Will ‘ye olde merry men in tights’ be merry in ‘Hood,’ the DTC’s Robin Hood musical? Probably. It’s written by Douglas Carter Beane, the comic writer behind ‘Give It Up!,’ ‘The Nance’ and ‘Xanadu.’

The Dallas Theater Center continues its musical-premiering ways next season — with two musicals, both of them different takes on history and legend (the Old West and Robin Hood, respectively). It’ll also present a Greek tragedy in Annette Strauss Square as well as revive the classic teaching-evolution drama, ‘Inherit the Wind,’ which debuted in Dallas in 1955, courtesy of theater pioneer Margo Jones (the press release says 1954, but the press release is wrong. Just check Helen Sheehy’s biography of Margo Jones). Meanwhile, the AT&T Performing Arts Center has re-named its summer lecture series — it’s now hearhere — and it’ll present celebrated director Werner Herzog and ‘Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening. And finally, the Fort Worth Symphony — having just finished a tense round of contract negotiations with musicians — offers a new season featuring some hefty masterworks, including Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, Shostakovich’s 11th, and Richard Strauss’ tone poem, Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life). The orchestra will also present its own world premiere with composer Victor Agudelo’s La Madre de Agua.

The full releases follow:

DALLAS THEATER CENTER Announces World-Premiere Musicals ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’ and ‘Hood’ As Part of 2016-2017 Season

DALLAS (February 16, 2016) – Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty announced today the theater’s 2016-2017 season including two world-premiere musicals titled ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’ by Kirsten Childs, the co-lyricist of ‘FLY’; and the world-premiere musical ‘Hood,’ a fresh take on Robin Hood by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn. Also included in the 2016-2017 season are two of The New York Times Best Theater picks of 2015, ‘Constellations’ and ‘The Christians’; the classic historical drama, ‘Inherit The Wind’; a reimagined Greek tragedy, ‘Electra’; the holiday classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’; and an exciting new work with a title to be announced. DTC’s 2016-2017 season includes productions in the Potter Rose Performance Hall and the Studio Theatre at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the AT&T Performing Arts Center and the Kalita Humphreys Theater on Turtle Creek.

“Our 2016-2017 season continues DTC’s commitment to producing new work that will launch in Dallas and then continue on to further life across the country; unique, fresh productions of classic plays that use theatrical space in surprising ways; premieres of award-winning plays that speak meaningfully to our lives; and programming designed to engage our diverse community in ongoing conversations about ourselves and the world in which we live,” said Moriarty. “I am so looking forward to welcoming writers Kirsten Childs, Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn back to Dallas to create new works, and I am eager to continue DTC’s exploration of Greek tragedies. It’s going to be quite a year at DTC!”

The full season will be presented as follows: in the Studio Theatre at the Wyly Theatre, ‘Constellations’ (Aug. 24 – Oct. 9); in the Potter Rose Performance Hall at the Wyly Theatre, ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’ (Sept. 22 – Oct. 23); in the Potter Rose Performance Hall, ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Nov. 23 – Dec. 28); in the Studio Theatre, an exciting, edgy new work to be announced (Dec. 7 – Jan. 22); at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, ‘The Christians’ (Jan. 26 – Feb. 19); in AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Annette Strauss Artist Square, ‘Electra’ (April 4 – May 28); at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, ‘Inherit the Wind’ (May 16-June 18); and in the Potter Rose Performance Hall, Hood (June 29 – Aug. 6).

From the co-lyricist of ‘FLY,’ comes the world-premiere musical ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’ with book, lyrics, and music by Kirsten Childs. Directed by Robert O’Hara and set in the Old West with an unforgettable, soulful score, this musical comedy tells the tale of Isabella “Bella” Patterson, a young black woman in late 19th-century America. When Bella boards a train west to meet her Buffalo soldier sweetheart, she encounters the most colorful and lively characters ever to roam the Western plains. Bullets and fists will fly, heads and hearts will break, but – blessed with a big heart, and a voluptuous figure – Bella will breeze on through it all. ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’ is produced in association with New York’s Playwrights Horizons.

“I believe that telling an outrageous lie is sometimes the only way people can hear the truth. No, I’m not a corrupt politician, just a tall-tale-teller,” explained Childs. “That’s why, after discovering a part of
American West that never made it into my school history books, I was inspired to write a larger-than-life musical about colored folks who settled the Western frontier—cowboys and soldiers and mail-order brides and settler—-and the wide-eyed, itty-bitty colored gal who had an effect on them all. I hope you enjoy Bella’s true story as much as I enjoyed making it up.”

