A year in the arts

The upcoming season of theater, dance, music, art and more — at a glance

In addition to the highlights of the arts season (Page 26), there’s lost more to keep you occupied from now until next summer. Here’s the lineups for more than 20 local arts organizations, from theater to ballet, opera to music, comedy to fine arts. Never say “there’s nothing to do tonight” again.

— Arnold Wayne Jones

PLAYS AND MUSICALS

Dallas Summer Musicals and Performing Arts Fort Worth
The two companies again share marketing and booking this season (see the story about the husbands who do that, Page 22), with lots of crossover.
DSM’s season kicks off with a new version of The Sound of Music (Nov. 3–22), followed by the Christmas show Elf (Dec. 8–20), The Bridges of Madison County (Feb. 2–14, 2016), the return of The Little Mermaid (March 11–27), Ragtime (May 24–June 5), Bullets Over Broadway (June 14–26) and 42nd Street (June 28–July 10), plus a bonus presentation of the enduring hit Wicked (April 20–May 22). DallasSummerMusicals.org.
PAFW still has to finish up its season with Kinky Boots (which DSM presented last winter), before it begins 2015–16 with The Book of Mormon (Dec. 1–6), Motown (Jan. 13–17, 2016, which ends at DSM this weekend), a new production of The Wizard of Oz (June 7–12) and Phantom of the Opera (Oct. 20–30). It will co-present Little Mermaid (March 29–April 3), 42nd Street (July 12–17) and The Sound of Music (Aug. 17–21). Add-on productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Sept. 18–20), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Nov. 24–25), Blue Man Group (Feb. 19–21, 2016) and Mamma Mia! (May 20–22). BassHall.com.
AT&T Performing Arts Center
The season at the Winspear begins with Matilda (Sept. 23–Oct. 4), followed by Jersey Boys (Dec. 16-27), If/Then (Jan. 27–31), the non-musical Love Letters (March 22–April 3, 2016), Cabaret (May 25–June 7) and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (June 7–19). The Off Broadway on Flora program at City Performance Hall will include the musical Murder for Two (Oct. 24–26). ATTPAC.org.
Dallas Theater Center
The world premiere of Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical launches at the Wyly (Sept. 2–Oct. 11), while concurrently in the 99-seat Studio Theatre upstairs will be the area premiere of The Mountaintop (Sept. 11–Nov. 15), the world premiere Clarkston (Dec. 3–Jan. 31 in the Studio Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (Jan. 27–Feb. 28 at the Kalita) All the Way (March 3–27 at the Wyly), the world premiere Deferred Action (April 20–May 15) and Dreamgirls (June 10–July 24). The holiday production of A Christmas Carol (Nov. 25–Dec. 26) is a non-season-subscription add-on. DallasTheaterCenter.org.
Uptown Players
The gay-themed company starts off with a concert version (in conjunction with the Turtle Creek Chorale) of Elton John’s Aida (Jan. 15–17) at the City Performance Hall, before settling into its full season at the Kalita: The End of the Rainbow, a “drama with music” about Judy Garland (and starring local favorite Janelle Lutz), a twofer of Terrence McNally plays, Mothers and Sons (June 3–19) and It’s Only a Play (July 16–31) — both regional premieres, the latter starring B.J. Cleveland; and finally the camp musical The Toxic Avenger (Aug. 26–Sept. 11). The add-on fundraiser Broadway Our Way takes place May 6–8, and expect the return of the Pride play festival. UptownPlayers.org.

WaterTower Theatre
Local playwright and composer Donald Fowler’s Creep (Oct. 2–25), receives its mainstage world premiere at the Addison Theatre Centre, followed by the mainstage production of Sexy Laundry (Nov. 20–Dec. 13), Lord of the Flies (Jan. 22–Feb. 14, 2016), The Big Meal (April 15–May 8), Outside Mullingar (June 3-26) and the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors (Aug. 5–28). The 15th annual Out of the Loop Fringe Festival (Feb. 25–March 6) returns as well. WaterTowerTheatre.org.
Lyric Stage
Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods (Sept. 4–13) begins the season at the Irving Performing Arts Center, followed Grand Hotel (Oct. 30–Nov. 8) The New Moon (Jan. 21–24, 2016). Irresistible (Feb. 12–20) and Cole Porter’s original 1934 Anything Goes (June 17–26). LyricStage.org.

