The folks over at Fun House Theatre and Film can do no wrong. They've earned critical acclaim and numerous awards for new perspectives on works by everyone from Edward Albee to David Mamet. What's different about them? They only cast kids. This weekend, masterminds (at least according to us) Jeff Swearingen and Bren Rapp throw teenagers into the tangled web of sexual manipulation in Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things. For this mature story, they've brought in Brad Baker, the chair of Collin College's theater department, to direct the young cast. In the hands of anyone else, this might be a disaster, but with the young actors at Fun House, it's bound to be worth the $10 ticket. Performances start Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and run through Sunday. More info.
Thursday, March 20
Rachmaninoff at the Dallas Symphony Piano students everywhere fear Rachmaninoff. His fast-fingered compositions will make your heart flutter. This weekend the DSO brings in 23-year-old piano star Anna Fedorova to perform his gorgeous "Second Piano Concerto," alongside the orchestra. SMU Meadows Symphony beloved music director Paul Phillips conducts.
Kettle Art Gallery's Silver Linings Somewhere in between black and white there are shades of gray. The varied tones of this intermediate color have inspired novels. At the intersection of black and white you discover lead or ash. Kettle Art Gallery's new exhibit focuses on these Silver Linings with an exhibition composed entirely of grisaille paintings, monochromatic photographs and black-and-white illustrations. The work of more than 20 artists will be on display starting at 7 p.m. Thursday with an opening reception and remain on view through April 12.
Undermain Theatre's We are Proud to Present If you're looking for some good theater and want to see a new play, you can't go wrong with a show at Undermain Theatre. Consistently presenting some of the most interesting work in town, this is the opening weekend for We are Proud to Present... This new show by Jackie Sibblies Drury is a play within a play about history, racism and truth. It's in previews Thursday and Friday so tickets are just $10. More info.
Friday, March 21
Jubilee Theatre's Ain't Mesbehavin' There is a lot of theater opening this week around town. If you're looking for a killer musical (and you haven't seen The Fortress of Solitude yet), Jubilee Theatre out in Fort Worth opens Ain't Mesbehavin', a musical about the Harlem Renaissance filled with the catchy rhythms of swing.
Rebecca Carter Gallery Opening Where does a memory rest? And more important, what does it look like? Could an artist capture it in a painting? In her latest series, Rebecca Carter attempts exactly that. Using machine stitching on digitally generated color fields, she uses linear forms to create images both familiar and strange. She derives her art in Sleep Architecture and the Dream House from data she gathered over several months of sleep mapping. The opening reception at RE Gallery, 1717 Gould St., takes place at 6 p.m. Friday.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre's Beyond Borders There are no limits in DBDT's show this weekend. The dancers may have you believing they aren't bound by the same laws of gravity as you. For this production, the featured choreographers are company members Katricia Eaglin, Richard A. Freeman Jr. and Nycole Ray. The show is one-night-only at the W.E. Scott Theatre in Fort Worth and tickets are just $30.
The Dallas Opera's Die tote Stadt This weekend Erich Wolfgang Korngold's very creepy ghost opera takes the stage at the Winspear Opera House. The music is beautiful and the story about man obsessed with his dead wife is haunting (because, ghosts). It opens 7:30 p.m. Friday and runs in repertory with Barber of Seville through April 6. Tickets start at $19.
The Fort Worth Symphony's Twilight of the Gods If you've always wanted to hear a digeridoo, you'll have a chance this weekend. The 1,500-year-old wind instrument invented by indigenous Australians is featured in composer Peter Sculthorpe's "Earth Cry," part of the FW Symphony's stunning repertoire. Also featured in the program is selections from Wagner's Ring Cycle. Tickets start at $12. More info.
Savor Dallas' Arts District Wine Stroll Two important things to note here: wine and architecture. Some of the prettiest buildings in Dallas comprise or are visible from the Arts District and because it's a Savor Dallas event and tickets are $35, the wine is bound to be premium. The whole affair sounds very too-too. Starts at 5 p.m. More info.
Saturday, March 22
Rock & Shop Music. Shopping. Doughnuts. All these would be on a list of life's good stuff. This weekend at South Side at Lamar, 1409 S. Lamar St., all three of these things will be part of Rock & Shop, an event that features local vendors and live music. Entry is $5 or $15 if you want free drinks. Dance while you shop from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The Bach and Wing A few times a month, Open Classical takes over various spaces in Dallas and charms the hell out of people with a modern take on classical music. This is one of the biggest shows they've done yet, complete with tap dance extraordinaire's Rhythmic Souls. The Bach and Wing - Live Classical Music Tap Dance Extravaganza. happens at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak St. Tickets are $20 at openclassical.org.
F! Cancer Benefit It's an F'ing Party Tour stops in Fort Worth with a big concert that's number one goal is to kick cancer's ass. The big party happens 8 p.m. Saturday at The Grotto, 517 University Drive, and features local groups Mix Magyk, SoBE LASH, and Kites and Boomerangs. Tickets are $8.
Surrealism of the 21st Century Dada didn't die. Painters are still painting with a surrealist bent and some of this work comes together in LuminArte Gallery's new exhibition, Surrealism and the 21st Century, which opens 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday with a free reception.
Ware:Wolf:Haus' The Last Resort Trinity Groves has a little bit of everything. There's food, there's theater, there's art, there's music. Now, thanks to Ware:Wolf:Haus, the experimental gallery space at 425 Bedford St., there's a musician-in-residence. This weekend, the gallery throws its first big dance party with a concert from George Quartz, who's part musician, part performance artist. Party starts at 10 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday, March 23 Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon I'll just assume you're a better person than me. You're probably nicer. You're probably in better shape. You're probably running the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on Sunday. I'll be trapped in my apartment drinking bloody marys, waving to you as you run by. You look good in those short shorts, Dallas. Last minute registration is $175 and the race starts at City Hall Plaza at 8 a.m. Drinking starts at my apartment shortly thereafter.
Alessio Bax Recital One of the great musicians living among you is Alessio Bax. A world-renowned pianist, he's a visiting professor at Southern Methodist University, which is where he will tickle the keys Sunday. It's the same program he'll play at Lincoln Center next week, so your ears will be lucky to hear it. Tickets start at $7 and are available by calling 214-768-2787.
