Texas' Garrison Brothers plots delicious bourbon takeover for September

Cheers, Y'all

Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers

Bourbon lovers, get ready: Garrison Brothers Distillery is launching its 2022 Bourbon Takeover of America on September 1.

The nationwide creative celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September, which also happens to be National Bourbon Heritage Month.

During that time, the award-winning, first-legal Texas whiskey distillery is partnering with America’s best bartenders and chefs from coast to coast to offer unique, limited-edition, bourbon-inspired cocktails and bites.

Wondering where to indulge in and around Dallas-Fort Worth? Here's your list:

Get even more out of the experience by downloading the Garrison Brothers Bourbon Takeover Passport App and then checking in with what you've just savored.

The more you check in, the more chances you have to be one of the 10 who wins the prize: a custom Garrison Brothers-branded barrel head serving tray, mixing glass, stirring spoon, and jigger.

The Garrison Brothers Bourbon Takeover Passport App is available for download in the Apple App and Google Play stores. Those 21 years of age and older are welcome to participate.

To find out more about 2022 Bourbon Takeover of America, go to www.bourbontakeover.com.

The celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers

The celebration of all things bourbon will run for the entire month of September.

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Sexy and daring Magic Mike Live show comes to Frisco for one-month run

Art of the Striptease

On the heels of Magic Mike's Last Dance, the first-ever tour of the stage show Magic Mike Live will make its debut in a custom-built venue at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, May 11-June 11.

The show, which will put on 10 performances every week, features professionally trained dancers delivering 90 minutes of sexy and daring dance routines, acrobatics, live music, comedy, and more in front of, above, and all around the audience.

The global stage sensation, created and directed by Magic Mike star Channing Tatum, has previously had long residencies in both Las Vegas and London prior to this tour. (Sorry, Channing fans - he's not actually in this show.)

“We considered a number of amazing cities to open our first production of Magic Mike Live after the release of Magic Mike’s Last Dance, but the Dallas-Fort Worth area rose to the top,” said executive producer Vincent Marini in a statement. “North Texas audiences have been visiting our Las Vegas show in huge numbers for years, but this touring production is something new. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve learned about our show and our guests after selling over a million tickets around the world."

The venue features an indoor-outdoor courtyard space that fans can enjoy prior to entering the multistory, 600-seat performance area, which incorporates design features from Magic Mike Liveproductions around the world.

Guests are invited to come early and stay late to enjoy music, multiple bars, and more in the courtyard space. The venue’s bars will offer signature beverages inspired by moments in the show.

Tickets start at $69 (nice) per person, but fans looking to - ahem - upgrade their experience can do so with Ultra Seats, front row seats featuring complimentary cocktails, meet-and-greets, and more for $299 per person. Any ticket level can add on Mike's Exclusive Package for $99 extra, which offers the meet-and-greet, commemorative lanyard, and more.

All tickets are now on sale at MMLTour.com.

Garth Brooks joins Dolly Parton to host 2023 ACM Awards in Frisco

ACM Awards news

Country music icon Dolly Parton will grace the stage for the third time as host of the American Country Music Awards, and she's bringing along a newcomer: Garth Brooks. The two superstars will emcee the58th annual ACMstaking place, for the first time, at The Star in Frisco on Thursday, May 11. The show will stream on Prime Video.

“I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth,” Parton says in a release. “While I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with him throughout the years, I can’t believe we’ve never had the chance to work together. In addition to getting to see all this great new talent in country music, I am excited to have the chance to premiere the lead single from my upcoming rock album on the show!”

Adds Brooks, “Anyone with Dolly Parton makes a fantastic couple."

As Billboard reminds, Parton hosted the big awards show solo in 2000, and again last year with co-hosts Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett. It's Brooks' first time to take on co-hosting duties at any awards show. He's coming off a world tour that included a smash-hit show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in August 2022.

“We are elated to have beloved icon Dolly Parton return to co-host the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the legendary Garth Brooks,” says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios. “As we bring back the Emmy-nominated Academy of Country Music Awards to our global audience, we are thrilled to continue to showcase the power of Amazon to create what will be an unforgettable night of live entertainment experiences with Dolly and Garth at the helm of ‘Country Music’s Party of the Year.’”

According to Billboard, fans shouldn't expect a Parton-Brooks musical collaboration on stage. However, Parton - a recent inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - will be debuting a single from her forthcoming rock album, Rockstar, on the show.

The 2023 edition of the Academy of Country Music Awards will mark a return to Texas for the first time since the landmark 50th ACM Awards, which took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in 2015.

A limited number of tickets remain (starting around $400) via SeatGeek, organizers say.

As with any worldwide, Super Bowl-level event, there'll be many happenings leading up to it, including a benefit concert headlined by Morgan Wallen. The country music bad boy (and current superstar and reigning ACM Album of the Year winner) takes top billing on "ACM Lifting Lives LIVE: Morgan Wallen & Friends," a fundraiser for Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music.

The show will be held at 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 10 on the golfing green at Topgolf in The Colony. Tickets ($350) for the benefit concert are on sale now through AXS.

Additional events plus ACM award nominees, performers, and presenters for this year’s show will be announced in coming weeks.

Texas Ballet Theater's new season has bite with Dracula, Beauty and the Beast, and more

Season announcement

Texas Ballet Theater's 2023-2024 season will include four separate productions, including a couple of returning favorites. Performances will take place across three venues across Dallas and Fort Worth.

The season will kick off in September with Dracula, which was a hit when it was last performed by the company in 2015. The production will run at Winspear Opera House in Dallas, September 15-17, before moving to Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, October 6-8.

Choreographed by TBT artistic director laureate Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., in 1997, the first production of Dracula featured TBT’s acting artistic director, Tim O’Keefe, in the title role.

“Having the opportunity to present Dracula is a full circle moment for TBT,” O’Keefe said in a statement. “Many of our artistic and production staff worked on the world premiere 25 years ago, myself included. I’m looking forward to working on this ballet with Ben [Stevenson] again and sharing it with our audiences, who have been eager to see it again.”

Next up will be TBT's annual holiday production of Stevenson’s The Nutcracker. The company will perform the family-friendly ballet November 24-December 3 at Winspear Opera House and December 8-24 at Bass Performance Hall. Unlike the previous 12 seasons, there will be no presentation of The Nutty Nutcracker this year.

A mixed repertoire production called "Brilliants" will be the first production of 2024, featuring four short ballets in one program. Featured ballets include Rubies, choreographed by George Balanchine; Grand Pas Classique, choreographed by Victor Gsovsky; Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, and Without Borders, choreographed by Val Caniparoli.

"Brilliants" will run February 23-25, 2024, at Bass Performance Hall and March 1-3, 2024, at Wyly Theatre in Dallas.

The season will come to a close with Beauty and the Beast, last staged by TBT in 2017. Choreographed by Lew Christensen, the production will run May 3-5, 2024, at Winspear Opera House and May 17-19, 2024, at Bass Performance Hall.

Season packages, which start at $48, are now on sale. Those interested can purchase a package at texasballettheater.org/season-packages or by contacting the Box Office at 877-828-9200 option 1.

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