Season Announcement

Ladies step into the Dallas spotlight for Lyric Stage's 2019-20 season

Cinderella 2294 Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana and the ensemble of Cinderella

A scene from the 2013 Broadway production of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Photo by Carol Rosegg

Now under new leadership (again), with former artistic director Shane Peterman moving to Addison's WaterTower Theatre, Lyric Stage is letting ladies take the lead for 2019-20. Celebrating "the power and presence of women," the four-show season is dubbed "The Wonder Women of Season 27" and features two popular grand dames alongside two lesser-known female leads.

It starts with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's sweeping Evita, the musicalized tale of polarizing Argentina first lady Eva Peron. The Tony Award-winning musical, set in Argentina between 1934 and 1952, charts the ambitious Eva Duarte on her journey from poor, illegitimate child to the most powerful woman in South America before her death from cancer at age 33. Well-known numbers from this musical masterpiece include "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Oh What a Circus," "Buenos Aires," and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall." It runs September 20-22, 2019.

We travel to France for the next show, set in a boarding house for circus performers in 1890s Paris, where gutsy little Mirette is determined to learn from the mysterious Bellini how to walk the high-wire. A stirring, intimate chamber musical by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt (creators of The Fantasticks and I Do! I Do!, which Lyric produced during this current season), Mirette is based on the Caldecott Award-winning children's book written by Emily Arnold McCully. It runs November 15-17, 2019.

Lyric Stage first produced Abyssinia in its ninth season, and now it returns to celebrate Black History Month. Based on the novel Marked by Fire by Joyce Carol Thomas, and adapted by Ted Kociolek and James Racheff, the musical is set in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at the turn of the 20th century. Abyssinia "Abby" Jackson was born during a tornado and blessed with the gift of song, but like Job, Abby is fated to undergo a series of trials. Her faith in both man and God is destroyed so she vows to never sing again, but Abyssinia's withdrawal affects the devastated community until Mother Vera takes the girl under her wing to teach her the ways of a healer. It runs February 14-16, 2020.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Cinderella closes out the season, telling a timeless fairy tale of the mistreated servant girl who finally gets her wish and goes to the ball. The show was originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, and was the most widely viewed program in the history of television. Successful made-for-TV recreations in 1965 (starring Lesley Ann Warren) and in 1997 (starring R&B/pop singer Brandy as Cinderella and legendary artist Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother), transported new generations to the miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true. It runs June 12-14, 2020.

All productions will be staged at the Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. Tickets are available here or by calling 214-871-5000.

music theater

A Familiar Face

Dallas Theater Center names Jaime Castañeda as new artistic director

Photo courtesy of Dallas Theater Center

Jaime Castañeda is the Tony-winning theater's new artistic director.

The Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center has found its next artistic director: Jaime Castañeda, who has a long history with both DTC and North Texas, will become the regional theater's sixth artistic director beginning July 2026. The 2026-27 season will be the first chosen by him.

Jonathan Norton, DTC’s resident playwright, is currently serving as interim artistic director and will continue to lead the remainder of the 2025-26 season, which culminates in the world premiere of his play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem in May.

“DTC is committed to artistic excellence and community engagement, and we believe Jaime’s experience, creativity, bold vision, and proven leadership, coupled with his dedication to innovation, will guide DTC into an exciting new chapter in the life of the theater," says board chair Lynn Pride Richardson in a release.

In 2012, Castañeda directed DTC’s production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Kristoffer Diaz. But he began his career more than 20 years ago in Dallas-Fort Worth by founding Firestarter Productions while still attending Texas Christian University. In addition to directing at DTC, other local theater credits include Kitchen Dog Theater, Amphibian Stage, and Circle Theatre. Castañeda is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the Drama League Directing Fellowship, and holds a BFA from Texas Christian University and an MFA in Directing from University of Texas at Austin.

Most recently, Castañeda directed at such leading theaters across the country as American Conservatory Theater, South Coast Repertory, Huntington Theatre Company, and La Jolla Playhouse, where he previously served as associate artistic director from 2014-2018. He was also artistic associate at Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theater Company from 2009-2014.

"Jaime brings a bold, visceral artistic vision, a deep commitment to new voices, and a collaborative leadership style that inspires artists and audiences alike,” says DTC executive director Kevin Moriarty. “With his Texas roots and national experience, I am thrilled to welcome him home as DTC’s new Enloe/Rose artistic director. I have known and admired his work since 2007, when he was already one of the most exciting emerging directors in North Texas, and I later saw him create unforgettable work for DTC on the Wyly stage and at leading theaters nationwide.”

As artistic director, Castañeda will lead the theater’s artistic vision, direct and produce plays and musicals, oversee DTC’s Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, and partner with Moriarty, the staff, and the board of trustees to advance DTC’s mission, vision, and values.

Castañeda joins a distinguished line of artistic leadership at Dallas Theater Center, including founding artistic director Paul Baker, Adrian Hall, Ken Bryant, Richard Hamburger, and Moriarty, who served as artistic director from 2007-2022.

“We are extremely pleased with a successful national search that brings Jaime to Dallas Theater Center,” says DTC board member Chris Luna. “His energy is contagious and he understands Texas and Dallas. We look forward to collaborating with Jaime as he continues his innovative approach to regional theater.”

Castañeda was selected for the role following a national search led by Management Consultants for the Arts. The search committee was co-chaired by Luna and Richardson, and included Moriarty, Norton, Jennifer Altabef, Diane Brierley, Lauren Embrey, Sam Holland (Dean, SMU Meadows School of the Arts), Sharron Hunt, Randy Kender, Julie Kosnik, Deborah McMurray, Sam Megally, Liz Mikel (DTC Brierley Resident Acting Company member), Andy Smith, Lily Weiss (executive director, Dallas Arts District) and Donna Wilhelm.

“Growing up in Texas, Dallas Theater Center was one of the first places where I saw what professional theater and excellence looked like,” Castañeda says. “I’m thrilled to come back and build on the history of artists and leaders who have been a part of this organization. I’m eager to join Kevin, the board, and our staff to create lasting theatrical experiences for our audiences.”

Dallas Theater Center's current production of A Christmas Carol runs through December 27 at the Wyly Theatre.

dallas theater center jaime castañeda kevin moriarty theater