Whoever said cats can’t learn tricks has never seen the Acro-Cats: a kitty circus with its own band, the Rock Cats. The traveling circus is the result of animal expert and self-proclaimed cat lady Samantha Martin’s love for the feline species. Her troupe of 15 house cats walk tight ropes, jump through hoops and play actual instruments — and it doesn’t sound too bad, either. But this is a far cry from the exploitative circuses that harm and exhaust animals for entertainment. Martin and her staff use the nationally recognized show to promote animal rescue, fostering and the significance of human-animal relationships. The Acro-Cats tour makes a two-day stop at Texas Theatre at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 and 8. Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., 7 p.m., $20, circuscats.com. — Diamond Victoria
When John Cameron Mitchell created Hedwig Robinson and unleashed her onto stage and screen, he established an instant icon of fierce determination, fucked up rock ’n’ roll heart and fabulous style. Hedwig’s story is one of emotional and physical trauma, codependency, jealousy and self-acceptance. It may not be the expected Cinderella story — excessive blond hair notwithstanding — but it’s certainly relatable in many ways. And Stephen Trask’s amazing songwriting definitely helped buoy the musical to earworm status. With Mitchell himself, Neil Patrick Harris, Taye Diggs and Michael C. Hall all having played the title role, Euan Mortan has big heels to fill, but having Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Winspear Opera House from Feb. 7 to 12 creates more excitement than expectation. Call 214-880-0202 or visit attpac.org. Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., 7:30 p.m., $25 and up, attpac.org. — Merritt Martin
At a time when our culture is, largely, seeking to understand the role that religion should play in all our lives, The Christians delivers a powerful sermon that transcends denomination and examines what happens when our beliefs are challenged by new ideas. In Lucas Hnath’s drama, we find a preacher in the pulpit openly questioning the idea of damnation — with much fallout from his conservative congregation. Bible verses are bandied about, ulterior motives are scrutinized and faith is tested in a groundbreaking narrative that explores the reverberations of religious and social evolution. See it at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. The show continues through Sunday, Feb. 19, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 8 p.m. on Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Kalita Humphreys theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., 7:30 p.m., $17.50-$65, dallastheatercenter.org. — Jennifer Davis-Lamm
Wed 2/8
Angel Olsen’s third album, My Woman, is a tour de force split nicely between inventive and hummable pop-rock tunes and hauntingly introspective tracks. Thanks to both an eclectic choice in a producer and an inspiring L.A. recording studio, her new music also takes on a much broader style than her previous releases and continues to establish her as one of indie rock’s most estimable voices. One need only listen to the vibrant initial singles “Intern” and “Shut Up Kiss Me” for evidence of this more spirited direction. As was the case on most of her previous tour stops, Olsen’s well-deserved rising popularity has resulted in a sold-out show Wednesday at Trees. But if you get there early, you just might get lucky. Trees, 2709 Elm St., 8 p.m., Sold out, treesdallas.com. — Jeff Strowe
Last October footage from a Chief Keef concert surfaced that showed the rapper dissing “colored hair” rappers — i.e., Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert — for doing too much dancing and being too soft, then promising to bring back “the real” when he made a 2017 comeback. So far the Chicago rapper has kept his word. On Jan. 1 he released the Two Zero One Seven mixtape and last week he announced a national tour. “Comeback” is an interesting term for the 21-year-old who’s never really left the hip-hop landscape, releasing 15 mixtapes and two studio albums since his breakout hit “I Don’t Like” went viral in 2012 with the help of a Kanye West remix, but it’s true that Keef never tapped into the mainstream market as much as he almost did that year. Any of hints of mainstream success were derailed by legal troubles, media bans over profane content or his own reclusiveness. This Keef concert featuring his Glo Gang associates will be a prime opportunity to see if he can make 2017 his. Gas Monkey Live, 10110 Technology Blvd., 8 p.m., $20-$40, gasmonkeybarngrill.com. — Mikel Galicia
