The Final Bow

Dallas' 7 creepiest live, onstage performances for Halloween 2024

Theatre Three presents Carrie the Musical

"Carrie" at Theatre Three will be a night you'll never forget.

Photo by Jeffrey Schmidt

It's spooky season in Dallas, but eerie entertainment doesn't just mean haunted houses (though we've got a list of those for you, too).

Halloween is trending big in 2024, and things are getting scary on stages around town. If you like ghoulish entertainment, this is your year.

Here's your round-up of creepy concerts, petrifying plays, blood-curdling ballet, and more.

Carrie the Musical, Theatre Three
Through November 3
Based on the novel by Stephen King and adapted from the cult classic film of the same name, Carrie the Musical features a powerful score and dramatic storytelling in its exploration of vengeance, empowerment, and the supernatural.

Dallas Theater Center presents "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors." Photo by Jordan Fraker

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Dallas Theater Center
Kalita Humphreys Theater, through November 3
This laugh-out-loud, gender-bending romp is what happens when you take Bram Stoker’s legendary story and put it into a blender with Mel Brooks, Monty Python, and The 39 Steps.

Sinisterhood Live, Texas Theatre
October 17
The popular Dallas-based podcast from best friends and comedians Christie Wallace and Heather McKinney caps off its Full Moon Energy Tour here at home. Go on a journey into lunar lore as the gals explore the darker side of the moon, learning what effects it has on humans, what lurks up there, and what people think really happened during the Apollo missions.

"Sugar Skull: A Dia de Muertos Musical Adventure." Photo courtesy of The Eisemann Center

Sugar Skull: A Dia de Muertos Musical Adventure, Eismann Center
October 20
A bilingual/bicultural journey for young audiences and families that uses traditional regional music and dance from Mexico to tell the story of twelve-year-old Vita Flores, who thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita finds herself on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning of Día de Muertos.

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics, Fever
Frontiers of Flight Museum, October 24
Under the gentle glow of candlelight, Listeso String Quartet performs a program that includes Michael Jackson's "Thriller," "Tubular Bells (Theme from The Exorcist)," John Carpenter's "Halloween (Theme)," "Medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas," and more.

Dracula: Ballet with a Bite!, Ballet Ensemble of Texas
October 26, Coppell Arts Center
It's the traditional vampire story with a twist. Patrons can also experience “The Vein Drain” (a blood drive in collaboration with the Carter Blood Center), “Drinks with Dracula” prior to the performance, and a “Fiendish Frock Fashion Fantasy,” a costume parade for the audience at the performance.

National tour of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is coming to Bass Hall. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Beetlejuice, Broadway at the Bass
October 29-November 3, Bass Performance Hall
A bonus Fort Worth entry, but the Ghost with the Most would want you to make the drive to see him. Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.

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.

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