Summer Stages: BWW Picks for Summer Theatre - Dallas!

It's summer in Texas. That means it's time to fight sweltering temperatures with pool parties, ice water and air-conditioning. But in Dallas summer also means Broadway visits Fair Park and the Arts District (dare we call it, the Great Dusty Way?). And the Bard returns to his East Dallas home, Samuell Grand Park.

Here are Broadway World's recommendations if you're looking to beat the heat with theater.

JERSEY BOYS
June 12 – July 25: Oh what a night! You'll be singing the songs from JERSEY BOYS far longer than the month the show occupies the Winspear Opera House. This Tony-award winning jukebox musical about the rise-to-fame of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons nestled its way into the hearts of Dallas audiences when it stopped here in 2008. Now thanks to AT&T Performing Arts Center's Lexus Broadway Series –it's back weaving the hit songs "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man" and "Oh What a Night" into a compelling story about one of the biggest boy bands of all time. Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling 214-880-0202 or at the Winspear box office (2403 Flora Street).

TWELFTH NIGHT
June 15- July 21: Midsummer madness. Grab a blanket, pack a picnic and bring your friends to the Samuell Grand Amphitheatre (1500 Tenison Parkway ) for one of Shakespeare's most complicated romances. When Viola is separated from her twin brother Sebastian, she masquerades as a boy and finds herself caught in a love triangle with Duke Orsino and the beautiful Olivia. Starring some familiar Dallas faces like Jenny Ledel and Max Hartman, this mirthful tale of love and deception goes great with a balmy Texas night and a bottle of wine. Tickets are available through Shakespeare Dallas memberships, online or at the front gate. 

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT
June 22-Aug 12 : Any show won't do. Most summers, the right decision is to stay away from all forms of coats. But if my prophecies are right, Dallas Theater Center is putting together a seamless production of this under-produced Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Fun for all ages, this show based on a Bible story (you know the one about the fancy, jealousy-instilling coat) has songs Broadway geeks will recognize like the catchy "Any Dream Will Do" and the more somber "Close Every Door." But the doors to the Wyly Theater (2400 Flora St) won't shut you out. Tickets are available online or by calling 214-978-2897.

THE PRODUCERS
Aug 24- Sept 15: We find the worst play ever written. We hire the worst director in town. Uptown Players is scheming to bring to town the best musical about the worst play ever written. A hilarious story about two wannabe Broadway producers who find themselves with an accidental smash-hit was a movie, then a musical, then a movie again. And Uptown Players are just the people to bring this show to Dallas. An all-local cast including funny man B.J. Cleveland promise to keep the audience in stitches. Tickets are available online or by phone 214-219-2718.

Lauren Smart is a freelance journalist based in Dallas. She has covered the arts for magazines and newspapers throughout Texas, New York and South Carolina. She holds a master's in arts journalism from Syracuse University and bachelor degrees in journalism and creative writing from Southern Methodist University. An arts advocate and walking theater encyclopedia, she can usually be found poring over new plays or writing in a local coffee shop.

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