Visual and performing arts for fall 2011

It's finally September, and fall is in the air -- at least it is inside local visual and performing arts venues.

This is the month when most of North Texas' arts organizations traditionally start their new seasons. And this autumn promises a packed calendar of events and performances for the whole family -- all before Thanksgiving.

Local audiences will see entertainment legends Garrison Keillor, Dick and Jerry Van Dyke, Savion Glover, Joan Rivers and Patti LuPone.

The Kimbell Art Museum opens its blockbuster Caravaggio exhibition in October, and the Texas Ballet Theater stages its first Giselle the same week.

Shrek the Musical comes to Fort Worth just days after "Bugs Bunny at the Symphony" leaves the stage. But of course, that's not all, folks.

Late November is sure to bring a flurry of productions of The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol and at least one full-scale Messiah. We'll get to the holiday favorites later in the year, after at least a few leaves have fallen -- and not just because they're tired of hanging out in the heat.

Here's a month-by-month look at highlights of the local arts scene this fall; it's not necessarily comprehensive, so check your favorite venue or company's website for more detailed information. Also, ticket prices are subject to change.

September

6Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion comes to Fort Worth. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $44-$137.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

9Lyric Stage opens its season with the masterpiece Gypsy, featuring a 39-piece orchestra. Swiss musical-theater star Sue Mathys plays Mama Rose. Through Sept. 18. Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. $25-$50. 972-252-2787; www.lyricstage.org.

9Hip Pocket Theatre continues its 35th season with its third revival of Federico García Lorca's The Butterfly's Evil Spell. Through Sept. 25. Silver Creek Amphitheatre, 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth. $5-$15. 817-246-9775; www.hippocket.org.

9Dallas Theater Center opens its season with previews of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which features Fort Worth actor Jerry Russell. (The show opens Sept. 16.) Through Oct. 10. Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2400 Flora St., Dallas. $15-$25. 214-880-0202; www.dallastheatercenter.org.

9Artisan Center Theater presents the comedy Over the River and Through the Woods. Through Oct. 1. Artisan Center Theater, 418 E. Pipeline Road, Hurst. $7-$16. 817-284-1200; www.artisanct.com.

9Theatre Arlington's season opens with Forever Plaid, featuring the same cast from Casa on the Square in the 1990s. Through Oct. 9. Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., Arlington. $22. 817-275-7661; www.theatrearlington.org.

10Fort Worth Gallery Night, the semiannual night of openhouses. Visit www.fwada.com for details.

10"Tony Cragg: Seeing Things," the first U.S. museum exhibition in nearly 20 years of the acclaimed international artist, opens. Through Jan. 8. Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St., Dallas. $5-$10. 214-242-5100; www.nashersculpturecenter.org.

10Aspen Santa Fe Ballet opens the dance season for TITAS. 8 p.m. Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora St., Dallas. $12-$125. 214-880-0202; www.titas.org.

10Brothers Jerry and Dick Van Dyke star in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys. 8 p.m. Casa Mañana, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. $50-$100. www.ticketmaster.com.

10The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth opens its season with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi. 2 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $10-$28. 817-877-3003; www.chambermusicsocietyoffortworth.com.

11The photography show "Work" opens at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Through Feb. 19. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth. Free. 817-738-1933; www.cartermuseum.org.

11"Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan" opens at the Meadows Museum. Through Jan. 8. 5900 Bishop Blvd., Dallas. $4-$8. 214-768-2516; meadowsmuseum.smu.edu.

13The Cliburn Concerts season opens with pianist Louis Lortie. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $15-$90. 817-335-9000; www.cliburn.org.

13The Dallas Symphony presents Tony-winning Broadway superstar Patti LuPone in concert. 8 p.m. Meyerson Symphony Center, 230 Flora St., Dallas. $19-$85. 214-692-0203; www.dallassymphony.org.

15QLive! presents Jenny Lyn Bader's play None of the Above, about a private school student and her tutor. Through Sept. 25. Trinity Bicycles (outdoor patio), 207 S. Main St., Fort Worth. $10-$15. 817-484-6825; www.qcinema.org.

15The Texas Camerata opens its season with Italian baroque music. St. Patrick Cathedral, 1206 Throckmorton St., Fort Worth. $15-$20. 817-738-7939; www.texascamerata.org.

16The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra opens its classical season with a performance that features a work by composer-in-residence John B Hedges and virtuoso violinist Augustin Hadelich. Through Sept. 18. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $10-$79. 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

17The Dallas Symphony's annual gala features superstar violinist Joshua Bell. Cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7:30, concert at 8:45, after-party at 10:30. Meyerson Symphony Center, 230 Flora St., Dallas. Tickets begin at $125 for concert and after-party; and at $1,250 for entire black-tie event. 214-692-0203; www.dallassymphony.org.

20Dallas' Broadway Lexus Series begins with the national tour of the recent New York revival of the tribal rock musical Hair. Through Oct. 2. Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora St., Dallas. 214-880-0202; www.attpac.org.

