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:
Theatre Three: Goblin Market, today-Dec. 7 in Theatre Too, pictured.
Theatre Arlington: Club Cabaret: Club Cabaret Night, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Ballet Papillon: Glimmer Then Gone ~ Constellations of Our Past, Friday and Saturday at The Grand.
DSO: Pops Through Time: Iconic Scores & Classic Hits, Friday-Sunday.
Onstage in Bedford: Totally Made-up Musical, Friday.
Amphibian Stage: Sets on Set Stand-up Comedy, 8 p.m. Friday.
Theatre Arlington: Club Cabaret: Brett Warner, 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Meow Wolf Grapevine: Phenomenomaly, today-January 4.
Lone Star Wind Orchestra: From Earth to Outer Space, Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.
Onstage now:
Ochre House Theatre: Libro de los Sueños Olividados, through today.
Art Centre Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show, through Saturday..
The Dallas Opera: Dialogues of the Carmelites, through Saturday.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: The Phantom of the Opera, through Saturday.
Auriga Productions: Richard III, through Sunday at the Bath House Cultural Center.
Broadway at the Bass: & Juliet, through Sunday.
Broadway Dallas: The Outsiders, through Sunday.
Teatro Dallas: Job, through Sunday at the Latino Cultural Arts Center.
Rover Dramawerks: The Dingdong, or Take Me, I’m Yours!, through Nov. 22.
Second Chance Players: The Laramie Project, through Nov. 22.
MainStage ILC: The Cat and the Canary, through Nov. 22.
Undermain Theatre: Action, through Nov. 30, pictured.
Echo announces a free community event for December
Echo Theatre will host Reflections by the Lake on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the
Bath House Cultural Center. A free community gathering that celebrates “the power, presence and future of women+ theatermakers” in Dallas–Fort Worth. Open to the public, the night will be centered on an evening of performance, conversation and connection.
The night will include a performance by burlesque dancer Nina Bytes to open the event. A panel will highlight emerging women+ leaders in theater throughout North Texas, followed by a reception with Echo producers.
Reflections will also introduce Echo Theatre’s new play submission pathway that invites playwrights to submit new works, audience recommendations for plays and artists and welcomes directors and producers to propose collaborations.
The event is free but reservations are highly encouraged. Learn more about the event and reserve your space here.
The Dallas Opera’s premiere of Carmelites is a marvel
With one more performance on Saturday, The Dallas Opera (TDO) will close its Dallas premiere of Francis Poulenc’s stunning Dialogues of the Carmelites which opened Nov 7. The historical drama centers on the true story of the Martyrs of Compiègne, a convent of nuns executed during the French Revolution.
“This is not just a French story—it’s universal,” Original Director Olivier Py says. “The nuns teach to the world a lesson of dignity. It’s one of the most heartbreaking stories ever told with the most moving music ever.”
To summarize, the opera happens amid the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution and focuses on a young, frightened aristocrat who enters a convent. Based on a true story, 16 Carmelite nuns must decide if they will live in fear or die together in faith. Poulenc found inspiration for his 1957 drama from a screenplay by French playwright Georges Bernanos, who in turn was inspired by German writer Gertrud von Le Fort’s 1931 novella, The Song at the Scaffold. That’s quite a journey to the opera stage.
So why are we bringing this up now? Well, upon seeing the show last Sunday, Dialogues turned out to be a provocative and compelling experience that shouldn’t be missed. The story wasn’t just a recount, but also a bit reflective of today’s climate. But beyond that, the production was a visual masterpiece of design. Pierre-Andre Weitz’s set was initially sparse until it blossomed into an breathtaking array of outdoor and indoor spaces through its clever use of sliding walls. This was helped by Bertrand Killy’s stark lighting that enhanced the overall somber mood befitting of this story.
The cast was dynamic through emotional arias and unfolding drama. Perhaps the show’s centerpiece visual was the bed scene with Madame do Croissy played by Patricia Racette. The perspective looks down on the bed and it was both a jaw-dropping and chilling image. Without giving away too much, Racette delivered a monumental scene that was dramatic and deeply touching. But the impression it left, both her performance and the set, was truly unforgettable.
And as Blanche, the young nun, Joyce El-Khoury was a revelation through her portrayal of the naive character who ultimately uncovers her own defiance. Leah Hawkins, in her Dallas debut as Madame Lidoine, wielded a magnetic charisma with her rich soprano. Stephanie d’Oustrac’s mighty performance as Mother Marie was a force on its own.
In the program notes, TDO General Director and CEO Ian Derrer said, “I have dreamed of pruducing Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites in Dallas for a long time.”
Derrer speaks more about the show in the video below. My hope is that he can convince anyone who reads this better than I can to make it to Saturday’s performance for this extraordinary epic.
Tickets are available here.
ICYMI
Review: Second Chance Players proves the enduring power of The Laramie Project
& Juliet actor finds his role an ideal combination of craft and advocacy
–Rich Lopez