ONSTAGE
Stages for all ages
Theater productions run the gamut, from puppet shows to 'High School Musical on Tour!'
By NANCY CHURNIN / Staff Writer
What better way to escape the triple-digit summer weather in Dallas than
by treating the kids to singing, dancing and a green star who's not
Shrek?
Disney's High School Musical on Tour! may be the must-see in this
bag of treats. But another musical that looks pretty irresistible is the
professional local premiere of A Year With Frog and Toad (the
cheerful green Frog we were talking about co-stars with a grumpy brown
Toad). The Tony-nominated Broadway musical is based on the Arnold Lobel
books about two best friends who happen to be amphibians.
Musicals aren't all that's in store onstage, though. Summer promises to
bring everything from puppet shows for the youngest to a free
Bollywood-style production of A Midsummer Night's Dream performed
by high school kids.
Here are some of our favorites.
Critic's choice
OK, we know you had your chance to flip out for Disney's High School
Musical on television. And in concert. And on ice. And possibly
during a few amateur adaptations of the show for stage.
But this is your first chance locally to see a professional production
of Disney's High School Musical on Tour!, which officially
launched in August in Chicago. So, if you want to score cool points with
the kids and have a good time yourself, check out the Dallas Summer
Musicals presentation of the story of whiz kid Gabriella and super jock
Troy and how they overcome the pressures of their cliques to find true
love – and starring roles in their high school musical.
A cross between West Side Story and Grease, with a
decidedly G-rated delivery and happy ending, High School Musical
has been breaking records in various forms since it debuted as a Disney
Channel Original Movie in January 2006, with 7.7 million viewers in the
U.S. The soundtrack was the best-selling album in the U.S. for 2006. The
music from this stage production should prove popular, too, especially
as it introduces a new cast of actors in the familiar roles along with
two new songs.
Also, don't forget to ask about Dallas Summer Musicals' free Kids Club
event on July 5 (it'll be free to ticket-holders for any of the shows).
Details are yet to be announced, but it's a good bet that music and
munchies will be in store.
July 2-13 at Fair Park Music Hall. Kids Club event July 5 from noon to
1:30 p.m. 214-691-7200. www.dallassummermusicals.org. $15 to $75.
More top theater picks
Animalia: A little bit of the zoo comes to the Irving Arts
Center in the form of "Foamies," puppets from Hobey Ford's Golden Rod
Puppets company. Mr. Ford is an award-winning North Carolina-based
puppeteer and teacher. The show's whales, dolphins, birds, butterflies,
wolves and humans will be operated onstage in the Japanese bunraku style
by black-robed puppeteers.
June 24 at the Irving Arts Center. 972-252-2787.
www.irvingartscenter.com. $6.
A Year With Frog and Toad: Mr. Lobel's tender depiction of
the friendship between Frog and Toad was transformed into a warm and
witty Tony-nominated musical. Dallas Children's Theater presents the
long-awaited professional local premiere of this show. There'll also be
a youth production of the show this summer by Theatre Arlington.
June 20-July 20 at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts. 214-740-0051.
www.dct.org. $14 to $23.
Peter Pan & Wendy: Here's your chance to see
marionettes "fly" to Neverland in a comedy-laced production with puppets
and voices from the real-life married clowns Slappy and Monday, who own
and run Slappy's Puppet Playhouse. Also check out the company's weekly
Slappy Time Circus Live!, which continues through the summer with
clowning, gymnasts, puppets and other surprises.
April 5-June 15 at Slappy's Puppet Playhouse, Galleria Dallas.
214-369-4849. www.slappysplayhouse.com. $8 to $9.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: Every year, Junior Players
guides gifted young high school actors through a Shakespearean comedy,
throws in a unique twist and presents it for free under the stars at
Samuell-Grand Park's amphitheater. This year the teens will have their
fun with the tale of mismatched couples, would-be actors and sprites
with agendas. It'll all be presented Bollywood-style with music, dance
and colorful costumes.
July 29-Aug. 3 at Samuell-Grand Park's amphitheater. 214-526-4076.
www.juniorplayers.org. Free.
Bellobration: If you're a sucker for the circus, you don't
want to miss the annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey extravaganza.
Orange-haired daredevil clown Bello shares the stage with elephants,
tigers and acrobats. Come early to meet the performers and see some
close-up performances before the show starts.
July 30-Aug. 10. Tickets go on sale May 31. American Airlines Center.
(Also at the Fort Worth Convention Center Aug. 13-17.) Ticketmaster. $15 to $95.
Published in The Dallas Morning News: 04.04.08
