Audra McDonald to Headline Turtle Creek Chorale’s Benefit Gala
Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Audra McDonald will headline RHAPSODY – Turtle Creek Chorale’s Benefit Gala – at the Meyerson Symphony Center in March.
The March 5, 2022 gala will feature opening receptions, a seated dinner, open bar, live auction, a private performance by McDonald, an after-party experience with the IDT Band, and dessert.
Funds raised will support the Chorale’s mission to entertain, educate, unite, and inspire through its musical, cultural, and educational programs, including the You Are Light Project – an educational initiative taken into schools, youth centers, and organizations that speaks to suicide awareness, mental health concerns, and bullying.
In honor of Audra’s performance, TCC will make a donation to Black Theatre United — an organization founded by McDonald and other Black artists after the killing of George Floyd in 2020 – to support the work for racial equity and social justice.
“I am beyond thrilled Turtle Creek Chorale is bringing this icon, humanitarian, and enormous talent to Dallas. I just can’t think of a single person who is able to reach her level of artistry and combine that with her efforts around equality and fairness, she is the perfect fit to headline Rhapsody,” said Sean Baugh, Turtle Creek Chorale artistic director. “The amazing talents of Audra coupled with a spectacular evening of food and entertainment will provide the premiere fundraising event in Dallas – and such a win for the Turtle Creek Chorale and Black Theatre United.”
The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy, in 2015, McDonald received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama and was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. She won Tony Awards for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, which also served as the vehicle for her Olivier-nominated 2017 West End debut.
On TV, McDonald won an Emmy as the official host of PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center; she can currently be seen as Liz Lawrence in The Good Fight on Paramount+; and she stars in Spectrum’s pandemic-themed drama, The Bite. Her film credits include Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast and MGM’s 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. A Juilliard-trained soprano, McDonald maintains a major career as a Grammy-winning recording and concert artist. Her latest solo album, Sing Happy, was recorded live with the New York Philharmonic for Decca Gold.
Her latest solo album, Sing Happy, was recorded live with the New York Philharmonic for Decca Gold. A founding member of Black Theatre United, board member of Covenant House International, and prominent advocate for LGBTQAI+ rights, her favorite roles are those performed offstage as an activist, wife to actor Will Swenson, and mother.
Gala and concert tickets are available now. VIP Gala tickets for receptions, seated dinner, performance, and after-party experience will be $500, $600, and a pair for $2500. VIP Gala tables are available for $5,000, $6,000, and $10,000. Concert tickets for the performance and after-party experience will range from $100 to $275. Sponsorships range from $20,000 to $50,000. For more information, go to rhapsodygala.com.
