Theater Critic Picks

These are the 18 can't-miss shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for June

For a quick second, I thought we'd broken a record with this month's lineup. Eighteen shows. And that's not even individually counting the several that comprise the Dallas Solo Festival. But alas, there is one previous roundup that featured more plays and musicals: June 2018. Must be something about early summer that makes DFW want to experience some culture.

Here are the 18 shows to see in order by start date:

The Producers
Casa Mañana, June 1-9
A down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers out of millions of dollars. Winner of a record 12 Tony Awards, the show skewers Broadway traditions and is based on Mel Brooks' classic cult comedy film.

Summer and Smoke
The Classics Theatre Project, June 1-22
One of Tennessee Williams' most subtle and tender works, the Mississippi-set Summer and Smoke follows Alma (Gretchen Hahn), the minister's daughter, and John Buchanan (Evan Michael Woods), the doctor's son, who are magnetically drawn to each other. The spiritual and physical romance that almost blooms between them is among the most engaging, romantic, and heartbreaking love stories in Williams' canon.

Drunk Enough to Say I Love You? and Here We Go
Second Thought Theatre, June 5-29
A double feature of two rarely produced Caryl Churchill plays, both of which are both directed by Alex Organ. The first is an examination of American identity through the characters of "Guy, a man" and his seducer, "Sam, a country." The second is a meditation on that most universal of human experiences: death.

Penny Candy
Dallas Theater Center, June 5-July 14
DTC playwright-in-residence Jonathan Norton based this world premiere on his own childhood growing up in Pleasant Grove, where he helped his father run a candy store out of their rundown, one-bedroom apartment.

Dallas Solo Fest
Audacity Theatre Lab, June 6-16
Eight unique one-person shows highlight the fifth year of this festival, which mix local solo performers with performers from around the country. The lineup includes Based On Actual Events by Jaye Lee Vocque; Brigham Mosley's Critical, Darling!; Cyrano A-Go-Go by Brad McEntire; Justin Lemieux's Girl Dad; Keeping Up With the Jorgensons by Jeremy Julian Greco; Carmel Clavin's The Marvelous Musical Mechanical Maiden; Melanie Moseley's Sexology: The Musical; and Who You Calling a Bitch!?! by Sacha Elie. Head here for a full schedule and lineup.

Aladdin
Dallas Summer Musicals, June 6-23
The national tour of this Disney stage hit stars two DFW natives: Clinton Greenspan as Aladdin and Major Attaway as the Genie (he will be returning to the role on Broadway later this year). You'll also find the Academy Award-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, as well as jaw-dropping dance numbers and even a flying carpet or two.

Reykjavík
Kitchen Dog Theater, June 6-30
Steve Yockey's latest world premiere is the headliner of KDT's New Works Festival. In the city of Reykjavík, we eavesdrop on the intertwined lives of lovers, hospitality workers, partygoers, and even a really handsome bird or two. This frank exploration of honesty in relationships offers a glimpse into a cold, dark, magical, and sometimes violent world where everyone still hopes to find joy beneath the glow of the Northern Lights.

The Armor Plays: Cinched and Strapped
Theatre Three, June 6-30
Two one-acts by another young female playwriting talent, Selina Fillinger, explore gender and rebellion by examining the past and exploring the future. The first is set during a 19th-century high-class dinner party. Fast forward several centuries to the second piece, which introduces hardened warriors in a dystopian future.

The Ballad of Little Jo
WaterTower Theatre, June 6-30
After giving birth to a son out of wedlock, Josephine Monaghan makes the difficult decision to leave him in the care of her sister and head out west in search of a new life. She finds herself stranded in a small Idaho mining town, disguises herself as a man called "Jo," and quickly finds a job mining silver. Things start looking up for Jo as she finds success as a man, but the dream of a better life starts to crack when news from back home in Boston reaches her.

Sweeney Todd
Circle Theatre, June 6-July 13
Stephen Sondheim's heart-pounding thriller is set on the seedy side streets of 19th-century London, telling the diabolical tale of an exiled barber's quest to avenge the wrongs done to him and his family by a lecherous judge.

