This weekend around Dallas is jam-packed with all sorts of big events. They include appearances by well-known singers, comedians, and actors; five theater productions (including a national tour of a Broadway musical); a symphony concert featuring one of the most iconic classical pieces of all time; plus two dance productions, an arts festival, and the closing of an art exhibition.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, April 11
AT&T Performing Arts Center presents An Evening with Bernadette Peters
Actress/singer Bernadette Peters is an acclaimed performer who's been honored with three Tony Awards, multiple other nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Best known for her work on stage, Peters has starred in Hello, Dolly!, A Little Night Music, Follies, and more. She'll perform at Winspear Opera House.
Brenn Rapp presents Murrow
Brenn Rapp's Murrow is a powerful, multimedia, one-man show that explores the life and work of iconic broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, becoming both a lens to examine where people are now as a nation of media consumers, and a mirror providing reflections of much-needed lessons from modern history. The production, making its regional premiere as part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, runs through April 21 at Hamon Hall inside Winspear Opera House.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Also Sprach Zarathustra"
Millions of movie fans the world over have heard the grand fanfare from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" at the beginning of Stanley Kubrick’s epic film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. But hearing it live is different - a multitude of brasses, the full orchestra, and the Lay Family Concert Organ, all hailing a primeval sunrise. To open the concert, co-concertmaster Nathan Olson solos in Britten’s fiendishly difficult Violin Concerto. The program also includes Arvo Part's Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. There will be four performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.
Broadway Dallas presents Girl from the North Country
In Duluth, Minnesota in 1934, a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect meet in a guesthouse filled with music, life, and hope. Girl From The North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.” The national tour will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park through April 21.
Rover Dramawerks presents 10-Minute Comedies
For the sixth year, Rover Dramawerks will present a festival of 10-minute comedies. Selected from over 250 plays submitted blind from playwrights all over the world, 11 short plays will be presented, including The Last Deck Chair in the Resort by Lindsey Brown, Couples Therapy by Matt Crowley, Sirens by Carol Mullen, and Designed 2B Deleted by Richard Castle, among others. The production runs through April 20 at Cox Playhouse in Plano.
Friday, April 12
Repertory Company Theatre presents Guys & Dolls
The latest production from Repertory Company Theatre is Guys & Dolls, the musical masterpiece highlighting gangsters and gamblers, missionary dolls and showgirls. The musical, which originally debuted on Broadway in 1950 and features music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, will have six performances through April 21 at Courtyard Theater in Plano.
Texas Theatre presents Margaret Cho
Comedian Margaret Cho has always been the Agent Provocateur of stand-up. Never one to shy away from a taboo topic, she considers no subjects off limits. Her socially aware, no-holds-barred brand of comedy has made her both a thought leader and a tolerant teacher to those with open minds and open hearts. Following her appearance at the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, she'll perform at Texas Theatre.
Company of Rowlett Performers presents Farce of Nature
The non-stop hilarity of this Southern-fried farce highlights one day in the life of the Wilburn family of Mayhew, Arkansas. D. Gene Wilburn is the owner and proprietor of The Reel 'Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. Well, it used to be, but lately business is down, tourists are few, and the lone guest who's just checked in - an extremely jittery Carmine DeLuca from Chicago - is only there due to a location shift in the Witness Protection Program. The production runs through April 21 at Plaza Theater in Garland.
Pegasus Contemporary Ballet presents Words for a Resonant Space
Pegasus Contemporary Ballet will present its innovative new production, Words for a Resonant Space, in collaboration with The Writer’s Garret. Artfully interweaving dance and poetry, the production features the parallel power of words and movement to ignite the imagination and offer insight into the human condition. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Kalita Humphreys Theater.
Gloria Trevi in concert
Singer Gloria Trevi is known as "The Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop" for her long career at the top of the Latin charts. She released her debut album in 1989, notching a series of top 10 albums, including three in the 2010s. Trevi, who released Mi Soundtrack Volumes 1, 2, and 3 in the past seven months, will perform at Dos Equis Pavilion.
TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Vertigo
Established in Jerusalem by Noa Wertheim and Adi Sha’al, Vertigo Dance Company presents contemporary dance promoting artistic creation with a strong sense of social, environmental, and community awareness. Vertigo has become synonymous with rare kind of ecological awareness. Their choreographic works, a blend of modern dance and classical ballet continues to captivate audiences around the globe. The production will have performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
Saturday, April 13
Dallas Festival of the Arts
The Dallas Festival of the Arts is a two-day fine arts outdoor festival featuring approximately 100 painters, photographers, sculptors, metalworkers, glass artists, jewelers, and more. The festival will also offer artist demonstrations, music, food trucks, and beverages with some healthy alternatives. It will take place through Sunday at Kidd Springs Park.
Sunday, April 14
Dallas Festival of the Arts takes place at Kidd Springs Park on April 13 and 14.
Crow Museum of Asian Art presents "Japan, Form & Function: The Montgomery Collection" closing day
After a full year, "Japan, Form & Function: The Montgomery Collection" will come to a close at the Crow Museum of Asian Art. Encompassing six galleries and over 11,000 square feet, the exhibition features nearly 250 works of Japanese art to be presented in major themes and categories. This marks the first time that the Crow Museum has dedicated its entire museum to one exhibition over an extended period.
Gabriel Iglesias: Don't Worry Be Fluffy
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias comes to Dallas as part of his Don't Worry Be Fluffy tour. Iglesias is the star and executive producer of Mr. Iglesias on Netflix, and has a comedy stand-up special, One Show Fits All, also on Netflix. Feature film credits include co-starring roles in Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL, and A Haunted House 2. He's also provided voices for many animated films, most recently Space Jam: A New Legacy and Ugly Dolls. He'll perform at American Airlines Center.
Majestic Theatre presents The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes
Actor Cary Elwes will present a behind-the-scenes look at life on and off the set of the classic film, The Princess Bride, in which he starred as Westley. After a screening of the iconic movie, Elwes will engage in a moderated discussion, revealing secrets and tales of inconceivable antics. The event takes place at Majestic Theatre.
