Don't Throw Away Your Shot

Dallas Summer Musicals blows us all away with Hamilton and other Broadway hits

Dallas Summer Musicals has announced its 2017-18 season, along with two shows from the 2018-19 season, and it's a major turnaround from years past.

Broadway hits such as Waitress, School of Rock, The Color Purple, Les Miserables, and Disney's The Lion King populate the list, but the real coup is that the blockbuster musical Hamilton is slated to play the Music Hall at Fair Park the season after, along with Disney's Aladdin.

This lineup couldn't be more different from the current one, which was the final to be programmed by longtime DSM president Michael Jenkins before he was suddenly terminated last spring. Interim managing director David Hyslop was named, and soon inked a deal with booking partner Broadway Across America. That could explain why the Music Hall will soon be hosting a bevy of Tony winners and nominees, along with the hottest show in the world.

There is also, curiously, no mention of DSM partnering with Performing Arts Fort Worth, as it has in previous seasons. Broadway at the Bass has yet to announce its 2017-18 season. (UPDATE: The season was just announced, and DSM will co-present three shows with PAFW.)

The new era of Dallas Summer Musicals officially kicks off December 5-10, 2017, with a seasonal add-on: the return of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. The holiday show played the Music Hall in 2013, but Hyslop and crew probably figured it couldn't hurt to bring it (and its snow machines) back for another round.

The regular season lineup begins January 23-February 4, 2018, with the 2016 Tony Award winner for best revival, The Color Purple. Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning book provides the basis for this stirring musical, which mixes jazz, gospel, ragtime, and blues.

Next up is On Your Feet!, a "Behind the Music"-esque show about how Emilio and Gloria Estefan triumphed over adversity and tragedy to reach the top of the pop world. Yes, you're probably going to sing along. It runs February 27-March 11, 2018.

Speaking of pop stars, Grammy winner Sara Bareilles made her Broadway debut by penning the score for Waitress, based on Adrienne Shelley's cult film. An all-female creative team brought the show to Broadway, and it's a showcase for the lucky actress portraying the aspiring baker looking a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. Performance dates are March 28-April 8.

The new production of Les Miserables that recently closed on Broadway is now heading out on tour, with new staging and re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. But all your favorite songs are still there, from "I Dreamed a Dream" to "One Day More" to "On My Own." See it April 24-May 6, 2018.

Another musical stalwart, Disney's The Lion King, is also on tap. Its larger-than-life puppets and lush score by Elton John and Tim Rice have filled the Music Hall before, but not since 2013. See Julie Taymor's stunning and imaginative staging June 13-July 8, 2018.

Did you know The Phantom of the Opera has a sequel? Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber's follow-up to his smash musical hit, premiered in London in 2010 but then mostly faded into obscurity (except for a 2012 DVD recording of the West End production). But now it's going on tour! So check in with the Phantom and Christine, who are now in Coney Island 10 years after the big showdown at the Paris Opera House. Performances are July 24-August 5, 2018.

Another Lloyd Webber show is up next: School of Rock, based on the Jack Black film about a substitute teacher who molds his private-school pupils into an awesome rock band. Yes, those kids are playing those instruments live, and no, you will never be that talented. The show closes out the season August 15-26.

Both Hamilton and Disney's Aladdin are awaiting official performance dates, but those eager to score tickets should sign up to become DSM subscribers now. According to the press release, "Only season-ticket holders who renew for the 2018-19 season will be able to guarantee their tickets for the engagements of both shows before tickets become available to the general public."

Dallas Summer Musicals’ seven-show season tickets start at $150 and are on sale now at www.DallasSummerMusicals.org or by phone at 1-866-276-4884. Season tickets can also be purchased in person at the box office at 5959 Royal Ln., Suite 542, and at the Music Hall at Fair Park box office.

Currently, An American in Paris is playing the Music Hall January 31 through February 12.

Waitress is cooking March 28-April 8, 2018.

Charity Angel, Dawson Desi Oakley, and Lenne Klingaman in the National Tour of Waitress

Photo by Joan Marcus

Waitress is cooking March 28-April 8, 2018.

theater

Music and Fashion

Miranda Lambert's 'Velvet Rodeo' wardrobe stars in new DFW exhibition

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” at National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame

Photo by Tyler Conrad

“Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo” will open on November 7 at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame.

Country star Miranda Lambert is bringing a bit of Las Vegas glamour and bling to North Texas. Her one-of-a-kind wardrobe from her "Velvet Rodeo" residency will go on display at the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame in Fort Worth when its new Icons Gallery opens November 7.

According to a release, the exhibition, called "Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo," was created in collaboration with Lambert, and will feature costumes from the singer's Las Vegas residency, which ran from September 2022 to April 2024.

Lambert said her inspiration came from an earlier visit to the Fort Worth museum, where she spotted historic Western pieces that she photographed and sent to her stylist, Tiffany Gifford. They combined those influences with the glitz of Elvis Presley's heyday to create the "Velvet Rodeo" wardrobe.

“Seeing these pieces now have a life beyond the stage as part of the Museum’s new Icons Gallery feels really full circle and special,” Lambert said in a statement.

Visitors will now have the opportunity to study garments usually seen in motion and under stage lights, appreciating the details that help transform clothing into an essential part of a performance.

The Icons Gallery is part of the Museum’s 16,000-square-foot expansion, which introduces new galleries and experiences that explore the accomplishments and influence of women of the West. The $19 million expansion features a new entrance facing Dickies Arena, new galleries including a photography gallery, an event space accommodating up to 250, and the new Cowgirl Carousel.

Miranda Lambert, right, with rodeo queens onstage at the 45th Cowgirl Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon at Dickies Arena. Photo by Ashley Gongora

Lambert, who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2021, is an active mounted shooting competitor and horsewoman, giving her a connection to the West that reaches beyond her music. "Velvet Rodeo" brings together Lambert's identity as a cowgirl and her creative expression as a performer.

“Miranda’s confidence, determination and independence make her a wonderful representative of the women we honor,” says Pat Riley, executive director of the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, in the release. “Opening our Icons Gallery with this collaboration celebrates her accomplishments while giving visitors a new way to connect with a cowgirl they know and admire.”

According to a museum spokesperson, the temporary exhibition will remain on display for at least one year; no specific end date was given.

In preparation for the expansion grand opening, the Cowgirl will be closed to the public beginning October 19 and will reopen November 7, with a members-only preview at 10 am and a public opening at noon.

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