Compiled by Marilyn Bailey
There’s a lot to see and do out there.
Get up. Get out. Get going.
BENEFITS
Legends: Trisha Yearwood
Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets, Fort Worth, 817-212-4280,
basshall.com
The annual “Legends” benefit concert for the UNT Health Science Center has brought a succession of the biggest music stars to Fort Worth (and raised big money for good causes — this year, it’s student scholarships). This is Yearwood’s only DFW show this year; expect to hear songs from the new Every Girl, her first solo album in 12 years. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4
ART
Artspace111
111 Hampton St., Fort Worth, 817-692-3228, artspace111.com
Heavenly View and Familiar Endeavor Two new exhibits group artists whose works are thematically similar. “Heavenly View” pairs Jim Malone’s works on paper depicting landscapes of Big Bend with Dennis Farris’ hyper-realistic oil paintings of Western scenes. “Familiar Endeavor” gathers works by Angel Fernandez, Karla Garcia, Andrea Muñoz Martinez and Ben Muñoz that explore issues of Mexican American identity and immigration. Through Nov. 30
William Campbell Contemporary Art
4935 Byers Ave., Fort Worth, 817-737-9566, williamcampbellcontemporaryart.com
Editions + Cutouts Check out silkscreen prints and stainless-steel cut-out sculptures by Alex Katz, the 90-something pop-art icon (who also has a current show at the Dallas Museum of Art). Through Nov. 16
Alex Katz’s Coca-Cola Girl 5, 2019, 20-color screenprint on paper, 56 inches by 40 inches
Image courtesy of Alex Katz
DANCE
Bruce Wood’s “Follow Me” was a popular and critical success in Fort Worth 15 years ago.
Photos by Sharen Bradford
Bruce Wood Dance
Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., Dallas, 214-871-5000,
brucewoodance.org
Harvest Bruce Wood made a big splash in 2004 with “Follow Me,” a dance tribute to the U.S. military. The company the late choreographer founded in Dallas performs that modern classic alongside two world premieres, “In My Your Head,” by Joy Bollinger (with music by Radiohead); and “Live, Love, Laugh,” by Bryan Arias. 8 p.m. Nov. 15-16
Texas Ballet Theater
Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets, Fort Worth, and Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., Dallas, 877-828-9200, texasballettheater.org
The Nutcracker See it early in Dallas or later in Fort Worth. Either way, this company always impresses with its sumptuous version of the Tchaikovsky-scored classic.
Dallas, Nov. 29-Dec. 8
Fort Worth, Dec. 13-29
CLASSICAL
Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., 817-877-3003, chambermusicfw.org
Winds of Youth If you’re not humming Beethoven yet, you will be: Musicians the world over are celebrating his 250th birthday this season. The Cliburn has a Beethoven-themed festival in February and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform the Ninth Symphony in April, but the Chamber Music Society is up first with this look at some of the composer’s chamber works with clarinet. Look for more Beethoven from this group all season. 2 p.m. Nov. 2
Cliburn at the Kimbell
Kimbell Art Museum, Piano Pavilion, Fort Worth, 817-212-4280, cliburn.org
Camille Thomas This series has a great record of presenting the classical world’s most exciting young stars, often in their Fort Worth debuts. Thomas, the French-Belgian, is the first cellist signed by Deutsche Grammophon in 40 years. She plays a program of Brahms, Messiaen, Franck and Prokofiev with Roman Rabinovich, a winner of the Rubinstein competition, one of the Cliburn’s few peers. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21
Cellist Camille Thomas makes her debut at the Cliburn at the Kimbell series.
Photo by Dan Carabas
Cliburn at the Modern
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth,
3200 Darnell St., 817-212-4280, cliburn.org
The Women of the Pulitzer With live performances by local musicians, the Cliburn’s new-music series celebrates Julia Wolfe, Caroline Shaw and Jennifer Higdon, three of the eight female composers who have won the biggest honor in their field, the Pulitzer Prize for music. 2 p.m. Nov. 16
Caroline Shaw
Fort Worth Opera
Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main St., 817-731-0726, fwopera.org
Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World Based on an illustrated children’s book of the same title, this world-premiere family opera tells the real-life story of a young girl and her friendship with the great painter Frida Kahlo. Diego Rivera is there, too, as well as Frida’s parrot, dog and monkey, who all sing. FWO artistic director Joe Illick wrote the music, Mark Campbell the libretto. 3 p.m. Nov. 16
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets, 817-665-6000, fwsymphony.org
Both classical weekends are led by guest conductors, who, we’re told, can be considered candidates for Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s job, so listen up.
• Barber and Copland: A Salute to America Houston native Garrett Keast is on the podium. Nov. 8-10
• Mozart and Dvorak The Austrian conductor Christian Arming leads the way. Nov. 22-24
On the popular-music side, there are numerous offerings:
• The Music of Selena A Fort Worth premiere spotlights the pop star. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1
• Video Games Live This concert — with the orchestra playing tunes from “Halo,” “Tron,” “Final Fantasy” and more, with synced images and lighting effects — takes place at Will Rogers Auditorium, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2
• Kraig Parker The popular performer channels Elvis. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5• Nat and Natalie Cole Vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Dee Daniels headline a tribute. Nov. 15-17
• Home for the Holidays Let the Christmas season begin. Nov. 29-Dec. 1
HOLIDAYS
Home for the Holidays Tree Lighting
Southlake Town Square, 1560 E. Southlake Blvd., visitsouthlaketexas.com
This Christmas-season kickoff has it all: visits with Santa, carols, holiday crafts, refreshments, snowman building and even snow tubing. 4:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 23, with the tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.
