Friday, September 26, 2008

Last chance to see 11 plays and musicals (Sept. 26-28)

By Shawn Parikh

This weekend marks the end for some great shows, so try and head to a couple while you have the time:

American Cassandra

The Women

• Menopause: The Musical. Set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common but a black lace bra meet by chance, the musical pokes fun at things such as hot flashes, memory loss, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and eating binges. The show’s intended message is that menopause is a passage, but it should no longer be The Silent Passage. It is a stage in every woman’s life that is perfectly normal. Call 972-744-4650 for tickets ($45) or purchase online.
• The Who’s Tommy, presented by Dallas Theater Center. Since it exploded on the charts almost 40 years ago as the first rock opera ever written, Tommy has been freshly re-interpreted for each generation in concerts, on film, and on stage. Now this classic, cross-generational, pop phenomenon comes to life at DTC in a new, vibrant, once-in-a-lifetime production. The Kalita Humphreys Theater will rock with high-energy singing and dancing, dazzling images, and a live onstage band. Ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the Greatest Rock Albums of all time, Pete Townshend's musical masterpiece tells the story of a deaf, dumb, and blind Pinball Wizard who transcends the cruelty of the world around him and finds enlightenment. Driven by a powerful beat and reverberating with unforgettable characters, this is a Tommy for today. Call 214-522-8499 for tickets or purchase ($16-60) online.
• American Cassandra: Déjà vu, presented by Echo Theatre. It's been four years since Echo "got political" with its hugely popular Dreaming America: In the Bunker with George, and Echo is at it again! In the tradition of the mythological Cassandra, Echo has been issuing theatrical warnings since 1999. Will Echo be heard - and heeded - this time?!? Purchase tickets ($20) online or by calling 214-904-0500.
• Moon Over Buffalo, presented by Pocket Sandwich Theatre. This is the comedy which brought Carol Burnett back to Broadway. An uproarious look at the backstage shenanigans of an aging acting couple, George and Charlotte Hay (not quite the Lunts), who have one last shot at starring roles in a Frank Capra movie. There are a few disturbing questions: Will Charlotte appear or run off with their agent? Will George be sober enough to emote? Will Capra see Cyrano, Private Lives, or a strange mixture of the two? Hilarious misunderstandings pile on madcap misadventures, all of which are magnified by Charlotte’s deaf mother who manages the theatre. Call 214-821-1860 for tickets ($10-18).
• I Hate Hamlet, presented by Labyrinth Theatre. Andrew Rally seems to have it all: celebrity and acclaim for his starring role in a hit tv series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a glamorous, devoted agent; the perfect New York apartment; and the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park. There are, however, a couple of glitches in paradise. Andrew’s series has been cancelled; his girlfriend is clinging to her virginity with unyielding conviction; and he has no desire to play Hamlet. When Andrew’s agent reminisces about her brief romance many years ago in Andrew’s apartment with John Barrymore, a séance is performed to summon his ghost. Hilarity ensues as Barrymore returns, in high Shakespearean garb, to coach Andrew through the role of a lifetime – Hamlet. The laughs are nonstop as Andrew wrestles with his conscience, Barrymore, his sword, and the fact that he fails as Hamlet in Central Park. Purchase tickets ($10-25) online or by calling 972-231-1012.
• A Soldier’s Play, presented by African-American Repertory Theater. Winner of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In a Louisiana army camp in 1944 Capt. Taylor, the white C.O., has a problem. He commands a black company whose sergeant has been murdered. A black captain is assigned to investigate and Taylor tries to discourage him because he feels the assigning of a black investigator means the case is to be swept under the rug. Capt. Davenport perseveres and, as he probes deeper, he finds the truth is even more shocking than the murder itself. ”A work of great resonance and integrity.” Purchase tickets ($10-20) online or by calling 972-572-0998.
• The Island of Dr. Moreau, presented by Hip Pocket Theatre. Inspired by the 1896 science fiction novel about an obsessed scientist and his experiments in evolution. Live music performing before and after the play. Gates Open 6:30 p.m. Purchase tickets ($5-15) online or by calling 817-246-9775.
• The Women, presented by Repertory Company Theatre. Clare Boothe Luce’s social satire The Women was a smash hit when first performed on Broadway in 1936 and has enjoyed several revival productions during the 1970s and 1990s. The new movie starring Meg Ryan will out this September. Call 972-690-5029 to reserve tickets ($12-20).
• The Overwhelming, presented by SMU Division of Theatre, for this week only. An American professor and his family travel to Rwanda in 1994 seeking his old college classmate, a Tutsi doctor who treats children with AIDS. Once there, as they fruitlessly search for the doctor, they become drawn into the tension and terror building to the genocidal war, facing overwhelming risks, betrayals, and life and death decisions. This suspenseful drama by award-winning playwright J.T. Rogers had its world premiere at the National Theatre of Great Britain and its American premiere in fall 2007 to critical acclaim at New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company; SMU is presenting the play’s first Dallas performance. In the Margo Jones Theatre.
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Three one acts based off Grimm’s Fairy Tales: “Rumpelstiltskin”, "Hansel & Gretel", and “Happily Ever After."
• Murder on the Nile, presented by Duncanville Community Theatre. Call 972-780-5707 for reservations ($10-12).

See more stories in:

• Arts > Fine Arts > Theater