Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion, Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman and Avery Wilson as Scarecrow in the national tour of ‘The Wiz’. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
Stage Notes is a weekly aggregate post about theater, classical music and stage news, events, reviews and other relevant information.
Stage Notes Calendar
Opening this week:
Uptown Players: Fire and Air, today-March 17 in the 6th Floor Studio Theater at the Wyly.
Rover Dramawerks: Take the Couch, today-March 23 at the Cox Playhouse.
Stage West: POTUS, today-March 24.
Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday at Moody Performance Hall.
Theatre Arlington: Play Reading Club: Helios 24/7 by Natalie Gaupp, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Fort Worth Symphony Pops: John Williams Celebration, Friday-Sunday at Bass Hall.
The Elevator Project: The Taming of the Shrew by Plague Mask Players, Friday-March 17 at the Wyly.
Theatre Denton: Stupid F$#*ing Bird, Friday-March 17.
MainStage ILC: Dear Brutus, Friday-March 23, pictured.
Garland Civic Theatre: Sondheim’s Follies, Friday-March 24.
The Classics Theatre Project: The Glass Menagerie, Friday-April 13 at the Stone Cottage.
Jackie, March Saturday and Sunday at the Eisemann Center.
Dallas Theater Center: Every Brilliant Thing, Saturday-March 24.
The Dallas Opera: The Billy Goats Gruff, 2 p.m. Sunday.
Onstage now:
McKinney Repertory Theatre: The Diary of Anne Frank, through Saturday.
Stolen Shakespeare Guild: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, through Saturday.
The Core Theatre: The Scenic Route, through-Sunday.
Casa Manana: Once, through Sunday.
Stolen Shakespeare Guild: Much Ado About Nothing, through Sunday.
Theatre Coppell: Crimes of the Heart, through Sunday.
Bishop Arts Theatre Center: The Sum of Us One-act Festival, through March 17.
Undermain Theatre: This time, through March 17.
Upright Theatre: Into the Woods, through March 17.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: I Hate Hamlet, through March 23.
Lonesome Blues, through April 7 at Club Dada, pictured.
MainStage Irving-Las Colinas shakes up its season with the replacement of Grand Hotel
Mainstage ILC announced that its production of Grand Hotel will be replaced with Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond. The play will be directed by Michael Serrecchia. Patrons holding tickets to Grand Hotel do not need to do anything. Those tickets will admit them for On Golden Pond. Patrons with questions should call the Irving Arts Center Box Office at 972-252-2787.
The decision was made by MainStage’s Board of Directors. They came to this after consideration of finances associated with Grand Hotel.
On Golden Pond will run May 3-18 with auditions held on March 27 and 28 at at MainStage 222.
Currently, MainStage ILC will open Dear Brutus on Friday.
Rob McClure as the title character in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ (Photo by Joan Marcus.)
Performing Arts Fort Worth announces 2024-25 Broadway at the Bass season
On Monday, Performing Arts Fort Worth, the nonprofit owner and operator of Bass Performance Hall, announced the 11 Broadway tours coming to Fort Worth as a part of the 2024-2025 Broadway at the Bass Season presented by PNC Bank. To make it an even dozen, the season will include a show produced and performed by Jubilee Theatre.
“We are so excited to finally pull back the curtain on what is undoubtedly our biggest season of Broadway yet,” Performing Arts Fort Worth President & CEO Dione Kennedy said in the press release. “With a record number of twelve shows, this incredible 2024-2025 lineup has fresh revivals, original tales and showstoppers direct from Broadway. We are grateful to all of our sponsors, patrons and community for their continued support, allowing us to bring such a large and diverse selection of shows with so much representation to Fort Worth.”
For season ticket holders, they can expand their package with three Season Add-Ons noted in the listings Broadway at the Bass season ticket packages start at $350. A four-installment payment plan is also available to both renewing and new season ticket holders. Season tickets can be renewed through April 1 online at BassHall.com and by phone at 817-212-4450.
New season tickets will be available for purchase beginning May 1. Those interested in becoming season ticket holders can join the waitlist now. Box office hours are Monday-Friday 9-5 p.m. and Saturday 10-4 p.m.. Renewing or joining the waitlist online is the quickest and easiest way to secure season tickets.
Tickets to individual shows are not available for purchase at this time. On-sale dates for individual tickets will be announced at a later date.
The season includes:
Oct. 1-6: Company by Steven Sondheim. It’s Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, and all her friends keep asking, Why isn’t she married? Why can’t she find the right man and isn’t it time to settle down and start a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st-century could drive a person crazy.
Oct. 29-Nov. 3: Beetlejuice. Based on Tim Burton’s film, this musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.
Nov. 5-10: Mrs. Doubtfire is based on the Robin Williams movie and tells the story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids.
Feb. 11-16: Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations follows The Temptations’ journey from the streets of Detroit to the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
March 25-30: CLUE. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget. Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, this is the ultimate whodunit.
May 13-18: MJ. Michael Jackson’s artistry is highlighted on the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour.
June 10-15: Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage.
July 15-20: The Wiz. This groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz changed the face of Broadway – from its iconic score packed with soul, gospel, rock and ‘70s funk to its stirring tale of Dorothy’s journey to find her place in a contemporary world. A dynamite infusion of ballet, jazz and modern pop brings a whole new groove to easing on down the road.
July 29-Aug. 3: Shucked. And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.
2024-2025 Broadway Season Add-Ons
Aug. 15-18: Sister Act. When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood. Produced in partnership with Jubilee Theatre.
Nov. 19-24: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos. Magnificent sets and costumes inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville and helps remind us of the true meaning of the holiday season.
March 18-23: Les Miserables. Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, this classic musical tells the story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.
–Rich Lopez
