Ticket to Culture
Fort Worth YPs score insider access with 2 new performing arts partnerships
Young theatergoers in Dallas-Fort Worth have two new options for premium arts access that gives back. The Young Patrons Club, presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth, and TodayTix Center Social, sponsored by AT&T Performing Arts Center and TodayTix, are each offering memberships that promise special events, networking opportunities, and the chance to help students attend live theater.
A $50 membership to the Young Patrons Club ($90 for couples) includes discounted ticket offers to select PAFW shows at Bass Performance Hall and McDavid Studio, access to members-only special events, pre-show cocktail receptions, and exclusive pre-sale ticket offers. One-hundred percent the annual membership fee goes to providing show tickets to local students. Membership is open to people from all industries, between the ages of 21 and 40.
PAFW and Bass Hall have already hosted a series of "test-run" events, and Dione Kennedy, the president and CEO of PAFW, says the response "was overwhelming. The people who attended were very excited to be here, to be a part of what we're doing and to potentially have input into our future plans."
Young Patrons Club memberships can be purchased by calling the Bass Hall box office at 817-212-4280 or visiting www.basshall.com/ypc.
Meanwhile, the innovative ticketing platform TodayTix, which hit Dallas-Fort Worth earlier this year, has joined with the AT&T Performing Arts Center to create a new program called TodayTix Center Social.
For an annual donation of $99 — or 12 monthly payments of $10 — young professionals gain access to exclusive discounts on ATTPAC programming, mobile rush tickets, cast meet-and-greets, networking nights and happy hours, volunteer opportunities, and popular industry events such as Brunch on Broadway and Broadway Karaoke Night. The membership fees go toward supporting ATTPAC's Bus Fund, which ensures that students throughout North Texas have access to the arts and arts education at little or no cost to their school.
"This program will make seeing shows more convenient, more affordable, and more fun for the young professionals of North Texas," says ATTPAC interim president and CEO Debbie Storey. "We're excited about our partnership with TodayTix."
Known for its easy-to-use app, TodayTix compiles plays, musicals, concerts, operas, and other performances in one place, then offers exclusive discounts and day-of rush tickets. Besides ATTPAC, some of the biggest arts institutions in DFW have signed on, including Dallas Theater Center, Casa Mañana, WaterTower Theatre, Stage West, Circle Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Cliburn, TITAS Presents, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, and Texas Ballet Theater.
"The community that forms when people see live performance together is like nothing else, and creating that bond with the next generation of audiences is extremely important for the future of a city's artistic landscape," says TodayTix co-founder and CEO Brian Fenty. "TodayTix offers the easy service to the best-priced tickets that younger patrons seek, and combining that with the Center's extensive network of world-class productions and events is the perfect formula to foster that community."
Memberships can be purchased by calling 214-978-2834.
In an effort to expand access to all DFW theatergoers, the AT&T Performing Arts Center will also be offering season-long $25 mobile rush tickets through the TodayTix app for the full 2018-19 Broadway season. Beginning at 9 am on each performance date, a limited number of $25 rush tickets can be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis within the app.
