Shakespeare Dallas' King Lear at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre
Are you a fan of HBO's Succession? Then you're a fan of William Shakespeare's King Lear. Don't think so, huh? Well, does this sound familiar? A man of great means and power succumbs to the ravages of age and madness while two of his children fight over his kingdom and the third loves him enough to be honest with him, blinding him to the true nature of love and honor. Shakespeare Dallas kicks off its run of this classic royal tragedy of wealth and power at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre (1500 Tenison Parkway). Single admission passes to the park and show are $20, and $15 for seniors age 65 or older and military and veterans. The show will take place every Thursday – Sunday until Sunday, Oct. 15. Tickets are available at shakespearedallas.org.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert at The Majestic Theatre
If you haven't seen any of the Spider-Verse movies yet, what the hell are you waiting for? It's the lone comic book movie franchise that EVERY lover of film can get behind these days. The Majestic Theatre (1925 Elm St.) is presenting a rare opportunity to watch the first animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse starting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13. You'll be able to watch the Oscar-winning Marvel film on the big screen while listening to a live scratch session with DJs re-creating the iconic score compiled by Emmy winner Daniel Pemberton. Tickets are $129 for any remaining mezzanine seats and can be purchased online at Ticketnetwork.com.
Get your best dresses out for Addison's Oktoberfest on Thursday, Sept. 14, at Addison Circle Park.
Addison Oktoberfest
Addison Oktoberfest at Addison Circle Park
Who says you can only celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany? That's like saying you can't celebrate Mardi Gras if you don't live in New Orleans. The city of Addison is kicking off this beloved Bavarian tradition with its four-day Addison Oktoberfest celebration in Addison Circle Park (4970 Addison Circle Drive). This infectious celebration of music, food and (of course) beer (and also includes some stuff for the kids) runs 6–11 p.m. on Thursday, Sept 14; 6 p.m. – midnight, Friday, Sept. 15; noon – midnight, Saturday, Sept. 16; and noon – 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. Thursday and Sunday offer free admission for all ages. Single day admission passes are $10 for Friday or Saturday. Guests age 9 and under get in free on all four days. Group tickets for 20 people or more are available for $8 per person on Friday or Saturday. Visit addisonoktoberfest.com to get your passes.
The Addams Family Musical at the Firehouse Theatre
The Addams Family may love the bleak parts of life but "love" is still the key word. So what happens when America's most beloved goths grow up? Find out in this Tony Award-winning adaptation of cartoonist Charles Addams' most famous work when it starts a run at the Firehouse Theatre (2535 Valley View Lane) in Farmers Branch. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, with additional performances every Thursday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. until Sunday, Oct. 1. Tickets are $32 for the opening night performance and $36 for every Thursday night performance. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday matinee shows are $32; for Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances they're $38. Students, seniors, educators and frontline workers can get a $4 discount. Tickets are available online at thefirehousetheatre.com.
Friday, Sept. 15
Donnell Rawlings at the Addison Improv
Comedian Donnell Rawlings is just funny. He's also been on some of TV's biggest shows, such as HBO's The Wire and Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. So you know he's got at least a couple of crazy stories to share when he steps out on stage at the Addison Improv (4980 Belt Line Road). Rawlings will perform five shows on Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16. The shows start at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $70 for a preferred table for two and $100 for general admission tables for four people, with purchases limited to no more than eight people. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at improvtx.com/addison.
The Love Club: A Comedy Dating Gameshow at Dallas Comedy Club
Are you finding it difficult to find someone after a difficult breakup? Would you at least feel better if you could help someone else find their potential life mate? You can do at least one of those things at the Dallas Comedy Club (3036 Elm St.) in Deep Ellum at 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15. The Love Club is an interactive comedy game show in which bachelors and bachelorettes can choose potential matches from some of Dallas' funniest (and somehow still single) comics, but they are blindfolded and only get to hear their attempts to make them laugh. Then the audience can help them make their final choice. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased at the box office or online at dallas-comedyclub.com.
Strap on your utility belt for the Texas Theatre's Batman Day film marathon on Saturday, Sept. 16.