Inspired by the timeless tales of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest, ‘Hood’ is a world-premiere musical comedy rich with romance, jokes, songs, sword fights, dancing—and even an archery contest! Brought to you by the dynamic creative team of Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn from DTC’s critically- acclaimed 2010 production of ‘Give It Up!’ (Broadway’s ‘Lysistrata Jones’), ‘Hood’ will make you laugh, stir your soul, and steal your heart.

“Lewis and I are just thrilled to be coming back to our home away from home,” said Beane. “We had such a great time working on ‘Give it Up!’ and just fell in love with the staff, the theater, but most of all the generosity and kindness of the audiences. For ‘Hood,’ we wanted to do a show where we take a legend, a tale that everyone thought they knew but perhaps didn’t, and tell an old story with great resonance for today. We wanted to tell it using every piece of theater craft that we could employ. The first place we thought to debut this work was our Dallas home and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

When a theoretical physicist and a beekeeper meet, their spellbinding, romantic journey breaks the boundaries of the space-time continuum in DTC’s production of ‘Constellations.’ Selected by The New York Times as one of the 10 Best Plays of 2015, ‘Constellations’ will have the audience swimming in a sea of infinite possibilities. Written by Nick Payne, you won’t need to be an expert in string theory to fall in love with this wildly entertaining, gripping drama that confronts the difference between choice and destiny.

Meet Pastor Paul and his growing mega-church in ‘The Christians.’ In 20 short years, it had grown from a small, mom-and-pop operation into a full-blown mega-church with thousands of members, a coffee shop and a parking lot so big you could get lost in it. But today, Pastor Paul has a new message for his devoted flock—one that will turn the entire congregation on its head. Written by Lucas Hnath, you’ll recognize the hymns, the live choir and the preacher at the pulpit. But you’ve never heard a sermon quite like this before. For believers and non-believers alike, The New York Times calls ‘The Christians’ a “terrific play about the mystery of faith, and how religion can tear people apart just as it can bring them together.”

Adapted and directed by Moriarty, ‘Electra’ begins with Electra’s father having been murdered by her mother, and Electra just can’t let it go. With the return of her brother Orestes, the siblings seek justice… or is it vengeance? Lust, murder, and fury explode in this tale of familial betrayal. Building on DTC’s breathtaking approaches to Greek tragedies (‘Oedipus el Rey,’ ‘Medea’), expect the unexpected in this one-of-a-kind production that will take the audience on a journey through the grounds of AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Annette Strauss Artist Square. Observe intimate scenes between characters while hearing commentary about the play’s meaning through individual earbuds that will be provided for each audience member, creating an experience that is simultaneously public and private.

When a public school teacher is arrested for teaching Darwin’s theories of evolution to his sophomore students, two powerhouse lawyers face off in a court of law in ‘Inherit the Wind.’ The nation watches as science and faith collide, bringing a small southern town to its knees. Written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, ‘Inherit the Wind’ is inspired by the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial. Directed by Moriarty, DTC’s innovative, contemporary production of this classic American drama is as timely today as it was at the 1954 Dallas world premiere produced by Margo Jones.

The holiday extra (and favorite) ‘A Christmas Carol’ returns to the Wyly Theatre. Everybody’s favorite humbug, Ebenezer Scrooge, is back and he’s as cranky as ever. With magical ghosts flying above, scary ghosts bursting out of the floor and snow falling from the sky, this critically-acclaimed adaptation by Moriarty will be interpreted with a few new surprises by director and Brierley Resident Acting Company member Steven Michael Walters.

Full-season subscriptions go on sale February 16, 2016. Subscriptions can be purchased online at DallasTheaterCenter.org or by calling the AT&T Performing Arts Center Box Office at (214) 880-0202. Single tickets to A Christmas Carol will be available later in the season, after a subscriber-only, early access pre-sale.

