Tag Archives: Live Performances

The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre takes classic theater outside the box

The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre is part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center located in the Arts District of Downtown Dallas. The theater was built so that their main performance hall is surrounded by three glass walls, creating a unique experience for the audience. The architecture of the building (designed by REX/OMA) in conjunction with an extensive pulley system creates a stage space that provides a lot of freedom for directors to work with many quickly changing sets. It’s like a playground for contemporary theater. The building is a work of art in and of itself with the 12-story building standing seemingly suspended three stories up with only one supporting wall. Check with the Dallas Theater Center for performances and showtimes.

Art Love Magic brings magic to the art scene

Started by three artists looking for a better way to connect with other artists, Art Love Magic is an organization in the business of connecting; connecting emerging and established artists as well as connecting viewers with the artists and their process. They host one large gallery show a month, involving both an exhibit and an event in which attendees can watch artists at work across all media, including live music, performance and spoken word. They also host Art and Coffee on the first Friday of every month, a free event with live music and art at a local coffee shop. Check their calendar for event times and locations.

Sugar Bar

The Sugar Bar Restaurant & Lounge is owned by the legendary singer/songwriting team Ashford & Simpson. Open from Tuesday thru Saturday for dinner and nightly entertainment. For great food and a good time, theres no place like it. Dont forget about “Open Mic” Every Thursday, where all the stars come out to play. Open for nine years now, the Sugar Bar is known for both its delectable menu and its spectacular live performances.

Cultural Fridays: Little Havana’s lively monthly festival

Little Havana is always a lively place but on the last Friday of every month it truly comes to life during Cultural Fridays, the monthly arts and culture festival held on historic Southwest Eighth Street, known as “Calle Ocho.”

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Set on the iconic three-lane, one-way stretch of road, the festival takes place  along three blocks filled with art galleries, restaurants and performance stages. There are walking tours of the historic Little Havana homes led by renowned historian Dr. Paul George, tango classes at DAF Studio, an Art Fair at Domino Plaza, salsa dancing at El Pub Restaurant and lots and lots of art for viewing.

Eat at one of the many Cuban, Spanish and Latin American restaurants and dance the night away at one of the few nightclubs along Calle Ocho.

Cultural Fridays is every last Friday of the Month on Eighth Street from between SW 14th and 17th Avenues, 305-643-5500, www.viernesculturales.org

Venice Beach: Down By the Boardwalk

venice beach pic

Whether you are looking for snow cones, inexpensive sunglasses or guys flexing at Muscle Beach, just about anything and everything can be found at the Venice Beach boardwalk.

Known for its sidewalk art displays and t-shirt shops, the energy at the boardwalk never lets up. With endless dining options and street cafes such as James Beach or Hash at Hotel Erwin, visitors can choose to dine in or on the go from endless street vendors and walk-in locations.

Along with endless dining options, the Venice Beach boardwalk is known for its shopping, from t-shirt shops to stands filled with sunglasses as well as a plethora of vintage clothing stores.

Not only is the boardwalk known for dining and shopping, but it has become famous for street performers and art displays. Whether it’s a palm reader, henna tattoo artist or someone painting portraits on the spot, all artists alike come to Venice beach to display their talents for all that travel the boardwalk to witness.

Crowds and parking to even access the boardwalk can be a nightmare on the weekends. Many private parking lots will grant you all day access for a fee. As far as visiting hours, most will tell you to visit when it is light out because the boardwalk can take on a different vibe at night.

Sons of Hermann Hall: An Old Texas Tradition Lives On

Light years from the pretentious vibe of Dallas, Sons of Hermann Hall is a historical, casual, and authentic must-see for lovers of a cold beer and great live acts. The volunteer staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the bar is stocked with a pleasing selection of bargain-priced cocktails, beer and wine.

One of the rare, genuine dance hallsPicture 34 left in the city, Sons of Hermann Hall was built in 1911 and is known for supporting local acts. You can promenade across the dance floor, play pool and shuffle board, or listen to your favorite old tunes on the jukebox. The small upstairs stage has housed acts from the Dixie Chicks to newcomers like Sarah Jaffe. Open mic nights give aspiring musicians a chance to get their feet wet, and the younger crowd has really taken a shine to the swing dance lessons that are offered on Wednesday nights from 8pm until midnight.

Another major draw is that Sons of Hermann Hall is family friendly, with no smoking allowed within 15 feet of the premises. So, strap on your dancing shoes, bring a few bucks for a beer, and even bring the kiddies….this is one dance hall that welcomes everyone to enjoy true Texas music.

World Class PCMS for $23 or Less

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society takes pride in bringing local, national and international stars of the music world to stages throughout Philadelphia for affordable prices, and we’re talking world-class acts for $23 or less. Picture 30

PCMS presents more than 60 chamber music concerts, instrumental and vocal recitals, jazz and special programs per season with some of the most prestigious musicians in the world, like the Tokyo Quartet and violinist Midori. As a resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, PCMS performs mainly in the Perelman Theater on Broad Street, but also presents in other venues across the city. PCMS also collaborates regularly with prominent cultural institutions, like Juilliard, and presents education programs to help bring classical music into the lives of the younger generation.

Whether you’re in the mood for piano, a string quartet or a stellar tenor, there will be something on the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society season that will delight you…and it will cost less than that sirloin you ordered the night before.

Diverse Drama & Dance at Deco Colony Theater

Whether it’s laughing the night away at a comic’s jokePicture 4s or watching dancers soar and leap across the stage, Colony Theater is the place to catch a wealth of diverse entertainment. The calendar is packed with something for everyone with groups like Miami Lyric Opera, Miami Contemporary Dance Company and New World School of the Arts Music Department presenting world-class performances. The venue has also become a hot bed for controversial plays and shows by Latin American artists, making headlines in the past year with attention-grabbing presentations.

