I found great picks for all ages this week. For the younger ones, check out Disney's Aladdin Jr. at Artisan Center Theater and Charlotte's Web at Casa Manana. Science fans can learn about exploring the underwater world at the Museum of Nature & Science. And teens can check out their fellow teens in a splashy production of Phantom of the Opera at J.J. Pearce High School and in a serious look at bullying in The Secret Life of Girls at Dallas Children's Theater.

Also cool, the special guest at tonight's opening night performance of The Secret Life is Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns, who has shared his experience with bullying on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and at last year's White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. You can get all the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Casa Manana presents Charlotte's Web through Feb. 26, featuring a cast of local favorites along with puppets.

Teatro Dallas hosts its 15th International Festival and Theater Workshop Feb. 10 through 12. Costa Rica, Colombia, Japan and Texas will be represented in this compact multicultural extravaganza.

Elia Arce's multimedia performance piece First Woman on the Moon explores landscapes from the Costa Rican jungle through lunar desert solitude. Feb. 10 at 8:15 p.m. $15 to $20.

Ximena Garnica and Seige Moriya's Trace of Purple Sadness is rooted in Butoh dance. Feb. 11 at 8:15 p.m. $15.

Former Dallas artist Adelina Anthony, a San Antonio native now living in California, takes a humorous approach to the problems gay people face. Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. $15.

- Lawson Taitte/Theater Critic

All programs at South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh, Dallas. 214-689-6492. teatrodallas.org.

You'll be in for a doggie treat at this one-night-only soiree of classical music fused with art photography and a silent auction to benefit Paws in the City, a local nonprofit animal rescue. The multimedia event showcases Dallas Symphony Orchestra's principal oboist Erin Hannigan and acclaimed studio photographer Teresa Berg. Both are superstars when it comes to saving dogs. Hannigan ran the New York City Marathon last November to raise $10,035 for another pet charity, and Berg was recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning with her "glamour shots" of shelter animals (the photos have dramatically increased animals' chances of getting adopted). Hannigan, joined by pianist Gabriel Sanchez and DSO flutist Kara Kirkendoll Welch, will provide the live soundtrack to Berg's new images, which will be projected onto a large screen. But the one likely to steal the show is Jesse Pibble, Hannigan's "foster fail," a lovable sock-eating pit bull rescued from the City of Irving Animal Shelter's Code Red euthanasia list. Jesse has already stolen many hearts through his Facebook page. Not only will you have the chance to meet the canine heartthrob, you might also get to hear him sing.

- Ellen Ritscher Sackett

Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Event1013, 1013 E. 15th St., Plano. $50; includes performance, wine and dessert. Tickets can be purchased at dogartdallas.eventbrite.com. pawsinthecity.org.

Local dancing guy Michael E. Wood makes good with a solo tap-and-song number in what's being billed as the "farewell touring production" of Riverdance, presented by the Dallas Pops at Fair Park Music Hall. The Poughkeepsie, N.Y., native, who was raised in Dallas, says he was always part of a choir but didn't put on tap shoes until he got to Oklahoma City University, where he graduated in 2008. He's making up for lost tap time now, with some flashy foot-stomping in this critically acclaimed Dublin-born tribute to Irish dance. Riverdance has played to more than 22 million people in 40 countries. It's set to end its U.S. tour on June 16, but will continue to tour in Europe.

- Nancy Churnin/Guide

Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 8 at 2 and 8 p.m. 909 First Ave., Fair Park, Dallas. $46.93-$127.13. Ticketmaster.

Free Man of Color tells the story of a freed slave, John Newton Templeton, who graduated from Ohio University 35 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Charles Smith's script won a 2004 Jefferson Award in Chicago for best new play. African American Repertory Theater opens the regional premiere of the piece this weekend. Company co-founder Regina Washington directs a cast that includes Christopher Dontrell Piper as Templeton, Vince Davis as his mentor Robert Wilson, and Mary-Margaret Pyeatt as Wilson's wife.

- Lawson Taitte/Guide

Feb. 3-26 at DeSoto Corner Theatre, 211 E. Pleasant Run Road, DeSoto. $15-$20. 972-572-0998. aareptheater.com.

A highlight of Second Thought Theatre's first season was the world premiere of local actor-playwright Steven Walters' Pluck the Day. A bunch of young West Texas guys -- some high, some just plain drunk -- sit around a porch, talk philosophy and eventually try to kill each other. Of course, there's a good-looking woman involved. Walters revised the play for a New York production last year. So now Second Thought begins its new season, back in Uptown Dallas, with a new production. Matthew Gray directs a terrific cast. Previews begin this weekend for a Feb. 9 opening.

- Lawson Taitte/Guide

Feb. 3-26 in Bryant Hall (next to the Kalita Humphreys Theater), 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas $15-$22.50. 866-811-4111. secondthoughttheatre.com.

Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out, about a Major League baseball star who announces he's gay, created a furor on Broadway and won the 2003 Tony Award for best play. WaterTower Theatre's area premiere in 2006 somewhat toned down the prolonged male nudity. Now Uptown Players is reviving the show with a cast of mostly younger actors -- and, goodness knows, Uptown has never been afraid of a bit of beefcake.

-Lawson Taitte/Guide

Feb. 3-19. Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas. $25-$35. 214-219-2718. uptownplayers.org.

Get out your calendar and start jotting down the dates. Target is hosting Breaking Dawn parities, Norton Juster is heading to town, kids going to the new Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music show can play on Sesame Street Live's new Play Zone, DCT is presenting The Secret Life of Girls and Casa Manana has Charlotte's Web coming up. I've got the details in my Family Fun Looking Ahead column here.

PHOTO: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Breaking Dawn -- Part 1

I found lots of fabulous free fun for kids this week! First off, there's always a wealth of wonderful kids activities in our local museums on the first week of the month. That means First Tuesdays at the Dallas Museum of Art, Target First Saturdays at the Nasher Sculpture Center, AdventureAsia at the Crow Collection of Asian Art and Pictures and Pages at the Kimbell Art Museum. And for kids who want to get outside and do something a little different, there's a Trick-A-Trout Kid Fish at Frisco Commons Park. I've got all the details in my Family Fun Free Fun column here.

PHOTO: Pictures and Pages, a program for preschoolers ages 4-6, will be offered at the Kimbell Art Museum on Feb. 7

I found lots of fun things for the kids this week: a tennis clinic for ages 5-18 from the pros at T Bar M Racquet Club and YP Challenger Tournament professionals, Piccadilly Circus in Deonton, Valentine's crafts at the Museum of Nature & Science, a Butterfly Discovery Tour at the Texas Discovery Gardens and a Daddy Daughter Dance (with discounts for moms on Spa Botanica services) at the Frisco Athletic Center. I've got all the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Kids can get tennis tips this weekend at a clinic offered along with the YP Challenger Tournament at the T Bar M Racquet Club in Dallas.

As someone who bought into the world of Harry Potter, I don't expect to be wowed by practitioners of magic in our Muggle world. After all, there's always a trick, right? Something up the sleeve, in a hidden pocket, or an illusion in the lighting. And yet, I was absolutely awed by Trigg Watson Burrage when he came to The Dallas Morning News.
The 22-year-old SMU senior tore up a copy of the Morning News right in front of me -- then handed it over whole and untouched. He had me hold a coin in my hand, and when I opened my hand, it was a different coin.
You can catch him in person Feb. 4 and ongoing Saturdays at Spaghetti Warehouse and at the Improv in Addison and the Improv in Arlington later this month. I've got all the details in my Family Fun Kids' Corner column here.

Want more? Here's a video where Trigg shows kids how to do a couple of magic tricks -- followed by one of his super tricky ones!

German filmmaker Wim Wenders captures the inventive dance world of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch. Wenders had conceived with Bausch a dance film like none seen before, one which would take the fullest advantage yet of new 3D technology to put the viewer deep inside Bausch's playful, thrillingly unpredictable pieces. After her untimely death in 2009, Wenders continued with the project, turning it into the most exciting tribute he could imagine. It opens in theaters Friday, Feb. 3 and has been nominated for the best documentary feature Academy Award this year.

Be mesmerized with this trailer:

Mark your calendars -- there's some cool stuff heading here for kids in February and March: The Piccadilly Circus, award-winning children's book writer Richard Michelson, the amazing Norton Juster, Charlotte's Web and The Secret Life of Girls. You can get all the details in my Family Fun Looking Ahead column here.
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Fantastic free fun for kids this week: You can take them to watch fresh bread being prepared at Mrs Baird's, watch money being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, catch the antics of Kellogg the Clown, enjoy the music and stories of award-winning Jim Gill and take a new parents tour at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. I've got all the details in my Family Fun Free Fun column here.

PHOTO: Kids can learn how master plates are engraved for printing money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's facility in Fort Worth.

I've found a great variety of fun for the kids this week. You can introduce them to opera with the kid-friendly Doctor Miracle from the Dallas Opera, show off the explosive ball handling skills of Harlem Globetrotter Fatima "TNT" Maddox, learn about the science of sports at Sci-Tech Discovery Center, watch Madeline and the Gypsies and catch the last weekend of Dinosaurs Live! at the Heard. You can get all the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Dallas Opera will present the kid-friendly Doctor Miracle opera at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts Jan. 27 and Feb. 3. Photo by Karen Almond

As I write this entry, all I can do is quote the movie, "Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love!" Then I shout (with the effect of an echo from a large, old theater in my head), "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Although the story performed by Canada's Royal Winnepeg Ballet is not entirely the same, the unmistakable Bohemian essence is there as the tale unfolds in Paris, following the story of love and the famous, Moulin Rouge cabaret.

