Theater Critic Picks

These are the 13 can't-miss shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for November

Your calendar may say November, but 'tis already the holiday season. Don't believe it? Take a gander at all the Christmas-themed shows below that populate this month's list of must-see theater.

Here are the 13 shows to see, in order by start date:

Of Thee I Sing
Lyric Stage, November 3-6
It couldn't be better timing for Lyric Stage to mount this political satire, which was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Though it was penned in 1931, George and Ira Gershwin's send-up of a presidential campaign still points out the absurdity and ridiculousness of politics. And if you can believe it, this also will be Lyric's first-ever Gershwin show — a shocker for a company known for its full orchestra and music-forward philosophy.

Chicago
ICT Mainstage, November 4-19
Running right next door in the Irving Arts Center is another early-20th century musical that's oddly appropriate for today's celebrity-obsessed climate: Chicago. It's the 20th anniversary of the Broadway revival (which is still going strong), so ICT is doing it up big with B.J. Cleveland at the helm and North Texas' most lithe and limber dancer-singers.

Angels in America Millennium Approaches
Uptown Players, November 4-20
Tony Kushner's two-part examination of the 1980s AIDS epidemic is arguably one of the most important pieces of American art — ever. It's also an intimidating production for any theater company to tackle because of its metaphorical and symbolic storytelling. But it's a natural fit for Uptown Players, which has made it its mission for the last 16 years to present theater that explores acceptance, prejudice, diversity, and relationships.

Million Dollar Quartet
Casa Mañana, November 5-13
It might feel like Johnny Cash just jumped over to Fort Worth for a spell after singing in Addison, but in this behind-the-scenes jukebox musical, the Man in Black is an actual character, and he's joined by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for a dramatized re-creation of an actual recording session in 1956.

Julius Caesar
Shakespeare in the Bar, November 7 & 14
Tickets for the two performances of this barely rehearsed, immersive Shakespeare play where everybody drinks when an actor forgets a line sold out in an hour an a half. They must be good or something. You can still try your luck at 5 pm the day of each show (the first is at the Wild Detectives, the second at the Ginger Man) for one of the 50 walk-up tickets.

10 Out of 12
Undermain Theatre, November 9-December 3
The audience usually only gets to see the end result, but in this immersive play by Anne Washburn, you'll be right in the middle of the most intense, exhilarating, frustrating, and frantic part of each show: tech. Director Blake Hackler is putting you literally in the action, so hopefully this doesn't align with any fears about audience participation.

Day Light
Theatre Three, November 17-December 11
Acting artistic director Bruce R. Coleman is also a playwright, and this is the professional world premiere of his new work about familial secrets and confrontations. In 1867. The play also won the grand prize at Stage West's ninth annual Southwest Playwriting Competition.

Murder for Two
Stage West, November 17-December 18
Mark Schenfisch and Teddy Warren are about to be two of the hardest-working performers in DFW — or at least the most tired. They play all the characters in this "killer" musical comedy, about the murder of a celebrated novelist and the small-town policeman who's eager to question all the suspects and solve the case.

Feathers and Teeth
Kitchen Dog Theater, November 18-December 17
The plays KDT chooses are usually anything but straightforward, and this regional premiere by Charise Castro Smith sounds right up the Dogs' alley. In the horror comedy starring Matt Lyle, Morgan Lauré, Parker Gray, and Dakota Ratliff, the monster living in a teenage girl's home isn't what — or whom — you'd expect.

Nuestra Pastorela
Cara Mía Theatre Co., November 19-December 11
Cara Mia is bringing back its zany take on the Mexican shepherd's tale, with slapstick comedy and clowning putting a light spin on the journey to Bethlehem. The holiday tale was penned by artistic director David Lozano and Jeffry Farrell, and it's directed by movement and physicality guru Jeffrey Colangelo.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
Performing Arts Fort Worth, November 22-23
Dallas Summer Musicals, November 25-27
The family-friendly tour returns, making quick stops in DFW both before and after Thanksgiving. Puppets help bring the beloved stop-motion film to life onstage, but it's the human performances (especially Kyle Montgomery as the wannabe dentist Hermie the Elf) that make this musical so darn delightful.

A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center, November 23-December 28
Part of the fun of DTC's yearly tradition is seeing how they shuffle the actors, putting resident company members into roles you may not initially predict. This year, Sally Vahle is donning Scrooge's nightshirt and going on the ghostly journey through Christmases past, present, and future, and it's about time we had a female in this part.

A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show
Theatre Too, November 25-December 11
Those who might have missed B.J. Cleveland play every single role in this vocal and physically demanding one-man rendition of Dickens' classic will get another chance, as he's reprising it downstairs at Theatre Three. And don't say Santa never brought you anything nice.

Uptown Players presents Angels in America Millennium Approaches.

Photo by Mike Morgan

Uptown Players presents Angels in America Millennium Approaches.

theater

Ballet news

Texas Ballet Theater executive director leaving for new gig in Northeast

Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater

Vanessa Logan joined Texas Ballet Theater in 2016.

Vanessa Logan, who has served as Texas Ballet Theater executive director since 2016, is leaving TBT for a new role in the Northeast, the company says. Her final day with TBT will be June 30, 2025.

The move will allow Logan to be closer to her family, the organization says. Her new position has not yet been announced.

"While we will greatly miss Vanessa and her leadership at TBT, we support her decision to do what is best for her and her family and wish her well in her new pursuit," says TBT board of governors chair Anne T. Bass in a May 19 release. "Throughout her tenure at TBT, Vanessa has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism. It has been a delight to have worked closely with Vanessa over the last nine years, and I am most grateful for her unstinting efforts that have advanced TBT in so many respects."

Logan joined North Texas' largest ballet company before the 2016-17 season; she previously had worked at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey and Boston Ballet.

"Being part of TBT has been an immensely enriching and transformative experience. Partnering with Artistic Director Tim O’Keefe, working alongside such talented artists, and collaborating with a dedicated administrative and school staff has been a true privilege," Logan says in the release. "I am also deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our committed Board Chair and the Board of Governors, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental. Contributing to productions that bring beauty and artistry to our audiences and nurturing ballet education for countless children in Dallas-Fort Worth has been incredibly rewarding."

During her tenure with TBT, Logan helped the company navigate through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 followed by a catastrophic winter storm of 2021; she helped smooth the transition of artistic director from Ben Stevenson to Tim O'Keefe in 2023; and she oversaw new school facilities in Richardson and Dallas. TBT has also begun a 65,000-square-foot renovation of its Fort Worth facility to support future growth.

"Vanessa’s support and partnership during the transition was phenomenal. I cannot imagine another leader better equipped to guide TBT seamlessly through such a transformational change," O’Keefe says. "Her steadfastness instilled confidence and built trust with staff, students and subscribers as she ensured that we held true to TBT’s mission of honoring classical ballet while embracing a new chapter of artistic evolution."

TBT’s Board of Governors will immediately start searching for Logan’s successor and will quickly name an interim executive director to oversee operations until a permanent leader is in place, they say.

Texas Ballet Theater, which is a resident company of both Winspear Opera House in Dallas and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, just closed its 2024-25 season with O'Keefe's all-new staging of the beloved ballet Giselle.

ballet dance leaving logan texas ballet theater vanessa vanessa logan