"I had no idea," the man said to his wife as they filed out of the Playhouse On The Square main stage theatre following a show a year ago. "Did you know there was live theater this good in Memphis?"  

"Not me," his wife said with a smile.

Those comments and many like them were part of the buzz at the end of last year's performance of the musical Million Dollar Quartet. The two were among 130 of the city's police officers and guests who attended last year with 220 other paying patrons, filling the house for the sixth annual CrimeStoppers Night At The Theatre event. The 130 seats were paid for by appreciative donors - people who care about CrimeStoppers, great stage dramas, and the city's men and women in blue.

This year, the audience will see Dreamgirls on June 22 and, like last year,  there will be a contingency list of other officers ready to grab two seats if any are available after the first 130 are taken.

"I can't tell you how much the Memphis Police are thankful for the  opportunity to have a night out like this provided to them for free - a great meal at our reception that starts at 6 p.m., and then a spectacular show at 8," said E. Winslow (Buddy) Chapman, CrimeStoppers executive director. "Often we see officers attend who have never had the opportunity to see a live show before."  

So far donors have paid for more than a third of the 130 seats set aside for  the MPD. CrimeStoppers hopes and expects others will step up and pay for the rest of the 130 seats, said Chapman.

Playhouse is located at 66 South Cooper Street at the corner with Union  Avenue. There also are seats left for patrons who want to see the show that night.

To buy tickets and/or to reserve for officers, click here. Proceeds after costs support CrimeStoppes programs, including the  528-CASH anonymous tips line.