Dallas Summer Musicals does it again with deadly dull production

The microphones don't cut out during Bullets Over Broadway, but you might leave hoping they had. Soon after the touring production of Ragtime disappointed during its Dallas stop, here comes another non-equity tour that relies on sub-par music and its young cast's enthusiasm to carry the show. There is a hidden orchestra this time (or at least the program promises so), but they sure sound canned on "the best sound system in North Texas." Although...

Versatile Dallas actress is stoked to throw punches in her latest show

Kitchen Dog Theater is making its first attempt at repertory theater, with Steve Yockey's plays Blackberry Winter and The Thrush & The Woodpecker. Not only that, but the company is doing it in the temporary space of Undermain Theatre. Actor Kristin McCollum is part of Thrush's cast, adding to her impressive resume yet another challenging role, as a mother whose college-age son unexpectedly returns home. Before the second Yockey show opens on May 27, McCollum...

Dallas art galleries blossom with outdoor shows and exhibitions

Feeling the impetus to get outside and bask in the not-yet-unbearable heat? Now you can, while scratching that artistic itch at the same time. Garden parties and slideshows on the lawn join female-positive exhibits and intimate installations to make this a most intriguing month of May. "Girls Just Wanna," Various Artists, at Galleri Urbane Reception: May 14, 6-8:30 pm Exhibition dates: May 14-June 18 A not-so-fun fact: 51 percent of today's visual artists are women,...

Dallas art galleries blossom with outdoor shows and exhibitions

Feeling the impetus to get outside and bask in the not-yet-unbearable heat? Now you can, while scratching that artistic itch at the same time. Garden parties and slideshows on the lawn join female-positive exhibits and intimate installations to make this a most intriguing month of May. "Girls Just Wanna," Various Artists, at Galleri Urbane Reception: May 14, 6-8:30 pm Exhibition dates: May 14-June 18 A not-so-fun fact: 51 percent of today's visual artists are women,...

1950s musical fails to shake, rattle, or roll at Dallas' Theatre Three

A poor but plucky white kid in the segregated 1950s South struggles to integrate the hometown music scene. Kid's white mom disapproves. Black father figure of loud-sangin' friend disapproves too. But all too predictably, before intermish there's "race music" on the radio and everybody's ponying to the beat. Sounds like Hairspray, right? No, it's Memphis, a lesser show on similar themes now playing at Theatre Three. The formula-bound Best Musical Tony winner by Joe DiPietro...

Dallas Opera spares no expense with history-making Show Boat

Though not technically an opera, Show Boat is a natural fit for such a company to perform. Dallas Opera, using Francesca Zambello's Lyric Opera of Chicago production, has breathed new life into the American classic with soaring voices and nuanced performances. The sheer scale of Show Boat, based on Edna Ferber's sweeping book, can be intimidating. Spanning from the late 1800s to the 1920s, it follows the daughter of a river boat entertainer as she...

Dallas art galleries bloom this month with intriguing mix of works

Birds, bunnies, and blooms of all sorts make for some very seasonally appropriate Dallas art gallery shows this month. Add in an alternate universe created by a singular talent, and you've got one of the more intriguing mixes of work (and mediums) we've seen in quite some time. Here is what's naturally wonderful in April: "Spelboken," Natasha Bowdoin, at Talley Dunn Gallery Reception: April 1, 6-8 pm ​Exhibition dates: April 1-May 14 Timing is everything,...

The next AT&T Broadway series in Dallas feels a little, well, familiar

The next Broadway Series season for AT&T Performing Arts Center has been announced, and many of the titles might sound familiar to regular Dallas-Fort Worth theatergoers. That's because three of the eight shows have had recent professional productions in the area, and a fourth is returning for what's sure to be another sold-out run. Rent, Into the Woods, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch are all on the schedule, even though Casa Mañana, Lyric Stage,...

Dallas-Fort Worth galleries spring forth new crop of indispensable art

Spring has sprung, and along with it comes a collective of young talent, an essential stop in Fort Worth's gallery night, a homage to environmentalism, an explosion of color, and -- finally -- a brand new venue to show off a Dallasite's artistic vision. Here's what matters in the art world this month: "That's So Hot (An Invitational)," various artists, at 500 X Gallery Exhibition dates: Through April 3 What's so hot right now? Dallas...

Dallas actor who plays LBJ likes a challenge, not a kale smoothie

Brandon Potter wasn't originally cast as our 36th president in All the Way, a co-production between Dallas Theater Center and Houston's Alley Theatre. But when the first actor had to step down for medical reasons, Potter found himself in the spotlight. For the Brierley Resident Acting Company member, who has been consistently earning good notices for his supporting roles, it's a chance to make his mark as a leading man. Potter recently played Richard III...

There's savage honesty in this Dallas production of Lord of the Flies

There is so much that feels new in WaterTower Theatre's Lord of the Flies, but still with an undercurrent of deja vu. The story, about a group of British schoolboys stranded on an island after a plane crash, is familiar to anyone who read William Golding's novel in high school. But this production, with its uber-naturalistic set and thundering sound design, brings Golding's boys to life in frightening reality. Director Kelsey Leigh Ervi is using...

Famous wistful romance becomes more layered on musical Dallas stage

It's hard to top Meryl Streep. The vaunted actress was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of a lonely Italian housewife in the film The Bridges of Madison County, but now actresses are being asked to make Francesca Johnson sing -- literally and figuratively -- in the musical version. First it was Broadway darling Kelli O'Hara, who received a Tony nomination for her work. Now on the national tour it's Elizabeth Stanley, who...

Dallas Opera packs 60th season with audience favorites

The Dallas Opera has amassed a roster of crowd-pleasers for its 60th season, with two of the five mainstage productions having never been performed before by the company. First up is Eugene Onegin, the Russian lyric opera about an arrogant nobleman who flippantly dismisses everyone who could have been important to him. Baritone Andrei Bondarenko, who made his American debut last year in Dallas Opera's production of Iolanta, will sing the title role. Performances are...

Essential Dallas gallery exhibits to start an artful 2016

January's art gallery shows give us the rare opportunity to indulge (nearly) all the senses. From conceptual works that can be perceived as mirthful or menacing to a multifaceted exploration of France's most famous female writer, there's a lot to examine. You can look, listen, and even smell. But remember not to touch! "The Mythology of Love," Celia Eberle at Cris Worley Fine Arts Reception: January 9, 6-8 pm Exhibition dates: January 9-February 13 Dallas-based...

The 12 best Dallas-Fort Worth theater productions of 2015

It's time to look back on the wonderful and weird experiences the theaters of Dallas and Fort Worth gifted us with in 2015. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's a sampling of some of the productions and players who created magic onstage (and sometimes off). With a year this strong, we can't wait to see what's coming in 2016. The Flick, Undermain Theatre ​A lot of audiences were perturbed by and perplexed...