Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music, dance, comedy and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.
Stage Notes Calendar
Opening this week:
Broadway Dallas: Clue, June 16-28 at the Winspear, pictured.
Theatre Denton: Oklahoma!, June 17-Aug. 2 at Point Bank Auditorium.
Ballet North Texas: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, June 19-21 at Moody Performance Hall.
NTPA Rep: West Side Story, June 19-28 at the Willow Bend Center for the Arts.
Repertory Company Theatre: Grease, June 19-28 at the Courtyard Theatre.
Echo Theatre: The Roommate, June 19-July 4 at the Bath House Cultural Center.
Shakespeare Dallas: Alice in Wonderland, June 19-July 17 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater.
Turtle Creek Chorale: Pride as Big as Texas, 7:30 p.m. June 20 at First Presbyterian Tyler.
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Uptown Players: Together with Bruce Wood Dance Dallas, June 20 and 21.
Broadway at the Bass: The Notebook, June 23-28.
A landmark season and a golden ticket announcement from Uptown Players
This is a big week for Uptown Players. The company will not only make an appearance at Friday night’s Pride Block Party in the Dallas Arts District; Uptown also premieres the collaborative show Together on Saturday and Sunday with Bruce Wood Dance Dallas at the Kalita Humphreys. Amid all that, they dropped the details on its next show and announced a new milestone season.
Let’s start with Uptown Players 25th season announcement.
The company celebrates its silver anniversary and announces a lineup that honors its legacy
of queer storytelling while embracing the future. Branded as “Celebrating 25 Years of Fearless & Fabulous Theatre,” the anniversary season showcases defining qualities the theater has upheld since its founding in 2001: artistic excellence, LGBTQ+ representation, compelling storytelling and its commitment to producing theatre that builds community.
Since 2001, the company has more than 100 productions under its belt with numerous regional, national and world premieres. Texas premieres include Pure Glitter, Silver Foxes, A Very Sordid Wedding and Fun Home; among its United States premieres are Soho Cinders and Closer to Heaven; regional productions of The Boy From Oz and Next to Normal received area acclaim.
“When we founded Uptown Players twenty-five years ago, our goal was simple: tell great stories and create a place where everyone felt welcome,” Executive Producers Craig Lynch and Jeff Rane said in the season announcement on Monday. “Today, that mission remains unchanged. This season celebrates our past, but more importantly, it celebrates the artists, audiences, donors, volunteers and community partners who have made these 25 years possible.”
And with that, here is Uptown Players’ 25th season of shows:
Dec. 4-13: Designing Women by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. The outspoken Southern belles of Sugarbaker & Associates return in this hilarious and timely new stage adaptation by creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Reuniting Julia, Suzanne, Mary Jo and Charlene for a new chapter, the ladies tackle politics, friendship, family and social change with the wit and humor that made the television series a queer fave.
March 18-21. Broadway Our Way: No Passport Required. Pack your bags and join in on a musical adventure around the globe. Uptown Players’ annual fundraiser returns with a travel-inspired celebration of Broadway music with unexpected twists and big production numbers.
April 30-May 9: Come From Away. One of the most celebrated musicals of the last decade tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 airline passengers unexpectedly stranded in Newfoundland following the events of September 11, 2001.
July 16-25: Jagged Little Pill. Inspired by Alanis Morissette’s iconic Grammy Award-winning album, this contemporary musical explores identity, family, addiction and healing through the hits from her breakthrough debut album. This is a co-production with Circle Theatre.
Aug. 19-29: Silver Foxes 2. Following the success of Uptown Players’ world premiere, pictured left, television writers James Berg and Stan Zimmerman return with an all-new comedy continuing the adventures of Palm Springs’ favorite chosen family. Silver Foxes 2 celebrates friendship and the enduring power of community. Performances held at Theatre Three.
Uptown Players also announced the cast and crew details for its next show. Urinetown: The Musical , pictured above, opens July 10 at the Kalita and runs through July 19.
Set in a drought-stricken future where private toilets have been outlawed, citizens must pay to use public restrooms controlled by the powerful Urine Good Company. When a young hero named Bobby Strong decides enough is enough, he ignites a rebellion that challenges corporate greed, government control, and the cost of simply being human.
“Whether it’s rising costs, endless fees, or the feeling that the system isn’t always working for
everyday people, Urinetown finds humor in those frustrations,” Rane said in the press release. “Most importantly, it’s incredibly funny. Sometimes we all need an excuse to laugh and Urinetown delivers that in a big way.”
Leading the creative team is Director Penny Ayn Maas, Music Director Vonda K. Bowling,
and Choreographer Gabriela Ayala Yarbrough.
The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Mikey Abrams, Emery Gray, Brian Hathaway, Laura Lites, David Lugo, AJ Martinez, Ben Meaders, Taylor Nash and Max J. Swarner.
Featured ensemble members include Ralphael Agee, Jessica Humphrey, Kayla Renee Jackson, Donovan Marie Lawson, Linda Leonard, Gena Loe, Logan Lowery, Gabrielle Rollins, Gerald Taylor II and Keith J. Warren.
Tickets are available now at UptownPlayers.org.
–Rich Lopez