Thu 2/9
Few opening scenes in cinema are as memorable or iconic as the stunning shot of the stillness of Fifth Avenue at 5 a.m. as Holly Golightly climbs out of a taxi, slowly glides across the sidewalk, and begins eating her breakfast out of a paper bag while gazing into the windows at Tiffany & Co. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the 1961 romantic comedy film loosely based on Truman Capote’s novella, tells the tale of quirky socialite Holly Golightly — a Texas girl who runs away to New York, changes her name and reinvents herself. While Audrey Hepburn starred in nearly 30 films over her career, her role as Golightly stands as her most famous role, which is why it’s hard to believe Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe for the part. Capote biographer Gerald Clarke said the film was a “valentine to free-spirited women,” and just in time for an early Valentine’s Day date, Texas Theatre and Majestic Theatre teamed up to present the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s on the Majestic’s sizable, silver screen. Tickets to the 8 p.m. screening at the Majestic Theatre (1925 Elm St.) are $10, and doors open at 7 p.m. Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., 8 p.m., $10, dallasculture.org/majestictheatre. — Daniel Rodrigue
This exhibition of photographic and text-based works by London-based artist Carey Young will also include the global debut of the video Palais de Justice, named after Palais de Justice in Brussels, a sweeping, ornate 19th-century courthouse. Contradicting the familiar patriarchal tendencies of the legal system, Young’s camera portrays female judges and lawyers at court. Sitting at trial, directing proceedings or delivering judgments, female judges are seen through a series of windows in courtroom doors. Palais de Justice subtly builds a counternarrative: a legal system centered on, and maybe controlled by, women. The New Architecture, which is Young’s first solo stateside exhibit since 2009, samples a decade of Young’s practice, offering a meditation on power and justice peppered with a little bit of the sublime. Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., free, dma.org. — Rachel Williams
Fri 2/10
The directorial debut of Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczynska, The Lure, looks like a haunting, musical-horror fairy tale filled with glittery and splashy music video aesthetics. In her debut, Smoczynska very loosely adapts Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid into a coming-of-age story that tells the tale of a pair of predatory mermaid sisters, Silver and Gold, who come ashore in an ’80s Warsaw to learn about life on dry land. The sisters’ hypnotic siren songs paired with Polish synth-pop make them instant sensations as performers in a sleazy burlesque nightclub, but after one mermaid sister falls for a bass player, the bond of these shape-shifting sisters with cannibalistic tendencies becomes severely strained. The film rolls at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Texas Theatre, and the theatre has several showings through Feb. 14. Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., 6 and 8 p.m., $10, thetexastheatre.com. — Daniel Rodrigue
Five career comedians walk into American Airlines Center … One says hey, for Renaissance men, we don’t look that old! [Rim shot.] OK, no one said that. Why? Because it’s a terrible pun. But when you consider these same guys are five actors, a few radio and talk show hosts and a couple of authors, the Renaissance thing makes some sense. The comics in “The Comedy Get Down” tour aren’t just stand-ups, they’re entertainment royalty. Cedric “the Entertainer,” Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez and Charlie Murphy all have made names for themselves outside of the ol’ mic-and-stool, but the gut busts and tired face muscles are the reason to go to the 8 p.m. showcase Friday, Feb. 10, at the American Airlines Center. Let ’em make you laugh. American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 8 p.m., $48.74 to $89.75, ticketmaster.com. — Merritt Martin
