Friday, October 10, 2008

First weekend to see 16 theater productions (Oct. 10-12)

By Shawn Parikh

This weekend brings in a ton of shows, and it has something for everyone: children's shows, comedies, college theater, plays, premieres, Shakespeare and musicals. Make sure to check out what is happening:

Photo by Lowell Sargeant

• Fiorello!, presented by Lyric Stage. North Texas premiere of Fiorello!, a musical about the rise to power of New York’s Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia. In a time when the crooked political machine known as Tammany Hall was up to its ears in corruption, it took this small, honest man to break their stranglehold on New York City politics. Unlike the satire of most political musicals, Fiorello! is really a love story set to the music and beat of a New York City in the midst of change. Fiorello! is a melodic masterpiece whose take on corruption in government is as timely today as when it was written. Purchase tickets ($23-30) online.
• AIDA, presented by Music Theatre of Denton. A fresh take on one of classical opera's grandest tales. Aida's story offers passion and intrigue amidst cultural clashes of ancient Egypt and today! Ultimately, love transcends bitter divisions between nations and results in a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity. The eclectic score features pop-rock ballads and tremendous chorus numbers by music icon, Sir Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. Aida embraces multi-cultural characters, exuberant dancing and singing. Elton John's pop style is laced with generous doses of reggae to gospel music and strong influences from African, Indian and Middle Eastern cultures. AIDA won 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score. Call 940-382-1915 for tickets ($10-18).
• Ghosts, presented by WingSpan Theatre Company. Area premiere of Lanford Wilson’s translation. Ghosts takes us on a journey of suspense and intrigue. This is the story of a mother’s love, a father’s sins and a son’s terrible inheritance that has only grown more powerful with the passing of time. In the course of a day a family’s history will unravel before our eyes. Ghosts unveils a chilling series of revelations that chips away at traditional “family values” and cracks the very foundations of “decent society.” For reservations ($.01-20), call 214-675-6573.
• Don Juan the Vampire, presented by Teatro Dallas. Follow vampire Don Juan as he climbs cloisters seducing women and laughing at the law and the religious values of society. Zorrilla opened his famous Don Juan Tenorio in 1844 in Mexico City but placed the story in 16th century Seville. Teatro Dallas's production of Don Juan the Vampire, however, will take place in 1950's Seville, with a swirl of punk rock from the eighties- after all the play opens during a masquerade. This show is packed with action and taps into the personality of the womanizer Don Juan, who in spite of his evil and vampiric ways, surrenders to the love of Doña Inés. Purchase tickets ($15-25) online.
• Monkey: The Quest to the West, presented by Undermain Theatre. Created and performed by Fred Curchack and Laura Jorgensen. Monkey: The Quest to the West follows the supernatural trickster Monkey King who makes war with heaven until he is imprisoned under a mountain by Buddha. After 500 years, he is freed to protect a Buddhist monk on his perilous journey from China to India to bring back spiritual teachings. On the way, they encounter all manner of deities, demons, monsters and outrageous misadventures. This magical story has been adapted for The Beijing Opera, several kung fu movies, plays, rock operas, cartoons, anime, manga, and cult TV series in China, Japan, England, and the U.S. ("Lost Empire"). Call 214-747-5515 for tickets ($15-25) or purchase online.
• The Mummy's Claw, presented by Dallas Children's Theater. This Horror Spoof will have audiences "wrapped" in suspense and laughter just in time for the arrival of King Tut's treasures! In the grand tradition of Agatha Christie and Monty Python, a colorful collection of zany characters convene a archaeologist Sir Nevil Blore's Egyptian "digs" to solve an ancient puzzle. A simple house party becomes a life or death struggle in the Valley of the Nile. Purchase tickets ($12-22) online or by calling 214-740-0051.
• Leonard’s Car, presented by TeCo Theatrical Productions. This sparkling award-winning play by Dallas playwright, Isabella Russell-Ides features an exuberant over-the-top artist, Josey Jeauxcarré — the reckless driver at the play's center. Her heady flirtation with suicide puts her on a collision course with memory and two grown daughters, Skylark and Ruby Tuesday who remember differently. Powerful offstage characters, in particular Josey’s dead lover Leonard, exert their own gravitational pull. Will Josey restore Leonard's 1955 T-bird and drive into the big blue nowhere á la ''Thelma and Louise''? An exciting new cast promises unforgettable powerhouse performances. Call the box office at 214-948-0716 for tickets ($15-20) or purchase online.
