Theater Critic Picks

These are the 10 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for August

The national tour of "Funny Girl" comes to Dallas this month.

Photo by Evan Zimmerman

A favorite festival is back this month, along with a good mix of classic titles and new approaches. And Donny Osmond — we cannot forget Donny Osmond.

In order of start date, here are 10 local shows to watch this month:

Donny Osmond in Concert
Music Hall at Fair Park, August 2
Donny Osmond brings his award-winning Las Vegas show to Dallas, a 90-minute spectacle in which he performs his hits, shares stories of his greatest show-stopping memories, and introduces brand-new music in a fresh and completely reimagined song and dance celebration.

Long Day's Journey Into Night
Bucket List Productions & Lewisville Playhouse, through August 11
Eugene O’Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a brooding masterpiece about the pain of forgiving and the impossibility of forgetting. The Tyrone family puts the not-so-fun in "dysfunctional," as the family tell their entire life’s progression story over the course of just one long day.

Festival of Independent Theatres (FIT)
Theatre Three, through August 24
For the month of August, FIT is taking over T3 to bring the city of Dallas its biggest and most exciting festival yet. This year's lineup features an immersive Spanish-language play cycle about love, a heart-pounding rock musical starring local leading man Gregory Lush, Tilda Grace’s movement-based re-telling of a classic piece of literature, and the whirlwind, fever dream with a message, Spank Bank Time Machine from self-described trauma clown John Michael. And that's just upstairs! See a complete lineup here.

Imposter! Hypocrite! TARTUFFE!
Circle Theatre, through August 24
Wit, cunning, and hypocrisy are on full display in this punk-rock remake of Moliere’s classic farce. Circle Theatre’s artistic director Ashley H. White pens a new approach to the iconic play, a swift, unapologetic whirlwind that reintroduces the timeless tale of a man who deploys his charm and feigned piety in an attempt to disrupt a household.

Funny Girl
Broadway Dallas, August 6-18
Funny Girl is a love letter to the theater with one of the most celebrated musical scores of all time, including classic songs “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” The bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened: She became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.

Alice By Heart
CenterStage Theatre Works, August 8-18
This imaginative and immersive production transforms a former retail space at Fairview Town Center into a vibrant theatrical venue. It marks the second consecutive year of bringing art to this unique location, demonstrating the group's commitment to innovative and non-traditional performance spaces.

Raft Project
Hip Pocket Theatre, August 9-25
Topsy-turvy upon open waters. Seeking solace from troublesome days. For want of balance and burdens unbound. Adrift upon a floating stage. Hip Pocket takes the outside inside with a newly devised work by Lake Simons and John Dyer.

Daddy's Rabbits: A Cotton Tale
Ochre House Theater, August 10-31
Closing their 16th season is the world premiere written and directed by Carla Parker. Mommy (Marti Etheridge) and Daddy (Omar Padillo) run a quaint boarding house, where eccentric boarders reside together in perfect harmony with Daddy’s hutch of Jack Rabbits. Life is “status quo” until a stranger (Meagan Harris) arrives.

Sister Act
Jubilee Theatre in partnership with Performing Arts Fort Worth, August 15-18
In the musical version of Sister Act, the original film’s locations of Reno and San Francisco have been changed to Philadelphia and the action now is set in the 1970s. When disco diva wannabe Deloris Van Cartier sees her gangster boyfriend Curtis Shank commit a murder at the grungy club where she’s performing, she reports the crime to the police and is placed in the witness protection program. Disguised as a nun named Sister Mary Clarence, she is placed in the convent of the Holy Order of the Little Sisters of Our Mother of Perpetual Faith, where she finds herself up against the rigid Mother Superior. Deloris uses her singing talent to inspire the other nuns to create a more contemporary choir, and they become the hit of the community.

The Boys in the Band
Uptown Players, August 16-25
Set in New York City, The Boys in the Band takes place in the apartment of Michael, a witty and sharp-tongued host who throws a birthday party for his friend Harold. As the evening unfolds, a group of diverse gay friends gathers and the celebrations quickly become a rollercoaster of emotions, revealing hidden desires, unresolved conflicts, and the complexities of their individual journeys.

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Budget Cuts

Funding cuts force Dallas Children's Theater to trim 2025-26 season

Dallas Children's Theater presents James and the Giant Peach

Photo courtesy of Dallas Children's Theater

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The upcoming 2025-26 season for Dallas Children's Theater is shrinking, according to a new communication from its leadership.

A June 2 email signed by executive director Samantha Turner, board president Leah Mora, and recently appointed artistic director Emily Ernst informs supporters that due to "the significant financial challenges of the current environment," DCT will be reducing the upcoming season from five mainstage shows to three.

The email doesn't specifically call out the government's cuts to arts funding, but it is heavily implied, especially since other theaters have recently experienced financial difficulties due to the federal cuts.

"We remain deeply committed to artistic excellence and to the 90,000 young people and families we serve annually," reads the email. "Though we will have fewer performances, we will continue to provide meaningful theatrical experiences that inspire children, nurture their imagination, and encourage connection with the world around them."

The 2025-26 will retain the previously announced world premiere of The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! (November 22-December 21, 2025), as well as The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (January 24-February 22, 2026) and Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey (March 27-29, 2026), and add a new developmental workshop envisioned by Ernst.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley and Jungalbook will no longer be produced, and ticket-holders will be receiving instructions on ticket options.

DCT Academy classes, a vital part of the theater’s work, will continue through the summer, concluding August 8. After that, Academy sessions will be temporarily paused. Families enrolled for the fall semester will receive a separate email with next steps.

"Although our performances are well attended and our community support is strong, ticket sales cover only a small portion of the true cost of producing theater," the email explains. "At the same time, our operating costs have steadily increased while funding levels have remained flat. This financial pressure requires immediate action to keep DCT viable — not just for this season, but for the years ahead."

Tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now.

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