Thursday, Oct. 29
Kyle Abraham: Abraham in Motion
Kyle Abraham’s work is inclusive, any way you look at it. It’s inclusive of different art forms such as dance (obviously, as he’s a choreographer), music and visual art; it blends performers of different ethnicities; it mixes classical elements with contemporary; it interweaves social issues with pure physicality. The 2013 MacArthur Genius Award-winner has a lot to answer for as a result of his diverse ambitions and accomplishments, and he continues to push the envelope with “Kyle Abraham: Abraham.In.Motion,” which comes to Dallas with a world premiere live music event at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The performance at the Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., features three pieces from Abraham’s repertoire, including Absent Matter, which traces the lineage of hip-hop as part of a bigger conversation about race; The Gettin’, a piece inspired by themes of protest, bondage and freedom; and the fairly literal The Quiet Dance. Tickets to the wide-ranging yet strikingly interconnected presentation presented by TITAS are $25 to $75 at attpac.org. - Jennifer Davis-Lamm
S L O W: Gong Fu Tea Service
Next to water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, leaving the acid and bitterness of coffee in its aromatic dust. And it’s not just about refreshment either; the way we drink it speaks to our culture and traditions. Its preparation is a measure of etiquette in many countries; it’s a social ritual throughout the world; and it’s a means of mindfulness in numerous places. Come celebrate the world’s most beloved medicinal drink at The Wild Detectives, 314 W. 8th St., during S L O W: Gong Fu Tea Service at 7 p.m. Thursday. This is more than a tea party, though — it’s a nod to the Chinese tradition of “making tea with intention.” Attendees can unplug, unwind and sip on a variety of Chinese and Taiwanese brews while Wong Kar Wei’s In the Mood for Love plays in the background. Admission is free, but an RSVP is required at eventbrite.com. Visit thewilddetectives.com for more. -JDL
DP92
Keep your eyes open and steel your courage. For the next immersive play from Dead White Zombies, DP92, visitors will walk straight into a science fiction show inspired by 1950s genre films. The mollusk mind is upon us, uniting the origin of complex life as we know it with the human brain. Visitors will enter this world 30 at a time, assigned to groups “in accordance with their biogenetic emanations,” and explore the cosmic void. The mollusk consciousness has chosen a warehouse in West Dallas located at 2516 N. Beckley Ave. and will require $30 from all who wish to see it firsthand at 8 p.m. More at deadwhitezombies.com.
A Divine Evening with Charles Busch
You can spend Halloween weekend hoarding Snickers Minis with the porch lights out or you can do something a little more fabulous and spend A Divine Evening with Charles Busch. Busch is a super duper celebrated actor, playwright and female impersonator and he’s making a rare appearance in Dallas. Your expanding waistline can wait. The cabaret show is a little bawdy, a little naughty and mostly character-driven, with some real life Busch anecdotes added for extra hilarity. True story, Busch isn’t a huge fan of the word “campy,” or at least the definition that means something is so bad it’s good. He is, however, totally cool with his own definition where campy means a mix of Old Hollywood and a loud-ass lady star. Catch A Divine Evening at 8 p.m. Thursday with performances through Saturday at Wyly Theater, 2400 Flora St. Tickets start at $45 and are on sale now at attpac.org. - Nikki Lott
Latin Kings of Comedy
There’s an unspoken rule in comedy that when you make it big, the classy thing to do is reach out a hand to up-and-comers. Comedian Paul Rodriguez has been on stages for nearly three decades in just about every English and Spanish speaking country you can imagine, and he’s doing exactly that with his “Latin Kings of Comedy” shows. The stand-up veteran has assembled a killer team of comedians who deserve their time in the spotlight’s warming glow, and he’s bringing them to the Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie (1001 Performance Place) at 8 p.m. Thursday. Rodriguez’s roster of regular performers will include Alex Reymundo, who has appeared on Comedy Central’s Original Latin Kings of Comedy with Rodriguez and George Lopez; Joey Medina, who has his own Showtime special and wrote and hosted an original series for Sí TV; and Manny Maldonado, who toured with Rodriguez for two years. Tickets are $29.75 to $45 at axs.com. -Danny Gallagher
Friday, October 30
Great Scott
Ah, fall. The season of bleacher reports and … bel canto? If we could think of the epitome of odd cultural juxtaposition, it would certainly be football and opera. And even the creators (renowned composer Jake Heggie and playwright Terrence McNally) of Great Scott — a modern day, English-language opera in two acts that takes on a town’s biggest night with its ultimate pigskin showdown simultaneous to the debut of a lost opera — address that audiences for the two events aren’t drawn from the same well, though perhaps they will be as the Dallas Opera performs the PG-13 work at the Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., at 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, November 7; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 15. It also takes on goals in general: career, life, love. It’s all there, as it so often is on stage, behind the curtain, on the field, and off. With an interesting use of supertitles to keep the audience apprised of the big game score during the “opera within the opera,” Great Scott gives quite the update to the opera experience — and a sporty one at that. Tickets ($19-$214) are available at 214-443-1000 or dallasopera.org. - Merritt Martin