For those who want to take their theater-going experience to the next level, DTC’s membership program, Friends@DTC, offers patrons a variety of exclusive benefits, including premium seats, a VIP intermission lounge, special invitations, complimentary drinks, free parking and much more. Visit DallasTheaterCenter.org/Friends or email [email protected] for more information.
DTC will continue the Come Early, sponsored by Wells Fargo, and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Stay Late programs in 2016-2017. Come Early is a free, 30-minute informative talk designed to enhance a patron’s play-going experience. Given one hour before every performance, a member of the cast or artistic staff will share details about the play’s origins and context, as well as share insight into the creative process behind the production. Stay Late is a free, brief, post-show conversation with a member of the cast about the show. Patrons will engage with the artists, learn about the production and be able to share their insights about the play in a lively discussion.

#hearhear: Spend four nights at the Winspear Opera House broadening your perspective, expanding your mind and laughing out loud.

Stephen Dubner: “Get Your Freak On”
May 4, 2016

Stephen Dubner is the co-author of the enormously successful ‘Freakonomics’ series and hot of Freakonomics Radio, a podcast which garners 5 million downloads per week. Alongside colorful commentator and national public radio host Faith Salle, the pair will engage the audience through a lively discussion filled with stories, illustrations and illuminating thoughts for profitable thinking, based off the most revolutionary Freakonomics project yet — ‘Think Like A Freak.’

Matt Groening & Lynda Barry: “The Friendship That Would Not Die.”

June 29, 2016

For 25 years, ‘Simpsons’ creator and executive producer Matt Groening has helped create an Emmy award-winning sitcom legend that Time Magazine called ‘Best Show of the 20th Century.’ Groening teams up with kindred spirit, author and artist Lynda Barry for an evening of hilarity among friends. The two former college classmates will talk about 40 years of love, hate, comics and the perpetual joy of driving each other crazy.

Miranda July: ‘Lost Child!’

July 8, 2016

In this autobiographical artist talk, Miranda July discusses the making of books, shoes, friends, movies, performances and personal protection devices – from her earliest work as a fledgling artist in Portland, to her curet successes and tribulations as an award-winning filmmaker and best-selling author. With moments of interactive performance, video clips and short readings, ‘Lost Child!’ explores the inner world of one of today’s most original artists.

Werner Herzog: ‘Happiness is a Strange Notion.’

August 31, 2016

The inimitable German cinematic legend, best koan for his raw documentaries, controversial films and unapologetic personality, will discuss his craft over one eventful night. Herzog has made more than 50 films, including the multi-award-winning ‘Grizzly Man,’ ‘Fitzcarraldo’ and ‘Aguirre, Wrath of God.’ Armed with his iconic voice, tales of adventure and ever-arresting presence, Herzog will engage audiences through the storytelling that earned him the title ‘genius.’

On sale now: see all four shows starting at $97. 214-880-0202. ATTPAC.org/hearhere.

FWSO Announces 2016-2017 Season

Programs include the Music of Mozart, World-Renowned Soloists, FWSO Principal Musicians, Community Partnerships, and Exciting Pops Performances

FORT WORTH, TX – February 12, 2016 – The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and president and CEO Amy Adkins are proud to announce the details of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s 2016-2017 season. It will be Harth-Bedoya’s 17th year at the artistic helm of the 104-year-old orchestra. The new season will comprise 30 performances of ten Symphonic subscription concerts, 21 performances of seven Pops subscription concerts, five special one-night-only concerts, and a three-concert Classical Masters Festival, all to take place at Bass Performance Hall. Additionally, community engagement and educational performances will be presented for audiences in venues across the region.

“The 2016-17 season offers our audiences a distinguished lineup of guest artists and an outstanding variety of music to showcase and expand upon our commitment to artistic excellence,” says Harth-Bedoya. “I am very proud to share next season’s programming, and know that our audiences will find joy in both standard masterpieces and familiar artists, as well as the new and unexpected.”

Symphonic Season Overview

In the new season, the FWSO will welcome back familiar faces and is excited to host new ones. World-class soloists James Ehnes, Stephen Hough and Karen Gomyo will return for repeat engagements on the symphonic series, while tenor Paul Appleby, pianist Inon Barnatan, cellist Johannes Moser, and violinist Alexandra Soumm will make debuts with the orchestra.
Several repertoire favorites will be performed, including Dvořák’s “New World Symphony,” Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, and Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony. Audiences also will be introduced to masterworks that have never been performed on the subscription series: Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, Richard Strauss’ epic tone poem Ein Heldenleben, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, to name a few.

