Hottest headlines of 2023

Top 10 Dallas arts stories of 2023 spotlight Jesus musical and Dracula ballet

His Story: The Musical opened on May 18 and closed unexpectedly on June 18.

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Editor's note:As we look back at the most-read arts stories of 2023, we see entries from many of the disciplines that make up North Texas' vibrant cultural landscape: theater, dance, classical music, visual arts, books, and more. Two of the most popular headlines were buzzy openings and a closings: Meow Wolf finally opened its Grapevine portal, and a celebrity-backed, faith-based musical suddenly closed in The Colony. There are also appearances by Dracula, Mary Kay, and 'Yellowstone' creator Taylor Sheridan. These were the hottest Dallas arts headlines of 2023

1. Jesus-themed musical His Story abruptly closes in The Colony after one month. The Jesus-themed theatrical event His Story: The Musical suddenly announced it would be closing that same day, June 18, exactly a month after it opened. The massive undertaking was first announced in late 2022, and producers included Willie and Korie Robertson, the stars of Duck Dynasty. Grandscape at The Colony housed the production with a 1,300-seat, fully air-conditioned theater tent.

2. 15 primers and tips to get your money’s worth at new Meow Wolf in Grapevine. The portal finally opened. After more than a year of build-up, the immersive art sensation Meow Wolf opened its fourth location nationwide and first in Texas at Grapevine Mills mall on Friday, July 14. We gave readers some advice - essential background, tips, and things to know to get the most out of your experience at Meow Wolf “The Real Unreal.”

Meow Wolf Grapevine, Real Unreal Meow Wolf: The Real Unreal opened on July 14 at Grapevine Mills. Photo by Jess Gallo

3. Grapevine cracks open its first and only indie bookstore. Grapevine finally got an independent bookstore, and it's women-owned, to boot. Talking Animals Books, located at 103 W. Worth St. in Grapevine, threw open its doors to the public on February 2.

4. Texas Ballet Theater's new season has bite with Dracula, Beauty and the Beast, and more. Texas Ballet Theater's 2023-2024 season, announced in March, would include four separate productions, including a couple of returning favorites. The season would kick off in September with Dracula, which was a hit when it was last performed by the company in 2015.

Texas Ballet Theater presents Dracula Dracula kicked off Texas Ballet Theater's 2023-24 season in September. Photo by Steven Visneau

5. 15-year-old from South Korea wins 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition in Dallas. Seokyoung Hong, a 15-year-old phenom from South Korea, took home the top prize at the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival in Dallas on Saturday, June 17.

6. 11 Dallas icons star in new book of most influential Texans from last 50 years. To commemorate Texas Monthly's 50th anniversary, the publication collected the stories and photographs of 50 iconic Texans who have shaped the state and the country over the past 50 years for a book called Lone Stars Rising. Eleven Dallas megastars made the roster.

7. Warm up to these 8 must-see art exhibitions in Dallas-Fort Worth for June. As the lazy days of summer approacedh, the frenetic pace of art festivals and exhibits quieted down a bit. But that didn't mean artists' voices were hushed; they were coming through loud and clear. Art lovers ready to welcome (or seek respite from) the warmth of June put these eight exhibits on their must-see list.

Arden Bendler Browning shared her perspective on movement, time, and place in a solo show at Galleri Urbane. Photo courtesy of Arden Bendler Browning

8. Dallas' SMU gets $15 million gift for new program in musical theater. The Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University is expanding, thanks to a very generous gift. Philanthropist and Broadway producer G. Marlyne Sexton donated $15 million to create a specialization in musical theater, SMU announced in November.

9. 3 North Texas superstars receive state's highest honor for achievement in the arts. The stars at night are always bright in Texas, but they were particularly brilliant in Austin on February 22 as some of the state's biggest superstars gathered to receive the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts. Among them: Dallas-born actor Luke Wilson, Dallas fashion designer Lela Rose, and Weatherford's Taylor Sheridan, creator of TV's Yellowstone universe.

Taylor Sheridan received the 2023 TMAA for achievement in film and production. Photo by Taylor Prinsen Photography

10. Plano signs on to debut of Dallas-Fort Worth's first Deaf theater company. Following a 2022 summer pilot program of youth theater camps, North Texas Performing Arts was ready to open its first full-length production by the new NTPA Deaf Theatre, June 30-July 2, 2023. Titled Deaf Theatre Showcase: A Union of Hands and Voices, the inaugural show premiered at NTPA's Starcatchers Theatre in the Willow Bend Center for the Arts.

concerts dance galleries hot-headlines jesusthemedmusicalhisstory meowwolfingrapevine museums theater

Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater unleashes immersive 2025 season in new Dallas space

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home

Photo by Jordan Fraker

undefined

Seven years after announcing it had purchased a building in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater is finally ready to move into its new home.

The third and final production of its 2025 season — the theater company's 34th — will take place all around the new "Doghouse." The other two productions will follow the immersive format at non-traditional performance spaces that was established last season.

With three fully produced events that each run the gambit from captivating and gutsy to heartfelt and hilarious, the monthly New Works Festival Staged Readings Series returns, as does the 23rd annual PUP Fest, nurturing high school talent from all over DFW.

First up is the area premiere of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey, directed by KDT's artistic director Tina Parker and starring KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos.

"Is it now? I thought I had more time." These first words in Will Eno's play are spoken by Guy, a man who knows, like all of us on some level, that he is about to die. The play questions why we are here and the journeys that everyone takes to eventually get to the same place. Performances will take place at Expo Park, 840 Exposition Avenue, and run February 7-23, 2025.

Production No. 2 is full of mystery: The title and performance location will be announced soon and run in March/April 2025.

The Happiness Gymby Ken Weitzman closes out the season in August 2025 (exact dates TBA).

This regional premiere is a joyous, experiential event based on the science of well-being. Participants take part in a curated theatrical experience meant to boost their sense of happiness, joy, and feelings of connection. This one-of-a-kind project will be the soft opening to Kitchen Dog’s new theater and will take place all over the entire facility, giving patrons unparalleled access to KDT’s new home.

From March to July 2025, the 26th annual 2025 New Works Festival will showcase four-to-five staged readings of the newest and most exciting local and regional playwrights working in contemporary theater today. Each reading will feature some of DFW's most accomplished actors and directors and will take place at different venues across DFW.

For its 23rd annual event, PUP Fest will feature six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by DFW high school students, featuring student actors directed by area professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players. Performance location is TBA, but the event will happen June 7, 2025.

For more information, visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055.

kitchen dog theater theater