A Gathering pulled it together. TITAS executive director Charles Santos took on the daunting task of producing A Gathering, a collective of area performance arts companies, commemorating 30 years of AIDS. Groups such as the Dallas Opera, Turtle Creek Chorale and Dallas Theater Center donated their time for this one-of-a-kind show with all proceeds benefiting Dallas’ leading AIDS services organizations. And it was worth it. A stirring night of song, dance and art culminated in an approximate 1,000 in attendance and $60,000 raised for local charities. Bravo, indeed.

http://www.dallasvoice.com/good-bad-%e2%80%98a-list%e2%80%99-1098075.html

That was 10 years ago last month. Which means that 10 years ago this month, Santos celebrated a decade as the executive director of TITAS. Thus, the board of TITAS, along with luminaries like Veletta Lill, Matrice Kirk, Chris Heinbaugh and city councilwoman Ann Margolin, noted the anniversary with a surprise party for Santos at Komali last night.

Santos was bestowed a sculpture, pictured, to mark his time here, and he indicated his desire to be around for another 10 years.

TITAS next brings the inventive dance troupe Pilobolus to the Winspear on Nov. 19.

A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS

December 6, 7:00pm, Winspear Opera House

BUY TICKETS – PROMO CODE: GATHERING

or call the Box Office at 214-880-0202

100% of the proceeds from A Gathering will directly benefit four of Dallas’ leading AIDS service organizations. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to be part of an extraordinary night of song, dance, hope and solidarity.

The Dallas arts community is coming together for a spectacular One-Night-Only performance commemorating 30 Years of AIDS. An unprecedented collaboration between some of the finest arts organizations in Dallas, A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS will feature eleven Dallas cultural institutions coming together and sharing their talents to create a powerful evening of entertainment. With a cast of more than 200 singers, dancers and actors, A Gathering promises to be a soul-stirring performance, and a night to remember.

Benefiting:
     

With multiple award nominations and wins, Brian Stokes Mitchell is truly one of the great stars of Broadway. He has enjoyed a rich and varied career on Broadway, television and film, along with appearances in the great American concert halls. His musical versatility has kept him in demand by some of the world’s finest conductors and orchestras. His Broadway credits include Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Man of La Mancha and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, as well as the Kennedy Center’s revival of Sweeney Todd. He currently can be seen in the film, Jumping The Broom playing opposite Angela Bassett.

Multi-talented and with an exceptional voice, Brian Stokes Mitchell in Concert promises to be a spectacular night of music.

Los Lobos was formed in 1974 by David Hidalgo, Conrad Lozano, Louie Prez and Cesar Rosas, four friends from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Though they started out as a rock-and-roll band, they soon chose a more traditional Mexican acoustic style. In time, the band adopted music from Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B and blues, as well as the traditional Mexican songs from their roots. The band has won Grammys for its 1988 Spanish-language album, and for its contribution to the film Desperado. They have collaborated with artists such as Dave Alvin, Ruben Blades, Elvis Costello, Little Willie G, Mavis Staples, Richard Thompson, Bobby Womack and Tom Waits.

Wildly popular, talented and fun, the Los Lobos concert will be a great way celebrate Deiz y Seis.

Passionate and soulful, the intricate rhythms and stirring harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo have captivated audiences for more than 40 years. Led by Joseph Shabalala, the group has recorded more than 50 albums. Borrowing heavily from a traditional style called “Isicathamiya,” developed in the mines of South Africa, the group’s philosophy has always been as much about the preservation of musical heritage as it is about entertainment. The group has recorded with numerous artists from around the world, including Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Dolly Parton and Ben Harper. They have been featured on several motion picture soundtracks including Coming To America and Invictus. In addition, they have performed for the Queen of England, South African President, Nelson Mandela and at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Always beautiful, uplifting and heart-felt, Ladysmith’s performances are a joyous experience for the whole family.

Renowned sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar has made a name for herself on the world music scene, as a crossover artist fusing Indian music with a variety of genres including electronic, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music. The daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar, Anoushka made her performance debut at age 13 in New Delhi. Since the release of her first album, Anoushka, she has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and was featured as one of 20 Asian heroes by the Asia edition of Time magazine. She has collaborated with such super-star artists as Lenny Kravitz, Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Elton John, Madonna, Nina Simone, Sting, James Taylor and Norah Jones. This concert, presented in the amazing and intimate Wyly Theater, will showcase her latest album, Traveller, being released fall 2011, featuring the evolutionary bridge between flamenco and Indian music. This promises to be a stunning and beautiful musical collaboration.

Madeleine’s road to fame is as romantic as her sound. Having honed her vocal and guitar skills on the famously unique, acoustic streets of Europe, Peyroux’s style was inspired by jazz legends such as Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. She is perhaps best known to her fans for intimately arranged covers of early American blues and jazz music. Some of her most notable albums include 2005’s Careless Love and 2009’s Bare Bones. Peyroux has collaborated with such heavy hitters as Joe Henry, Steely Dan’s Walter Becker and the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, and went on tour last year with Diana Krall and Melody Gardot in Australia. Her new album will be released this year. Unique, bluesy and soulful, thess concerts will be presented in the intimate Wyly Theater and will be a special highlight in the TITAS music series.

Rave Reviews are an expansive international touring schedule have made ASFB the “IT” contemporary ballet of today. Committed to world-class choreography, ASFB has made a name for itself for its diverse and expansive repertoire of commissioned works. Fiercely talented and polished, this company has been featured in the best dance venues around the world including theaters such as The Joyce Theater in New York City, the famed Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, The Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago and internationally in Canada, France, Italy, Greece and Guatemala.

Technically outstanding dancers and uniquely diverse and exciting repertoire makes Aspen Sante Fe Ballet a must see for dance lovers of every age.

Highly imaginative and creative! Always an audience and family favorite, Pilobolus returns to the TITAS season after a long absence. Pilobolus remains one of the world’s most beloved “dance illusionist” companies. Internationally recognized for athletic and inventive exploration of artistic collaboration, Pilobolus continues to blaze a path with their jaw-dropping imagery and creative collaboration. The company has received many awards including the Berlin Critic’s Prize, the Scotsman Award for performances at the Edinburgh Festival, an Emmy Award for outstanding achievement in cultural programming and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement in choreography, as well as being the subject of a feature profile on CBS’ 60 Minutes and being featured on the 79th Academy Awards. As a TITAS favorite, we are thrilled to bring Pilobolus to the Winspear Opera House.