Theater Critic Picks

The 13 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for December

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol (2024)

It wouldn't be December without A Christmas Carol from Dallas Theater Center.

Photo by Jordan Fraker

It's December, and we've thrown the rules out the window. There are plenty of shows still running from November that are either holiday-tinged or something you'd be wise to bring out-of-town guests to. After all, isn't most of December just figuring out how to entertain family?

Below are those five savior shows in alphabetical order, with eight soon-to-open plays and musicals following in their typical listing by start date:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Dallas Children's Theater, through December 22
Discover the meaning of Christmas — or experience the nostalgia of childhood — while sharing laughs with the Peanuts Gang along the way. As a live combo fills hearts with music, merriment, and warmth, the story based on the Charles Schulz classic special is here just in time for the holidays.

A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center, through December 28
Three spirits have come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present, and future. Brimming with joyful songs, magical spirits, and holiday cheer, this holiday classic embodies a story of joy, redemption, and the spirit of Christmas.

Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings
Lyric Stage, through December 22
The holiday classic by Stewart Ross opens Lyric Stage's 31st season. At first, Francis, Jinx, Smudge, and Sparky aren't sure why they've returned to Earth for another posthumous performance, but a phone call from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they're needed to put a little harmony into a discordant world.

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Theatre Three, through December 29
The vibrant musical spectacle set in 19th-century Russia, and based on a 70-page segment of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, lets romance and intrigue unfold amid glittering ballrooms and tumultuous relationships. Its score features a unique blend of electro-pop and Russian folk-inspired music.

The Play That Goes Wrong
Stage West, through December 22
WaterTower Theatre, December 31-January 12
At opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor, things are quickly going from bad to horrible. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), the whole evening is a disastrous smash.

Opening in December:

Shucked
Broadway Dallas, December 3-15
This Tony Award-winning musical comedy features a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn, a score by the Grammy Award-winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and direction by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien. The corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy an appetite for great musical theater.

Christmas with Kenny & Dolly
Casa Mañana, December 3-22
Fort Worth’s own Jolie Holliday returns to The Reid Cabaret for a production that celebrates Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' 1984 quadruple-platinum Christmas album. Get in the holiday spirit with songs like “Once Upon a Christmas,” “I Believe in Santa Claus,” “A Christmas to Remember,” “Silent Night,” and more.

Auntie Explains Xmas
Jubilee Theatre, December 5-15
In this heartwarming journey of holiday cheer from Jubilee Theatre's founding artistic director, Rudy Eastman, the family musical brings the magic of Christmases past and present.

Black Nativity
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, December 5-22
Inspired by Langston Hughes' 1960 Broadway production, Black Nativity returns with hand-clapping, toe-tapping, and finger-snapping theatrical wonderment for the 20th anniversary production at Bishop Arts Theatre Center. The holiday favorite is the heartwarming retelling of the Nativity story that includes Gospel music, dramatic dance, and biblical narrative.

A Queer Carol
Uptown Players, December 6-15
Written by Joe Godfrey, the contemporary retelling of Dickens' classic set in modern-day Manhattan follows Ben Scrooge, a prominent interior decorator, and his assistant Bob Cratchit, who endures the abuses of Scrooge while simultaneously trying to take care of his lover, Tim. With humorous twists on the three Ghosts, including an over-the-top drag queen as the Ghost of Christmas Present, this retelling through a queer lens promises to be a festive and thought-provoking experience.

Christmas Actually
Uptown Players, December 17
This one-of-a-kind cabaret show from Blake McIver (from Full House and The Little Rascals) and Emerson Collins (A Very Sordid Wedding and Southern Baptist Sissies) bring their signature flair, fun banter, and powerhouse vocals to kick-start the season.

Dear Evan Hansen
Broadway at the Center, December 19-21
Meet Evan Hansen, a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. After writing a letter to himself that was never meant to be seen, Evan becomes entangled in a lie that was never meant to be told and a life he never dreamt could be his. As a result, Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for: the chance to finally fit in.

Peter Pan
Broadway Dallas, December 25-January 5
This high-flying musical has been thrilling audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new adaptation by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse, directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price and choreographed by Lorin Latarro.

holidays a christmas carol openings 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.

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