Sizzling Onstage

These are the 7 can't-miss shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for July

I can't stress this enough: Nearly all the theaters in Dallas-Fort Worth are air conditioned. If that's not enough of a draw, then remember that the theater here is awesome. How awesome? Here are 7 examples of can't-miss shows coming up this month.

Pippin, July 7-19
Dallas Summer Musicals
The national tour of the recent Broadway revival not only features acrobats, stunt artists, illusionists and other circus-inspired acts, it also has a pretty cool co-star: John Rubinstein, who originated the role of Pippin and is now playing his war-loving father, King Charles.

Festival of Independent Theatres, July 10-Aug. 1
Bath House Cultural Center
After last year's lackluster lineup, FIT Fest is back and ready to rumble. A roster of small indie plays from groups including Gorilla Theater, Upstart Productions, DGDG and WingSpan Theatre Company will play in twofers, giving audiences the chance to experience radically different productions they might not otherwise have seen. Some of the city's most in-demand actors — Michael Federico, Joey Folsom, Janielle Kastner, Bradley Campbell, Jeffrey Colangelo — join fresh-faced new performers, some from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts.

Othello, July 15-Aug. 8
Second Thought Theatre
Did you miss Jenny Ledel in Belleville? First, shame on you. Second, here's another chance to see the actress do her thing, this time alongside her real-life husband Alex Organ in Shakespeare's expert display of manipulation and betrayal. Joel Ferrell is directing, and since his last collab with STT yielded the magnificent Gruesome Playground Injuries in 2013, this bodes well.

Catch Me If You Can, July 24-Aug. 9
Uptown Players
Another based-on-a-true-story story, this musicalization of Frank Abagnale Jr.'s stint as a con man is as energetic and lively as the young man who duped dozens into thinking he was a pilot, a lawyer, a doctor and more. The bubbly, '60s-influenced score is from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the duo behind Hairspray and the Bombshell songs in the television show Smash.

Sweet Charity, July 24-Aug. 16
WaterTower Theatre
"The stripper with a heart of gold" trope is often attributed to this musical, about down-on-her-luck dance hall girl Charity Hope Valentine (played at WTT by comic actress Whitney Hennen) and her unflagging optimism. Adapted from Nights of Cabiria, a film by Federico Fellini, the musical includes hits such as “Hey, Big Spender,” “Rhythm of Life” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now."

Motown the Musical, July 28-Aug. 16
AT&T Performing Arts Center
You know Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, but how much do you know about the man behind the sound, Barry Gordy? This former featherweight boxer founded Motown and forever changed the soundtrack of America, and it's fascinating to see his story played out onstage. Get ready to tap your toes and bob your head...

The Glass Menagerie, July 30-Aug. 23
Theatre Three
How's this for a powerhouse cast: Connie Coit as Amanda, Blake Blair as Tom, Sterling Gafford as Jim and Allison Pistorius as Laura. The first show of Theatre Three's 54th season is poised to be a lovely production of Tennessee Williams' classic memory play.

Pippin flips its way into Dallas beginning July 7.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Pippin flips its way into Dallas beginning July 7.

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Museum News

National Medal of Honor Museum offers preview at downtown Dallas event

AT&T

The AT&T Discovery District hosted a mobile museum pop-up.

A high-profile museum opening in 2025 offered a preview in downtown Dallas: It's The National Medal of Honor Museum, slated to open in Arlington, at Nolan Ryan Expressway and AT&T Way in the Stadium district in spring 2025.

To give folks a preview of coming attractions, the institution dispatched a mobile museum to make a visit to the AT&T Discovery District on November 20, during lunchtime when foot traffic is brisk.

Imagine the sense of wonder and amazement that downtown Dallas denizens must have felt upon the sight of a double decker bus, parked in the District, equipped with video and historical information about the Medal of Honor award, stories of the recipients, and a rendering of how the museum in Arlington will look.

The National Medal of Honor MuseumCourtesy rendering

The goal of The National Medal of Honor Museum is to inspire Americans by honoring and preserving the history of the highest military decoration awarded for valor in combat.

They hope it will serve as a national landmark, illustrating the historical thread of sacrifice and patriotism that runs through all U.S. military service members, past and present.

Beyond its state-of-the-art, interactive experiences, a critical part of the Museum’s mission will be to use the stories of Medal of Honor recipients to inspire their fellow Americans.

It will incorporate the AT&T Virtual Recipient Theater, an augmented reality experience where visitors can interact with with Medal of Honor recipients. The space will be equipped with cutting-edge conversational AI technology complete with voice recognition to allow museum goers to have a conversation in a 3D format with medal of honor recipients living and past.

It will also have AT&T Branded Wi-Fi throughput the museum.

Interior of the mobile Medal of Honor Museum.AT&T