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50 QUE SERA SERA WHATABURGER BY CHRISTINA GEYER. PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA BOWMAN, JASON VOINOV. F or all the straight men here, I'm Kristin Chenoweth," deadpanned the musical star as she introduced herself to the crowd from the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center stage. This would not be the first laugh-out-loud moment for Chenoweth as she headlined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's annual gala — a departure for the symphony after years of selecting classical musicians such as Yo Yo Ma for the gala's main act. The DSO Gala is still one of the few black-tie evenings in Dallas done the old-school way — gowns and tuxes are non-negotiable, and cocktail hour is promptly followed by a sophisticated dinner. Todd Fiscus took the lead on decor, with an earthy kind of glamour that felt light, youthful, and airy but still spoke to the symphony's old-guard elegant patrons. Perhaps Fiscus used Chenoweth's spritely spirit as inspiration. But back to the show: Chenoweth, an Oklahoma girl, no doubt feels at home in Texas. Standing at just barely five-feet tall, she came on stage wearing a radiant sequined number, holding a large to-go cup from Whataburger that she sipped during breaks in her set list, which included everything from "Moon River" to "Popular" from Wicked — the Broadway musical that made Chenoweth a bona fide star. Early in the program, Chenoweth described her road trip through Texas for the gala — a northbound trek from Houston. "I could talk for 20 more minutes about Buc-ees," she said of the beloved truck stop. "But, I'm here to sing." And sing she did, earning a boisterous standing ovation after her final bow. Now, our sights are set on next year, when the DSO's new music director, Fabio Luisi, makes his gala debut. with a side of KRISTIN CHENOWETH TAKES ON THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Kristin Chenoweth Ben & Tracy Lange Chuck & Trudy Best Greg & Kim Hext Kara & Randall Goss Charles Cascio, Graham McCall Bill & Linda Custard David Haemisegger & Nancy Nasher Taylor Johnson, Nick Boulle