WaterTower Theatre will extend its run of The Diary of Anne Frank (read DMN theater critic Lawson Taitte's review here) by one performance. An additional show has been added Sunday, January 29th at 7 pm.

Tickets for this performance are $20 per person (no discounts, coupons or special offers allowed) and are now on sale at WaterTower Theatre's box office at 972-450-6232 or online at www.watertowertheatre.org.

The Diary of Anne Frank opened January 6 at the Addison Theatre Centre. The cast includes Molly Franco as Anne Frank, Stan Graner as Otto Frank, Emily Scott Banks as Edith Frank, Jessica Renee Russell as Margot Frank, Travis Tope as Peter Van Daan, Lucia Welch as Mrs. Van Daan, Paul T. Taylor as Mr. Van Daan, Ted Wold as Mr. Dussell, Dana Schultes as Miep Gies, Andrew J. Kasten as Mr. Kraler, Arvin Combs as the Nazi Officer, and Jacob Aaron Cullum and Wes Cantrell as Nazi Soldiers.

Lots of fun for kids this week: Junie B. Jones at the Eisemann Center in Richardson and Bass Hall in Fort Worth, a Chinese New Year festival at the Children's Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science, World Record Night at the Texas Brahmas game, an etiquette class with a great meal at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and a chance to score free annual passes to the Children's Aquarium at Fair Park if they can come up with the best name for the facility's 70-plus-year-old, 175-pound alligator snapping turtle. I've got all the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Kids have a chance to win annual passes for their families in a contest to name the Children's Aquarium's 70-plus-year-old, 175-pound alligator snapping turtle.

Maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you sure can teach a mouse -- particularly if hat mouse is played by Karl Schaeffer in If You Give a Mouse of Cookie.

Karl has been working with 8th generation circus artist Fanny Kerwich on an aerial silk act that he's slipping into his mouse antics. The show runs through Feb. 26 but if you catch tonight's opening night, you'll see Fanny's Lone Star Circus performers do THEIR tricks in the lobby from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tiff's Treats will supply free milk and cookies and each family will get a free show poster. PLUS, 12 lucky individuals will win a voucher tonight for a dozen warm, delivered sponsors AND two lucky winners will receive vouchers for a free class in the Lone Star Circus school. Want to know more about the show? I've got all the details in my Family Fun column here.

If you have an open night this weekend, consider fitting in a dance performance. OK, that sounded too casual, let me try again. If there is any way you can fit it in, you should make an open night this weekend to see a dance performance. Why? The AT&T Performing Arts Center will be hosting a performance by American Ballet Theatre for two nights.

I don't think I need to tell you how good the company is, or how long they have been around, so I will just tell you what to expect at this performance.

They will dance Seven Sonotas, a piece choreographed especially for the company by Alexei Ratmansky, and Duets, a series of modern works, for, you guessed it, two dancers, choreographed by Merce Cunningham. Cunningham is known for his abstract choreography so don't expect a classical ballet for this one. Also in the show will be Tchaikovcky Pas De Deux, a Balanchine Ballet, and Company B, a modern ballet by Paul Taylor, danced to music of the 1940s.

American Ballet Theatre will perform at the Winspear Opera House Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20 & 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available from $12 to $150 at attpac.org.

Jaap van Zweden, in his fourth season as music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, will also become music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic starting in the 2012-2013 season.
Recently named Musical America's Conductor of the Year, and widely viewed as a major rising star, van Zweden will succeed another Dutchman, Edo de Waart, in the new position.
In a press release, van Zweden says, "This is an ensemble of 90 talented musicians which possesses great musicality as well as potential. It deserves its reputation as one of the best in Asia.
"My work as music director will go beyond the concert stage, and will include what I think are essential elements for the growth of the orchestra, such as the education program and advocacy for a world-class home for us in the West Kowloon Cultural District."
In the press release, Hong Kong Philharmonic CEO Michael MacLeod says, "Those who witnessed the four awe-inspiring concert that Maestro van Zweden conducted last November know he is a musician of the highest caliber. His work with the orchestra has been truly inspirational."
Most major conductors these days hold at least two appointments, usually on different continents. Van Zweden last year resigned from the two European orchestras he had headed, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra in Belgium.

I found some great free fun for the kids this week for a wide range of ages. There's a Martin Luther King Jr. multimedia exhibit at Frisco Public LIbrary, Chinese New Year activities at Plano Public Library, Spaghetti Eddie presented by Bookmarks at NorthPark Center, Slappy & Monday at Galleria Dallas and best-selling young adult authors at the Young Adult Keller Book Festival. You can get all the details in my Family Fun Free Fun column here.

PHOTO: Married clowns Tiffany 'Slappy' Riley and Dick Monday will perform at Showtime Saturdays at Galleria Dallas Jan. 14.

I was so moved by 17-year-old Molly Franco, who plays Anne in Monday's opening night performance of The Diary of Anne Frank at WaterTower Theatre in Addison. The more she brings Anne to life -- the effervescence, the mischievous humor, the joyous life force -- the more I found myself wincing because I know how the story of this young girl captured by the Nazis ends -- and you keep hoping that just this one time it could end differently.

But one thing I have learned from this play and from two other remarkable works about children of the Holocaust -- Through the Eyes of a Friend at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center and the "Every Child Has A Name" exhibit at the Dallas Holocaust Museum -- is that we all can play a role in making sure the story of what happens to kids in the face of bigotry and hate does end differently in the future. To that end, I felt lifted up by the contribution local children made to the "Every Child Has A Name" exhibit -- a collection of 1.5 million pennies, one for each child who died in the Holocaust. The idea, says Sheryl Pidgeon of Plano, the mom of Bryce and Jaxie Plano who spearheaded the efforts to raise the last 300,000 pennies, is that "every penny represented a child's soul."

Just when I find myself consumed with sadness about what did happen, it helps me understand what Anne meant when she wrote, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."

You can read my story about The Diary of Anne Frank, Through the Eyes of A Friend and Every Child Has A Name here.

PHOTO: Molly Franco and Travis Pope star as Anne and Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at WaterTower Theater in Addison

When I moved to Dallas, I looked for years to find somewhere to take dance classes. I wanted somewhere with classes for adults with true dance experience, but who aren't professionals. A lucky Google search finally gave me exactly what I was looking for.

Contemporary Ballet Dallas is a dance company and studio in Lakewood for anyone who loves dance. They offer classes for children of all ages and for adults of all levels. This is the part that is most unique. Their adult classes include many different styles and levels, and are offered during the day and, for the most part, in the evening.

More cool things for kids this week: a dancing Cinderella by the young performers of Plano Metropolitan Ballet, farm activities at the Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano, Rumple-Steal-Skin at Artie's Playhouse at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst, your last weekend to catch Bob the Builder (in person!) at the Museum of Nature & Science in Fair Park and a special screening of The Adventures of Tintin for kids with special needs at four AMC locations. You can get the details in my Family Fun column here.

I found some great free things to do with kids of all ages this week, from Pictures and Pages at the Kimbell Art Museum for preschoolers to Junior Players acting workshops at Dallas Public Library locations for the teens. And then there's juggler David Slick at NorthPark Center, Critterman at Galleria Dallas and Norman Rockwell and the Art of Scouting exhibit at the National Scouting Museum in Irving. I've got all the details here.

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The FWSO starts the new year with music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting works by Beethoven and Brahms. Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen will guest star. Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 14 at 8 p.m., Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at Bass Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. $10-$79. 817-665-6000. fwsymphony.org.

TYLER PERRY'S THE HAVES & HAVE NOTS The touring musical deals with tough topics -- financial woes, mental health and drugs, for instance -- but in a comedic way. Jan. 13-15 at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. $42.50- $48.50. Ticketmaster.

NOISES OFF Michael Frayn's hilarious farce, about a befuddled group of British actors on tour, gets a staging at one of the area's best community playhouses, Theatre Arlington. Alcohol, lingerie and sardines all make startling appearances. Jan. 13-29 at 305 W. Main St., Arlington. 817-275-7661. theatrearlington.org.

BLACK MUSIC AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT CONCERT WITH CECE WINANS The Grammy Award-winning gospel-R&B star headlines the 29th annual production of this concert, a tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In addition to music, the show will feature film footage, narration and dance. Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Meyerson, 2301 Flora St., Dallas. $20.75-$37. Ticketmaster.

LIVE AND LET DIE: THE MUSIC OF PAUL McCARTNEY Singer-musician Tony Kishman, who has appeared in the Broadway show Beatlemania and has toured with Twist and Shout, Classical Mystery Tour and Legends in Concert, stars in this look at McCartney's career. A four-piece band and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will also perform. Jan. 20-21 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. at Bass Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. $27-$79. 817-665-6000. www.fwsymphony.org.

Compiled by Joy Tipping

The late playwright Wendy Kesselman did a new adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank for Broadway in 1997. This moving tale of a girl and her family hiding from the Nazis during World War II starred the young Natalie Portman. Now WaterTower Theatre is producing Kesselman's version with Molly Franco as Anne. Stan Graner and Emily Scott Banks play her parents, under the direction of Terry Martin.

Jan. 6-29 at WaterTower Theatre, 15650 Addison Road, Addison. $20-$40. 972-450-6232. watertowertheatre.org.