• Rounding Third, presented by Frisco Community Theatre. Don is the tough, blue-collar, win-at-all-costs veteran coach whose son is the star pitcher. Michael is a newcomer both to the town and to baseball. He's a corporate executive who agrees to be Don's assistant because he wants a special activity with his son, who's never played baseball before. Despite their differences, Michael and Don form an uneasy alliance for the benefit of the team. And over the course of exhilarating victories, heartbreaking defeats, and interminable rain-outs, the two men battle over how to lead the team. Purchase tickets ($10-15) online or by calling 972-754-2672.
• Blithe Spirit, presented by Stage West. One of the world's favorite comedies. Novelist Charles Condomine finds himself in a world of farcical trouble when a seance accidentally materializes the beautiful and very mischievous ghost of his first wife, who is visible and audible only to him. Purchase tickets ($18-28) online or by calling 817-784-9378.
• Blithe Spirit, presented by Greater Lewisville Community Theatre. Novelist Charles Condomine invites an eccentric, breezy lady medium into his home in order to learn the language of the occult. Little does Charles or his lovely second wife, Ruth, dream that the seance staged by the medium will summon back Charles' first wife. That mischievous lady from beyond appears and torments Charles, who alone can see or hear her. She has a ghostly plot to get Charles into an automobile accident and make a ghost of him, to join her. Mistakes occur, however, and it is Ruth who takes the fatal automobile ride and passes on only to return with the first wife to team up against Charles. Call 972-221-SHOW for reservations ($10-13).
• Urinetown, presented by Repertory Company Theatre. Urinetown is a funny, smart, Tony Award-winning musical. Its action takes place in a city of the future where, as the result of severe and ongoing water shortages, private toilets have been banned. A giant corporation, the Urine Good Company (UGC for short), is in charge of all pay-per-pee services. The gradually escalating price is still affordable to a well-off few, but teeming masses of poor have to scrape together piles of spare change every day in order to take care of their private business. This, announces policeman-narrator Officer Lockstock, is “the central conceit of the show.” Call 972-690-5029 for tickets ($14-25).
• Helen, presented by Texas Woman's University. This modern adaptation of “Helen of Troy” seeks to discover whether one can rewrite their past, especially if that past was an illusion. She exists in an Egyptian hotel for seventeen years waiting for the war to end. Helen has spent every day alone in her hotel room with no visitors except her Egyptian servant. The play takes place on the day when Helen’s waiting finally comes to an end. She is visited by fellow Greek sex symbol, Io; the well known Greek goddess Athena; and finally by the husband she feared she had lost, Menelaus. For ticket reservations ($5-10), call 940-898-2020.
• Big Love, presented by Collin Theatre Center. A dazzling new drama by Charles L. Mee, based on The Suppliant Women by Aeschylus. Fifty brides flee their fifty grooms and seek refuge in a villa on the coast of Italy in this modern re-making of one of the western world's oldest plays. The fifty grooms catch up with the brides, and mayhem ensues: the grooms arrive by helicopter in their flight suits, the women throw themselves over and over again to the ground, pop songs and romantic dances are performed. Finally, unable to escape their forced marriages, 49 of the brides murder 49 of the grooms… and one bride falls in love! Request tickets ($6-8) online or by calling 972-881-5809.
• Seussical the Musical, presented by Cedar Valley College's Family Music Theater. Seussical The Musical brings to life our favorite Dr. Seuss characters including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gerturde McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and all the Whos of Whoville in one fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. These classic, colorful tales are seamlessly brought together by Jojo – a young boy and “thinker of strange and wonderful thinks!” As each story unfolds, it reveals the relevance and profound nature of Seuss’ subtle themes, making this a musical for all ages. The score emerges as a marvelous Seussian gumbo of musical styles, ranging from Latin to pop, swing to gospel, and R&B to funk with a live band. Call 972-860-2994 for tickets ($5-10).
• Much Ado About Nothing, presented by Fort Worth Theatre. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot (free).
• Glinda & the Land of Oz, presented by Actors Conservatory Theatre. Tickets ($7-10) on sale at the box office 1/2 hour before the show.

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Theater