20The Hall Ensemble, a chamber quartet, opens its season. 7:30 p.m. at a private home in the Colonial area in Fort Worth; the address will be provided following ticket purchase. $50. 817-924-4551; www.hallensemble.org.

22Amphibian Stage Productions presents the regional premiere of Morris Panych's Vigil. Through Oct. 2. Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Sanders Theatre, 1300 Gendy St., Fort Worth. $15-$25.

22Circle Theatre and Theatre TCU collaborate for a production of the musical The Fantasticks. Through Oct. 22. Circle Theatre, 230 W. Fourth St., Fort Worth. $20-$30. 817-877-3040; www.circletheatre.com.

22 Pantagleize Theatre Company opens its new season with a repeat of the Jan de Hartog classic The Fourposter. Through Oct. 2. Pantagleize Theatre, 1400 Henderson St., Building No. 3, Fort Worth. $10. 817-472-0032; www.pantatheatre.org.

24Fort Worth-area museums team up for the popular Day in the District, featuring free performances in and around the Cultural District. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.themodern.org.

24The Casa Mañana and Dallas Theater Center co-production of To Kill a Mockingbird opens in Fort Worth. Through Oct. 2 at Casa Mañana, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. $40-$65. 817-332-2272; www.casamanana.org.

30Jubilee Theatre opens its 31st season, and the first full season under Tre Garrett, with previews of Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning play Topdog/Underdog. The show opens Oct. 7 and runs through Oct. 30. Jubilee Theatre, 506 Main St., Fort Worth. $10-$25. 817-338-4411; www.jubileetheatre.org.

30A tour of The Wizard of Oz opens Performing Arts Fort Worth's Broadway series. Through Oct. 2. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $33-$82.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

October

4Dallas Summer Musicals' State Fair show is the tour of the classic West Side Story, in a bilingual production. Through Oct. 23. Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 First St. $15-$75. 214-631-2787; www.dallassummermusicals.org.

7Artisan Center Theater presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Through Nov. 12. Artisan Center Theater, 418 E. Pipeline Road, Hurst. $7-$16. 817-284-1200; www.artisanct.com.

7Hip Pocket Theatre closes its season with a new play by Johnny Simons, Paradoxical Abduction on Silver Creek. Through Oct. 30. Silver Creek Amphitheatre, 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth. $5-$15. 817-246-9775; www.hippocket.org.

7The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra does Mahler's Symphony No. 4, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting. Through Oct. 9. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $10-$79. 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

7CATS' season opens with the play about Helen Keller and her teacher, The Miracle Worker. Through Oct. 23. Creative Arts Theatre & School, 1100 W. Randol Mill Road. $8-$10. 817-861-2287; www.creativearts.org.

8Arts Goggle, the pop-up gallery and pub crawl, takes place on Fort Worth's south side. www.fortworthsouth.org.

10The National Acrobats of the People's Republic of China comes to town. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $27.50-$49.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

11Cliburn Concerts presents pianist Yuja Wang. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $15-$90. 817-335-9000; www.cliburn.org.

13The Allegro Guitar Series (Fort Worth Classic Guitar Society) opens its season with the Falla Trio. 7:30 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St. $25. 888-553-7387. www.guitarsociety.org Program repeats Oct. 15 at SMU's Caruth Auditorium in Dallas.

14Stolen Shakespeare Guild's season closes with Jon Jory's adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, timed to be in conjunction with the Jane Austen Society of North America convention in Fort Worth. Through Oct. 23. Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Sanders Theatre, 1300 Gendy St., Fort Worth. $10-$17. 866-811-4111; www.stolenshakespeareguild.org.

14The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra opens its pops series with a show of movie music, conducted by Andres Franco. Through Oct. 16. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $27-$79. 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

14Casa Mañana Children's Theatre opens its season with the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! Through Oct. 30. Casa Mañana, Fort Worth. $16-$21. 817-332-2272; www.casamanana.org.

16The Texas Camerata presents French baroque music. 7:30 p.m. University Christian Church, 2720 S. University Drive, Fort Worth. $5-$20. 817-738-7939; www.texascamerata.org.

16The big noise from the Renaissance, "Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome," $10-$14, runs through Jan. 8 at the Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. 817-332-8451; www.kimbellart.org.

16An exhibit showcasing Mark Bradford, a contemporary artist of paintings, sculpture, media and sound installations from Los Angeles, opens at the Dallas Museum of Art. Through Jan. 15. 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas. $5-$10. 214-922-1200; www.dallasmuseumofart.org.

17"Masters of the Fiddle," featuring Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, take the stage. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $16.50-$55. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

20Stage West opens its new season with George Bernard Shaw's politically charged Arms and the Man. Through Nov. 27. Stage West, 821 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth. $20-$30. 817-784-9378; www.stagewest.org.