Lawson Taitte

Photo by staff photographer Nathan Hunsinger: Molly Franco plays Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank at WaterTower Theatre.

Among younger contemporary American playwrights, Sarah Ruhl has been especially favored by local companies, with productions from Kitchen Dog Theater, Undermain Theatre and Stage West. Going back to Ruhl's first published work, Upstart Productions now pitches in with Melancholy Play. Despite the title, it's a romantic comedy marked by Ruhl's usual fantastical imagination. Natalie Young, who had a terrific year onstage in 2011, plays the mysterious and -- temporarily, at least -- melancholy heroine.

Jan. 11-Feb. 4 at the Green Zone, 161 Riveredge Drive, Dallas. Ticket prices TBA. upstarttheater.com.

- Lawson Taitte / Theater Critic

After making his reputation with short, inventive comedies in the late 1980s, playwright David Ives has become a kind of theatrical literary handyman. He has translated and adapted and fixed works by all kinds and nationalities of other writers, while creating his own work in all sorts of genres.

The last thing one would have expected Ives to write, given those early pieces, is a work about the religious struggles of a 17th-century philosopher. New Jerusalem gives us a portrait of the young Baruch de Spinoza as his fellow Jews in Amsterdam interrogate him about his beliefs -- and finally expel him from their congregation.

Stage West opens the new year with New Jerusalem's area premiere. Jerry Russell directs a cast that includes Garret Storms as Spinoza. Fort Worth's theaters have done very well by intellectual dramas of this sort in recent seasons, so there's hope that this one will enthrall, rather than pall, with all its talk.

Jan. 6-29 at Stage West, 821 W. Vickery, Fort Worth. $26-$30. 817-784-9378. stagewest.org.

Lawson Taitte

If you think Kathy Griffin has rampant potty-mouth on her HBO specials or when she's bantering with Anderson Cooper, you have no idea what you're in for in person. Just take whatever you expect, both naughty- and comedy-wise, mentally ramp that up as high as you can possibly imagine, then add 50 percent, and you might get close. You'll blush so much your cheeks might go permanently pink, but you'll also laugh so hard your ribs will still hurt three days later.

The 51-year-old comedian-actress -- who has two Emmy Awards for her Bravo reality show -- leaves no topic unscathed, and she's fierce in her commitment to gay rights (she will undoubtedly gush about "her gays" in the audience). She gained both gay and teen cred when she appeared on Glee last March as a Sarah Palin-esque "Twitterer and former Tea Party candidate" who judged a singing competition, pooh-poohing New Directions' performance of "Loser Like Me" with her remark: "When I lost my last election, and there will be a re-count, I didn't go around singing about being a loser; I Twittered that Obama is a terrorist." That's Griffin in a nutshell -- unabashedly political, fearless on any subject, wholehearted shredder of sacred cows.

Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. $39.75-$59.75. axs.com.

Joy Tipping

Longhorns and oil rigs. East Coast invaders vs. good ol' boys and rising Mexican-American expectations vs. entrenched attitudes.

Edna Ferber's massive novel Giant became the archetypal Texas movie back in the 1950s, and the Dallas Theater Center is hoping that its new stage version by Sybille Pearson and Michael John LaChiusa becomes the archetypal Texas musical.

Michael Greif (Rent, Grey Gardens) is the celebrity director. The company's most ambitious project to date is a co-production with the New York Public Theater and will play the Wyly Theatre Jan. 18 to Feb. 19.

Lawson Taitte, theater critic

I was feeling a little guilty about taking so long to get up this blog post about Cirque Banquiste!. The international circus experience put together right here in Texas by Fanny Kerwich, an eighth generation circus artist and married Dallas mom of two, opened Thursday.

But then I found out that the Thursday AND Friday performances are sold out. So I'm feeling a little better about that. But I still want to alert you that there are only four performances left of this astonishing celebration that will feature international stars like Luciano Anastasini and his irresistible dogs and juggler extraordinaire Rejean St. Jules alongside homegrown Lone Star talent such as the remarkable Raphaele Daubois with her all-new Hula-Hoop routine. It's all happening at the Dallas Children's Theater's Rosewood Center for Family Arts (where Fanny will be coming back to coach veteran actor Karl Schaeffer in some circus moves for his Mouse in If You Give A Mouse A Cookie opening Jan. 20). I've got all the details on Cirque Banquiste here. And there'll be more Mouse tales in an upcoming Family Fun column.

PHOTO: Raphaele Daubois, 20, of Dallas, a graduate of Fanny Kerwich's Lone Star Circus school, is debuting her new Hula-Hoop routine at Cirque Banquiste! at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts through Sunday.

I've found some fabulous free fun for the kids this week that starts at the end of December and will take you through the first week of the New Year. If you haven't seen the amazing Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art, you should jump at the opportunity to take the kids to First Tuesdays where the theme is "Dress Up" and they can make paper dolls, transform ordinary art supplies into royal jewels and see a production of The Ugly Duckling. First Tuesdays is free; the Gaultier exhibit will be $10 on that day as opposed to the usual $16 on weekdays.

You can also see Nutcracker in a Nutshell puppet show at Bookmarks at NorthPark Center, catch singer, songwriter, picture book writer and recording artist Willy Welch at Galleria Dallas, learn about the inventiveness of Ben Franklin at the Irving Arts Center and celebrate Kwanzaa with a show by Soul Children's Theatre at South Dallas Cultural Center.

I've got all the details in my Family Fun column here.

PHOTO: A children's program on Jan. 5 at the Irving Arts Center will focus on Benjamin Franklin.

KATHY GRIFFIN The socially incorrect, boisterously witty comedian brings her act to town. Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. $39.75-$59.75. axs.com.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Terry Martin directs the stage adaptation of the moving tale about a young girl in hiding in Amsterdam during the Holocaust. Jan. 6-29, presented by WaterTower Theatre at the Addison Conference and Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road, Addison. $20-$40 (Jan. 8 is pay-what-you-can). 972-450-6232. watertowertheatre.org.

BRIAN REGAN The comedian, whose second album All By Myself came out in November, is a fan favorite on The Late Show With David Letterman and Comedy Central Presents. Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. at Fair Park Music Hall, 909 First Ave., Dallas. $61.58-$73.20. Ticketmaster.

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF FORT WORTH Pianist Támas Ungár will appear as guest artist in a program of works by Mozart and Schubert. Ungár, a member of the Texas Christian University piano faculty, has performed in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Columbia, England, Hong Kong and China. Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $28. 817-877-3003. chambermusicsocietyoffortworth.com.

New Year's can be a blast for kids -- and parents -- especially when it's a Noon Year's Eve celebration like the one Radio Disney is having at the Main Event in Fort Worth or the one at the Legoland Discovery Center in Grapevine or the countdown to 9 p.m at This Side Up Family Fun Center in Plano. And then there's the lock-in like the ones at Eisenbergs Skatepark in Plano where you know they'll have fun and be safe while parents are having adult time.

Plus, on Jan. 1 Disney's Phineas and Ferb are heading to Garland in a live show with some new songs. You can get the details in my Family Fun column here.

John Hardman of Le Theatre de Marionette told me many wonderful stories when I interviewed him in 2008. But my favorite was when he aimed his zingers at a man in green plaid pants only to find out, later, that the man was Raymond Nasher. For those who get a kick out of his Scrooge's curmudgeonly ways, you may want to check out his last performance on Dec. 24 when Scrooge, after reading Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starts to have a change of heart. You can read all about it in my Kids' Corner here.

PHOTO: Scrooge at NorthPark Center will have a change of heart at the last performance on Dec. 24.

I had such a blast talking with the two precocious and very sweet young boys -- and best friends -- alternating as Tiny Tim and Young Scrooge in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol, which earned a rave from our own Lawson Taitte. You still have a couple of chances to catch them before the show's final performance Satruday at 12 noon. Read about these remarkable guys in my Family Fun column here and you just may find another reason to catch it before it closes.

PHOTO: Mark Fisher (right) with Kurt Rhoads and Abbey Siegworth in A Christmas Carol. Mark alternates with his good friend, Kuran Patel, as both Tiny Tim and Young Scrooge

Got the time? We've got the activities! Kids can do a science camp next week, catch a comedy/magic show, visit the dinosaurs, sign up for a cool New Year's Eve ice hockey party and honor the remarkable efforts of local kids who collected 1.5 million pennies in honor of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust. Get all the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Dinosaurs Live! are guarding the trails at The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

If your office is as busy as mine in hopes of working ahead for a few days off over the holidays, and your personal life consists solely of holiday parties and Christmas shopping, you could probably use a break. Some lighthearted entertainment might be just the thing to ease your stress.

The Texas Ballet Theater is performing their third annual rendition of "The Nutty Nutcracker." This show is a parody on the traditional story, and involves celebrity impersonations and comedic pop culture references galore.

"The Nutty Nutcracker" is next Friday, December 23, at Bass Performance Hall, but there is only one performance, and it usually sells out. Tickets are available on the Texas Ballet Theater's website.

Just to be clear this is not "The Nutcracker" you are used to, the Texas Ballet Theater's website describes the show as "a little naughty" and "adults only."

For more of what to expect, check out the photos and a review of the 2009 show.

