Dallas Summer Musicals will celebrate its 70^th season of live theatrical entertainment by presenting 12 touring Broadway productions, 10 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, and 2 shows at The Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas.  

The Color Purple will lead off the celebration for the year 2010, opening its two-week run Jan. 19 at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Other Broadway hits included in this year’s anniversary season will be The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, The Color Purple, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and last year’s surprise hit, Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles.  New musical offerings will include The 101 Dalmatians, starring Rachel York, and Little House on the Prairie, the Musical, starring Melissa Gilbert as Ma, plus straight-from-Broadway shows such as The 39 Steps, Xanadu and Dreamgirls. Shrek The Musical will be highlight the three weeks that the 2010 State Fair of Texas is in operation.

Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the largest producer of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theater organization in the United States and the sixth largest non-profit theater company.  DSM has been entertaining North Texas audiences with the finest in live musical theatre entertainment since 1941.  In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours local productions, and is involved in developing new works.  Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at Fair Park and the historic Majestic Theatre.  

DSM SEASONS AT A GLANCE

THE STAGE LEFT SERIES:

 ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S THE 39 STEPS, Jan. 26-31 at The Majestic Theatre.

 RAIN, A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, March 16-21at the Music Hall at Fair Park.   

STAGE RIGHT SERIES:

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Feb. 17-March 14 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.   

XANADU, April 6-18 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.  

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL, starring Melissa Gilbert as Ma, May 11-23at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

WICKED, May 26-June 27 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

DREAMGIRLS, June 30-July 18at the Music Hall at Fair Park.nal material by Willy Reale.

SHREK THE MUSICAL, Sept. 28-Oct. 17at the Music Hall at Fair Park.  SEASON SPECIALS: 

Oprah Winfrey Presents THE COLOR PURPLE, Jan. 19-24 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER , April 20-25 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Season tickets are on sale now at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, with Stage Left Series priced from $48 to $264, and Stage Right Series from $115 to $457.  Single tickets for the subscribers’ specials range from $12-$85.  For more information about the DSM season, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.dallassummermusicals.org.  There is a handling fee for orders placed by phone or internet.  For groups of 20 or more please call 214-426-GROUP.

For those preferring the flexibility of picking their own shows, custom packages of at least four shows from the entire season are available for as little as $48 a package.  There is no deadline for custom orders.

Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica Bank, are The Dallas Morning News, WFAA TV Channel 8, and American Airlines.

As a non-profit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas at affordable ticket prices, as well as to preserve the beautiful historic theatres, educate young audiences and create important community programs.  DSM’s Seats for Kids program provides a meaningful arts education experience to thousands of low income, at-risk and special needs children. DSM and the Dallas Police Department partner together to provide positive incentives for youth that are at risk for gang membership through the Stage Right program. In addition, The Dallas Summer Musicals Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theatre arts training and scholarships to talented students in need.  Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors.  Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible. For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, presented by Comerica, visit their website at www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678.

Dallas Summer Musicals will present the north Texas premiere of Christmas with the Rat Pack–Live at the Sands for a limited engagement Tuesday through Dec. 12 at The Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., Dallas. 

The Rat Pack played for four years to sold-out audiences in London’s West End and has since toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States.  The holiday version of the show, Christmas with the Rat Pack–Live at the Sands, was launched in London during the original West End engagement. 

This festive production will transport audiences to the early 1960s, when Frank Sinatra and his pals were filming the original version of the casino robbery caper Ocean’s Eleven in Las Vegas.  The “Rat Pack” legend was born when Sinatra and Dean Martin spontaneously joined Sammy Davis, Jr. on stage, and, to the surprise and delight of the audience, playfully interrupted his act. 

Director and Choreographer Mitch Sebastian re-creates the magic and glamour of that notorious nightclub gig when the audience was glittered with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck, Judy Garland, Tony Curtis, Sam Giancana and Jack Kennedy.  It’s an evening of wisecracking, hip-cat nostalgia mixed with holiday classics accompanied by a 15-piece big band.

Tickets cost $15 to $71 and are available at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, area Ticketmaster outlets, including The Majestic Theatre Boxoffice, by phone at 214-631-ARTS (2787) or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Blondes, “The Rat Pack,” and Mary Poppins all have a place in Dallas this year.

Variety rules The 2009 Dallas Summer Musicals’ (www.dallassummermusicals.org) line-up which features everything from “Legally Blonde the Musical” to a Las Vegas visit with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and it won’t even take a spoonful of Mary Poppins’ sugar for these shows to go down easy.

Season tickets currently are on sale at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, Dallas. Subscribers tickets for the Music Hall Classic Series range from $88 to $523. Prices for subscriber specials range from $9 to $85.

The Majestic Series, showcased at The Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. in downtown Dallas, begins with “The Rat Pack–Live at the Sands” March 3 through 8.

“The Pajama Game,” featuring the song “Hernando’s Hideaway,” is set for March 10 through 15, followed by the face-off between David Frost and President Richard Nixon, “Frost/Nixon,” April 28 through May 3.

The Musical Hall Series, with all performances held at the Music Hall at Fair Park, begins with “Happy Days, A New Musical” May 26 though June 7. “The Wizard of Oz” blows its way on stage June 9 through 21, with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” planned for June 23 through July 5. Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “A Chorus Line” takes the stage July 7 through 19, and then Elle Woods brings “Legally Blonde the Musical” to Dallas July 21 through Aug. 2. Musical group ABBA’s songs string together in “Mamma Mia!” Aug. 18 through 30.

Original Broadway stars Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee will star in “Disney and Cameron Mackintosh present Mary Poppins” during the 2009 State Fair of Texas. The production is scheduled to run Sept. 24 through Oct. 18.

Subscriber specials are planned beginning this month. “Bob the Builder Live!” will be presented Feb. 21 through 22 at The Majestic Theatre. Then May 5-10 will feature original cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp in “Rent, The Broadway Tour” at The Music Hall at Fair Park. Then “Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol” is set for May 19 through 24 at The Music Hall.