Theater Critic Picks

These are the 15 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for June

"Scenes from The Odyssey" runs in repertory with "Twelfth Night" at Shakespeare Dallas.

Photo by Jordan Fraker

Whether you're ready to spread out a blanket and watch theater under the stars, or escape indoors to that sweet, sweet air conditioning, there are plenty of choices for your viewing pleasure in June.

In order of start date, here are 15 local shows to watch this month:

Thoughts of a Colored Man
Jubilee Theatre, through June 30
This play explores the lives, pressures, and passions of seven contemporary Black men who live in one Brooklyn neighborhood. The characters — never named — are identified by traits they embody: Lust, Love, Anger, Passion, Wisdom, Depression, and Happiness.

Rhapsody featuring Cyndi Lauper
Turtle Creek Chorale, June 1
Grammy Award winner and punk-glamor icon Cyndi Lauper is headline Turtle Creek Chorale’s annual benefit gala. The evening offers an opening reception, seated dinner, luxury live auction, and an exclusive private concert by Lauper with full band and featuring a selection of her greatest hits.

Grease
Casa Mañana, June 1-9
Six queen Adrianna Hicks stars in everyone’s favorite rock-and-roll musical, which features the electrifying hits “You’re the One That I Want,” “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and more. Fall back in love with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies and see why Grease is still the word.

Love & Vinyl
Kitchen Dog Theater, June 6-23
This new play by Bob Bartlett is about browsing for records and romance in the digital age. Best friends Bogie and Zane visit their local record store and leave with so much more than a stack of vinyl in this salty/sweet, smart romcom. This production continues Kitchen Dog Theater's season of putting on productions in atypical spaces, and takes place in an actual record store (Good Records).

Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Elusive Ear
Stage West, June 6-23
The as-yet-undiscovered genius Vincent Van Gogh presents a most peculiar case to noted detective Sherlock Holmes, his partner Dr. Watson, and his paramour Irene Adler. The trio embark on a rousing caper and find themselves confronting the daughter of Professor Moriarty. With a helping hand from Oscar Wilde, the world's greatest detective attempts to uncover a Post-Impressionist conspiracy. This zany mystery adventure, making its regional premiere, is the opening gambit in a Baker Street trilogy.

Hundred Days
Circle Theatre, June 6-July 6
What would you do if you only had a hundred days to live? To love? This whirlwind rock journey featuring a book by Sarah Gancher and music and lyrics by Abigail & Shaun Bengsons pulls the audience into a world where the thrill of the unknown collides with the poignant beauty of a love story; all intertwined with an intoxicating score.

Hamilton
Broadway at the Bass, June 11-23
Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theater, a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

SparkFest
Amphibian Stage, June 13-26
The annual performing arts festival SparkFest shifts its focus to celebrate the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community and showcases and develops new plays, offering Fort Worth a unique glimpse into the future of performing arts. The festival will again host a National acting competition, drawing inspiration from the renowned Van Cliburn Festival, offering a substantial $18,000 in cash prizes for the finalists.

Pirates of Penzance
Theatre Three, June 13-July 14
Gilbert and Sullivan's hilarious, hopeful musical follows young love-struck Frederic, who has mistakenly been apprenticed to a raucous band of pirates. A smash hit on Broadway in the 1980s, the comical operetta is a colorful, playful romp about love, honor, and cleverness.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Hip Pocket Theatre, June 14-July 7
Love, enchantment, and hilarity ensue under the Texas sky, where audiences can experience Shakespeare’s classic in the magical setting of Hip Pocket Theatre.

Twelfth Night and Scenes From The Odyssey
Shakespeare Dallas, June 14-July 21
The classic Shakespeare romantic comedy, now set in the 1930s, is a classic case of mistaken identity. When Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are shipwrecked on the African coast and believe the other to be drowned, Viola disguises herself as a young man and, under the name of Cesario, gets a job as a servant for the Duke, Orsino.

The second is a show about a modern young woman struggling to understand Robert Fitzgerald's translation of Homer’s The Odyssey when suddenly a Greek muse appears, and the young woman becomes the goddess Athena and a tireless advocate for Odysseus in his struggle to get home. The production highlights the epic story of Odysseus' 10-year journey with characters such as Circe, the Cyclops, Poseidon, Calypso, the Sirens, and more. The two plays will be performed in repertory.

Hairspray
Broadway Dallas, June 18-30
In 1960s Baltimore, 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Hairspray features hit songs like “Welcome to the '60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

Lyric Under the Stars
Lyric Stage, June 22 & 29
This new series features Lyric Stage actors singing their favorite songs, everything from show tunes to popular music, all with live music. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a cooler with snacks and drinks for a night of music and fun.

Wink
Second Thought Theatre, June 26-July 13
Sofie is an unhappy housewife. Gregor is her bread-winning husband. Dr. Franz is their psychiatrist. Wink is the cat. And Gregor has just skinned the cat. Violent desires, domestic terrorism, and feline vengeance at any cost make Wink a dark comedy about the thin, thin line between savagery and civilization.

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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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