Yes, Handel's beloved oratorio was composed for Lent, and it does trace the Christian story beyond the Nativity through the Passion, Easter and Ascension. But there's no dislodging it as a favorite for the Christmas season, and the Dallas Bach Society supplies the area performances closest to what Handel knew. With a compact ensemble of singers of instrumentalists, with baroque-period instruments, music actually meant for a theater--not a church--arrests, dances and delights. Joining artistic director James Richman and DBS regulars are soloists Lianne Coble (soprano), Scot Cameron (countertenor), Derek Chester (tenor) and David Grogan (bass). In addition to two concert performances, there's a singalong Messiah: bring along a score or buy one at the door.

Singalong $20; concert performances $20 and $40; discounts on all for students and seniors. 214-320-8700. www.dallasbach.org.

Singalong: Messiah Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 7611 Park Lane, Dallas.

Concert performances: Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at St. Mark's Church, 2024 S. Collins, Arlington, and Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora, Dallas.

Scott Cantrell

Fabulous free fun for kids this week -- a Kwanzaa celebration with Junior Players, a chance to learn origami with instructors from the Crow Collection of Asian Art at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, an opportunity to learn how to stand up to bullying with the author of Miss Chit Chat at South Dallas Cultural Center, wintry-themed science from The Snow Queen at Castle Hills Village Shops Plaza and story time at the River Legacy Living Science Center. You can get all the details in my Family Fun column here.

PHOTO: Kids can learn origami with the help of instructors from the Crow Collection of Asian Art at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.

I still remember the first time I took my boys, who were so little at the time, to our first panto put on here by Theatre Britain in 2002. "Remember to sit still and not to say a word during the show," I told them on our way to the theater. So what was the first thing that happened? The narrator starts talking directly to the kids, urging them to boo the villain and cheer the hero. And then there was the singalong!

A panto, I soon realized, is all about letting go, having fun and sharing an experience with the actors. "Bring your lungs and check your manners at the door for a raucous and engaging production of The Sleeping Beauty that no one will be able to sleep through," I wrote back then. No wonder it's such a holiday must in England, where it brings parents and kids and the community together in common merriment. Years later, when I interviewed Daniel Radcliffe about Harry Potter, he told me that going to the pantos is what spurred his love of theater.

It's also become a holiday tradition of our own as one of my boys returns with me every year to see Theatre Britain's new panto. This year we had a blast at Dick Whittington, which continues through Dec. 28 at the Cox Building Playhouse in Plano. You can read my review here.

PHOTO: Michael Speck plays Jack Of All Trades in Theatre Britain's performance of "Dick Whittington." Photo by DMN Special Contributor Matt Strasen.

J. Mark McVey, who stars as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, has had some of his biggest life moments on the stage. He fell in love with Christy Tarr, whom he married after they were cast as husband and wife in The Who's Tommy on Broadway. He knew he wanted to be a father after playing father to Little Cosette in Les Misérables on Broadway. Now he is playing the father to his actual eight-year-old daughter, Kylie McVey, who will make her debut as Little Cosette (alternating as Young Éponine) in the 25th annual tour of the blockbuster musical at the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Winspear Opera House Tuesday.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," Mark told me on the phone from a tour stop in Grand Rapids, Mich. "I don't think it can get much better than this. I consider it an honor to deliver a message of redemption and grace each evening, but now from a human aspect as the father of the child I am performing with, I just can't even imagine what emotions it's going to bring forth." You can read all about it here and in the Guide on Friday.

The vocalists and instrumentalists of the Orchestra of New Spain promise quite an international sampling of 17th- and 18th-century Christmas music Sunday evening. Vilancicos, folksy hybrids of carols and cantatas, will be represented by composers from Spain and Mexico. Add a couple of liturgical pieces from Bolivia and the familiar "Winter," from Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Corelli's Christmas Concerto, and one of the area's handsomest churches should resound to happy fare.

-Scott Cantrell

Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8017 Preston Road, Dallas. Free. 214-750-1492, www.orchestraofnewspain.org.

Even Santa can't resist the aroma of fresh-baked bread. He'll be landing his sleigh at Mrs Baird's Bakery, where kids can get free photos with him, color pictures and take home one of Mrs Baird's sweet treats. I've found lots more free fun for the kids, too, this week -- Le Theatre de Marionette's The Little Drummer Boy at the Latino Cultural Center, a Curious George exhibit at the Mesquite Arts Center (paired with a Curious George craft time at the Mesquite Main Library), Nutcracker excerpts, a folklorico performance and a chance to adopt pets at NorthPark Center. Kids can also give back as they celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way, stringing popcorn and cranberries and hanging them on real trees for the birds to enjoy at Trinity River Audubon Center. I've got all the details in my Family Fun Free Fun column here.

PHOTO: Ballet Folklorico will be performing for free, along with the Texas Ballet Theater School, Dallas and Dallas Ballet Company. The ballet companies will be doing excerpts from The Nutcracker.

Kristin Chenoweth brought charm, humor and elegance -- if not height -- to the Nasher Sculpture Center on Thursday evening, as part of the Nasher's splendid Salon series. The star of Wicked, Glee and ABC's upcoming Dallas-set nighttime soap GCB joshed several times at her own teensy stature, notably when talking about getting the call for Wicked. "I thought, 'They want me to play a munchkin!' " She played Glinda the good witch, of course, and earned a Tony nomination for the role (she won a Tony for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, as well as an Emmy for the lamentably canceled TV comedy Pushing Daisies).

The 43-year-old star, who hails from Broken Arrow, Okla. (just outside of Tulsa), was interviewed onstage by KERA's Jeff Whittington. Earlier in the day, she had met with about 400 students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She called the students her "fellow artists" and expressed amazement at the sculpture, photography and performances she saw at the school. "It made me mad that I didn't get to go there," she joked, then added, "They [the students] very much inspired me. I wanted to go to the practice room immediately."

PHOTO by Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer: Kristin Chenoweth greets a student Thursday at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

The Dallas Theater Center's Christmas Carol is a guaranteed tear-jerker. Richard Hellesen's adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, directed again by Joel Ferrell, doesn't just grab you at the expected moments such as Tiny Tim's cry of "God bless us, every one!"

It sneaks up on you when the aged Ebenezer Scrooge (returning former company member Kurt Rhoads) sees his long-dead sister as a young girl, when an unanticipated event awakes pangs of conscience in the miser, or when he makes a quick aside to the audience as he awakes to a happier new day.

Dickens admitted freely that his holiday fable is a ghost story. This production takes the scary parts so seriously it might provoke tears of another sort in very young audience members. David de Berry's score, which keeps the actors singing through much of the show, is another source of this Carol's powerful emotions.

-Lawson Taitte / Theater Critic

Through Dec. 24 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas. $15-$85. 214-880-0202. www.dallastheatercenter.org.

Photo by Brad Loper/The Dallas Morning News: Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Kurt Rhoads, center, in the opening act of the Dallas Theater Center's annual staging of "A Christmas Carol."

View a photo gallery of the show here.

I got a sneak peek of the Epiphany DanceArts Christmas performance when they invited me to their studio dress rehearsal earlier this week. As I was wondering what to expect, the company's business manager pointed out, "It's not a nutcracker. Sometimes variety is good." With all the Nutcracker performances going on in Dallas this season, that is probably true.

As the curtain opens to "Carol of the Bells," the dancers glide across the stage donning angel-like white dresses with sparkling silver and gold accents. They continue with traditional Christmas songs including "Breath of Heaven" and "What Child is This?" After intermission they turn up the energy with a couple lighter pieces, one even complete with footie pajamas. The choreographer, and one of the dancers in this piece, Sarah Smith, says she joined the company "to choreograph and be able to perform with a group of girls who encourage each other." She found what she was looking for and says she loves, "dancing with girls that have become friends."

Lots of fun -- and a chance for kids to give back -- this week!.The Dallas Symphony Orchestra offers its annual "Deck the Hall" concert (with part of the proceeds going to support music education programs for youth) and an 11-year-old "Annie" is performing in a show that will raise money in memory of her best friend who died of cancer. Plus, kids can go Christmas caroling on a hayride and decorate elegant gingerbread houses at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel.

You can get the details in my Family Fun briefs here.

PHOTO: Deck the Hall features young performers in addition to the DSO, activities, crafts, a professional photo and, of course, Santa.

Dallas became the first city to get Medieval Times' new show in November (it will be rolled out to the eight other locations by summer) and, not to worry, it's still medieval, but with fresh costumes, script, score and fighting sequences for faithful fans. As for the newbies, all you need to know is that the Andalusian stallions prance, a falcon soars, six knights joust, lances splinter and sparks fly as swords, battle-axes, bola and shields clash. A winner emerges and faces off against a dark challenger who seeks to steal the fair princess for his own lord against the wishes of the king, while romantic music swells and colored lights weave their misty magic.

It's a blast, but it can be pricey. That's why I've compiled my five tips for making the most of your Medieval Times experience. You can get them in my Guide cover story here. Would love to hear your tips, too!

PHOTO: Wes Irving, The Green Knight (left), and Crew Wyard, Assistant Head Knight, for feature on the new show at Medieval Times. Photo by DMN Staff Photographer Evans Caglage.

Theatre Three has always specialized in Molière's comedies from the 17th century, so it makes sense that the company should program a postmodern American salute to the great French playwright.

David Hirson's La Bête attracted notice in New York in 1991 and won London's Laurence Olivier Award for best comedy the next year. A major revival hit both cities in 2010. Now Jac Alder, still a very busy guy 50 years after he co-founded Theatre Three, is directing this Dallas production.