As part of their Texas Instruments Classical Series, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents a three-part evening of charming classical works. The program opens with the world premier of Christopher Rouse’s latest symphonic work, Symphony No. 5. Next, the ever-stunning, Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax breathes life into Beethoven’s delightfully understated Piano Concerto No. 2 (despite the name, this was the first piano concerto Beethoven composed). Closing the event, Respighi’s symphonic poem Pines of Rome slots in as the night’s centerpiece. A bucolic and grand reminder of the power of traditional, classical forms, Pines of Rome moves with all the grace and beauty of the Roman countryside that inspired it. Jaap van Zweden conducts. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., 7:30 p.m., $36, mydso.com. — Jonathan Patrick
For Co-Work Space for Potential Dropouts, artist Avi Varma will use the gallery space as a debt- and grade-free experiment in education. Every Friday evening during the run of the show, an artist will lead interactive “Hacking the Common Sense” sessions from 5 p.m. to midnight, during which students and visitors will be able to engage in discussion and research on specific topics drawn from the (fictional) course descriptions, which include topics like shamanism, think tanks and 22nd century architecture. The project recreates a co-work space complete with the familiar regalia of a garden variety startup: desks, Wi-Fi, a library and refreshments. The installation includes a promotional video, sound piece, fake course catalogue and website. The exhibit runs through March 11. Pollock Gallery, 2140 Dyer St., 5 p.m. to midnight, free, potentialdropouts.info. — Rachel Williams
Sat 2/11
Everyone knows the best time to celebrate Valentine’s Day is before Valentine’s Day, right? Those around-the-building lines to get into swanky, expensive restaurants sort of kill the romantic mood. So why not celebrate with your significant other, or friend, or heck, just by yourself, at the second annual Deep Ellum Mimosa Walk? Purchase a ticket online at squareup.com for $15 while supplies last (or $20 the day off the event, if not sold out). The ticket gets you a glass to fill up with your favorite bubbly and OJ, a map of Deep Ellum and its shops and a wristband. It’s a great opportunity to purchase a unique gift for someone special, or enjoy the entertainment capital of Dallas with a buzz. Kettle Art Gallery, 2650 Main St., noon to 3 p.m., $15, see Facebook. — Diamond Victoria
There’s one glossary entry you must understand before viewing the work of Dallas fine artist Jeff Parrott: psyexpression. As he explained in a truncated version of his artist’s statement to Wanz Dover in his Dallas Observer Mixtape feature: “Psyexpression is simply the word ‘psy,’ which means mind, and ‘expression,’ meaning expressing self. Together psy + expression, is expressing one’s ... internal self and one’s invisible reality.” From Saturday’s opening reception at 7 p.m. through March 11 at RO2 Art (1501 S. Ervay St.), Parrott presents Pysexpression Manifesto, an exhibition of paintings that pays homage to the mind’s ability to create that “raw reality.” Parrott’s captivating and often haunting creatures will be featured, as will his stunning use of bright color and daring juxtaposition of psychedelic movement with bold structure. Ro2 Art, 1501 S. Ervay St., 7 p.m., free, ro2art.com. — Merritt Martin
As we see women break through glass ceilings, we tend to focus on the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). It has been challenging for women to enter these fields, but it’s important to remember that it’s also been rough in more aesthetic pursuits, too. Sculpture is one fine arts domain where women remain underrepresented — museum collections routinely give female sculptors the short shrift. At 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, the Nasher Sculpture Center addresses both awareness of the issue and its underlying factors as part of its excellent 360 Speaker Series. In Off the Pedestal: Women Artists in Art Museums Panel Discussion, artist Lynda Benglis joins Connie Butler, chief curator of the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; Elizabeth Sackler, President of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation; and Jenni Sorkin, assistant professor of contemporary art history at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for a lively and important discussion. Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St., 11 a.m., free, nashersculpturecenter.org. — Jennifer Davis-Lamm
The Lure, loosely derived from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, has been called one of the creepiest films of the year.