Concerto de Aranjuez
The sounds of Spain are lush, worldly and rhythmic — it’s where classical guitar originated, and the plucks and resonance of that instrument are deeply entwined with Spain’s cultural identity. Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez is the embodiment of what we’ve come to know as “that Spanish sound.” The unique composition, in which a solo guitar holds its own against a full orchestra, established Rodrigo as one of Spain’s most significant composers. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and guitarist Pepe Romero, will perform this seminal piece along with other Spanish compositions, including Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole and Franck’s Symphony in D minor, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday -Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets to the performance at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., are $19 to $80 at mydso.com. - JDL
The Shadow Show: Persephone
If you were thinking of rendering a dramatic production almost entirely in shadows, you’d be hard pressed to find a tale more apt than that of Persephone and Hades. The unwilling queen and her captor king ruled formidably over a shady hellscape in Greek mythology, inspiring fear and dread in literature and in ancient belief systems. But Persephone also evoked a spirit of regeneration and female strength that inspired Grecian female-centric cults and has reverberated throughout the humanities. Now Prism Co. has adapted the dark tale of Persephone’s descent into a stunning show of shadowy choreography. The Shadow Show: Persephone is a kinetic and unnerving interpretation that explores Persephone’s impossible situation. The show previews at 8 p.m. Friday at the 500 Singleton Warehouse, 500 Singleton Blvd., and premieres on Saturday, followed by a Halloween party. Additional performances are at 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through November 15. Tickets are $10 to $15 at prismco.org. - JDL
Los Bastardos' Rocky Horror Picture Show
Take your friends here if they like throwing toilet paper, yelling "slut" and singing along to "Science Fiction/Double Feature." It starts at midnight Friday and Saturday at the Inwood Theatre. Tickets are $10.50.
Saturday, October 31
Blink
We always hear, “Money can’t buy happiness,” but it sure as hell can make things easier. And by “easier,” we mean easier to forget about what’s really important: family, friends and loved ones. Starting on Halloween night at 8:15 p.m., Ochre House Theater (825 Exposition Ave.) will present the world premiere of Kevin Grammer’s musical comedy Blink. This original work carries powerful tunes about how everything can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. For $12, this all-star cast (including puppets) will let you know that love is all you need. Like the famous philosopher Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you could miss it.” For tickets and more info, head to ochrehousetheater.org. - Lucas Buckels
Halloween Party at Hotel Zaza
Most notable horror movies begin — and typically end — inside of a hotel. We’re not sure why this formula is most popular, but maybe it’s due to subconscious concerns about unknown body fluids and how they got there. Lucky for you, most of those hotel ratings on Yelp are only 1 star. Hotel ZaZa (2332 Leonard St.) throws a wrench in the plot line by offering an epic Halloween party at their 4-star hotel. You’re less likely to encounter Jack with an axe, creepy twins or even a blood thirsty Lady Gaga, and more likely to have a damn good time for $75. For more information about the party, visit hotelzaza.com. - LB
Spooky Pooch Festival at Main Street Garden
Take that friend who is going to dress up her puppy no matter how miserable the dog looks in that Minion costume. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $13 for humans, free for dogs.
Sunday, Nov. 1
Shortcuts Film Festival
The great thing about a short film is that if it’s not great, wait five minutes and it will end. You don’t have to struggle with the moment a half-hour into a movie when you realize you should leave but don’t have the guts to ask for your money back. This is why we’re excited for Shortcuts, a short film festival that features 10 short films followed by a discussion and cocktails. I mean, really, what could be better? It all starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Alamo Drafthouse (501 W. Beltline Road, Richardson) and tickets are $69. OK, the price could be better, but cocktails! The discussion will be led by Dallas Morning News culture critic Chris Vognar and Doug LeClaire. More info at drafthouse.com/dfw.