Like Molière himself, the hero of La Bête, Elomire, runs a prestigious theater company that caters to the French aristocracy. The Princess Conti insists that an interloper, Valere, join the troupe. His crude humor, indeed everything about him, offends Elomire. Does the artist compromise and keep his job or stay true to his ideals?

Jakie Cabe plays Elomire, and Bradley Campbell is Valere. Two actresses long absent from the stage make a welcome return: Georgia Clinton plays the Princess, and Sara Weeks is Catherine de Brie.

-Lawson Taitte / Theater Critic

Dec. 9-Jan. 14 (no performances Dec. 19-28) at Theatre Three in the Quadrangle, 2800 Routh St., Dallas. $10-$50. 214-871-3300. www.theatre3dallas.com.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Schmidt: Jakie Cabe and Georgia Clinton appear in La Bete.

Visual minds, rejoice! Recently we added to dallasnews.com/arts a special section for photos, where you'll find shots from our staff photographers of plays, musicals and exhibits, as well as spotlights on local artists.

If you are an artist based in Dallas-Fort Worth with an upcoming show locally and would like to be considered for an Artist Spotlight photo gallery or blog feature, email me (1) a short bio, (2) 1-2 photos or a link to your work, and (3) info on your upcoming exhibit with "Artist Spotlight" in the Subject line at least two weeks before the show's opening date.

Got some Yo Gabba Gabba fans at home? Check out my Kids' Corner in today's Guide section of the Dallas Morning News for details of tomorrow's big concert at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Click here for details.

The first week of the month is always a favorite because that's when museums offer their amazingly fun and educational free family programming. So we've got Target First Saturdays at the Nasher Sculpture Center (with art scavenger hunts, yoga in the garden, crafts), an AdventureAsia collaboration with the Crow Collection of Asian Art AND the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University (with yoga, face painting, Bodhi leaf cookie decorating), First Tuesdays at the Dallas Museum of Art (with a chance to make a glitter-filled winter snow globe and hear storytellers and musicians) and Kimbell Story Time at the Kimbell Art Museum for the younger ones (with a story, craft and tour).

The Allen Public Library and Storyopolis Global Entertainment also have a great time planned with children's book illustrator David Catrow, who worked on the film Horton Hears a Who!, coming to the library to talk, answer questions and show how he creates his art. You can get all the details in my Free Family Fun column here.

PHOTO: First Tuesdays, which includes visits with Arturo, are always a blast at the Dallas Museum of Art

Fabulous fun for kids this week includes a Polar Express Pajama Party, where they can see the movie, have dinner, take pictures with Santa and experience "snow" inside the building, Santa Claus: The Christmas Musical , adapted from Rankin & Bass musical specials at Studio B Performing Arts Center and a screening of The Muppets for kids with special needs at Studio Movie Grill and select AMC Theatres.

Plus, kids can give back at the Teddy Bear Toss at the Brahmas ice hockey game (throw a stuffed animal on the ice after the first Texas Brahmas goal; the toy will go to kids for the holidays) and Camp Gingerbread at NorthPark Center (where proceeds from decorating gingerbread cookies will benefit Shared Housing, a non-proift that facilitates affordable housing for those in need).

Get the scoop in my Family Fun Guide Picks here. For details on the AMC Sensory Friendly Screenings, which I didn't get in time for the column, click <

Twelve-year-old Olivia Wilkerson of Plano had no idea what to think when her parents too her to her first panto -- a British holiday tradition presented by Theatre Britain here. "I didn't know what a panto was," she told me. "It surprised me that in one of the parts a man played a woman, a ghost pops out for some random reason and they make you sing along. I was like, 'Hey, why are they doing this?' "
But Olivia and her family loved it and now they can't wait to check out Theatre Britain's latest panto, Dick Whittington, at the Cox Building Playhouse in Plano. You can read my story about how some homesick British transplants helped turn a British holiday tradition into a Texas one here.

PHOTOS: (top) Twelve-year-old Olivia Wilkerson of Plano loves to take pictures with actors at Theatre' Britain's pantos -- part of her family's annual holiday tradition. (bottom) Kate Rutledge as Queen Rat in Theatre Britain's new world premiere panto, Dick Whittington.

The Dallas Chamber Music series has begun to venture beyond its venerable history of presenting string quartets, piano trios and such to offer the occasional vocal ensemble. Hailed in the Irish Independent for "exceptional musicianship and unusual vocal virtuosity, unwavering intonation," the Calmus Ensemble, a vocal quintet from Leipzig, Germany, comes to Caruth Auditorium on Dec. 5 with sacred and secular music by Bach, Schumann, Brahms, Britten and Poulenc. Sounds promising.

Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. at Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, Southern Methodist University, 6101 Bishop Blvd., Dallas. $40; discounts for students. 972-392-3267. www.dallaschambermusic.org.

-Scott Cantrell / Classical Music Critic

As part of a mini-festival devoted to composer John Bucchino, Theatre Three is presenting a revue, It's Only Life, confected by the composer himself. It shows off a lot of fresh -- and most impressive -- talent. The five young singers are fine storytellers. Also, as they need to be here, they're actors of depth and subtlety. They sing in tune, and they don't need amplification in Theatre Three's intimate basement space. What you remember, however, is not the voices but the emotions. Darius-Anthony Robinson's rendition of "Grateful" is almost biblical in its reach. Seth Grugle brings the house down with the funny, bitter hymn to denial "On My Bedside Table," and Jennifer Noth follows that with a more poignant response to loss, "I've Learned to Let Things Go." Erica Harte and Angel Velasco make vivid Theatre Three debuts.

Through Dec. 11 in Theatre Three's basement space, 2800 Routh St., Dallas. $25-$30. 214-871-3300. www.theatre3dallas.com.

-Lawson Taitte / Theater Critic

Tons of free fun this week! Slappy's Holiday Circus at Galleria Dallas, horse-drawn carriage rides at Watters Creek, Mrs. Claus' puppet tales at the Parks at Arlington and Jumpstart: Stories and Art at the Irving Arts Center. Check it out in my Family Fun Guide Picks; Free Fun column here.

PHOTO: Lily Monday, daughter of married clowns Tiffany 'Slappy' Riley and Dick Monday, performs alongside her big brother, juggler Chet Monday, at Slappy's Holiday Circus at Galleria Dallas through Dec. 23.

I had the best time talking to local adults who had danced in the Nutcracker as kids. I was aware that few kids who dance the Nutcracker go on to become professional dancers (although I do have Carolyn Judson, who is dancing the part of The Sugar Plum Fairy for Texas Ballet Theater in the mix!), but I was impressed by how a love of dance helped Logan Westby learn skills that helped him as a sailor, Bonnie Valant-Spaight become a scientist and Nancy Schaeffer, become a children's theater director (she is currently directing the dazzling Madeline's Christmas for the Dallas Children's Theater).

And then there are the four Su sisters, who all went into medical fields. You can read all about it in my Guide cover story here.

PHOTOS: (top) Carolyn Judson as the Sugar Plum Fairy surrounded by a new, eager crop of kids in the Texas Ballet Theater's The Nutcracker. Carolyn talked about the first time she was in The Nutcracker as Clara at age 12, and her mother curled her hair every night, as her "favorite year of Nutcracker." (bottom) Logan Westby's favorite Nutcracker role for the Collin County Ballet Theatre was as a Russian dancer. He says he's used the skills he's learned in the Navy where he currently serves as a missile technician stationed in a submarine.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center is taking part in all the awesome online deals today by waiving all fees on the following performances:

Jamie Foxx: December 1, 2011, Winspear, 8pm

A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS: Tuesday, December 6, Winspear Opera House

Charlie Daniels Band Holiday Show: Wednesday, December 7, Winspear Opera House

A Mary Mary Christmas: Saturday, December 10, Winspear Opera House

Linda Eder Holiday Show: Sunday, December 11, Winspear Opera House

The Second City Dysfunctional Holiday Review: Friday, December 16 - Saturday, December 17, Wyly Theatre

David Blaine (the art of magic): January 12, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

Mark Twain Tonight! w/ Hal Holbrook: January 13, Winspear Opera House

Ladysmith Black Mambazo: January 15, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

American Ballet Theatre: Jan. 20-21, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

Loretta Lynn: January 22, Winspear Opera House

National Geographic Live's Roz Savage: Solo Across the Ocean: February 21, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

Command Performance: SPECIAL EVENT March 9, 2012, Winspear, 7pm

National Geographic Live's Mireya Mayor: Pink Boots and a Machete: March 19, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

Anoushka Shankar: March 31 - April 1, 2012, Wyly Theatre, 8pm

DanceBrazil: April 13-14, 2012, Wyly Theatre, 8pm

Modern Family Panel (Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ty Burrell, Eric Stonestreet and Co-Creator/Executive Producer Steve Levitan): April 24, 2012, Winspear, 8pm

Diavolo: May 4-5, 2012, Wyly Theatre, 8pm

Madeleine Peyroux: May 24, 2012, Wyly Theatre, 7pm and 9pm

By Lawson Taitte:

Sentiment isn't a thing you'd usually associate with Kitchen Dog Theater, but 26 Miles is a sentimental play. Grittily sentimental, if you like, but sentimental nonetheless. Christina Vela plays Beatriz, a Cuban immigrant who lost custody of her daughter Olivia (Allie Donnelly) years ago. Olivia's father, Aaron (Ashley Wood), is going through a crisis in his current marriage, and things aren't going so smoothly for Beatriz and her new husband, Manuel (Christopher Carlos), either. The volatile mother, risking trouble with the police, picks up her daughter and just starts driving. The growing relationship between Beatriz and Olivia is the whole point of 26 Miles. In some ways, their being almost strangers makes a different sort of mother-daughter communication possible.