John Phillips/Getty
Batman Day at the Texas Theatre
The Dark Knight is getting his own day at the Texas Theatre (231 W. Jefferson Blvd.) and no, we don't mean a Val Kilmer or George Clooney movie marathon. The Oak Cliff movie house is presenting a triple feature of some of the best films about DC Comics' dark vigilante. It starts at 3 p.m. with The LEGO Batman Movie starring the voice of Will Arnett as LEGO-dom's coolest, non-mutated superhero. Then at 5:30 p.m., catch Michael Keaton's premiere performance as Gotham City's greatest hero with director Tim Burton's first Batman film. Finally at 8:15 p.m., you can watch director Christopher Nolan's second and most critically acclaimed Batman film with a screening of The Dark Knight. Tickets for each screening are $12.50 per person or $10.50 for theater members and students, seniors and military personnel. Tickets can be purchased at the theater or online at thetexastheatre.com.
Retropalooza X at the Arlington Convention Center
Just because retro video games don't have an online multiplayer option that lets a 6-year-old call you the most hideous names doesn't mean you can't experience them with your friends and total strangers. The annual Retropalooza gathering returns to Arlington for two days of retro gaming greatness from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, and Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Arlington Convention Center (1200 Ballpark Way). You'll get to meet some of your favorite characters (or rather, their voices), such as Borderlands' Dameon Clarke, Resident Evil Village's Maggie Robertson and NBA Jam's Tim Kitzrow; shop for controllers, consoles and copies of your favorite classic games; and compete in tournaments with games such as Tecmo Super Bowl, Tekken 3 and Dr. Mario. Passes are $25 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday and $30 for the entire weekend. VIP passes start at $70 if you purchase them online ahead of the event. They come with a weekend badge, a free T-shirt, early access to the vendor floor and an invite to a special VIP party. Get your tickets at retropalooza.com.
Tim Meadows at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub
You'll get only one chance to see one of Saturday Night Live's longest-running and funniest performers. Tim Meadows, the actor and comedian who played The Ladies' Man on SNL and other memorable performances in movies (Mean Girls, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Disney+'s The Mandalorian), will perform at a special event show at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane). Tickets are $20 for general admission and $25 for preferred seating and can be purchased at the box office or online at prekindle.com.
Marlon Wayans will perform at The Majestic on Sunday, Sept. 17, with new material — always.
Troy Conrad
Marlon Wayans at the Majestic Theatre
We actually talked with comedian Marlon Wayans (no, really, we did) and he told us that every time he does a set, he always does it differently. He rolls with a crowd even if he's sticking to a piece of well-timed material. That means each of his shows is a new experience. So even if you've seen him before, you'll want to see him again. You'll get the chance when he comes to The Majestic (1925 Elm St.) for one night only at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17. Tickets are $78–$588 and can be purchased online at ticketnetwork.com.
Oak Cliff Chess Club at The Wild Detectives
Chess isn't just a board game. It's an epic showdown between two human brains trying to outmaneuver, outwit and outplay each other. If you think you're a grandmaster of the game, put your mettle to the test with the Oak Cliff Chess Club. It meets 6–9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Wild Detectives bookshop (314 W. 8th St.) in Oak Cliff. Admission is free.
Monday, Sept. 18
Colonial Williamsburg at the George W. Bush Presidential Center
Have you ever wanted to visit a re-creation of colonial Williamsburg without actually going to Virginia or getting stuck in one of those time-warping wormholes that always mess up your hair? Colonial Williamsburg is bringing the experience to Dallas with actors portraying key figures in U.S. history such as Thomas Jefferson, Martha Washington, James Armistead Lafayette and Ann Wager. They'll be at the George W. Bush Presidential Center (2943 SMU Blvd.) starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children and can be purchased at the library or online at bushcenter.org.
Tuesday, Sept. 19
A Free Rooftop Screening of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret at the Sundown at Granada
If you missed the chance to see the charming, hilarious and poignant cinematic recreation of Judy Blume's most famous young adult novel, the Sundown at Granada (3520 Greenville Ave.) is giving you another shot to see it with other people. The Greenville Avenue rooftop bar's weekly free film screening series will present the recent adaptation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret starting at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Admission is free but seating is limited. Anyone under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.
