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:
Bishop Arts Theatre Center: 2026 Banned Books Festival, today-March 8.
Theatre Three: Penelope, today-March 22, pictured.
Ballet North Texas: Winter Mix, Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
Theatre Denton: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Friday-March 1 at Point Bank Auditorium.
Upright Theatre Co.: Seussical, Friday-March 22.
FWSO Special: Gala Concert starring Gil Shaham, 7 p.m. Saturday.
Bruce Wood Dance Dallas: WOOD/SHOP, Saturday-March 1.
Dallas Theater Center: Where We Stand, Wednesday-March 22 at Bryant Hall.
Onstage now:
Art Centre Theatre: The Vagina Monologues, through Saturday.
Community of Rowlett Players (CORP): The Musical of Musicals, through Sunday.
Lewisville Playhouse: Ordinary People, through Sunday.
Lyric Stage: Little Women, through Sunday.
Onstage in Bedford: Greater Tuna, through Sunday.
Soul Rep Theatre: Gem of the Ocean, through Sunday, pictured.
Stolen Shakespeare Guild: Sense and Sensibility, through Sunday.
Theatre Coppell: The Fantasticks, through Feb. 22.Cara Mia: Medea/Liturgia, through Sunday at Latino Cultural Center.
Lakeside Community Theatre: August: Osage Country, through Feb. 28.
Amphibian Stage: Bull in a China Shop, through March 1.
Art Centre Theatre: Suite Surrender, through March 1.
Broadway Dallas: The Great Gatsby, through March 1 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.
Kitchen Dog Theater: POMPEII!!, Feb. 13-March 1.
Theatre Arlington: Damn Yankees, through March 1.
Theatre Frisco: Working: A Musical, through March 1.
Undermain Theatre: The Skin of Our Teeth, through March 8.
Ballet icon Misty Copeland to headline Destiny Award Luncheon
Ballet icon Misty Copeland – the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre – will headline the fundraising Destiny Award Luncheon benefiting St. Philip’s School & Community Center on Friday, Feb. 27 at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
The morning begins with a student showcase from celebrating the talents and achievements of St. Philip’s scholars, followed by the luncheon program in the Omni Hotel Ballroom. The luncheon will feature a conversation with Misty Copeland, the Parrish Family Destiny Award Speaker, moderated by Lael and Peter Brodsky with a some questions posed by St. Philip’s student scholars. The discussion will explore Copeland’s journey of artistic excellence, leadership and advocacy, reflecting resilience, creativity and purpose.
“Misty Copeland’s story embodies the power of discipline, courage and believing in one’s destiny. Ms. Copeland will inspire our students, supporters and community as we celebrate our 80th year of transformative impact,” Alicia Holmes, St. Philip’s Fine Arts Director said in a press release this week.
The 2026 Destiny Award Luncheon is a milestone celebration of eight decades of St. Philip’s commitment to education, empowerment and service in South Dallas.
Funds raised through the Destiny Award Luncheon support the operations of St. Philip’s School & Community Center, including tuition assistance, retention of exceptional educators and expanded academic programming. Contributions also strengthen community and athletic initiatives, serving more than 10,000 neighbors annually through hunger relief, senior transportation, neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing and youth enrichment programs.
For more information, click here.
Kitchen Dog Theater teams up with three Design Disrict galleries
Oops. Almost missed this. Last week, Lillian Bloch Gallery announced the new artistic partnership between the galleries James Harris, Pencil and Paper and Lillian Bloch and Kitchen Dog Theater. The three galleries will curate exhibitions featuring work in conversation with Kitchen Dog Theater’s plays in its 35th season. The first exhibition entitled Dreams and Nightmares features works which distinctiveness inspire curiosity and launches dialogue with Kitchen Dog’s musical and season opener PompeiII!!.
This news builds on KDT’s momentum of not only launching its new season, but also opening the doors to its new building in the Design District.
“We’re deeply grateful to Kitchen Dog Theater co-artistic directors Tina Parker and Christopher Carlos, and managing director Tim Johnson, for welcoming us into their creative vision and opening their lobby as a place of inter-disciplinary conversations,” the Lillian Bloch Gallery stated in its announcement. “This kind of cross-pollination between theater and visual art is rare and exciting, and we couldn’t ask for better partners as Kitchen Dog celebrates 35 years of bold storytelling.”
The exhibition features works by Melanie Clemmons and Zak Loyd, Katie McKay Jones, Leigh Merrill and Fay Jones.
Review: The Great Gatsby is beautiful but encumbered by low energy
While visually stunning and brimming with high-caliber talent, The Great Gatsby musical struggled to translate the novel’s narrative into a compelling stage experience on Wednesday night at the Music Hall at Fair Park. The production offered opulent and beautiful staging that perfectly captured the roaring excess of the 1920s. Its technical achivement were spectucluar and the cast was outstanding in their vocal talents.
And that’s about it.
All great qualities, but somehow, the math did not add up to much.
The show did have some high-energy musical numbers but overall, the novel’s complex themes of class were rendered inert by a proliferation of slow, reflective ballads, particularly in the second half. No complaints on the voices that performed these songs, but the numbers drained any momentum the show had to offer. With lush Jazz Age vibes, any electric energy was disappointingly absent. Gatsby often felt languid and mistook melancholy for depth. The high production values did not overcompensate for the mid-level songs.
The scenic design successfully worked both with its onstage set pieces and the digital projections. Complementing this were the stunning costumes with glitzy gowns and impeccably tailored suits. A technical difficulty interrupted the show’s first half and it may have been one of the full-sized cars but seeing two vehicles roll out onstage were impressive moments.
The cast performed with healthy vocal power and impressive dramatic commitment. As the titular character, Jake David Smith was every bit the dapper leading man and Senzel Ahmady’s Daisy struck the right chords of glamour and emotion. Joshua Grosso was ideal for Nick expressing and charming sensibility and shined in the show’s one memorable musical number “The Met.”
The show runs through March 1.
–Rich Lopez