{"id":285745,"date":"2025-10-08T05:45:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T05:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/285745\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T05:45:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T05:45:12","slug":"olb-marking-45-years-with-sapphire-celebration-benefitting-resource-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/285745\/","title":{"rendered":"OLB marking 45 years with ‘Sapphire Celebration’ benefitting Resource Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oak Lawn Band<\/a><\/strong> is celebrating its 45th anniversary on Oct. 11 with special concert at Moody Performance Hall<\/a><\/strong> benefitting Resource Center,<\/a><\/strong> OLB officials have announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a time when LGBTQIA+ visibility and rights remain at the center of cultural conversation, \u2026 Dallas\u2019 vibrant symphonic band for the LGBTQIA+ and ally community \u2014 is stepping boldly into the spotlight with its most ambitious concert yet,\u201d OLC announced through a press release last month.<\/p>\n

Sapphire Celebration: 45 Years of Pride starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11. At Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St. Tickets are $10 plus a fee of $1.79 for general admission (floor level, back rows) and balcony seating, $20 plus a fee of $2.29 for General Admission Plus (floor level, center rows) and $30 for Premium (floor level, rows closest to the stage. Tickets are available now at the Oak Lawn Band website<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to the press release, Sapphire Celebration \u201cmarks a significant milestone and launches OLB\u2019s new coalition-building initiative designed to unite organizations and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community through music and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

The press release notes that OLC chose Resource Center as its beneficiary for Sapphire Celebration because Resource Center \u201cstands as one of the nation\u2019s largest LGBTQIA+ community organizations and a primary HIV\/AIDS service provider in North Texas,\u201d serving more than 60,000 people each year.<\/p>\n

Rhea Pollard with Resource Center said, \u201cThe Resource Center has always pursued societal equity for the LGBTQIA+ community, and our partnership with Oak Lawn Band for Sapphire Celebration is a powerful example of that commitment in action.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re honored to be a part of this commemorative experience,\u201d Pollard added.<\/p>\n

Since its founding in 1983, the press release notes, Resource Center \u201chas been a lifeline in Dallas, providing health services, advocacy, education and cultural programs\u201d for the LGBTQ+ and HIV\/AIDS communities. Since its own founding 45 years ago, OLB has \u201cbrought the LGBTQIA+ community in Dallas\/Fort Worth together through music, activism and performance,\u201d the press release continues. \u201cPartnering with Resource Center underscores OLB\u2019s belief that community progress requires collective action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oak Lawn Band President Susan Elbedeiwy, said, \u201cThe partnership between Oak Lawn Band and Resource Center reflects OLB\u2019s commitment to not only celebrate its own history but to strengthen the organizations that safeguard and empower the LGBTQIA+ community in North Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Oak Lawn Band wouldn\u2019t be where it is today without organizations like the Resource Center ensuring our community members have access to healthcare resources, education, and support,\u201d she continued. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re inviting the entire city to celebrate the progress we\u2019ve made together, and to recommit to the work still ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sapphire Celebration will \u201cweave together classical repertoires, Broadway favorites, contemporary commissions and multimedia storytelling\u201d in a program \u201cdesigned to move our audience both musically and emotionally,\u201d said OLC Artistic Director Nickl Nunley. \u201cEvery selection was chosen with intention, from honoring our earliest performances to highlighting landmark moments like marriage equality.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic has always been the heartbeat of the LGBTQIA+ community, and this concert is our chance to tell that story on Oak Lawn Band\u2019s biggest stage yet,\u201d Nunley continued.<\/p>\n

Included in the concert will be \u201cPegasus Fanfare,\u201d honoring Dallas\u2019s red Pegasus and OLB\u2019s earliest identity; \u201cJohn and Jim\u201d by Viet Cuong, a Texas premiere marking the 10th anniversary of marriage equality \u00a0with band member love stories projected live on stage; a reimagined version of John Lennon\u2019s \u201cImagine\u201d with a visual time capsule of OLB\u2019s 45 years; selections from Wicked, celebrating the queer-coded bond that has defined modern musical theater; and \u201cGet On Your Feet\u201d in a Whitney Houston-inspired celebration complete with color guard visuals, drag artistry \u201cand a rainbow crescendo worthy of the milestone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Tammye Nash<\/p>\n

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