Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other pertinent information.
Stage Notes Calendar
Opening this week:
Theatre Off the Square: Man or Mouse, opened Thursday-Sunday at Southside Preservation Hall.
Uptown Players: Broadway Our Way, Opened Thursday-Sunday.
Theatre Three: Intimate Apparel, opened Thursday-April 30.
Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, Wicked), 8 p.m. today at the Eisemann.
Disenchanted! A New Musical Comedy, today and Saturday at Coppell Arts Center.
DSO Pops: A Night of Broadway with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara, today-Sunday.
Theatre Coppell: Almost Maine, today-April 13.
Theatre Denton: Jesus Christ Superstar, today-April 13.
Onstage in Bedford: Blithe Spirit, March 28- April 23.
Lyric Stage: Jekyll and Hyde, March 28-April 19 at Lyric Stage Studio.
Chamber Music International, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church.
Bruce Wood Dance Dallas: 15th Anniversary Performance & Gala, Saturday at Gilley’s Dallas.
Dallas Theater Center: Waitress, Saturday-April 20.
New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving, 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Irving Arts Center.
Sammons Jazz: Lone Star Grooves, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sammons Arts Center.
A Taste of Ireland: The Irish Music & Dance Sensation, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Majestic Theatre.
Onstage now:
Pegasus Theatre: Mystery at the Old Cafe, through Saturday at the Bath House Cultural Center.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: Laughter on the 23rd Floor, through Saturday.
Allen Contemporary Theatre: Moriarty, through Sunday.
Broadway at the Bass: Clue Live on Stage, through Sunday at Bass Hall.
Broadway Dallas: Back to the Future the Musical, opened through Sunday.
The Core Theatre: The Glass Menagerie, through Sunday.
Repertory Company Theatre: Broadway’s Best: Once Upon a Mattress, through Sundayr.
Stage West: Penelope, opened through Sunday.
Sundown Collaborative Theatre: As Small as Stars, through Sunday.
Theatre Off the Square: Proof, through Sunday.
Art Centre Theatre: The Whale, through April 6.
Rockwall Community Playhouse: All the World’s a Stage: A Celebration of Shakespeare, through April 6.
WaterTower Theatre: A Streetcar Named Desire, through April 6.
Classics and new shows are among ATTPAC’s new season for Broadway at the Center
On Thursday, the AT&T Performing Arts Center (ATTPAC) announced its 2025/26
season of Broadway at the Center. The season’s lineup will serve up six productions with two Dallas premieres. The season also includes add-ons in partnership with Dallas Theater Center, TITAS/Dance Unbound and Broadway Dallas.
“We’re really thrilled to present this stellar season featuring a good mix of family
favorites, Broadway classics, and contemporary productions,” Warren
Tranquada, AT&T Performing Arts Center President & CEO said in a press release. “Coming to see a musical production at the Winspear Opera House is a real treat, and we’re proud to
provide more flexibility than ever to help patrons make the most of their experience. We
can’t wait to welcome you to the Center and the Arts District for this incredible season.”
This year marks the seventh year of the Center’s partnership with Broadway Dallas. Each year, Broadway Dallas presents up to five weeks of Broadway programming at the Winspear. For this season, the two organizations will partner to present Kimberly Akimbo and Clue.
The season includes ATTPAC’s partnering with DTC to include Ragtime as an option for subscribers. TITAS/Dance Unbound will present MOMIX’s Botanica which will also be an add-on.
Series subscribers will have access to free ticket replacement, discount parking and inter-show ticket exchange which will give the flexibility to exchange one show’s tickets for another show in the series excluding the two Broadway Dallas productions.
The flexible subscription packages allow patrons to select four to six shows from the primary lineup with four-show and six-show subscription packages. Package sales begin March 31.
Center Circle Members enjoy exclusive benefits including priority access to best available seats, Platinum Circle orchestra seating and pre-show and intermission access to the PNC Members Lounge. To become a member, visit Membership Services.
The season includes:
Nov. 21-23: A Christmas Story: The Musical. From the songwriting team behind Dear Evan Hansen and the Oscar-winning film La La Land, this show brings the classic 1983 movie to the stage. Set in 1940s Indiana, Ralphie Parker schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range
Model Air Rifle but a department store Santa, and a dare to lick a freezing flagpole are a few distractions that stand between him and his Christmas wish. Nominated for three 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Dec. 26-28: Mrs. Doubtfire. An out-of-work actor will do anything for his children. After losing custody in his divorce, he creates the alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in an attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father. Dallas premiere.
Jan. 6-18: Kimberly Akimbo. Add-on show presented in partnership with Broadway Dallas.
April 23-25: Kinky Boots. Charlie Price has inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in Lola, a drag entertainer in need of sturdy stilettos who then work to turn the factory around. Winner of six Tony Awards and the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre album, the score features songs by Cyndi Lauper with book by four-time Tony winner, Harvey Fierstein.
