F.I.T. KICKS OFF: The Festival of Independent Theatres got off to a strong start at Bath House Cultural Center, according to a couple of local reviewers in attendance. Lawson Taitte and Mark Lowry both took in the first slate of performances, and while the offerings sound solid across the board, Seagulls seems to be the favorite. Writing for dallasnews.com, Taitte says, “Seagulls creates mysteries rather than clearing them up, but it leaves you musing about all sorts of issues, from performance anxieties to intergenerational jealousy.” In his review on theaterjones.com, Lowry gushes, “Anyone in town who is or desires to be a playwright needs to see this one — not to mention anyone who appreciates good writing and acting.”

LOVATO RISING: How do you know when you’ve made it big? Having the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times devote its Sunday centerpiece to you is a pretty good indication. That’s the treatment Dallas native Demi Lovato received yesterday. Of course, most of her tweenage fans are probably not regular NYT readers. But for someone looking to eventually break out of the child-star mold, that’s exactly the point. If you didn’t catch it a few weeks ago, dallasnews.com also caught up with the Disney Channel star for a feature.

DENTON ON THE WEB: If you haven’t checked out the Web site mydentonmusic.com, it’s time you did. The site has just launced a new Web series called The Crisman Show, in which Sarah Crisman interviews various Denton musicians. Oso Closo takes the lead-off spot. You can read more about the new series in this story on nbcdfw.com.