Last Chance

It's a fact that appearances can be deceiving. It's also a cliché, sure, but forgive that irritation for a moment and understand there’s a reason for it. In fact, let's look at some evidence. Take a hoppin' Dallas nightclub and that hot blonde at the bar you assume is plastic and totally hate for being hot. She's wearing a top that's seemingly held up by magic as there is no bra to speak of and you can bounce a bottle cap off her ass, which is, of course, fashionably covered in $300 jeans. She is wearing Jimmy Choos. What you don't know is that magic and bouncing equal daily workouts, the jeans are discount because, well, she works at the store that sells them to put herself through law school, and if you were to look inside the shoes, they read "Jimmy Choe." Dallas is all about appearances and less about what goes into them. Which is why Contemporary Theatre of Dallas' production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo is just what the city needs. Follow a Jewish family as they put up a Christmas tree, worry about popularity and make judgments about the backgrounds of others...in the South in 1939. Ah, some things still ring true. Audiences get to decide if that's a good thing. Ballyhoo contains "mild adult language" and runs Friday through December 31. The theater is located at 5601 Sears St. Tickets are $22 to $27. Visit contemporarytheatreofdallas.com.
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 23, 2 p.m. Starts: Nov. 30. Continues through Dec. 17