Lone Star Christmas
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, 817-778-1000, christmasatgaylordtexan.com
The Gaylord Texan’s Christmas spectacular returns with 3 million lights and acres of decorations, as well as a new theme for its ICE! exhibit: A Charlie Brown Christmas. Skilled Chinese artisans are brought in each year to carve a new immersive wonderland from more than 2 million pounds of colored ice. Other highlights, as always, include Nativity scenes and massive 2-story-tall ice slides. Visitors are issued parkas and gloves — it’s a true winter experience. Nov. 15-Jan. 5
The Modern flips the switch Nov. 29.
Photo by Ron Jenkins
Modern Lights
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., 817-738-9215, themodern.org
The Modern is promising an outdoor holiday light display this year that’s even grander than its past efforts. Stroll the grounds for free or make reservations for a Friday-night dinner at Café Modern for a festive view across the water. Nov. 29-Feb. 2
Photo courtesy of Sundance Square
Sundance Square Tree Lighting
Sundance Square Plaza, Main Street between 3rd and 4th streets, sundancesquare.com
Photos-with-Santa time starts here, with the lighting of the Sundance Square Plaza tree. Kids Who Care will perform, Santa will make his first appearance and much of the plaza will be decked with fun holiday photo backdrops. 6 p.m. Nov. 23
Parade of Lights
Downtown Fort Worth, fortworthparadeoflights.org
It’s the 37th year for Tarrant County’s biggest holiday parade, which winds through a substantial portion of downtown. See the website for the route and to reserve paid seating, or come early and stake out a place to view more than 100 floats and a staggering half a million lights. Pre-parade performances begin at 5 p.m. Nov. 24; the parade starts rolling at 6 p.m., with Santa’s float making its first appearance at 7:10.
Photos courtesy of Panther Island Ice
Panther Island Ice
Coyote Drive-In, 223 N.E. 4th St., Fort Worth, pantherislandice.com
Fort Worth’s outdoor skating rink returns, and this is one seasonal attraction that’s open seven days a week, even on holidays. Admission includes skate rentals, and snacks are sold onsite at the Coyote Canteen. Nov. 22-Jan. 20
Texas Motor Speedway: Gift of Lights
3534 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, giftoflightstexas.com
It’s a very TMS Christmas. Visitors can drive their own cars through a display of more than 3 million lights, then get out and explore Santa’s quaint village. Skating, photos with Santa and train rides have small additional fees. Nov. 28-Jan. 5
THEATER
Jubilee Theatre
506 Main St., Fort Worth, 817-338-4411, jubileetheatre.org
If Scrooge Was a Brother What could be more delightful than one of Jubilee’s lighthearted and highly creative Christmas shows? In this urban spin on a certain holiday classic, Eb Scroo is trying to ruin Christmas by calling in everyone’s debts by nightfall. Icons of black culture appear as ghosts and other characters, and the music is gospel, reggae and R&B. Nov. 22-Dec. 22
Stage West
821/823 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth, 817-784-9378, stagewest.org
The Lifespan of a Fact Bravo, Stage West, for bringing us such up-to-the-minute fare. The play, a comedy adaptation of a 2012 book about the fact-checking of a magazine article, opened on Broadway last year with Bobby Cannavale, Daniel Radcliffe and Cherry Jones as, respectively, a big-time writer for a glossy magazine, his fact-checker and his editor. Stage West scored the regional premiere. Nov. 7-Dec. 8
Dallas Theater Center
2400 Flora St., 214-522-8499, dallastheatercenter.org
A Christmas Carol For the best A Christmas Carol in North Texas, head east for this perennial standout production from Dallas Theater Center. Nov. 22-Dec. 29
Alex Organ as Ebenezer Scrooge in last year’s A Christmas Carol at Dallas Theater Center.
Photo by Paxton Maroney
Casa Mañana
3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth, 817-332-2272, casamanana.org
Annie This is part of the theater’s Broadway series, not the acclaimed children’s series, but of course it’s appealing for all ages with its popular songs (“Tomorrow,” “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”) and such vivid characters as Daddy Warbucks and Annie herself. Nov. 2-10
Josie Todd, along with Macy, have the starring roles in Casa’s Annie.
Photo by Chip Tompkins
Amphibian Stage Productions
120 S. Main St., Fort Worth, 817-923-3012, amphibianstage.com
Happy Place Adam Cayton-Holland’s one-man show is based on his memoir of his younger sister’s suicide. He relates how he was gutted by the death of his best friend and the funniest person he knew. Unsurprisingly, he quit comedy. This “darkly funny” piece relates how he found a way to live again — without, we are assured, any “then-comedy-saved-my-life” cliches. Nov. 14-16
FILM
Isabelle Huppert in Frankie
Magnolia at the Modern
Screenings are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the auditorium of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., 817-738-9215, themodern.org/films
• Pain and Glory Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, the semi-autobiographical story is being called his best film in years and takes over this auditorium for two weekends. Antonio Banderas plays a film director reflecting on his life choices. Nov. 1-3 and 8-10
• Britt-Marie Was Here A comedy-drama about a 63-year-old woman who embraces life in a quirky backwater town after leaving her longtime husband. Nov. 15-17
• Frankie This family reunion story starring the great French actress Isabelle Huppert also features Marisa Tomei, Brendan Gleeson and Greg Kinnear. Nov. 22-24