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closeWednesday, Nov. 25, 2009
The Dirty Dozen: Christmas season is in full effect
This week's fun: 'SantaLand Diaries,' and a Parade of Lights with Elvis popping wheelies.
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Although the premise is roughly the same — Christmas must be saved! — this is not the stage version of the Rankin-Bass special. So don’t be looking out for Burgermeister or the Winter Warlock. The plot of this Casa Mañana production is more current, anyway: A company called DeBiggy Toys International gets a judge to outlaw Santa Claus. Of all the greedy nerve. Thankfully, the singing-dancing children are on the case.
When: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23
Where: Casa Mañana Theatre, 3101 West Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth
Cost: $17-$19
Info:www.casamanana.org
Regatta de Faux
OK, it’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving and your family is driving you bonkers. You’ve gotta get out. How about regressing into the comfort of ’80s nostalgia? For $5 (and the price of a beer or two), you can catch fun tribute bands at the Lakewood Bar & Grill in Dallas. Regatta De Faux has got all your Police jams, and Oliver’s Army has got you covered with Elvis Costello. Happy hour starts at 6 p.m. with Glass Apple, which covers Beatles and Beatles-related tunes.
When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Lakewood Bar & Grill, 6340 Gaston Ave., Dallas
Cost: $5
Info:www.lbgdallas.com
40 Paintings in 40 Days Artist John C. Moore may be a little off his rocker for taking his brush to this project, but we love him for it. It’s just like the title sounds: The Fort Worth artist wanted to create 40 paintings in 40 days, mostly inspired by the Burpee seed catalog. We’re especially intrigued by his pterodactyl-infused eggplant. (And you can add that to the list of sentences we never thought we’d utter.) The premiere of his show comes with chocolates, live music, beer and wine by donation, and, um, vegetables. Tread lightly around the eggplant.
When: Opens Friday (5:30-10 p.m.), runs through Christmas
Where: Arts Fifth Avenue, Fort Worth
Cost: Free admission; most paintings range $400-$600
Info:www.johncmoore.com; www.myspace.com/johncarlislemoore
Deck the Hall and 'Home for the Holidays’
Nutcracker bibs, iPod cases, Tickle Monster book sets and, for the Christmas tree, a Christopher Radko menorah ornament? Surely there’s something here for the arts enthusiast on your gift list at Deck the Hall, Bass Hall’s yuletide shopping event. And if you’re going to shop, you might as well catch one of the Bass’ many holiday shows. How about Home for the Holidays, by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra? It’s packed with Christmas-carol faves, a family sing-along, a bell choir and Santa and his bowlful-of-jelly belly.
When:Home for the Holidays: 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Deck the Halls shopping: open during all Bass Hall performances; also noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Fridays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays through early January.
Where: Bass Hall, Fort Worth
Cost: $26-$78
Info:www.basshall.com
Parade of Lights
This year, the downtown parade is technically called the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights, but don’t let a corporate sponsorship stop you from enjoying all the sparkle and shimmer, illuminated floats and marching-band hoopla.
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Belknap and Throckmorton streets, Fort Worth
Cost: Free for general admission; "Street Seats" $10 ($7 for seniors and kids 12 and under)
Info:www.fortworthparadeoflights.org
'One Square Mile, Fort Worth’ In the case of this new documentary short, the square mile is Lake Como. The filmmakers (both white) debunk its reputation as a crime- and drug-filled stereotype, and find this African-American community full of heritage and opportunity. It’s the first film in a series produced by Fort Worth residents Carl and Betsy Crum, owners of Brazos Film & Video. Check out the trailer at www.brazosfilms.com.
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 3
Where: Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main St., Fort Worth
Cost: Free
Info:www.brazosfilms.com
'The SantaLand Diaries’
Once you’ve discovered the pee-your-pants hilarity of David Sedaris, it’s tough to do Christmas without experiencing The SantaLand Diaries. It was the humorist’s breakthrough essay about his outrageous experiences while working as Crumpet the Elf at a Macy’s department store. You have two options this season: Pick up a copy of his Holidays on Ice ($9), which includes the original essay; or take in the live version staged by Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.
When: Premieres 8 p.m. Friday; runs Thursdays-Sundays through Dec. 20
Where: Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, 5601 Sears St.
Cost: $15
Info:www.contemporarytheatreofdallas.com
'A Lone Star Christmas Carol’
For those of us who were creeped out by the digitized Jim Carrey version of A Christmas Carol, we’re ready for a rendition that’ll make us smile, not shudder. Circle Theatre may have just the thing, with its Texan twangy twist on the Christmas classic. God bless us all, y’all.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 19
Where: Circle Theatre, 230 W. Fourth St., Fort Worth
Cost: $20-$30
Selena Gomez & the Scene
A crash course on the Disney star who grew up in Grand Prairie: She’s now 17, she was named after Tejano singer Selena, she’s the country’s youngest UNICEF ambassador, and she’s on the first tour with her band, the Scene, in support of their first studio album, Kiss & Tell. A plus for Go-Go’s fans: the pop-punky title track features a co-writing credit from Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock.
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: House of Blues, Dallas
Cost: $20-$35
Info:www.houseofblues.com
'Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg’ This Aviva Kempner documentary takes a look at television pioneer Gertrude Berg, the creator, writer and star of The Goldbergs, a popular radio show that ran from 1929 to 1946 and developed into a TV series in 1949. By highlighting Berg — who won the very first Best Actress Emmy — Kempner (who directed The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) reveals a bit about feminism, TV’s early years and Jewish life in America.
When: 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Magnolia at the Modern, Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth
Cost: $8.50; $6.50 for Modern members
Info:www.themodern.org
Lordy, lordy, Frosty’s 40! You’ll have to wait ’til Dec. 19 to catch Frosty the Snowman on CBS. But until then, celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rankin-Bass special with The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition. The four-disc DVD set includes Frosty and six other beloved holiday classics, including Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and The Little Drummer Boy. Although outlets like Amazon sell it for around $22, it retails for $40. Think of it as $1 for every year of Frosty.
When: In stores now
Where: Where DVDs are sold
Cost: $40 and lower
Info:www.amazon.com
Yo Gabba Gabba! Live
We only wish this could somehow be a Ramones show (But alas, RIP, Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny). No, this is more like "Rock rock, rock ’n’ roll pre-school." It’s the live touring version of the popular Nick Jr. kids’ series. So, if you know little ones, impress them by spouting names like Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee and Plex.
When: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Dr Pepper Arena, Frisco
Cost: $29-$59
Info:yogabbagabbalive.com
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