Dallas Theater Win

Homegrown musical may be on the eve of greatness with New York coup

Locally written sci-fi musical On the Eve, which raked in critical accolades during its developmental stagings in Dallas, has scored a spot in the National Alliance of Musical Theatre's 2015 Festival of New Musicals, to be presented in New York City in October.

Chosen out of more than 200 submissions, On the Eve joins seven other new works, including one penned by pop star Duncan Sheik, whose Tony-winning 2006 musical Spring Awakening is returning to Broadway in the fall.

Written by Dallas actor Michael Federico and composed by Shawn and Seth Magill of local band Home by Hovercraft, On the Eve imagines a dystopian future where words are secret and sacred, and you can time-travel via hot-air balloon. (Marie Antoinette shows up too.) It first got a staged reading in 2011, then a workshop production at Fair Park in 2012. Theatre Three scooped it up for its mainstage season in 2014.

"Lee Trull and Kevin Moriarty from Dallas Theater Center approached us after they saw the show at Theatre Three in 2014, and offered to sponsor On the Eve for NAMT festival submission," says Shawn Magill, co-composer and Home by Hovercraft keyboardist. "We submitted last year and made it to the second round. This year DTC graciously offered to sponsor the show again and we re-submitted with minor revisions. We were extremely excited to find out we are in the finals, and are so grateful for the love and support from the Dallas theater community."

The NATM festival has served as a launching pad for many musicals, including Broadway hits Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Drowsy Chaperone. Commercial and regional producers from around the country will attend the showcase, giving On the Eve national exposure and a possible future life outside of Dallas.

When submitting the show for the festival, Federico outlined what he hoped NAMT's inclusion would do:

"While the show is represented clearly on the page, its aesthetic, at times dizzying pace and unique play between text and music truly come to life onstage... Even in small pieces, a live performance of the show paints a clear picture of the powerful effect it can have (and has had) on audiences of all types and ages — how, by the end, they might sing and dance and cheer and cry along with the performers. NAMT offers another vital step in the growth of On the Eve and enables us to show people even a glimpse of its full potential."

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Theater Critic Picks

Here are the 12 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for November

Undermain Theatre presents Exit the King

Photo by Paul Semrad

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Grocery and department stores might want us to believe it's already the holidays, but at least local theater companies are (mostly) holding off until around Thanksgiving.

November starts with absurdism, moves along to a movie-turned-Broadway musical, and even throws a creepy thriller in the mix before it's time for Grinches, Scrooges, and Charlie Brown's sad Christmas tree.

In order of start date, here are 12 local shows to watch this month:

Exit the King
Undermain Theatre, through November 24
Eugène Ionesco’s absurdist comedy is set in the crumbling throne room of the palace in an unnamed country, where King Berenger the First has only the duration of the play to live. Once, it seemed he ruled over an immense empire and commanded great armies; now his kingdom has shrunk to the confines of his garden wall. Refusing to accept his end, he is attended by his present and former Queens, who must help him face the final inevitable truth of life.

Patti & Theo
Ochre House Theatre, November 2-23
The dark comedy with music that's written and directed by artistic director Matthew Posey returns. Patti and Theo are struggling artists in Brooklyn, New York. They are big boozers, and time will tell if the Drinking Religion outlives them. Song, music, and shadow play highlight this story of two lovers who hold each other passionately at arm’s length.

Mrs. Doubtfire
Broadway at the Bass, November 5-10
Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny comes to Fort Worth in the musical based on the beloved film, which tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids.

The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe
WaterTower Theatre, November 6-17
Jane Wagner’s ever-timely one-woman show examines American society, art, and human connectivity, and explores the feminist movement. As one actor transforms into a series of other archetypal characters, they become the play’s guiding conscience for the audience. Under the guidance of the narrator, a role originated by Lily Tomlin, the audience is treated to a mischievously clever observer of the society around her.

A Tuna Christmas
Casa Mañana, November 9-17
It's 24 hours before Christmas and all comic hell is about to break loose. Tuna’s delightfully eccentric characters attempt to cope with seasonal traumas, like a disaster-prone production of A Christmas Carol and a yard-decorating contest that’s being sabotaged by a mysterious Christmas phantom.

Sleuth
Theatre Three, November 14-December 15
A cunning mystery writer, Andrew Wyke, invites his wife's lover, Milo Tindle, to his secluded English manor, setting off a deadly game of manipulation and deceit. As the tension rises, surprising twists keep the audience guessing the dramatic end. Presented in the Theatre Too space.

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Performing Arts Fort Worth, November 19-24
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.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dallas Children's Theater, November 23-December 22
Discover the meaning of Christmas — or experience the nostalgia of childhood — while sharing laughs with the Peanuts Gang along the way. As a live combo fills hearts with music, merriment, and warmth, the story based on the Charles Schulz classic special is here just in time for the holidays.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings
Lyric Stage, November 29-December 22
The holiday classic by Stewart Ross opens Lyric Stage's 31st season. At first, Francis, Jinx, Smudge, and Sparky aren't sure why they've returned to Earth for another posthumous performance, but a phone call from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they're needed to put a little harmony into a discordant world.

The Play That Goes Wrong
Stage West, November 29-December 22
At opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor, things are quickly going from bad to horrible. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), the whole evening is a disastrous smash.

A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center, November 29-December 28
Three spirits have come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present, and future. Brimming with joyful songs, magical spirits, and holiday cheer, this holiday classic embodies a story of joy, redemption, and the spirit of Christmas.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Theatre Three, November 29-December 29
The vibrant musical spectacle set in 19th-century Russia, and based on a 70-page segment of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, lets romance and intrigue unfold amid glittering ballrooms and tumultuous relationships. Its score features a unique blend of electro-pop and Russian folk-inspired music.

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