Through Dec. 10, presented by Kitchen Dog Theater at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, 3120 McKinney Ave., Dallas. $15-$25; discounts available. Pay-what-you-can specials will be available to the first 25 patrons on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7 and 8. There'll also be a "Feeding Frenzy Friday" fundraiser on Dec. 2, where $10 of every ticket sold will benefit the North Texas Food Bank. 214-953-1055. www.kitchendogtheater.org.

By Lawson Taitte:

'White Christmas' at Bass Hall

Bing Crosby actually starred in two films featuring his beloved Irving Berlin holiday song classic. White Christmas was the name of the remake. A stage adaptation of this fable about romance in a wintry resort, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, played on Broadway in recent seasons. Now Performing Arts Fort Worth is bringing a touring version out of Atlanta to Bass Performance Hall. It features Berlin's seasonal favorites like "Happy Holiday" as well as all-time hits such as "Blue Skies." The show should make a refreshing alternative to the standard holiday seasonal fare.

Nov. 29-Dec. 4 at Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. $38.50-$110. 1-877-212-4280. www.basshall.com.

By Lawson Taitte:

Greetings' at the Bath House Cultural Center

Playwright Tom Dudzick has become well-known to Fort Worth theatergoers, thanks to productions at both Stage West and Circle Theatre. Now One Thirty Productions is giving Dallas its first look at him. Dudzick's Greetings falls into that genre now firmly established in the movies, the home-for-the-holidays comedy. Its New Age inspiration may seem closer to Shirley MacLaine than to Charles Dickens, but One Thirty has assembled a fine cast including Sonny Franks and Gene Raye Price as the parents, John Venable as the older son, Julie Osborne as the girl he brings home and Ben Bryant as the handicapped brother who demonstrates some unexpected abilities.

Nov. 30-Dec. 17 at the Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive at White Rock Lake, Dallas. $12-$14. 214-532-1709. www.bathhousecultural.com.

By Joy Tipping:

Contemporary Christian singer Sandi Patty has such amazing vocal range that she can bring high-impact oomph to just about any genre she chooses -- whether it's gospel, classic or modern pop, or musical theater. You won't find a more glorious voice to embody the spirit of the holidays. The Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame member and five-time Grammy Award winner sold out her Christmas show in 2009 at Casa Manaña Theatre. She returns this year to vocally light up Casa's geodesic dome in what's sure to be an exhilarating evening. Expect classics such as "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," along with Patty's breathtaking original arrangement of "O Holy Night."

Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at Casa Manaña, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. $38-$60. 817-332-2272. www.casamanana.org.

The holidays are a time for beloved traditions, such as A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker or a fabulous Messiah. But there are also opportunities to explore new territory, or maybe even find a new seasonal favorite. Here's what our critics recommend.

• The season's top 5 Dallas-area dance performances

• The season's top 5 Dallas-area classical music performances

• The season's top 5 Dallas-area theater performances

• The season's top 5 Dallas-area pop music performances

• Fun Dallas-area holiday events for Nov. 18 and beyond

• Five holiday kid picks for Dallas-Fort Worth: Madeline, Santa, Slappy's circus and more

• Movie critic Chris Vognar picks five to watch for the holidays

• Thanksgiving and Christmas dining events in the Dallas area

Pilobolus is coming to Dallas this weekend! If you aren't as excited as me, you clearly haven't seen them perform. I saw them at the Eisemann Center in Richardson a few years ago and can't wait to see them again.

This modern dance company has amazing talent combined with unparalleled choreography. They perform lifts and leaps you have never seen with music and costumes that are simple (and sometimes barely there) so they don't get in the way of the dancing, just add to it.

As part of a new plan to stabilize its finances, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will cut back the number of both classical and pops concerts in the 2012-2013 season.
The classical series will be reduced from 21 to 16 weeks, and will be sold as two eight-concert subscriptions instead of the current array of three seven-concert packages. The current mix of Thursday through Saturday and sometimes Sunday performances will continue.
The pops series will be reduced from 12 to nine weeks. Two six-concert subscriptions will be offered, with an overlap of three concerts.
Despite outstanding performances under music director Jaap van Zweden, attendance at both series declined in the last two season.
Although the concert cutback won't reduce the cost of DSO musicians, who are contracted on an annual basis, it will save money on production, guest conductors and soloists and marketing. Based on comparable cutbacks by the orchestras of Minneapolis, Detroit and Cincinnati, interim DSO CEO David Hyslop expects a $2.5 million saving in the 2012-2013 season.
The Dallas Opera, like the DSO facing multimillion-dollar deficits, cancelled one of five productions originally scheduled for 2011-2012, Leos Janácek's Kátya Kabanová.
The DSO is looking into applying unused orchestra services to special one-off concerts and performances in outlying venues. "We need to make sure we don't put services on that don't at least pay for themselves," Hyslop said.
A special $20 million "Great Orchestra Campaign" wiped out an $8 million cumulative deficit from 2009-2010 and an additional $6.5 million loss from 2010-2011. But remaining funds from the campaign cannot be used for general operating expenses. Anticipating a $6.5 operating loss for 2011-2012, Hyslop says the orchestra needs an additional $5 million by the end of December.
Hyslop added that the DSO lags well behind comparable orchestras in percentage of contributed income--"18th out of the 23 top markets."
Blaine Nelson, chair of the DSO's board of governors, has been restructuring the board, with an emphasis on fundraising.
"We're not going to be bashful about communicating our situation," Nelson said. "We're operating as well as we can operate, and we've got excellent leadership. But earned revenue has been on a decline for a number of years, and contributed revenue has been flat. We need the community to step up."

The DSO has announced a new business plan. Here's the release about it ...

Dallas, TX (Nov. 9, 2011) - The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) today announced a new business model and action plan designed to sustain a secure, vibrant and exciting future for the Dallas Symphony.
The new model provides an approach that can sustain the new level of artistic excellence has achieved under Maestro Jaap van Zweden, by adjusting DSO operations to the realities of the 21st century. The plan will reduce operating expenses in a way that protects artistic quality, boosts revenues and increases the Orchestra's outreach into the community.
Maestro van Zweden was recently recognized as America's best conductor by Musical America, which cited the increased performance artistry achieved by DSO under his direction.
"The DSO Executive Board enthusiastically approved a new plan, which we are already putting in place," said Blaine L. Nelson, Chairman. "This action plan will create a sustainable future that extends the superb quality DSO has achieved, increases community support and lays a stronger foundation for fundraising efforts."

It seems the holidays come sooner each year, and this year is no exception. With Halloween barely passed us, signs of Christmas began to pop up everywhere this week. Retail stores changed their candy displays from black and orange to green and red. The ghosts and witches became Santa Claus and snowmen.

I can hear my co-workers making travel plans to see their relatives over our cubicle walls, and even the weather has started to get in a winter mood. I actually started my Christmas shopping this week, which is something I have adamantly postponed until after Thanksgiving in past years.

With all this holiday spirit in the atmosphere, one tradition that can't be missed is the Nutcracker Ballet. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince will be dancing across stages throughout the Metroplex this holiday season, so it will be easy to catch a performance near you.

Area schools to professional companies are dancing this favorite show, so here are some of the many places where you can find it.

Will Rodgers Auditorium
Nov. 18-19
Ballet Frontier of Texas

McFarlin Auditorium
Nov. 18-19
Moscow Ballet

Winspear Opera House
Nov. 25 - Dec. 4
Texas Ballet Theater

Eismann Center
Nov. 26-27
Chamberlain Performing Arts

Lewisville High School Stuver Auditorium
Nov. 26-27
LakeCities Ballet Theatre

Granville Arts Center
Dec. 2-4
Dallas Ballet Company

Garland High School
Dec. 3
Rowlett Dance Academy

Irving Arts Center
Dec. 3-4
Ballet Ensemble of Texas

Bass Performance Hall
Dec. 9-24
Texas Ballet Theater

Highland Park Middle Center
Dec. 10
Preston Center Dance

Irving Arts Center
Dec. 10-11
Colleyville Ballet

The NasherSALON featuring Broadway and TV actress Kristin Chenoweth, originally set for Nov. 15, has been rescheduled to Dec. 8 to accommodate the actress' filming schedule of the Dallas-set nighttime soap GCB, planned as a mid-season replacement on ABC stations.

Current ticketholders for the sold-out Nov. 15 NasherSALON will have the first chance to transfer their tickets to the Dec. 8 event. If there are any available tickets as of Nov. 10, the remaining tickets will open for sale to the public.

The Nasher will also collaborate with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts to bring Chenoweth to the school for an afternoon Salon at 3 p.m. Dec. 8. When all seats are sold to the evening Salon, a limited number of tickets will become available for the student-led Salon at Booker T. Tickets for this Salon are $30; check the Nasher website starting Nov. 11.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra music director Jaap van Zweden has been named conductor of the year in Musical America's annual awards. The 2012 edition of the annual directory, an 800-page directory of information and contacts in the international music business, includes a van Zweden profile by a certain Dallas Morning News critic. Awards will be presented in a special ceremony at Lincoln Center on Dec. 5.
Other honorees include cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han as musicians of the year, Meredith Monk as composer of the year, violinist Gil Shaham as instrumentalist of the year and tenor Jonas Kaufmann as vocalist of the year.
Now in his fourth season with the DSO, van Zweden was virtually unknown in the U.S. when he took the job here. But he is universally credited with transforming the DSO, and he is now guest-conducting top orchestras on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Dallas Opera has added $20 million to its endowment, thanks to $10 million in new donations to match a $10 million challenge from an anonymous donor. The two-year campaign had an Oct. 31 deadline.