March 27-April 19: Ragtime. Add-on show presented in partnership with DTC. See below.
May 1-4: Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. A fast-talking salesman gets his heart stolen by town librarian in this classic musical comedy. Harold Hill cons the people of River City, Iowa, but his plans to skip town with his sudden cash flow are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian.
May 8-10: Stereophonic. The most Tony Award-nominated play of all time, this new show zooms in on a music studio in 1976 as an up-and-coming rock band finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin with original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler. Dallas premiere.
June 6: MOMIX Botanica. This dance company bring an experience with fantastical costumes, captivating projections and larger-than-life puppets designed by Michael Curry (Cirque du Soleil, Disney, Metropolitan Opera). Add-on show presented in partnership with TITAS/Dance Unbound.
June 16-28: Clue. Add-on show presented in partnership with Broadway Dallas.
July 9-12: Monty Python’s Spamalot. With book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Idle, this musical comedy is based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
For more information about the season, visit ATTPAC’s Broadway series page.
Dallas Theater Center announces titles for the 2025-26 season
Following suit with ATTPAC’s announcement, DTC dropped their new season on Friday morning. The season will feature five productions with three co-productions, three premieres as well as one show included in ATTPAC’s Broadway series as an add-on. The new season will launch in October.
“In curating Dallas Theater Center’s 2025-26 season, I chose to follow my mission as a playwright – which is to break down barriers through the shared joy of great storytelling.” Interim Artistic Director Jonathan Norton said in Friday’s press release. “And the five shows in our upcoming season will do just that. I can’t wait for October when I get to welcome audiences at the start of our new season. We will throw open our doors and become Dallas’ town hall — a place for the community to gather for conversation, celebration and ultimately connection.”
This season highlights DTC’s commitment to collaboration with other arts organizations. The season includes the launch of a three-year partnership with Stage West Theatre of Fort Worth, which will co-produce two regional premieres in the 2025-26 season.
DTC also begins a multi-year partnership with SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and the Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre.
The season also marks the ongoing collaboration with TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, Ark., who previously supported the development of Norton’s I am Delivered’t.
In Fort Worth, DTC will collaborate with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall featuring actors from DTC’s Brierley Resident Acting Company, directed by DTC Executive Director Kevin Moriarty.
“Collaboration is at the heart of DTC’s mission,” Moriarty said in the release. “It’s wonderful to join with TheaterSquared to support Jonathan’s brilliant playwriting and introduce his work to a national audience. Further, by partnering with Stage West Theatre, SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and the Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, we are able to expand opportunities for artists, introduce new audience members to the arts and enrich our artistry. I’m grateful to be surrounded by so many talented, visionary artists and arts leaders here in North Texas and honored to be partnering with them this season.”
Productions will take place at the Wyly Theatre on the ATTPAC campus and at the Kalita Humphreys Theater and Bryant Hall . Subscriptions for the 2025-26 season are available now and can be purchased at DallasTheaterCenter.org.
The season includes (All performances at the Wyly unless noted otherwise):
Oct. 3-26: Noises Off. This play-within-a-play plunges audiences into the chaotic world of Nothing’s On, a fictional touring production tormented by backstage romances and onstage blunders. From flubbed lines to slamming doors, witness the hilarious unraveling of a troupe of eccentric actors. Directed by Ashley H. White. Performances held at the Kalita.
Nov. 28-Dec. 28: A Christmas Carol. Three otherworldly spirits whisk Ebenezer Scrooge away on a journey of hope and redemption. From the nostalgic warmth of Christmases past to the stark truths of the present and the ominous shadows of the future, Scrooge’s journey is a spectacle of wonder. Not included in subscription.
Jan. 30-Feb. 8: Fat Ham. In this regional premiere co-pro with Stage West, Juicy’s got a lot on his plate – his mom just married his uncle. All he wants is to make his own way as a queer Black man in a Southern family. But here’s the rub – his father’s ghost just turned up at a backyard barbecue demanding vengeance. In this delicious and sizzling reinvention of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, a young man vows to break the cycles of violence in service of his own liberation and joy. Directed by Vickie Washington. Performances held at the Kalita.
Feb. 27-March 1: Shakespeare at the Symphony. Under the direction of Robert Spano and Kevin Moriarty, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and DTC collaborate to bring musical drama and theatrical intrigue in FWSO’s newest “Theater of a Concert” concept featuring Mendelssohn’s Selections from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prokofiev’s Selections from Romeo and Juliet. Experience a world where music and acting intertwine bringing The Bard to life. Not included in subscription.
Feb. 27-March 22: Where We Stand. Your town stands at a crossroads. A neighbor — desperate and out of options — has struck a dangerous bargain. Now, their fate lies in your hands. In this interactive play presented as a town hall gathering, the audience must choose: mercy or justice? Liz Mikel plays a lone storyteller who weaves a world through music and magic – part fable, part call-and-response in this regional premiere written by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Directed by Akin Babatunde. Performances held Bryant Hall at the Kalita Humphreys Theater campus.