Theatre 3
The theater already began its first season in 54 without Jac Alder at the helm (See story on Page 20), but will continue with Fix Me, Jesus (Sept. 17–Oct. 11), Picnic (Oct. 29–Nov. 22), The Fantasticks (Dec. 3–27), Oil! (Jan. 21–Feb 14, 2016), Light Up the Sky (March 10–April 3) and Memphis (April 28–May 22). Theatre3Dallas.com.

Kitchen Dog Theater
The edgy company moved out of its home on McKinney Avenue for the first time in 20 years to take up this truncated season in the Design District’s Green Zone, starting with The Dumb Waiter (Sept. 11–Oct. 10), The Totalitarians by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (Nov. 20–Dec. 19), I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard (Feb. 12–March 12, 2016), and a twofer during the New Works Festival, the repertory shows Blackberry Winter and The Thrush and the Woodpecker (May 20–June 25). KitchenDogTheater.org.

Undermain Theater
The season starts with The Droll (Or, a Stage Play about the END of Theatre) (Sept. 23–Oct. 17), then The Night Alive (Nov. 18–Dec. 12), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Feb. 10–March 6, 2016) and finally Jonah by Len Jenkin (April 13–May 7). Undermain.org.

MBS Productions
North Texas’ only company dedicated to forgotten classics and new works returns with its annual Theatre of Death (Oct. 15–Nov. 8), and its holiday staple A Bur-Less-Que Nutcracker (Nov. 27-Dec. 27), then the original adaptation Slave Letters (Jan. 28-Feb. 14), Dante: Paradiso (March 17-April 9), the return of Kiss the Boys (May 19-June 11) and Querolus (July 14–Aug. 7).
MBSProductions.net.

WingSpan Theatre Co.
Its mainstage production for its 18th season at the Bath House Cultural Center is a two-hander about G.B. Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, called Dear Liar! (Oct. 9–24). WingspanTheatre.com.

Jubilee Theatre
Fort Worth’s musical-tinged theater starts with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Oct. 2–Nov. 1), Do You Hear What I Hear? A Jubilee Christmas (Nov. 27–Dec. 27), Seven Guitars (Jan. 29–Feb. 28, 2016), God’s Trombone (March 25–April 24), Livin’ Fat (May 27–June 26) and Smokey Joe’s Café (July 29–Aug. 28). JubileeTheatre.org.

Contemporary Theater of Dallas
The remainder of this season includes Catholic School Girls (Sept. 4–27) and Godspell (Nov. 13–Dec. 6). ContemporaryTheatreOfDallas.com.

Circle Theatre
This season continues with Lovers and Executioners (Aug. 20–Sept. 19) and Other Desert Cities (Oct. 22–Nov. 21). CircleTheatre.org.

Stage West
The Fort Worth company just announced its new mainstage season (its 37th), starting with Bad Jews (Oct. 1–Nov. 1). The Heir Apparent (Nov. 12–Dec. 13), Sexy Laundry (co-production with WTT, Dec. 31–Jan. 31), The Nether (March 10–April 10), a new adaptation of Wait Until Dark (May 26–June 26) and Bootycandy (Aug. 11–Sept. 11). StageWest.org.

OPERA AND MUSIC
Dallas Opera
The world premiere Great Scott, from Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally which will launch the 2015-16 season at the Winspear on Oct. 30, followed by Puccini’s Tosca (Nov. 6-22); a second world premiere, Mark Adamo’s Becoming Santa Claus (Dec. 4-12), Manon by Jules Massenet (March 4-12) and finally the musical Show Boat (April 15-May 1). DallasOpera.org.

Fort Worth Opera
North Texas’ oldest opera company continues with its festival format, with three productions performed in repertory from April 24–May 8: The world premiere of JFK; the Rossini classic The Barber of Seville and two one-acts, Buried Alice and Embedded. FWOpera.org.

