On the evening of May 2, 2026, more than 250 of Dallas' most passionate arts advocates gathered at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the heart of the Dallas Arts District and the city reminded itself, once again, why it is one of America's great theater towns. CENTERSTAGE 42, the annual gala benefiting the Tony Award®-winning Dallas Theater Center (DTC), raised $545,000 in a single extraordinary evening, a testament to the deep well of generosity and belief this community holds for the performing arts. More than a fundraiser, it was a love letter to everything DTC has built over six decades, and a bold declaration of where it is headed next.
The evening unfolded with an effortless elegance befitting a night of this scale, beginning with a cocktail reception where guests mingled and captured photos. As the sun shone over the Diane and Hal Brierley Esplanade, guests gathered for an outdoor reception filled with conversation, anticipation, and a shared excitement to be back at DTC’s home. Familiar faces including Diane and Hal Brierley, Lynn McBee, Jeff Netzer, Donna Wilhelm, Gayle Halperin, Grace Cook, D’Andra Simmons-Lock and Jeremy Lock, and Laura (Custard) Burcham and Richard Burcham, set the tone for an evening rooted in both celebration and community. Education and community engagement programs under the Public Works initiative were brought to life through a custom timeline installation, serving as a powerful reminder that DTC’s impact extends far beyond the stage and deep into neighborhoods across Dallas and North Texas.
Dinner was served in the Potter Rose Performance Hall and was an intimate and theatrical touch that set the tone for an evening of genuine feeling. The night's centerpiece was the presentation of DTC's most prestigious honor, the Linda and Bill Custard Award, to Larry Angelilli, whose more than thirty years of financial stewardship, strategic leadership, and unwavering advocacy have quietly shaped the cultural infrastructure of Dallas.
A moment was then taken to honor the enduring legacy of two of Dallas Theater Center’s most beloved community members who left us this past year, Linda Custard and Sarah Warnecke. For decades Linda and Sarah were pillars of support for the Dallas arts community. It was noted that Linda was co-chair for three Centerstage Galas including the inaugural gala in 1984, and Sarah co-chaired twice including the 50th anniversary gala. DTC will continue to tell their story of love, beauty, and selflessness.
Then came the music and the evening truly took flight.
When original headliner Michael Urie was called away for commitments with his acclaimed Apple TV+ series Shrinking, DTC leaned into its greatest asset: the depth of talent that calls North Texas home. Broadway powerhouse Tiffany Mann stepped in and owned the room. A DFW native whose musical journey began in the church and was shaped by the legendary Texas Girls' Choir, the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, and the concert halls of Oklahoma City University, Mann has since become one of New York City's most celebrated performers, originating roles on Broadway in Be More Chill and gracing the stage of Waitress the Musical. Seeing her return to Dallas was a full-circle moment that had the audience on its feet.
Joining Mann were Guest Artists Bri Woods and Akron Watson, fresh from DTC's acclaimed production of Ragtime. Woods, an SMU Meadows graduate finishing her first year as the Linda and Bill Custard Meadows Actor in the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, represents the next generation of Dallas theater. Watson, a Grammy and Emmy-winning artist whose Broadway credits span The Color Purple, Hamilton, and The Play That Goes Wrong, brought the kind of star power that belongs on any stage in the world, and chose to share it with Dallas.
This year's gala also broke new ground in how it was led. Rather than naming a single chair, DTC welcomed back event chairs from the past ten years to lead collectively, which was an unprecedented reunion of philanthropic champions whose dedication helped build CENTERSTAGE into one of the city's most anticipated cultural events. Gala leadership included Peter Altabef, Mickie & Jeff Bragalone, Stephanie Byrd, Scott Davis, Melinda Johnson, Brett Levy, Michelle Lockhart, Ann Mahowald, Deborah McMurray, Scott Moore, Scott Orr, Andy Smith & Paul Von Wupperfeld, Hamilton A Sneed, and Krista Farber Weinstein. This gesture was as meaningful as it was strategic: honoring the community that made DTC what it is, while rallying them around what comes next.
And what comes next is extraordinary. DTC enters a new chapter under incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda, whose vision promises to push the boundaries of what theater can be and who it can reach. Proceeds from CENTERSTAGE 42 will directly fuel that future — funding initiatives like Project Discovery, Summer Stage, Saturday Sessions, and Community Workshops, programs that ensure the stage belongs to everyone.
CENTERSTAGE 42 was made possible through the generosity of "Company" level sponsors Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Diane and Hal Brierley, Linda Custard, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Deedie Rose, and Donna M. Wilhelm, along with "Cast" level sponsors HALL Group, PNC Bank, Texas Instruments, and many others, with media support from PATRON Magazine.
Photos c/o Tamytha Cameron and Chase Hall