RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
On Thursday night, the Turtle Creek Chorale helps bring Pride to a close with its concert Disney PRIDE in Concert at the Meyerson. With tunes from The Lion King, Coco, Mulan and more, this will mark the first concert of TCC’s 45th anniversary season: 45Live: The Best Moments Live Here. With a 30-piece live orchestra and three special conductors, plus TCC’s 200-plus voices, this is a big start to the end of Pride month.
“We’re glad to be back in our home,” TCC Executive Director Dr. Dawson Taylor said about this concert. “Hearing the singers sing ‘God Help the Outcasts’ from Hunchback is so powerful. It brought tears. So this show is going to be both poignant and fun.”
Disney PRIDE in Concert will be performed Thursday and Friday night in the Dallas Arts District.
This production will feature curated video clips from the Disney vault while showcasing Disney’s musical legacy.
This concert will also feature a trio of guest conductors all adding a bit of extra Pride to the show.
Gabe Salazar is the Artistic Director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida. Alexander Carr is a Texas-born conductor and educator who co-conducts the Turtle Creek Chamber Chorus. Jeremy Wayne is the former Executive Director and current Director of Operations for Turtle Creek Chorale and he will be fulfilling his lifelong dream by conducting at the Meyerson.
“This is gonna be a really fun show along with singers sharing their personal Disney memories and stories,” Taylor said.
Prior to this show, TCC celebrated its 45th year with a birthday party at Gilley’s. This Disney PRIDE in Concert marks the first of its four concerts for this 2025 season and marks the first season for Taylor as TCC’s newest executive director who was named to the position in November. He is also the first former TCC member to serve in this position. The new season was mostly in place by his appointment but he’s gung ho for this year’s showing by the organization.
‘I think I have the best job in the world now because TCC made such an extraordinary difference in my life,” he said. “Coming on for this season has been exhilarating – and terrifying,” he said with a laugh.
Artistic Director Sean Baugh gives a call to action with this season. He says attending a show is much more than just buying a ticket and watching the concert.
“Live performance is not only something you hear, but something you feel,” Artistic Director Sean Baugh said in the season announcement press release. “The Chorale’s 45th season is a tribute to the transformative power of live music and shared experiences. By showing up, you are not just supporting the arts community, you are championing the values that bring us all together and welcoming all identities and backgrounds, especially our LGBTQ+ family.”
The 45th season will continue with a co-production with Lyric Stage for the classic musical Guys and Dolls at the Moody Performance Hall with a full orchestra and large cast.
“That’s going to be a remarkable show with our singers in the show’s chorus and a guest band,” Taylor said.
Guys and Dolls will be performed Aug. 15-17.
In September, TCC performs Groundless Ground which explores”strength, hope, and resilience when the world feels uncertain beneath us.” The concert will celebrate women, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color and immigrants through uplifting songs and voices.
“We are co-presenting this with The Women’s Chorus for one night only that advocates for the power of women along with the fight for equality, social justice and LGTBQ rights,” Taylor explained. This will also mark the 25th anniversary when we premiered this at Sing for the Cure.”
Groundless Ground will be performed on Sept. 17 at the Meyerson.
The date(s) haven’t been set yet, but tradition calls for the Turtle Creek Chorale’s annual holiday concert. Taylor did add that TCC will run its holiday tour around North Texas again for All is Calm. He describes this year’s concert – which centers on the great truce of World War I – will be a very traditional show for TCC, but will resonate today.
“It’s about those quiet moments to reflect on when the world around you feels like it’s falling apart,” he said.
In a slight switch up of scheduling, TCC’s annual Rhapsody gala has moved to the fall this year. The Turtle Creek Chorale announced in May that Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter and producer David Foster and singer, television and Broadway star Katharine McPhee will headline the fifth annual Rhapsody gala benefiting TCC at the Statler Hotel on Sept. 20.
For more information and tickets to Disney PRIDE in Concert and other shows, visit TurtleCreekChorale.com.