Other artistic highlights will include Vadym Kholodenko’s return for his third and final year of the FWSO’s Artistic Partnership in a one-night-only performance of the Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto, and performances of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto and the Grieg Piano Concerto.
Throughout the year, several musicians from the orchestra will be spotlighted, including principal cellist Allan Steele and principal clarinetist Ana Victoria Luperi during the Classical Masters Festival –“The Music of Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart”– and principal horn Molly Norcross in the orchestra’s first subscription performances of the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings.

Guest conductors will include the FWSO debuts of Nicholas Carter, David Danzymayr, Christoph König, and FWSO subscription debut of Andrew Grams, while visiting composers Mason Bates and Adam Schoenberg will return for engagements with the FWSO, and Victor Agudelo’s debut visit will mark the world premiere of his La Madre de Agua.

The Symphonic Concerts:
• September 9-11, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; violinist James Ehnes (Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Violin Concerto No. 1; Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”)
• September 30, October 1-2, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; pianist Stephen Hough and visiting composer Mason Bates (Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1; and Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien)
• November 4-6, 2016: Nicholas Carter conducts; tenor Paul Appleby and FWSO principal horn Molly Norcross (Thomas Ades’ Three Studies from Couperin; Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings; and Elgar’s Enigma Variations)
• November 18-20, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; pianist Vadym Kholodenko (Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7)
• January 13-15, 2017: David Danzymayr conducts (J. Strauss’ Roses from the South; Piston’s Suite from The Incredible Flutist; and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathetique”)
• February 3-5, 2017: Christoph König conducts; pianist Inon Barnatan (Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7; Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3; and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1)
• February 24-26, 2017: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; cellist Johannes Moser and visiting composer Victor Agudelo (world premiere of Agudelo’s La Madre de Agua; Dvorak’s Cello Concerto; and Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, “Organ”)
• March 17-19, 2017: Andrew Grams conducts; violinist Karen Gomyo (Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, “Strassburg”; and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905”)
• April 7-9, 2017: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; violinist Alexandra Soumm and visiting composer Adam Schoenberg (Schoenberg’s La Luna Azul; Sibelius’ Violin Concerto; and Prokofiev’s Cinderella Suite)
• May 12-14, 2017: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts; pianist Vadym Kholodenko (Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major; and R. Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben

Classical Masters Festival

In the Festival’s second of a three-year cycle, Miguel Harth-Bedoya will lead the orchestra in exploring the genius of music from symphonic founding fathers Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Soloists for the festival include principal cellist Allan Steele, principal clarinetist Ana Victoria Luperi, and pianist Vadym Kholodenko; Kholodenko will also give pre-concert recitals, as will Steele and FWSO principals Michael Shih, Adriana DeCosta, and Laura Bruton.

The Festival Concerts:
• August 26, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts with FWSO principal clarinetist Ana Victoria Luperi, (Haydn’s Symphony No. 96, “The Miracle”; Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto; Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio; and Haydn’s Symphony No. 45, “Farewell”
There will be a pre-concert performance by Vadym Kholodenko (Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat major, Opus 22)
• August 27, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts with FWSO principal cellist Allan Steele (Mozart’s Ballet Music from Idomeneo; Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1)
There will be a pre-concert performance by Vadym Kholodenko (Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331, “Alla Turca”)
• August 28, 2016: Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducts with pianist Vadym Kholodenko (Haydn’s Overture to L’infedelta delusa; Mozart’s Symphony No. 25; and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4)
There will be a pre-concert performance by FWSO string principals Michael Shih, Adriana DeCosta, Laura Bruton and Allan Steele (Haydn String Quartet in G minor, Opus 74, No. 3, “The Rider”)

Pops Season Overview

The upcoming season offers seven exciting concerts, beginning with a treat for audiences, young and old alike: a screening of the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Constantine Kitsopoulos will conduct and the symphony will perform John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score as the movie plays in HD. Other highlights include a concert dedicated to the music of the Baby Boomers, one spotlighting scenes from favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein movie musicals, and a performance paying tribute to the influence of Ray Charles.