The new funds, to be received in the next few months, will be added to approximately $2 million in existing endowment funds. General director and CEO Keith Cerny estimates the total endowment will yield about $1 million in annual income and provide a cushion in case of emergencies.

"Obviously, our board chair and I are extraordinarily happy that we have made this match, and had this support from the community," Cerny said. "We're feeling very positive about the company's future."

Major donors to the campaign included the Hamon Charitable Foundation, Linda and Mitch Hart, Joy and Ronald Mankoff, Mrs. Eugene McDermott, Phyllis and Tom McCasland and Margot and Ross Perot/The Perot Foundation.

The opera company's Cultural Renaissance Endowment Fund was launched in late 2009 to help stabilize long-term finances. The 2009 move into the Winspear Opera House realized a long-held dream of a purpose-built home in the Dallas Arts District, but added approximately $4 million in annual costs. With both ticket sales and donations impacted by the ongoing economic slowdown, the company ended the 2010-2011 season with a $4 million deficit.

The company has made some major cost-cutting moves, including cancelling one of five operas originally scheduled for 2011-2012, Leos Janácek's Kátya Kabanová, and planning its long awaited Tristan und Isolde as a semi-staged production with projections instead of sets.

Cerny expects to present only three fully staged productions in the Winspear again in 2012-2013, but he is considering alternate venues for smaller-scale operas. In March, the company will present its first production in the Wyly Theatre across Flora Street, British composer Peter Maxwell Davies' The Lighthouse.

In a period when performing-arts organizations across the country are facing major financial challenges, Cerny still expects a $1.9 million deficit for 2011-2012. But he has a plan to bring the budget back in balance by 2014-2015.

Melanie, Sasha, Marko and Tadd. Their names filled my living room for three hours a week all summer, and if they did yours, you want to be in Grand Prairie this Saturday. The final four, in addition to the rest of the top 10 "So You Think You Can Dancers" are nearing the end of their national tour, and will stop in Dallas this weekend.

"Celebrate Broadway 2!" will be performed this weekend at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The show, performed by Chamberlain Performing Arts is a mix of Broadway musical numbers complete with ballet and jazz dance.

A couple of the numbers you can expect to see include pieces from "Moving Out," "The Lion King" and "Liza with a Z."

"West Side Story" was originally choreographed and directed by Jerome Robbins as a modern take on the story of "Romeo and Juliet." Of course "modern" means something different over 50 years later. The story, set in the 1950s, follows two rival New York City gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, and the two young lovers from opposite sides.

Upon hearing my plans to see the show Tuesday night, two guys I would not have expected it from, my friend's husband, and my boss, each broke into, "When you're a Jet, You're a Jet all the way..." that they still had memorized from their days as Jets in high school productions of "West Side Story."

OK, sometimes award ceremonies can be daunting, but if you don't plan to actually attend this one, at least get the Cliffsnotes here before you move on with your day. Let's face it, the honorees have worked (and danced) hard to be there, and have all had amazing experiences along the way.

Before seeing the Dallas premiere of Broadway's Hair last night at the Winspear Opera House, I knew only three things about it: There will be hippies. There will be nakedness. And there will be singing and dancing.

So, if you're in the same boat and haven't seen the 1979 movie or any of the musical's revivals since it debuted in 1967, here's a few more things I wish I knew about this production before seeing it.

1. All three of the above things are true. But what there is not, is much of a storyline. Something about homeboy gets drafted and doesn't want to go to war. So he cleans out his room and gets high. (Our critic Lawson Taitte actually does a much better job of filling in plot points I missed last night.) Having not lived through the '60s myself, I found it very difficult to relate to the plot. Read up on the time period and be prepared to bring your personal connection if you didn't live it.

2. This show is an interactive experience! You may or may not get a lap dance, walked on top of, or asked to dance onstage. Fun, right? Though mostly dangerous only for the first few rows, wear comfortable shoes and put on your clapping hands anyway -- there is so much upbeat music to get you moving.

3. Twenty to 30 people will be singing onstage at the same time nearly the whole time. This rock musical is almost all singing, and most of those songs are done in chorus. I had a hard time understanding what was being said, no matter how passionate about it or beautiful sounding they were. Could have been my seats (center orchestra), technical issues or that I hadn't heard most of the songs before. Who knows? But I recommend you look up the lyrics beforehand.

If you see it, or have before, I'd love to know what you thought about it.

This weekend is Octoberfest in Addison, a favorite of the city's many festivals, and it's not just due to the beer drinking that goes along with the traditional German affair, because even USA Today rated the event in the top 10 Octoberfests in America.

There is also a dachshund parade and a German Spelling Bee, as well as entertainment on three stages, so if you are headed there this weekend, take some time between glasses of St Pauli Girl to watch a performance.

The Alpine Dancers will take the stage several times throughout the weekend. This group consists of children and adults who perform traditional German folk dancing around the area.

Texanischer Schuhplattler Verien will perform the "Woodcutter Dance" which incorporates chopping wood into a traditional Bavarian folk dance.

STV Almrausch says they dance "hearty Schuhplattlers (shoe-slapping dances), intricate Ländlers (figure dances), and a variety of specialty dances."

And if you still haven't had enough folk dancing, Plano Senior High School German Folk Dancers and the state champion RL Turner German Folk Dance Team will be entertaining the strudel-eating crowd as well.

For more information about the festival and a full stage schedule, visit the Octoberfest website.

Since this is my first post, I am supposed to introduce myself. So...I'm Emilie and I will be writing about all things dance. Dance and writing are two of my favorite things, so it is a pretty natural fit. I also write about Dallas weddings and have a Dallas Bucket List column, but am excited to now write about dance in Dallas.

I love dance whether I'm taking dance classes, performing on stage, just dancing for fun, or watching from the audience. Each summer I devote three hours a week to "So You Think You Can Dance," and "Center Stage" is one of my favorite movies. It inspires me to put on my pointe shoes every time. "Black Swan" and even "The Adjustment Bureau" were on my must-see list only because of the dancing.

As for Dallas, there are diverse and entertaining dance companies all over the Metroplex. Anyone who can't find performing arts in Dallas just isn't looking hard enough. It will be easy to find now though, because that is what I'm here to change. I will let you in on local performances, national touring companies coming to the area, unique classes, and other dance happenings around the city.

A fabulous touring production of Xanadu, the Broadway musical that spoofs the dreadful 1980 movie starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, came through Dallas a couple of summers ago. Level Ground Arts, doing the first regional production of the show, goes Broadway one better: Because Level Ground's budget is slim, the tackiness level skyrockets, and so do the laughs.

Here, the more rat's-nesty the 1980s wigs, the better. The more ill-fitting and unflattering the costumes, the funnier. The more low-budget the props, the more you'll be spewing your soft drinks. That "pasted together with glue and feathers, by a 5-year-old at art camp" look has never been pulled off with more aplomb, reaching its apex with a pudgy, lopsided-winged papier-mache Pegasus who looks as though he might dissolve into sparkly purple puddles of goo AT ANY MOMENT. Extra kudos to director Bill Fountain, co-director and co-choreographer Andi Allen, and Ande Bewley, who came up with the props.

The entire cast makes a fine art of inelegant goofiness, with Misty Venters drawling in a just-slightly-off Australian accent as Clio, the muse who tries to inspire human Sonny Malone into living his dream of building a roller disco. Angel Velasco, as Sonny, might as well walk around with a big blinking "DUH!" sign over his head, his aura of clueless vapidity is so perfect. Allen (yes, she's also IN the show) and Sara Shelby-Martin chew the scenery (literally, in Allen's case) as evil sister muses who plot against the budding romance of Clio and Sonny. All the muses are excellent, in fact, with a special nod to the male "sisters," Michael B. Moore and Marcus Jauregui.

As Allen's character proclaims at one point, the whole thing is a little "like children's theater for 40-year-old gay people." Or anyone else, for that matter, who enjoys laughing so hard your eyes will hurt by the end of the show. Audiences will thank Zeus that it was Level Ground that set its cadre of warped minds on this one. It runs through Aug. 27. See the website for details and tickets, or call 214-630-5491.

PHOTO by Bill Fountain: Misty Venters and Angel Velasco skate rings around logic and elegance in Level Ground's wacky Xanadu.

After being closed for nearly all of July, The McKinney Avenue Contemporary gallery (3120 McKinney Ave., Dallas, 214-953-1212) opens Meltdown on Saturday. This exhibition is the annual event in which MAC members can submit their works in the visual arts, performing arts and literary readings categories.

It can always be a bit unclear of what to expect from group exhibitions, especially ones that bring together artists who are not directly working with each other. Even in this case, it sounds like the theme is a bit cloudy. Participants were given only three definitions clarifying "Meltdown":

meltdown (mɛlt daʊn) (1)
- n
1. (in a nuclear reactor) the melting of the fuel rods as a result of a defect in the cooling system, with the possible escape of radiation into the environment
2. informal: a sudden disastrous failure with potential for widespread harm, such as a stock exchange crash
3. informal: the process or state of irreversible breakdown or decline: the community is slowly going into meltdown

meltdown (2)
1. Describes what happens when a person freaks out, cracks, loses control of themselves. Life - reality at large - becomes overwhelming. They just can't deal with it all. The person may act out, withdraw, become emotional, run, etc.

meltdown (3)
1. emotional, cultural, social, historical (& technical). You get the idea.

