Theater Critic Picks

These are the 8 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for July

Uptown Players has the recent Broadway play Chicken & Biscuits.

Photo by Emilio Madrid

It finally happened: The heat got to us all. Excuse all of DFW while everyone more or less hibernates for the rest of the summer.

But for those who are brave enough to battle the humidity and heat index, there are some real gems happening onstage this month, from world premieres to hometown celeb concerts to major tours.

In order of start date, here are eight local shows to watch this month:

My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy
Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts, July 6-30
Paying his dues to stardom, Brad Zimmerman spent 29 years "temporarily" waiting tables in New York, all the while chasing a career in acting and comedy. In My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy, he delves into the trials and tribulations of being a server, particularly for someone not exactly invested in the career and with little tolerance for persnickety diners. He also tells stories about the pursuit of his passion, along with tales about childhood, family, and his misbegotten love life.

Major Attaway: The Genie's Jukebox
Theatre Arlington, July 7-8
Whether you know him from Disney's Aladdin on Broadway, Orange is the New Black on Netflix, One Piece, Borderlands 3, or his numerous credits as a director and actor at Theatre Arlington, Major Attaway is a star. For two nights only, he'll present his cabaret The Genie's Jukebox, an homage to his record-breaking run as the Genie in Aladdin.

Spring Awakening
The Watering Hole Collective, July 12-22
This new production company — which is entirely funded by donations and grants — is doing the Duncan Sheik musical Spring Awakening at Arts Mission Oak Cliff. Based on the groundbreaking and controversial 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind, the musical tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of adolescent sexuality set to a contemporary pop-rock score. Partial ticket sales will benefit local nonprofits working in sex education, teen mental health, and with LGBTQIA+ youth.

Goin' Hollywood
WaterTower Theatre, July 19-30
This world premiere is a brand-new musical filled with Hollywood glamour, romance, and intrigue. Have you ever wished you were born in a different time? Alice Chandler did. Alice does not feel like she belongs in the 21st century, but she never dreamed that while at lunch with her best friend and writing partner, Garson Stein, a magical birthday wish would find them both instantly transported back in time to 1949 Hollywood. Alice and Garson land smack in the golden age of movie musicals, where they land their dream job writing for L. B. Mayer at MGM and are surrounded by glittering stars of Hollywood, but they soon see that under all the glamour lies a studio system crumbling, the blacklist threatening their closest allies, and their eyes are opened to Hollywood’s darker side.

Miss Molly
Amphibian Stage, July 21-August 13
This new comedy from Christine Carmela is an homage to Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, offering the same humor and charm of Wilde’s work while incorporating modern references and exploring queer themes (an act punishable by law during Wilde’s lifetime). It's directed by Evan Michael Woods, Carmela's roommate at TCU when she first drafted the play.

The Book of Mormon
Broadway at the Bass, July 28-30
This nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical is an outrageous comedy that follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.

Chicken & Biscuits
Uptown Players, July 28-August 13
Written by Douglas Lyons, Chicken & Biscuits follows rivaling sisters Baneatta and Beverly as they try to bury their father without killing each other. Baneatta’s husband tries to mediate the family drama while preparing Bernard’s eulogy. Baneatta’s son intentionally brings his neurotic white Jewish boyfriend along, knowing Baneatta disapproves. All while Beverly’s nosy daughter keeps asking questions no one wants to answer. But when a family secret reveals itself at the altar, the two sisters are faced with a truth that could either heal — or break them.

White Elephant
Hip Pocket Theatre, July 28-August 20
First produced in New York City by La Mama ETC in 2009, this show then received two grants from the Jim Henson Foundation and was reprised on the Hip Pocket stage with the original New York cast. A reimagining of the original production, the show is presented as a series of poetic vignettes about animals, people, and objects that transform from one plane to another. Their stories come to life through puppetry, mask, movement, film, and live music.

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Drama kings

Dallas theater lures new leaders away from Hollywood and Broadway

Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

Malcolm Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer familiar for roles in Reacher, iZombie, and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Dallas theater company Lyric Stage has looked to Hollywood and Broadway for new leadership, hiring film and television actor and director Malcolm Goodwin and Broadway veteran Victor Hawks as the theater company's new co-artistic directors.

The appointments mark a new chapter for the company, which was founded in 1993 by Steven Jones, executive director Catherine Carpenter Cox says in a November 2 announcement.

Goodwin and Hawks are the co-founders of Team Vision Entertainment, a production company developing and producing film, television, and theater projects.

Their longstanding creative partnership will now extend to Lyric Stage, where they will work alongside Cox to develop programming, support new works, and strengthen the organization's connections to the broader entertainment industry, a press release says.

Goodwin is an actor, director, and producer best known for roles in Amazon Prime Video's Reacher and The CW's iZombie. Other credits include The Fall of the House of Usher, American Gangster, and Spike Lee's Miracle at St. Anna.

His new role at Lyric Stage brings him back to the art form that first inspired his career.

"Theater is where I first learned how to tell stories and where I discovered that I loved every part of the creative process, not just performing," Goodwin says in the release. "I was building theaters, working with lighting and sound, and learning how everything comes together to create something special for an audience. Being able to return to that world and help create opportunities for other artists is incredibly meaningful to me."

Hawks brings an extensive Broadway background to his new position, having appeared in the original Broadway company of Urinetown the Musical, the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, South Pacific at Lincoln Center, and The Producers national tour.

Victor Hawks, Lyric Stage Victor Hawks.Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

"Musical theater changed the direction of my life," Hawks says in a statement. "I know firsthand what happens when someone gives a young performer an opportunity to learn, grow and be part of something bigger than themselves. That's what makes this next chapter so exciting. Lyric Stage already has an incredible history, and we want to build on that by creating great theater and opening doors for artists who are just beginning their journeys."

Over the past three decades, Lyric Stage has earned a reputation for its professional productions, world premieres, and restoration of classic Broadway works, with a big focus on musicals.

For Cox, the appointments are about bringing together artists who understand the importance of theater while offering the experience and relationships to help the organization grow.

"Steven Jones built something truly special with Lyric Stage, and we have a responsibility to honor what he created while continuing to move the organization forward," Cox says. "Malcolm and Victor have built remarkable careers in entertainment, but what I love most is that theatre is where both of their journeys began. They understand what the stage can mean to an artist, and they share my passion for creating opportunities for the next generation."

Cox also recently moved into a new role as director, making her directorial debut with Lyric Stage's production of the musical Godspell, which finished its run on October 25.

Upcoming Lyric Stage productions include A Very Lyric Christmas, A Chorus Line, Newsies, and Once.

Future planned endeavors for the company include Lyric Stage Academy, an educational program designed to introduce young people to the performing arts, as well as Children's Theatre, Summer Stock, professional training opportunities, a New Works Lab, and master classes.

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