March 27-April 19: Ragtime. Based on E.L. Doctrow’s acclaimed novel, this story of hope and perseverance in a time of tumultuous change is a musical theater classic that creates a powerful portrait of America’s past—and a stirring reminder of its future. Directed and choreographed by Joel Ferrell and presented in partnership with SMU Meadows School of the Arts and the Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre.
May 8-June 7: Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. In the summer of 1943, two young men – Little and Foxy – forge an unlikely bond over leftover fried chicken and dirty dishwasher. But as the world outside erupts in chaos, their friendship is tested by betrayal, ambition, and the call of history. Inspired by a true story, this world premiere and co-pro with TheatreSquared is written by DTC’s resident playwright and Interim Artistic Director Jonathan Norton. Directed by Dexter J. Singleton.
Review: Uptown Players‘ joyful and poignant Broadway Our Way feels just right, right now
Despite catching the show over the past few years, this is my first review of Uptown Players’ annual fundraiser revue. That’s mostly due to its limited run and I end up catching it midway through. I’m so glad though to finally make opening night to write this. Broadway Our Way is always a good time with its Uptown Players’ twist on showtunes set to an original story — or perhaps more of a theme. This time around, the BOW players are taking audiences to a gay Renaissance Faire and with a hefty selection of almost 30 showtunes that hit all the feels a bit more so than usual.
Maybe that’s because the world sucks right now — especially for queer people. The show addressed that through songs and moving words by actor/director/writer BJ Cleveland and Paul Williams. Those moments — mostly at the end of both acts –were stirring and served as reminders of current events but also added to the show’s queer joy. BOW was a medieval blast of fabulosity and frivolity.
The show’s fresh spirit was palpable. The cast and band delivered enthusiastic performances on Thursday night’s opening that swept the audience into energized applause and roars. The thrill and joy from the punchy numbers felt like an exhale of the stress of every day with its comedy, romance, and everything in between.
The first act was more upbeat and showcased not only the singing talents of the cast but thrilling choreography by Alli Betsill. The arrangement of the tracks was masterly and always felt organic from one number to the next.
So it’s hard for me to consider pop songs from jukebox musicals as showtunes, but the three in the first act were all outstanding numbers. “Domino” and “I Kissed a Girl” from & Juliet were delivered with sassy mirth by Carlos Strudwick, Danny Vanegas, Jacob Hemsath, Quintin Jones and Thomas Renner. Seth Paden then delivered a powerful rendition of “You Oughta Know” from Jagged Little Pill.
Tim Brawner served up a gorgeous performance of Jekyll and Hyde‘s “Someone Like You” while Ryan Friedman and Thomas Renner were sexy and silly in “I Love the Way” from Something Rotten.
The first act also featured glimpses of Uptown’s upcoming shows Xanadu and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Emotions were a bit more on display in the second act with its ballads and romantic numbers. The opening “One Knight” from Wonderland was a showcase for all the BOW women. Kylie Stewart had a one-two punch with “I Met a Girl” from Bells are Ringing followed by an amusing duet with Gena Loe for “Whoa, Mama” from Bright Star.
Elizabeth Kensek’s solo “If I Can’t Love Her” was a magnificent performance followed by a surprisingly touching rendition of Annie‘s “Tomorrow” by Amy Stevenson. Brett Leonard and Laura Lites’ “When I Drive” from Bonnie and Clyde was a delightful highlight. Peter DiCesare enraptured the audience with his dramatic solo of The Notebook song “My Days.” “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman had a major impact with Sara Martin anchoring the number with Loe, Erin Bowman, Linda Leonard and Stephanie Felton.
As a whole, the cast felt so present in their moments and every performance felt alive and authentic and enjoyable. Along with the above mentioned, the cast included indelible performances by Brian Hathaway with the peppy “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top” and the tender duet “In Whatever Time We Have;” Leonard’s dynamic Follies number; David Lugo oozed charm in “Be Italian” and Johanna Nchekwube brought great comedy to “Nobody Cares.” Clayton Younkin was charming with the flirty “We’re Just Friends” duet with Jones.
The BOW orchestra, co-directed by Adam C. Wright and Kelley Poche Rodriguez, delivered an exceptional performance, effortlessly transitioning between soft melodies and upbeat bangers.
The stage design by Dennis Canright evoked a Renaissance Faire ambiance, but the rich blues and greens added a stunning, ethereal atmosphere. Kyle Harris’ lighting design further enhanced the show’s energy and set with dramatic lighting that perfectly suited the production.
Broadway Our Way delivered a high of glee and exuberance that buzzed through the standing ovation and into the lobby. Uptown Players gave the community a beacon of queer joy that felt like perfect timing.
The show runs through Sunday.
–Rich Lopez