So, uh, if you're feeling stressed or really close to the edge, this exhibit might be worth checking out for some therapy via others' artistic expressions. You know, if taking a chill pill just isn't cutting it for you.

The free exhibit runs through Sept. 3 and is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. If you go, please come back here and share in the Comments section what you liked.

MORE arts events: On GuideLive.com | On Twitter @guidelivearts.

UPDATE: DMN photographer Guy Reynolds just let me know that he is a MAC member and will have a piece on display. Get a taste of what to expect from the exhibit here.

I am constantly amazed by the high level of acting talent among the teens in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I've been consistently impressed by the Junior Players annual Shakespeare production in Samuell Grand Park Amphitheater. I had the fun of reviewing their Twelfth Night here. Be sure to see it if you get a chance and tell me what you think!

There also seems to be no shortage of talent for the National High School Musical Theater Awards, which now have THREE companies selecting local winners for the national competition: Lyric Stage in Irving with the Schmidt and Jones Awards, Casa Manana in Fort Worth with the Betty Lynn Buckley Awards and starting this year, Dallas Summer Musicals with the DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Last year Casa's Betty Lynn Buckley winner, Molly Franco, went to New York for playing the title role in Peter Pan at Keller High School. You can see her this weekend on stage at Casa Manana as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, a teen apprentice program in which all the participants earned their parts through competitive auditions. You can read about it in my KidBeat briefs here.

This was Lyric's first year to participate. Mackenzie Orr, now 18 and a recent graduate of Coppell High School, won best actor for his portrayal of the Baker in his school's production of Into the Woods in May; he ended up as one of the three male finalists for the Jimmys, as the national New York awards are called. If Mackenzie's name sounds familiar that's because Dallas Morning News' Lawson Taitte raved about Mackenzie's performance as Hugo in Lyric Stage's production of Bye Bye Birdie last year. You can read Lawson's review here.

Mackenzie, who is heading to the University of Michigan to work towards a BFA in musical theater, won a $500 scholarship and trophy at the Schmidt and Jones Awards and a $2,500 scholarship from the National High School Musical Theater Awards. After college, he says he hopes to move to New York City and begin auditioning for shows on Broadway.

"The high point in this experience was definitely performing the opening number of the Jimmy Awards on the stage of the Minskoff Theater on Broadway with 49 of the most talented kids I've ever had the privilege to know," Mackenzie emailed me. "After a week jam-packed with rehearsals, we had finally made it to a Broadway stage, performing in front of 1800 supportive friends, family members, and people from the New York theater industry. The energy on that stage was electric; we all couldn't believe what we were doing! I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. It was phenomenal."

PHOTO (TOP): Ian Patrick Stack (from left), Claudia Hullet, Afton Welch and Matthew Eitzen in "Twelfth Night," presented by Junior Players. (BOTTOM) Mackenzie Orr as Hugo Peabody in Bye, Bye Birdie at Lyric Stage last year.

Before last night, I had only ever been to high school plays. I was used to seeing teenagers singing too flat or too sharp, delivering their dialogue with emphasis on the wrong words or acting out serious scenes too terribly for the audience to actually care. That's probably why I went into last night's opening performance of Little Shop of Horrors at WaterTower Theatre with such low expectations. But I was pleasantly surprised -- people sang in tune, emphasized the right words and managed to act well. I mean, I'm no theater critic, but at least they acted better than the teenagers at my school.

Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of Seymour, an employee at Mushnik's Skid Row Florist, and his rise to fame after obtaining a Venus Flytrap-looking plant, which he names Audrey II. Seymour notices that his plant isn't growing, despite his tireless efforts to feed and nurture it, and it isn't until he cuts his finger that Audrey II's pod opens hungrily. Seymour realizes that what his plant has wanted all along isn't boring old plant food, but blood.

This being the first real play I've seen in a venue outside of my high school auditorium, I hesitate to say anything more than this: Little Shop of Horrors was absolutely enjoyable. The singing was good, the story was hilarious and the actors obviously had fun in their roles.

Seeing this play was a new experience for me -- it introduced me to a culture and group of people I had never been around before. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the night, from the people on stage, to the people in the audience around me. This was the first legitimate play I've ever seen, and I'm confident it won't be my last.

Performances run from July 25 to August 21, 2011 at WaterTower Theatre in Addison. For performance times and ticket information, click here and the scroll to the very bottom for Little Shop of Horrors.

Facing financial challenges like most arts organizations, the Dallas Symphony Association cut four staff positions on Wednesday, and converted another from full- to half-time. The cuts included an executive assistant, an IT suppost specialist, a direct mail/telefund manager and a store sales associate.
A special "Great Orchestra" capital campaign wiped out multimillion-dollar deficits from the last two seasons, but interim president/CEO David Hyslop fears there will be more red ink in the 2011-2011 season. Meanwhile, the associating is negotiating a new contract with musicians. The current contract expires next month.

If you follow Dallas theater, you may know about the recent dust-up at Broken Gears Theatre Project. Having not interviewed all the parties involved, I'll just give you the basic details: Before the scheduled June 16 performance of The Hand, a world premiere by Spanish playwright German Madrid (translated by Loren Roark), actor Joey Folsom unexpectedly left the show. It's a 55-minute, two-man show, so that left the company in something of a fix, you might say.

Most low-budget theaters would have thrown up their metaphorical hands and said, "OK, we're done." Not Broken Gears. Director Andy Baldwin stepped into the role, and he and fellow actor Jeff Swearingen rehearsed their you-know-whats off, helped by producer Elias Taylorson and pinch-hitting director Robin Armstrong. A couple of shows had to be cancelled, but then The Hand, in fine theatrical tradition, went-the-expletive-ON. Hurray for them. Broken Gears, you ROCK.

I hadn't seen the original with Folsom, but I saw Baldwin and Swearingen on Saturday night at the final performance. I don't know either actor (I've seen them in a couple of shows, but I would have had to look it up to remember their faces, to be honest), and I COULD NOT TELL which one had subbed in. That's the highest compliment I can pay, and I'm still thinking about that crazy, twisty, blow-your-mind script. If you want to follow Broken Gears in the future (and you should), visit the website.

One of the three elements that struck me most deeply in The Pied Piper's Magic at Dallas Children's Theater is the power of friendship -- both on stage and off stage in form of the special relationship between Pied Piper author Steven Kellogg and the theater itself; DCT executive artistic director Robyn Flatt and her longtime staff are the only ones to whom Kellogg has entrusted the rights to adapt his warm and whimsical work. You can read my review here and my feature about it here.

Another element is the power of words -- this piper's magic is that he can pipe words that come to life and he can reverse the letters of those words to create new images (a welcome message about the importance of looking at things from another perspective). And finally, it is very cool to see that in the wake of Harry Potter mania, nobody blinks at a character being a witch as Elbavol is here. To put it in perspective, some audience members gave the theater a hard time for the witch in Kellogg's A Christmas Witch in 1995. That's two years before Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published in England and three before the retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was published in America. So you could say A Christmas Witch was just ahead of its time.

PHOTO: Ruby Long (far left) and Maurice V. Johnson (second from left) and Maurice V. Johnson (far right) are villagers charmed by Brian Hathaway's Pied Piper.

Let me just add my voice to the chorus of acclaim that has met Uptown Players' regional premiere of the Tom Kitt/Brian Yorkey musical Next to Normal. The show, which was nominated for a best-musical Tony Award, is definitely not musical-comedy. This is musical-as-serious-as-it-gets, with only brief funny moments to lighten the feeling of impending doom.

The show takes on the topic of bipolar disorder in a gripping and truthful way. As someone who has suffered from major depression, I was struck both by how brilliant Patty Breckenridge's portrayal is of someone suffering from mental illness, and how beautifully the book and lyrics show the effects on that person's loved ones. When you're in the grip of the illness, you don't really see what's happening to your spouse, kids, etc., and this show was a real wake-up call for me. Thank you, husband-o-mine, for sticking with me.

I've only seen a snippet of the Broadway production (on the 2009 Tony Awards) and heard the cast album. From what I've seen and heard, I much prefer Breckenridge's take on the role of Diana to that of the original Broadway actress, Alice Ripley, and Ripley won a Tony Award for it.

Don't let yourself be turned off by the show's serious subject matter. This is one of the best locally produced musicals we've seen in a long time, and I think it's the best show I've seen Uptown do. Which is saying a lot. Here's Lawson Taitte's review. For tickets, visit Uptown's web site or call 214-219-2718.

PHOTO BY Nan Coulter/Special Contributor: Gary Lynn Floyd (from left), Patty Breckenridge, Erica Harte and Anthony Carillo in Uptown Players' brilliant Next to Normal.

Now it's time for the remembrances segment. Mavs by 7.

The second of the big four: War Horse.

Having a "Spiderman" excerpt made sense, since it was the Broadway season's most talked about show for most of the last year. (It isn't eligible because it never officially opened...it could still be up for awards a year from now.)

But having a number from "Memphis" is pure commercialism. And a number from a week-long New York Philharmonic special presentation of Stephen Sondheim's "Company"? Really?

You can blame (or credit) the lack of musical revivals this year. Only two...first time in a very long time.