20Pantagleize Theatre Company does The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery: Murder at Checkmate Manor. Through Oct. 30. Pantagleize Theatre, 1400 Henderson St., Building No. 3, Fort Worth. $10. 817-472-0032; www.pantatheatre.org.

21Texas Ballet Theater opens its season with G iselle, the first time artistic director Ben Stevenson has ever staged it. Through Oct. 23. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $18.50-$98.50. 877-828-9200; www.texasballettheater.org.

21Dallas Opera's season opens with Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Through Nov. 6. Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora St., Dallas. $25-$275. 214-443-1000; www.dallasopera.org.

22Sightings at the Nasher presents Diana Al-Hadid. Through Jan. 15. Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St., Dallas. $5-$10. 214-242-5100; www.nashersculpturecenter.org.

22The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth presents 2009 Cliburn finalist Di Wu. 2 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $10-28. 817-877-3003; www.chambermusicsocietyoffortworth.com.

24A one-night performance called The Intergalactic Nemesis, a sci-fi spoof, greets earthlings in Fort Worth. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $22-$55. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

26The Midtown Men is a group of actors who have appeared in the Tony-winning musical Jersey Boys, about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The group does those songs, and others. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. Tickets start at $35. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

28Theatre Arlington presents the mystery comedy Corpse! Through Nov. 13. Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., Arlington. $19. 817-275-7661; www.theatrearlington.org.

28 Bugs Bunny at the Symphony features music from popular cartoons, including classic "Looney Tunes." Through Oct. 30. Bass Hall, $27-$79. 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

28Lyric Stage presents a full-orchestra revival of Charles Strouse's rarely done musical Rags. Through Nov. 6. Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. $25-$50. 972-252-2787; www.lyricstage.org.

29Cliburn Concerts at the Modern presents a showcase with composer John Corigliano. 2 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $25. 817-335-9000; www.cliburn.org.

29Jose Zamora's CholoRock Dance Theatre presents its fall show. Also Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Green Space Arts Collective, 529 Malone St., Denton. $15. www.cholorock.com.

31The internationally acclaimed choral group Chanticleer sings favorites. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $27.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

November

1A performance by tap dancer Savion Glover is sure to have toes tapping. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $22-$82.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

2An Evening with Joan Rivers will keep audiences laughing. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $27.50-$82.50. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

4Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth's fall show is again in the Poultry Barn. Repeats Nov. 5. Will Rogers Memorial Center Small Exhibits Building (Poultry Barn), 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. $8-$15. 817-922-0944; www.cdfw.org.

4The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra does an evening of works by Mozart and Salieri. Through Nov. 6. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $10-$79. 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

5"John Marin: Modernism at Midcentury," the American modernist's works from 1933 to 1953, opens at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. Through Jan. 8. Free. 817-738-1933; www.cartermuseum.org.

8Performing Arts Fort Worth presents a tour of Shrek the Musical. Through Nov. 13. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. Tickets start at $22. 817-212-4280; www.basshall.com.

10Sundown Collaborative Theatre presents an original work, Café des Artistes. Through Nov. 20. Green Space Arts Collective, 529 Malone St., Denton. $8-$10. 214-729-0313; www.sundowntheatre.org.

10The Allegro Guitar Series (Fort Worth Classic Guitar Society) presents Greek guitarist Elena Papandreou. 7:30 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $25. 888-553-7387. www.guitarsociety.org. Program repeats Nov. 12 at SMU's Caruth Auditorium in Dallas.

11The highly anticipated Crystal Bridges museum opens in Bentonville, Ark. www.crystalbridges.org.

11DVA Productions presents Billie's Blues, about Billie Holiday. Through Nov. 20. Pantagleize Theatre, 1400 Henderson St., Building No. 3, Fort Worth. $10. 817-472-0032; www.pantatheatre.org.

12Joe Sears and Jaston Williams bring A Tuna Christmas to Fort Worth. Through Nov. 20. Casa Mañana, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. $50-$70. 817-332-2272; www.casamanana.org.

12The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth presents pianist Alessio Bax. 2 p.m. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., Fort Worth. $25-28. 817-877-3003; www.chambermusicsocietyoffortworth.com.

13"The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" opens at the Dallas Museum of Art. Through Feb. 12. 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas. $12-$16 weekdays, $12-$20 weekends; all tickets purchased before Monday are weekday price. 214-922-1200; www.dallasmuseumofart.org.

15Cliburn Concerts presents Jon Kimura Parker on piano and Cho-Liang Lin on violin. 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $15-$90. 817-335-9000; www.cliburn.org.

18The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra does Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 and other works. Through Nov. 20. Bass Hall, Fort Worth. $10-$79 . 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.org.

19Circle Theatre presents the panto-play Seven in One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid. Through Dec. 17. Circle Theatre, 230 W. Fourth St., Fort Worth. $20-$30. 817-877-3040; www.circletheatre.com.