2010-11 LEXUS BROADWAY SEASON ANNOUNCED: Billy Elliot, the winner of 10 Tony Awards last year, highlights the list of traveling shows coming to Dallas as part of the 2010-11 Lexus Broadway Season. The show will take up residence in the Winspear Opera House June 8 – July 3, 2011. The season begins Sept. 14-26 with Blue Man Group and continues with Young Frankenstein (Jan. 4-23, 2011) and Rock of Ages (May 17-29, 2011). Also on the schedule is a non-subscription staging of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – The Musical, Dec. 7-12, 2010.

PREPPING FOR ‘SPRING’: Speaking of the Lexus Broadway Series, the next show on this season’s schedule, Spring Awakening, opens tonight. The music was written by a guy who wasn’t exactly known in theater circles before the show debuted – pop singer Duncan Sheik. “I had certain things that I kind of liked and enjoyed, but musicals were not a big favorite,” he tells dallasnews.com. Listen for a review of the show from Jerome on Thursday on KERA.

QUOTABLE: “We first started coming to Fort Worth either in 1954 or 1955, and we would first play at a church. I can also still see, to this day, the face of our Fort Worth promoter. He had a barbecue place, and it was the first time that I actually saw someone barbecue bologna.”

– Mavis Staples, who will play Bass Performance Hall on Thursday. Read more from Staples in her interview with dfw.com.