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 (Due to this weekend’s weather forecast, confirm performances directly with company’s websites)
Opening this week:
WaterTower Theatre, The Graduate, opened Tuesday-Feb. 8.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra: Holst’s The Planets, today-Saturday.
The Elevator Project: Lungs by Mac Welch, today-Sunday..
Ballet Papillon: Metamorphosis ~ La Saison Après Deux, Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
FWSO Symphonic: FWSO Stars: Stas Chernyshev and George Sakakeeny Play Strauss, Friday-Jan. 25.
Allen Contemporary Theatre: Men on Boats, Friday-Feb. 8.
Irwin Popular Entertainment Series: Mark Twain Tonight! with Richard Thomas, Tuesday at Bass Hall.
Broadway Dallas: Six, Jan. 27-Feb. 1 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, pictured.
Reid Cabaret Theatre: Aretha: The Queen of Soul, Tuesday-Feb. 22 at Casa Manana.
Onstage now:
MidCities Arts Collective:The Odd Couple, through Sunday at Platinum Music Complex.
Shen Yun, through Sunday at the Eisemann Center.
MainStage ILC: How the Other Half Loves, through Jan. 31.
Rover Dramawerks: The Lady Demands Satisfaction, through Feb. 1, pictured.
Runway Theatre: Sordid Lives, through Feb. 1.
Shakespeare Dallas: MacBeth, through Feb. 1 at Theatre Three.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre: The Final Adventure of Hercules – The Melodrama, through Feb. 14.
The Core Theatre: To Kill a Mockingbird, through Feb. 15.
WEATHER UPDATES
The Core cancels weekend performances due to weather
The Core Theatere is currently in the middle of its run of To Kill a Mockingbird. However, due to this weekend’s inclement weather, the company has canceled its weekend performances.
“Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows canceled this week only due to ice. We will have shows Thursday and Monday at 8pm,” they said in an email blast today.
The show runs through Feb. 15. No details were announced about refunds or rescheduling.
Circle Theatre: Season kickoff cancelled due to weather
As we posted about last week, Circle was set to debut its new mural to launch its new ICONIC season. The company just sent out this email in response to the potential weather this weekend.
“We apologize for the change and hope everyone is able to stay warm this weekend!
Inner Circle Members: Be on the lookout for an invitation to join us informally to sneak a peak at our new look prior to performances kicking off.
We hope to see everyone in person as we start previews for our season opener, A Night with Janis Joplin, next week!”
Uptown Players updates auditions for Urinetown
Uptown Players was to hold auditions this weekend for its production of Urinetwown. Those plans have changed. From Uptown Players’ Facebook:
Due to inclement winter weather expected in the DFW area this weekend, in-person vocal auditions for Urinetown will no longer be held.
Uptown Players is now accepting video submissions for the initial round of auditions. If you previously signed up, check your email for further instructions. Callbacks (if needed) will take place Monday, January 26 or Tuesday, January 27, weather permitting.
Notification will be made by email only by 9 a.m. Monday if they are needed for callbacks.
All video submissions are due by Sunday, January 25 at 2 p.m.
Submit here: https://bit.ly/UPURvideo1.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre cancels weekend shows
From PST’s Facebook: Well, even we can’t argue with Mother Nature!
Due to the icy forecast, Jan 24 & 25 shows are canceled…safety first, snowmen second.
We ARE open tonight, Thursday, Jan 22 & tomorrow night, Friday, January 23. No snow until Saturday!
Ticket holders can: Move to another date [or] Get a credit for a future show
Undermain announces its cast and creative for new show
Undermain Theatre’s next show will be By the Skin of Our Teeth, written by Thornton Wilder. The show runs Feb. 12-March 18. The company recently revealed the team behind it’s upcoming production.
The show is directed by Stefan Novinski Professor of drama and the Interim Chair of the Drama Department at University of Dallas and is making his Undermain directorial debut.
The cast features Jim Jorgensen as George Antrobus, Emily Gray as Maggie Antrobus, Mac Welch as Henry Antrobus, Sienna Castañeda Abbott as Gladys Antrobus, Christina Cranshaw as Sabina as well as Seth Magill, Anastasia Muñoz, Rhonda Boutté and Jett Dihn in a variety of roles.
The design team includes; Donna Marquet, set; Steve Woods, lights; Breianna Bairrington, costumes; Vermont Horner, properties and puppets; Anastasia Muñoz, movement; Paul Semrad, sound.
For tickets, click here.
Hip Pocket Theatre announces the shows for its landmark 50th season
Earlier this week, Hip Pocket Theatre announced its much-anticipated 50th season athat also honors “its long legacy of original, experimental and interdisciplinary works.” The company noted that only Casa Manana has a longer continuous theatrical production history in Fort Worth. The season launches in June.
“The theatre began with three artistic visionaries with a common goal,” co-artistic directors Lake and Lorca Simons said in the press release.