The Play That Goes Wrong
AT&T Performing Arts Center Broadway Series, June 11-16
Welcome to opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can't play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), this award-winning smash comedy was hit both on Broadway and in London.

Shakespeare in Love and As You Like It
Shakespeare Dallas, June 12-July 21
From one of the Bard's most comedic romances to the fictional romance of the Bard himself, Shakespeare Dallas' summer season is both modern and classic. Shakespeare in Love performs Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, while As You Like It runs Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Both are performed outdoors, so bring a blanket, sand chair, picnic, and beverages, if you're so inclined.

The Man of La Mancha
Lyric Stage, June 14-16
Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century masterpiece Don Quixote, this Tony-winner by Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion, and Mitch Leigh is one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
AT&T Performing Arts Center Broadway Series, June 18-23
Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. This inspiring true story follows King's remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.

Les Miserables
Broadway at the Bass, June 25-30
This new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon comes direct from an acclaimed two-and-a-half-year return to Broadway. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, it tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption.

The Classics Theatre Project presents Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke.

The Classics Theatre Project presents Summer and Smoke

Photo by Evan Michael Woods

The Classics Theatre Project presents Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke.

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Dance Off

Texas ballet company turns Timothée Chalamet dig into genius promotion

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It was a shot fired from Austin that rang out around the art world: In a recent CNN/Variety Town Hall featuring actors Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey, Chalamet offered an assessment of ballet and opera that immediately went viral.

During the onstage conversation at the University of Texas at Austin, Chalamet said, "I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it's like, 'hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.' All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership."

Chalamet immediately seemed to experience a twinge of regret, awkwardly adding, "But um...damn, I just took shots for no reason." He also sang a note and hid his face behind the cards he was holding.

Stars of the art forms, from Andrea Bocelli to Misty Copeland, immediately began to leap (jeté, if you will) to the the defense of opera and ballet.

In a genius marketing move, Austin's hometown ballet company is taking the unique opportunity to turn a hot topic into a promotion for its next production: Ballet Austin is inviting anyone named Timothée, Timothee, or Timothy to claim a free ticket to its upcoming world premiere of Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles, running March 27-29 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

"Timothée… you were in Austin? We were literally down the street," a Ballet Austin post says. "Austin has brisket. Austin has music. Austin also has ballet."

All Timothées and folks with similar names will have to do to claim a ticket is send a message to Ballet Austin on social media and show identification. Everyone else who wants to see the supernatural show where "the line between victim and villain blurs" will have to purchase a ticket ($25-$125) at balletaustin.org.

Ballet Austin Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles Ballet Austin isn't afraid to add some edge to classic stories. Photo courtesy of Ballet Austin

Even if Chalamet's words were dismissive, he's obviously not wrong about the relative distribution of public interest between the classical arts and major films like Marty Supreme, the late 2025 film he stars in and is busy promoting. The film's commercially successful release set a record for A24, an already renowned studio.

Chalamet brought up ballet and opera in service of a larger point about pacing in movies. He said he exists in a middle ground as a consumer between wanting to be drawn in early and being more patient as a film progresses. Ultimately, he juxtaposed Barbie and Oppenheimer with the classical arts, pointing out that if the masses want to go see a film, they will "be loud and proud about it" organically, without needing performers to advocate for the seriousness of the art form.

Coincidentally, there couldn't be a better counterpoint to this argument than Marie Antoinette: Vampire Queen of Versailles.

As the title suggests, the story follows historical figure Marie Antoinette as she chooses to become a vampire, seeking "power, immortality, and vengeance," according to a press release. It takes a somewhat silly premise and gives it dramatic gravitas, with an original score by Austin composer Graham Reynolds, who is known outside of classical circles and sometimes composes for movie soundtracks.

"For Ballet Austin, the moment is an opportunity to remind audiences that ballet isn’t fading away," says a release about the new promotion. "It’s evolving, drawing new audiences and continuing to thrive in creative cities like Austin."

If Chalamet really does fall in the middle of instant and delayed artistic gratification, this sounds like the perfect production to draw him in.

And perhaps Ballet Austin should add people named Matthew to their promotion, since McConaughey threw the younger star a bone after his momentary walk-back, saying, "That's not a shot — I hear what you're saying."

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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