center; Gene and Jerry Jones, Toni and Norman Brinker, Krickett and Randall Goss, Ruth and Ken Altshuler, Sis Carr, Debbie Tolleson, Sarah and Alan Losinger and Dee and Charles Wyly.

Dame Julie Andrews entered the room, graciously posed for photographs and chatted with the crowd before heading upstairs for a champagne reception with over 600 patrons in the Opus Restaurant.

Back downstairs, Elton John's entrance stirred the crowd.
He was grinning and friendly, leaving behind the rumored persnickety attitude and stopped to have photographs taken with everyone there.

Inside the sold-out concert hall, the program began with Dame Julie Andrews welcoming the audience. She was elegantly dressed in a full-length long-sleeved red satin sheath with a wrap around skirt.

"The arts are the most distinguished form of humanity," said Dame Andrews as she acknowledged the family, business, foundation and individual contributors who have given over $221 million to fund just over 80% of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Construction is on schedule and on budget. "This is a great night in the history of your city."