Turtle Creek Chorale
The four mainstage shows, all at the City Performance Hall, will be Heartland: An American Songbook (Oct. 9–10), the traditional concert of holiday music, Home (Dec. 17–20), the spring concert Heroes (March 31–April  2) and Heartstrings (June 9–11). TurtleCreekChorale.com.
BALLET AND DANCE

Texas Ballet Theater
The Fort Worth-based company mounts its ballets in Dallas and Richardson as well this season, starting with Dracula (Sept. 4–6 at the Winspear, Oct. 16–18 at Bass Hall), followed by the inescapable holiday staple The Nutcracker (Dec. 11-27 at Bass) and the whimsical The Nutty Cracker (Dec 18). That’s followed by the program called Classic Combination (Feb. 26–28), then Cinderella (March 11-13 at the Eisemann Center, March 25–27 at Bass) and finally First Looks (May 6–8 at CPH, May 27-29 at Bass). TexasBalletTheater.org.
TITAS
Twyla Tharp Dance’s 50th anniversary tour kicks off the season (Sept. 18–19) at the Winspear, followed by the Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion (Oct. 29–30, at CPH), Akram Khan Dance Company (Nov. 6–7, at CPH), BodyTraffic (Jan. 22, 2016, at the Winspear), Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (Feb. 5), BalletBoyz (Feb. 13), Mr. & Mme. Reve (March 18–19, at CPH), La Compagnie Herve Koubi Dance (March 25–26), Kidd Pivot Dance Company (April 21–22) Complexions Contemporary Ballet at the Winspear (May 21). The season also includes TITAS’ annual Command Performance Gala (May 7). ATTPAC.org.
Bruce Wood Dance Project
The celebration continues with the New Works at CPH (Nov. 13–14). BruceWoodDance.org.
Eisemann Center
The Richardson performing arts center has an eclectic lineup, including the endlessly inventive and sensual Pilobolus Dance Theater (Feb. 27, 2016). EisemannCenter.com.
SOLO PERFORMANCE AND SPOKEN WORD/COMEDY
The Off Broadway on Flora Series, through ATTPAC, presents A Divine Evening with Charles Busch (Oct. 29–31), and the musical memoir The Lion (Feb 11–13, 2016) and the camptastic Intergalactic Nemesis (May 12–14). ATTPAC.org. At the Eisemann Center, Jaston Williams (Greater Tuna) appears in his one-man show Maid Marian in a Stolen Car (Oct. 22–25). And there will be Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat and Betty (Nov. 19–22), about three of our first ladies, performed by Emmy winner Elaine Bromka. EisemannCenter.com. And Performing Arts Fort Worth takes over the McDavid Studio for the world premiere of Dixie’s Never Wear a Tubetop While Riding a Mechanical Bull (and 16 Other Things I Learned While I Was Drinking Last Thursday) (Nov. 11–22). BassHall.com.
The group Oral Fixation returns for a fifth season, this time taking over the City Performance Hall for its presentation of true stories delivered live by their authors, and covering a variety of topics. The lineup this season is: “Push the Envelope” (Sept. 16), “In the Doghouse” (Oct. 21), “Too Many Cooks” (Nov. 25), “Partners in Crime” (Feb. 2), “Pulling Teeth” (April 13) and “Icing on the Cake” (May 10). Also expect a “best of the season” show at the end of the run. OralFixationShow.com.

FINE ARTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Dallas Museum of Art
The DMA’s exhibitions continue with N.S. Harsha: Sprouts, reach in to reach out (Aug. 21–Feb. 21, 2016), a local debut from the Indian artist; Spirit and Matter: Masterpieces from the Keir Collection of Islamic Art (Sept. 18–Fall 2016); International Pop (Oct. 11–Jan. 17), focusing on the defining style of the 1960s and ’70s; Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots (Nov. 20–March 20); the DMA exclusive Rebecca Warren (Feb. 19–July 15); and Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty (April 15–Aug. 14). DMA.org.
It’s been two years since the last Aurora, the social gathering and light show, took over the Arts District. And it was such a hit, they’re bringing it back on Oct. 16,from dusk to 2 a.m. Best of all, it’s free.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 14, 2015.