We could give two flips whether people choose the word "purple" over "violet." It's the same color, right? Well, not according to our old art teacher. After submitting a still-life sketch of some grapes and a chair that we had scribbled in the cafeteria minutes earlier, we started bullshitting about "the regality represented by the purple grapes" when our teacher flipped out. "Purple is not a word! Crayola made it up and it sounds infantile, so don't say that word again." Luckily for her, Tony-winning playwright Richard Greenberg is like-minded enough to ignore the influence of America's biggest crayon maker, which means she can see The Violet Hour at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when the preview begins at Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., without causing a scene and shouting at the cast. The Dallas Theater Center production revolves around a publisher in 1919 whose printing press mysteriously starts printing out books written decades later. Sure, there's love and drama and all that, but we're more curious about whether the futuristic books use the word "purple." The show continues through March 20; tickets are $15 and up. Call 214-522-8499. --Sam Machkovech
Girly Action
2/17
The comedy Girl Meets Girl tells the story of two women--a stripper and a magazine editor--who fall in love at the latter's surprise 40th birthday party. Is their love destined for a Massachusetts chapel? Or will it degenerate into an angst-ridden episode of The L Word? Find out at Teatro Dallas, 1331 Record Crossing Road, from February 17 to March 13. Hey, there's also "saucy sex scenes." Tickets are $20 for Thursday, Friday and Sunday shows and $25 for Saturday shows. Call 1-800-965-4827 or visit www.ticketweb.com. --Mary Monigold
Fun in Fungus
2/21
Pilobolus is...a Greek mathematician? A sun-loving fungus? (It's the latter.) It's also a dance troupe. Despite the name, Emmy-winning acrobatic dance troupe Pilobolus has been hailed as one of the most original companies in the business. For three decades, the intertwining of dancers' weight and collaborative movement have both shocked and awed audiences around the country. They return to Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St. in Fort Worth, at 8 p.m. Monday. Tickets start at $35. Call 1-877-212-4280 or order online at www.basshall.com. --Mary Monigold
Oh, Canadians
2/22
A legitimate aficionado and explorer of international music, the Talking Heads' David Byrne presented a number of questions in the song "Once in a Lifetime." He sings, "And you may ask yourself am I right? Am I wrong?" Lofty themes, to be sure, but scale back the enlightenment, apply it to the world-music genre itself and you may ask yourself, "What does a sibling octet from Canada know about Celtic music?" The Luck of the Ontarians? Never heard of it. Regardless, the family collective known as Leahy has fashioned a multiplatinum career out of the humble-yet-danceable fiddle fashioning of the category, even if they don't have the glossy crossover appeal of The Corrs. Leahy is more in line with a folk Partridge Family crossed with The Chieftains--squeaky clean and highly proficient no matter the style. In support of its latest album, In All Things, Leahy comes to Dallas for the first time on Wednesday evening at McFarlin Auditorium, so even if a troupe of our northern neighbors is splicing and spicing a European tradition, it doesn't mean the sentiment's not coming from the heart. After all, Byrne was just a Brit playing with tribal beats. Same as it ever was. Southern Methodist University's McFarlin Auditorium is at 6405 Boaz Lane. Call TITAS at 214-528-5576. --Matt Hursh
Jolly Good Fellows
2/20
Few singers capable of performing Carl Orff's challenging cantata Carmina Burana, with its medieval Latin and strange mix of love, drinking and religious songs, would dare be caught onstage in their pajamas. Footie PJs or bunny slippers or a dressing gown? No way. Out of the question. Not even for a record deal with Sony Classic. That's what we love about the Turtle Creek Chorale: One-half of a program will be silly hats, flamboyant gesturing and Broadway or pop music songs, and the other will be tuxedos and very, very, very serious and professional classic chorale music. The 200-plus-member, (generally) all-male, mostly (but not exclusively) gay choir serves up Twinkies and broccoli of the musical variety, doing both perfectly. They also support causes dear to their hearts, including AIDS and breast cancer. So, support them when the chorus turns 25 this year and celebrates with a concert at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. Highlights include a performance of "The Last Words of David," the first song the chorus performed at its first rehearsal, and a parade of best and worst costumes from previous concerts. We're rooting for the footie pajamas (from the concert that won them the Guinness World Records title for "World's Longest Chorale Concert") and the bearded Raggedy Ann doll (from the 1999 Christmas concert) to make repeat appearances. Also, the PBS documentary The Evolution of a Chorus will be previewed on "the world's largest HDTV screen" above the stage. Former members are returning for a grand finale when alumni will pack the stage. Tickets are $20 to $43. Call 1-800-494-8497. --Shannon Sutlief