Watching a show here is like stepping back in time. The marquee and Colony Theater lettering are in Art Deco style and the look continues inside throughout the foyer with a multi-patterned terrazo floor, vintage chandeliers and a grand stage framed in Deco-inspired moldings. The theater may be inspired by the roaring 20s, but what’s showing inside is fresh, new and in the moment.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Artistic Excellence for All Ages

Founded in 1976, Dallas Black Dance Theatre has been wowing the metroplex with contemporary modern dance for audiences spanning all generations. Twelve professional, full-time dancers perform modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works by some of the country’s best choreographers.

Currently, jaws drop as audiences watch the troupe performPicture 8 new works from New York based choreographer and Broadway based Lion King performer, Ray Mercer.  Now located in the up and coming Dallas Arts District, performances can been enjoyed at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.

When contemplating exploring the arts, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre provides not only consistently fresh entertainment, but offers classes (three levels each) in ballet, jazz, tap and Liturgical disciplines for ages 4 and up. Nearly 400 students per week enjoy learning in the year-round classes and develop a new appreciation for what they see up on stage.

With general admission tickets at $15,  it’s more than worth your while to check out a performance or learn one for your own personal repertoire.

Bryant Park Has the Best of Both Worlds

Picture 6Watch out, Central Park. Sure, Bryant Park might not be New York’s most famous park, but definitely puts up some good competition. Here, it’s the best of both worlds: tall Manhattan skyscrapers surrounding a green lawn that features some of the most iconic New York events, like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the HBO Summer Movie Screenings.

Just one block from Times Square, the park is a popular lunch break getaway for the suits and ties, eating at Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio’s casual ‘wichcraft or at the Bryant Park Grill’s enviable patio space. For those looking to relax and soak up the few rays of Manhattan sunshine, there’s free Wi-Fi access as well as intermittent racks of books (Bryant Park is directly behind the New York Library). For those with children, the custom-built carousel is a must.

Bryant Park is always alive; every season comes a new batch of highly anticipated and high quality events. In the summer, the HBO Summer Film Festival screens free films for those on the lawn, and various concerts, including the GMA Summer Series and Broadway in Bryant Park. If you come in the winter, there are the independent merchants at the Holiday Shops as well as The Pond, a free-admission ice-skating rink that has been touted as NYC’s best.

Black Tie to Broadway at Music Hall at Fair Park

If you love theater, dance, and the thrill of the arts on a live stage, the Music Hall at Fair Park is the place to be. Favorites like Phantom of the Opera and new hits Legally Blonde: The Musical are just two examples of big nPicture 18ame shows that recently called the Music Hall their home. The ability to house a full scale orchestra and opera makes it possible to watch Miss Saigon and Les Miserables without missing a moment of the action or impeccable sound. Even the popular TV show, “America’s Got Talent” chose the Music Hall at Fair Park for its live taping for broadcast.

Besides being a hub for culture, the Music Hall provides ample space and service for black tie affairs, luncheons and banquets. Easily accessible to both north and south Dallas, this is one venue to explore, enjoy and be fully entertained.

Book a Date With the Dallas Public Library

Picture 20During tough economic times and the “go green movement,” there’s no better way to save a few dollars and trees and spend the day broadening your knowledge base than by visiting the downtown Dallas Public Library.  Whether you’re a library card toting resident or just looking to browse the vast rows of bookshelves, you won’t regret spending an afternoon exploring everything this library has to offer.

Lectures with authors from the New York Times Best Seller’s List and free inventor workshops are among some of the exciting offerings, and children can get in on the fun with story time and youth poetry competitions. If books aren’t your cup of tea, check out the media library for an impressive array of CDs, DVDs, and magazines.

The Dallas Public Library isn’t just for studying and quiet whispers, either. Weekend concerts, featuring local and visiting professional musicians, are free and open to the public.

1. Whole Week of Celebration for MLK, Jr. 1/9-1/18/10

In honor of what would be Martin Luther King’s 81st birthday, and the 25th anniversaryPicture 11 of the national holiday created to celebrate his work and life, a wonderful, week-long roster of events is being presented by The King Center.

The Center, founded in 1968 by the fallen leader’s wife, Coretta Scott King, is a premier site for people to learn, share and celebrate the principles Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his energies to.

From the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s concert, “A King Celebration” at the King Chapel of Morehouse College to the Salute to Greatness Awards banquet and a Health and Wellness Forum, the week is jam-packed with exhibits, seminars, concerts, and children’s activities for all.

Pure Serenity at Historic Barnacle

Nestled in the quaint community of Coconut Grove is a jewel oBarnacle housef a park that takes visitors back to another era- and has one of the best bay views in the city. Wind down tree-lined Main Highway and come upon the Barnacle Historic State Park, once the home of pioneering Miamian Ralph Middleton Munroe, to catch a glimpse of life in Miami in the late 1800s.

The place has grounds that rival a scene from the Great Gatsby and the house is just as grand with a bird’s eye view of the bay from the home’s balcony, an open rotunda attic with wrap-around carved railings, skylights and intricate furnishings in every room. The boathouse, where Commodore Munroe built his vessels, and shaded pathways throughout the property add to the tranquil setting.

The Barnacle is more than simply a house to admire, they also house many activities that can make this landmark part of your weekly routine. Every week there is a yoga class that allows you to get the serenity and tranquility of the locale while also burning some serious calories. Throughout the year there are also many special concerts that take place on the grounds.

Enjoy the old and the new, but always a beautiful setting, at The Barnacle.