Give It a Second Thought

Emmy nominee returns to her Dallas theater roots for first-ever fundraiser

Allison Tolman was nominated for a 2014 Emmy for her work on FX's Fargo.

Photo courtesy of Second Thought Theatre

Allison Tolman returns to Dallas this fall to headline a first-ever fundraiser for the theater she helped found, Second Thought Theatre. Dubbed Second Thought State of Mind, the event takes place October 25 at Bridge Bistro, where the Emmy nominee and, now, Mindy Project guest star will join theater supporters for an evening of food, drinks and conversation.

Tolman was born in Sugarland, Texas, and earned a BFA in theatrical performance from Baylor. After graduating she moved to Dallas, where she helped launch Second Thought Theatre in 2004. In 2009, she was accepted into Second City's Conservatory Training Program and later went on to write and perform sketch and satire with several groups throughout Chicago.

Tolman, who is now headed for Hollywood, received the Emmy nod for her role as Molly Solverson on the FX hit Fargo. She will not return for the second season — a decision Fargo creator Noah Hawley called a "crime and a tragedy" — because it's set in 1979, and Tolman's character would be only 4 years old.

"Since leaving Dallas, my career has taken me from Chicago to Calgary to Los Angeles, but I couldn't be more proud to be coming back to my artistic hometown for this event," Tolman said in a release. "At its root, this business is about people, and I've been privileged to work with some of the best people I've ever known through Second Thought.

"In shoddy rental garages and tiny black box theaters, in makeshift dressing rooms and corner booths at loud bars, and on the sets we lovingly built ourselves while cursing quietly — in all these places we shaped this company while this company was busy shaping us. In the last year and a half I've been blessed with incredible good fortune which has turned my career toward television and film. But everything I know about being patient and hardworking, about teamwork and humility and loyalty and miracles — every single one of those things I learned in the theater.

"Second Thought was my most beloved theater. It will always be my home."

Tickets to Second Thought State of Mind: Allison Tolman are on sale now at 2TT.co. Each $50 ticket includes entry to the event, two drink tickets and a light dinner courtesy of Bridge Bistro. The evening begins with canapés at 6 pm, followed by a moderated Q&A with Tolman.

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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.

celebrities country music exhibitions-visual-arts fashion miranda lambert museums music national cowgirl museum temporary exhibition