Turtle Creek Chorale joins forces with Bruce Wood Dance for a Sept. 16 performance honoring the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. And on Sept. 26, the Chorale hosts Rhapsody: Turtle Manor
RICH LOPEZ | A&E Writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
We like to think that theater is queer no matter what. The fabulous vers talents, all that creativity — and then there’s the hair and makeup alone.
We live for it.
But we love when shows speak to us directly — and sometimes indirectly. Thanks to such a broad scene of stage and theater in North Texas, there is no shortage of shows and divas (local and super famous) that come with a bit of Pride whether onstage or behind the scenes.
Here’s a select calendar of shows before the onslaught of holiday productions to keep a gay eye out for:
- Now-Aug. 30: Application Pending by Uptown Players. This one-actor comedy stars BJ Cleveland who plays more than 40 characters in the setting of an elite Manhattan school’s application process. See our story on page 14. UptownPlayers.org.
- Today-Aug. 30. Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions by Uptown Players. Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel’s personal story was inspired by her own family. Directed by Cheryl Denson, the story follows Phyllis and her children, Martha and Carl, from 1962 to the present exploring family dynamics, queerness, memory and complicated family relationships. The production stars Cara Statham Serber as Phyllis, Leslie Marie Collins as Martha, and Ryan Michael Friedman as Carl. See our story on page 14. UptownPlayers.org.
- Sept. 10-27: Spring Awakening by Theatre Three. Winner of eight Tony Awards, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s rock musical serves youthful energy through its straight and gay characters. A group of young students navigate their way to self-discovery by way of rebellion and heartbreak. So yeah, queer audiences can relive high school all over again. Theatre3Dallas.com.
- Sept. 12: Evidence by Ronald K. Brown. Founded by the queer choreographer, his company explores the importance of community in African-American culture through soulful dance and movement. The performance is presented by TITAS/Dance Unbound whose executive director Charles Santos said about the company, “You just can’t help but feel like you’re part of something special when you’re at one of his performances.”
- Sept. 16: Better is Peace: 9/11 Remembered through Songs and Dance. The Turtle Creek Chorale and Bruce Wood Dance come together with the Dallas Chamber Symphony for this commemorative 25th anniversary show that honors and uplifts through music and movement. TurtleCreekChorale.com.
- Sept. 26: Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert with Idina Menzel. Time to get fancy. The Wicked Broadway queen returns to regale Dallas with her mere presence but also with all of her famous show tunes and then some in support of the DSO. DallasSymphony.org.
- Sept. 26: Turtle Creek Chorale’s Rhapsody. Normally, TCC brings in a marquee headliner for its annual fundraising concert, but this year, they take a mysterious turn in a new venue. This Rhapsody has no single stage, no assigned seat and no one way to experience the evening. Amble through “Turtle Manor” to follow voices down the hall or walk into the middle of a performance. Who knows?
- Oct. 15-Nov. 1: I Am My Own Wife by T3. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, this true story centers on Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transgender woman who survived two of the 20th century’s most oppressive regimes. Theatre3Dallas.com.
- Oct. 15-Nov. 1: Sweeney Todd by The Firehouse Theatre. Is Stephen Sondheim the queer icon of theater? His works may not be the most gay of them all, but his talent for catchy tunes and compelling stories is unmatched and his catalog of shows is, well, iconic. Here, an exiled hairstylist — ok, barber — is up to some murderous ways with the help of the questionable baker Mrs. Lovett. They take revenge to a whole other level that results in thriving business for both, but carnage for everyone else. TheFirehouseTheatre.com.
- Oct. 17: We the People by the Women’s Chorus of Dallas. Performing with the ensembles of the Turtle Creek Chorale, this concert honors the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that will reflect on freedom, equality and the enduring promise of the American experiment. TheWomensChorusofDallas.com.
- Dec. 4-20. Company by Allen Contemporary Theatre. See the Sweeney Todd reference above regarding the Sondheim respect. This show hits differently though. There is far less brutality in this tale of Robert’s unmarried state at 35 and the surrounding friends who have something to say about it. This romantic comedy runs the gamut from light to dark with musical numbers that are a chef’s kiss for sure. AllenContemporaryTheatre.net.