The two are the daughters of Johnny and Diane Simons, who founded the theater along with Douglas Balentine in 1976.
“They wanted to create a homemade, artful theatre that embraced unconventional ways of sharing stories on stage by using movement, dance, music, mime, spoken word, puppetry and more. Hip Pocket offered something new and different, taking the theatre community in Fort Worth to another level of expression. That dedication to the community is something we cherish deeply as we take these big steps into our 50th year.”
Each evening will include live music performed before and after the show for a full evening of entertainment. Here is the full season:
June 12-28: The Three Cuckolds, adapted by Leon Katz with additional writing by Johnny Simons. This bawdy farce was the theater’s inaugural production in 1976. Directed by Christina Cranshaw.
July 10-26: A Twisty Intergalactic Spectacle, written and directed by Basil Twist with music by Joe Rogers. The sci-fi spectacle returns, bringing a joyful collision of live music, ingenious puppetry and cosmic delight.
Aug. 7-30: Raggedy Farm, by Johnny Simons and Douglas Balentine. Told through song, this poetic, back-to-the-roots tale is tender and timeless. Directed by Lake Simons with music direction by John Dyer.
Sept. 11-27: Soul Notes From the Velvet Elk. Take a trip into the unexplored wilderness of wonder through another Hip Pocket original. Directed by Lorca Simons.
Oct. 9-Nov. 1: Mega Python vs Gatoroid (The Musical), adapted by Molemo!. A horrifyingly hilarious tale of battling juggernauts, this musical is certain to make audiences squirm and scream in delight. Directed by Johnny Simons with music by The Original Fruits.
Oct. 29-31: Hip Pocket’s 4th Annual Twilight Soiree Puppet Pageant. A free community outreach event dedicated to creative puppetry, the pageant will be presented before the closing weekend’s performances of Mega Python.
Along with its season of shows, the theater will host Making Hipstory, a 50th anniversary fundraiser held on March 28. The event will be in the outdoor setting of Conundrum Farms in Crowley featuring live music by Brave Combo. Learn more here.
Echo Theatre has already begun it’s “Season of Strangers”
Last week, Echo announced its 28th season of shows which also launched last weekend. The theme for the season is A Season of Strangers. In each show, two stragners meet and change each other’s lives.
Opening the season was Silhouettes (pictured above) by Jordan Ealey and Ari Afsar. Developed in the aftermath of the fall of Roe v. Wade, Silhouettes is a musical that examines a pivotal moment in American history through the intersecting lives of two women navigating the decision to have an abortion. The play ran Jan. 16 and 17.
The remaining season includes:
Feb. 27-March 14: You Must Wear A Hat by C. Meaker. This world premiere centers on Tuesday and Weeks make hats on the Great Barrier Reef waiting for the world to end. Meaker (they/them) is a playwright, essayist and teacher whose work often explores queerness and the end of the world.
April 21: Cake by the Lake. This birthday party fundraiser launches Echoe’s reading series. The event features a reception, a toast to another year of Echo Theatre, followed by a staged reading with a salon discussion afterwards.
April-September: Echo Reads. Six plays in six months to see and discuss. All plays will be performed on Tuesdays at 7:30 at the Bath House Cultural Center. Each one will also be read the next day (Wednesday) at different venues around the city, TBA. Bath House Dates: April 21, May 19, June 23, July 14, Aug 19, Sept. 15.
June 19 – July 4: The Roommate by Jen Silverman. A divorced midwesterner takes a roommate from The Bronx. A relationship evolves and secrets unfold into a darkly comedic exploration of life choices.
Tickets and packages are available on Echo Theatre’s website.
Shakespeare Dallas Announces Shakespeare in the Park 2026
In the middle of its run of Macbeth now playing at Theatre Three, Shakespeare Dallas has announced its 2026 season. The season consists of two summer shows and a fall production. This year marks the 54th season of Shakespeare in the Park.
The season includes:
June 12-July 19: The Merry Wives of Windsor. In this Shakespearean comedy, Falstaff decides to fix his financial woe by seducing the wives of two wealthy merchants. The wives find he sent them identical letters and take revenge by playing tricks on Falstaff when he comes calling. With the help of their husbands and friends, the wives play one last trick in the woods to put Falstaff’s mischief to an end. Directed by Jenni Stewart.
June 19 – July 17: Alice in Wonderland. A curious young girl tumbles down a rabbit hole into a whimsical and nonsensical world. In Wonderland, she encounters peculiar characters like the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. Ultimately, her journey becomes a playful exploration of identity, imagination, and growing up. This will be a grown up Alice not suitable for young children. Directed by Natalie Young.
Sept. 18-Oct. 18: Titus Andronicus. In this tragedy by William Shakespeare, Roman general Titus Andronicus returns from war with four prisoners who vow to take revenge against him. Directed by Danielle Georgiou.
–Rich Lopez