The Pops Concerts:
• September 2-4, 2016: Constantine Kitsopoulos conducts “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” The FWSO will perform John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score in sync to the film projected in HD.
• October 14-16, 2016: Jack Everly conducts “The Beat Goes On! Music of the Baby Boomers,” featuring music from TV and movies, including hits by Burt Bacharach, Simon & Garfunkel, and Frankie Valli.
• November 11-13, 2016: Bob Bernhardt conducts “The Sounds of America”
• November 25-27, 2016: Andres Franco conducts the perennial family tradition “Home for the Holidays”
• January 27-29, 2017: Ron Spigelman conducts, featuring Ellis Hall on piano and vocals: “Ray Charles, Motown, and Beyond!” which is a soulful celebration of the music that protégé Hall and Charles shared, featuring “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “Ain’t No Mountain,” and “Let the Good Times Roll.”
• March 10-12, 2017: Stuart Malina conducts “Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Movies,” featuring remastered clips from R&H movie musicals, with original vocals and a live soundtrack, including Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific, and Carousel.
• March 31-Apr. 2, 2017: Stuart Malina conducts, featuring vocalist Rachel York, in “007: The Music of James Bond,” which will showcase iconic songwriters, from Shirley Bassey to Paul McCartney.

Special Concerts and Gala

Four spectacular concerts and the symphony’s annual gala are scheduled for the new season. One-night-only affairs, the programs include celebrities, local talent, and two holiday-themed extravaganzas.

The Special Concerts:
• December 1, 2016: Trumpeter Chris Botti will grace the Bass Performance Hall stage in what promises to be a soulful, nuanced, and charming appearance.
• December 2, 2016: A holiday tradition, the FWSO will perform Handel’s Messiah, with David Thye conducting and featuring the Southwestern Seminary Master Chorale.
• December 31, 2016: After his highly entertaining 2015 appearance with the FWSO, conductor and TV/film actor Damon Gupton will return for “New Year’s Eve: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald,” which will feature vocalist Carmen Bradford.
• January 7, 2017: The legend will come alive in “The Legend of Zelda,” an exhilarating multimedia concert that will present 30 years of music from the franchise.
• February 11, 2017: “The Mozart Gala” will feature Met opera star Danielle de Niese and pianist Menahem Pressler, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting. The orchestra will perform Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488 and a selection of concert and opera arias and overtures.

Education and Community Engagement

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is committed to presenting engaging music education programs, fostering relationships with area arts organizations and strengthening ties to the community in Fort Worth and across North Texas. “It is at the center of the Orchestra’s mission to inspire the lifelong enjoyment of music for people of all ages,” stated Amy Adkins, President and CEO of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. “Making the FWSO accessible is one of the major ways we accomplish this goal, so that despite geographic, educational or financial limitations, anyone can make the Orchestra part of their lives.”

In 2016-2017, the orchestra will collaborate with Texas Ballet Theater to perform for three productions by the ballet company. Additionally, the FWSO will enjoy continued partnerships with the Fort Worth Opera, Performing Arts Fort Worth, and the Cliburn.

Community concerts will be offered once again in Fort Worth at Arborlawn United Methodist Church and in Southlake at White’s Chapel Methodist Church. The schedule of community concerts for the 2016-2017 season will be announced at a later date, but the programs will offer a variety of symphonic, choral and family engagements.

Educational activities, including the Young Person’s Concerts, Kinderconcerts, and the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute Link Up Program will continue to reach thousands of school children in Fort Worth and across the region. And Symphony in Your School invites Title I schools in Fort Worth to experience the orchestra throughout the year at no cost, including in-school performances by the full orchestra and chamber ensembles.

The FWSO’s Student Passport program, now in its fourth year, will offer discounted tickets for high school and college students. For only $35, students can attend unlimited Symphonic concerts for one full year.

Once again in 2016-2017, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will bring symphonic music to communities throughout the State of Texas. Touring performances include interactive narrated concerts for students and evening concerts designed for listeners of all ages. During the 2015-2016 season, the FWSO travelled to Killeen, Waxahachie, Graham, Mesquite, Glen Rose, Mansfield, and Stephenville, and the schedule for the 2016-2017 season will be announced at a later date.

Ticket Information

All Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra regular season concerts take place at Bass Performance Hall near Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth unless otherwise noted.

Subscriptions for the 2016-2017 season go on sale Friday, February 12, 2016 and can be purchased by calling 817-665-6000 or online at fwsymphony.org. FREE parking in 777 Main Parking garage is available to all FWSO patrons on the night/day of their selected performance.

Symphonic subscriptions for the 2016-2017 season range in price from $160 – $595. Pops subscriptions range from $175 – $511. Classical Masters Festival subscriptions range from $51 – $192. Single tickets will go on sale July 25, 2016. For tickets to all FWSO concerts, contact the FWSO Ticket Office at 817-665-6000 or visit www.fwsymphony.org