courtesy Sundance Institute
Comedian and Richardson native Jeff Dunham has amassed an impressive number of fans for someone who performs a “variety art.” He started with a hyper, purple felt puppet creation called Peanut and then expanded to stranger and more unique characters like the grumpy old man Walter and a jalapeño on a stick called Jose Jalapeño. He became a viral sensation thanks to future Donald Trump supporters who spent a lot of time on social media in the 2000s with his skeleton stereotype Achmed the Dead Terrorist, which led to massive success in the DVD market as well as high rated specials on Comedy Central. Dunham returns to his native DFW on Sunday. American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 3 to 6 p.m., $63 to $890, ticketliquidator.com. — Danny Gallagher
Protesting is a time-honored American tradition no matter what you, your racist relative or some politician who wants to outlaw such activity may believe. A new documentary called From Selma to Stonewall explores the protest movements that helped bring civil rights to minorities and members of the LGBT community through two of the movements’ most inspiring and dedicated organizers, civil rights leader the Reverend Gill Caldwell and LGBT activist and author Marilyn Bennett. Both will be in attendance for the documentary’s premiere at the Texas Theatre, which will be followed by a post-screening discussion. Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., 5 p.m., $10, thetexastheatre.com. — Danny Gallagher
Where are you on the Valentine’s spectrum? Do you start stocking up on candy hearts the day after the Christmas merch is cleared out? Do you actively decry the commercial and exclusionary nature of Valentine’s observances? Or do you just sorta suck it up and do what your significant other expects from you? No matter where you lie on that continuum, you’re going to enjoy what Front Line Cabaret has lined up on Sunday during Obsession and Indifference: A Valentine’s Cabaret. Billed as a kind of “anti-Valentine’s” event, they’ll have songs and stories for curmudgeons and hopeless romantics alike, covering a great expanse from heartbreak to anger to hope. Margo Jones Theatre, 1121 1st Ave., 7:30 to 10 p.m., $15, brownpapertickets.com. — Jennifer Davis-Lamm
Futurebirds haven’t put out a new record in a couple of years, but that’s no reason to miss these guys in 2017. Coming from Georgia, this group does the folk, country and rock blend that appeals to fans of the softer side of Beck, early My Morning Jacket and the entire catalog of the Flying Burrito Brothers. They do have some new material to play from their two-part Portico EP series, including the single “Only Here for Your Love.” There is definitely an easy vibe to their songs, but you won’t need to bring a sleeping bag and pajamas to this show. Opening acts the Artisanals from South Carolina and locals Majik Taylor bring a psychedelic vibe to the night, but they will be a good match for the Futurebirds. Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., 7 p.m., $15, dadadallas.com. — Eric Grubbs
Mon 2/13
The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture has been putting on some pretty rad events lately. Case in point: “Why You Hate Your Job: a Philosophical Investigation” at Public School 214. The event — led by Dr. Jonathan Malesic, who has authored books and essays on the meaning of work for esteemed publications such as The Washington Post and The New Republic — is part of a new free, laid-back speaker series at the West Village restaurant and bar. Show up after you finish out your soul-crushing day’s work and you’ll be rewarded with free appetizers, happy hour drink specials and a stimulating talk. Public School 214, 3700 McKinney Ave, No. 148, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., free, dallasinstitute.org. — Caroline North
Get your elastic-waist pants and your designated driver lined up for Monday night: Taverna Rossa (1151 E. Southlake Blvd., No. 300, in Southlake) is collaborating with Four Corners Brewing Co. to host a dinner — five courses, each paired with a different brew. Think: Local Buzz meets brie, thyme and serrano-infused maple on focaccia, Super Chingon Special Release dancing with fried green tomatoes, crispy pork belly, pimento cheese and tomato jam, or Notorious O.A.T. sidling up next to some deep fried strawberry and Nutella French toast. There’s more, but for $75 a ticket your taste buds deserve a little mystery. Seats are limited, so get on the horn quickly: 469-209-5646. You’ll have another shot at Taverna Rossa’s Plano location on Feb. 22. Taverna Rossa, 1151 E. Southlake Blvd., No. 300, $75, tavernarossa.com. — Merritt Martin
We actually look forward to Mondays now, thanks to the work of Stefan Gonzalez. The lineup he curates on that day every week at RBC is one of the best places in the city to discover new music. Outward Bound Mixtape began a few years ago at Crown and Harp on Lower Greenville before it moved to Deep Ellum, but in its new home it offers the same opportunity for local and touring acts to try out something new in front of an enthusiastic and open-minded crowd of regulars, whether that means a first show, brand new songs or a sound that defies genre labels. If you ask the act du jour in Dallas noise, punk, goth or free jazz where they played some of their first shows, you’ll likely be told Outward Bound, so attend Mondays and stay ahead of the curve. RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 10 p.m., free, rbcdeepellum.com. — Caroline North
