As we slowly settle into the new year, eventgoers across Dallas can look forward to the area's typically robust slate of events. This weekend, choices will include two comedians, a ballet production, four theater productions (including two Tony winners), an opera in concert, an orchestra concert celebrating diversity, and a stage show that can credibly claim to be unique.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, January 8

Punch Line Irving presents Steph Tolev
Steph Tolev is a stand up and sketch comedian whose brand of absurd and personal comedy has made her an audience favorite both on stage and on television. As a stand up, Tolev has done the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal four times, three of which were taped for TV. She made her American TV debut on Comedy Central part of Bill Burr's show, The Ringers. She filmed her first half hour stand up special as part of season two of Epix's Unprotected Sets. She'll perform four times through Saturday at Punch Line Irving.

Grand Kyiv Ballet presents Snow White
Based on a fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm, the ballet of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs takes the vibrant style of a Disney animated movie and sets it to the musical motifs of Polish composer Bogdan Pavlovsky. An imaginative atmosphere, bright costumes and scenery, technical dance, and comedic acting bring the heartfelt love story to life. The production will have a one-night-only performance at Wyly Theatre.

Broadway Dallas presents Kimberly Akimbo
Kimberly is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. She is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush … and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure. A musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), Kimberly Akimbo was the winner of five Tony Awards in 2023, including Best Musical. The production runs through January 18 at Winspear Opera House.

Junior Players presents Hadestown: Teen Edition
Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. It intertwines two mythic tales - that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and Queen Persephone - as it invites the audience on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, singers, and dancers, Hadestown asks audiences to imagine how the world could be. Junior Players' teen production will have four performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Friday, January 9

Theatre Arlington presents AMON! The Ultimate Texan
Written by local newspaper columnist Dave Lieber and starring Kelvin Dilks as the larger-than-life Amon Carter, AMON! The Ultimate Texan is a true-to-life production that celebrates the wit, vision, and unstoppable spirit of the man often called “Mr. Fort Worth.” Through quick-fire humor, powerful storytelling, and a few of Carter’s own tall tales, audiences meet a Texas original who refused to think small - about his city, his state, or himself. There will be four performances through Sunday at Theatre Arlington.

Improv Arlington presents Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson’s range, from stand-up comedy and acting to versatile music accomplishments, has earned him a reputation as an extraordinary performer. Best known as one of the stars of the hit television show, In Living Color, his visibility has allowed him to become a household name. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Mr. Pixie presents Selfie-Conscious
Selfie-Conscious is an interactive theater production in which a host, Mr. Pixie, guides the audience in creating an avatar for his new social network platform, “Selfie Conscious.” This is achieved by taking pictures of four different volunteers and compiling those into a kind of Frankenstein’s monster collage. Throughout the show the audience is also guided through “selfie exercises” in which they converse with themselves in comic and poignant ways. Part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, the production will have three performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Puccini’s Madama Butterfly"
Madama Butterfly is the story of an innocent young Japanese girl, who - as her nickname foreshadows - is crushed by one of opera’s most callous cads, naval officer Lieutenant Pinkerton, who promises her a forever love. She is willing to give up her family and her religion to become a good “American” wife. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra's opera in concert will be performed by a star-studded cast of singers, orchestra and chorus, led by conductor Fabio Luisi. There will be performances on Friday and Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Saturday, January 10

New Texas Symphony Orchestra presents A Rainbow of Music: Winter Chamber Concert
The New Texas Symphony Orchestra will present A Rainbow of Music, a chamber music concert celebrating diversity, unity, and the vibrant beauty symbolized by the rainbow. The performance will take place at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, a Dallas landmark renowned for its commitment to inclusion and equality. The program offers a rich palette of musical “colors,” each piece contributing its own unique voice to an uplifting and dynamic tapestry of sound.

Sunday, January 11

Coppell Arts Center presents STOMP
STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and utterly unique. The international percussion sensation features an eight-member troupe that uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - like matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps - to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. There will be two performances on Sunday at Coppell Arts Center.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Broadway Dallas presents Kimberly Akimbo at Winspear Opera House through January 18.