Disney’s Beauty & the Beast If you have any little princesses or princes in your immediate family, you absolutely must head over to the AT&T Performing Arts Center before Disney’s Beauty & the Beast leaves town! This entertaining musical, based on the animated 1991 Disney movie, portrays the classic fairy tale in a lush and lively style that will keep viewers of all ages highly entertained. A Tale as Old as Time… Disney’s Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a young woman who lives in a small town where her love of reading makes her a nerdy oddball. Every other…
Tag: review
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway When a major recording artist is featured in a jukebox musical, you can pretty much guess which songs will be recorded – or so I thought before attending Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. The national tour of this Tony Award winning show opened in Dallas, Texas last night to a packed house at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Not just Carole King songs Beautiful includes plenty of Carole King songs, but what surprised me was how many other familiar tunes came along for the ride. For instance, I didn’t know Carole King and her…
Cabaret – surprisingly timely What could possibly be timely about a 50-year-old musical set in Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power? What, indeed. Had I seen Cabaret a year ago, I would have enjoyed it, but seeing it during the 2016 election cycle as we argue over transgender bathroom rights, immigration and religious freedom made this musical even more powerful, and rather unsettling! (In retrospect, I shouldn’t be surprised. John Kander and Fred Ebb, the same songwriting duo responsible for Chicago, another musical set in a different time period that also has uncanny modern day parallels, wrote the songs in Cabaret.) Set during the Weimar…
Opening night ovation in Dallas, Texas Opening night of IF/THEN at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas ended with a cheering crowd and a standing ovation. This new musical by the Pulitzer Prize Winning duo, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, is a 2 and a 1/2 hour riff on the decisions we make in life and the consequences (both expected and unforeseen) these choices create. IF/THEN vs Sliding Doors At first blush, the plot of IF/THEN sounds similar to “Sliding Doors,” a 1998 movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow. “Sliding Doors” shows the myriad ways a simple event – in this case, either catching or…
Stepping into History The Excelsior House Hotel in the historic district of Jefferson, Texas has quite a pedigree: Not only has this Texas State Landmark been in continuous operation since the 1850’s, but it’s also listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. If you are a history buff, you do not want to miss the Excelsior House Hotel. Sure, just like any accommodation these days, every room has a private bath, a television, and WIFI, but there’s something *special* about this east Texas venue, something I’ve never quite experienced at any other historic hotel: I truly felt transported while staying…
Relaxing Getaway If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway in east Texas, consider booking a room at the Black Swan B&B. So many of Jefferson’s restaurants, museums, parks, and stores are within easy walking distance of this charming inn that you could simply park your car when you arrive and leave it in the same spot until you’re ready to drive home! Perfectly located in the heart of Jefferson, TX My husband, Larry, and I recently stayed at the Black Swan B&B in historic Jefferson, Texas. What a treat! We were in town so I could give my Historic Cemetery Symbols talk…