Haul out the holly – the holidays are here and DFW arts organizations are ready to celebrate.
After Thanksgiving dinner, it’s time for shopping and several area museums have great gifts. Museum Store Sunday is November 26. More than 2,200 museums worldwide are participating, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Patricia Sampson, board president of the Museum Store Association and director of the King Center Bookstore and Resource Center in Atlanta, explains how shopping at local museums and cultural institutions during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend promotes sustainable retail practices.
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“By purchasing one-of-a-kind gifts made by local artists and providers in their communities instead of mass-produced products commonly found in big-box stores, consumers and museum stores alike can reduce their carbon footprints while boosting their local economies,” Sampson said. “Partnering with local artists reduces shipping-related costs and emissions for both museum stores and their patrons, ultimately minimizing air pollution while conserving valuable energy during the busy holiday season.”
Shoppers may find participating museum stores near them at museumstoresunday.org/find-a-store and those with online stores at museumstoresunday.org/online-store-locator.
Avant Chamber Ballet is offering four opportunities to see the holiday favorite, The Nutcracker, in Dallas, Fort Worth and Southlake.
The Scene
The ballet company’s holiday season begins in Southlake with the Nutcracker: Short and Suite with live music presented by Apex Arts League on November 26. The production is a family-friendly shortened version of the holiday classic with the professional dancers of ACB, choreography by Paul Mejia and features pianist Kamilya Akhmetova.
On December 1-2, the ballet company will present the debut production of ACB - Nutcracker: Short and Suite Tea at Sammons Center for the Arts in Dallas. This new show is a 45-minute performance followed by a tea party with your child's favorite characters from the show.
Avant Chamber Ballet will present the full-length productions of Paul Mejia’s The Nutcracker in two cities this year. First, the ballet company will present the holiday classic with a live orchestra at Moody Performance Hall in Dallas December 8-10. Avant Chamber Ballet will head west to make its Ft. Worth debut, presenting The Nutcracker with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium December 22-23.
“This is a huge expansion for the company with a show for everyone including the youngest audience members who aren’t ready for a full production,” said Artistic Director Katie Puder. “The Nutcracker is a classic holiday tradition that is sure to bring joy and excitement to all ages.”
Learn more: Avant Chamber Ballet
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is filling December with an array of holiday music, starting December 1 with Christmas Pops. Running through December 10 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, the program, led by guest conductor Lawrence Loh, will feature holiday favorites performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Chorus and the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus. Grammy and Emmy Award-winning baritone, Reginald Smith, Jr. will return to the stage as the DSO’s featured soloist.
Musicians from the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Chorus and the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus will also present a free performance of holiday favorites on December 5 at NorthPark Center.
Dallas Symphony’s Family Christmas Pops concert, a special, shortened version of Christmas Pops perfect for the whole family, returns this season on Saturday, December 2 and Saturday, December 9. Guests may arrive early for photos with Santa and arts and crafts activities in the lobby, hosted by Mrs. Claus.
On December 6, the Dallas Symphony will present something new: holiday hits with a bit of country flair in a Country Christmas program. Nashville-based recording artists Rachel Potter (Broadway and The X Factor) and Patrick Thomas (The Voice) will perform festive songs made famous by George Strait, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.
Renowned a cappella masters, the King’s Singers hop across the pond to dazzle Dallasites with a holiday program ranging from contemporary choral gems and folk songs to well-loved carols. Carols with the King’s Singers is one night only, on Monday, December 11.
The DSO will also bring the Academy Award®-nominated holiday classic, The Polar Express™ in Concert to the Meyerson for three nights, December 15 -17, 2023. Experience Alan Silvestri’s unforgettable score performed live by the orchestra while the movie plays on the big screen.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will ring in 2024 with its annual glitzy New Year’s Eve celebration. This year, Maurice Cohn (Assistant Conductor, Marena & Roger Gault Chair) leads the orchestra in a fabulous program honoring the traditional Viennese New Year’s fare dotted with splashy numbers to welcome the new year.
Learn more: Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is kicking off the holidays right after Thanksgiving with Home for the Holidays, running November 24-26 at Bass Performance Hall. Conducted by Taichi Fukumura and featuring soprano soloist Megan Koch, the program features Christmas carols, seasonal tunes and an opportunity to wave at Santa Claus while the orchestra plays Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The concert also includes the I.M. Terrell Academy Choir, conducted by Mary-Margaret Soknich.
On December 9, the orchestra will perform Handel’s Messiah at Will Rogers Auditorium. On December 19 at White Chapel Methodist Church, the orchestra will present The Sounds of the Season, a Southlake family tradition featuring a blend of holiday classics. Attendees can expect to be transported into the magical world of the Nutcracker, experience the joy of Sleigh Ride, and participate in a heartwarming Holly Jolly sing-along, among other festive musical selections.
Learn more: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
No holiday season is complete without Scrooge. The Dallas Theater Center will present its annual production of A Christmas Carol at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre from November 30 - December 30.
Directed by Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company member, Alex Organ, and featuring Brierley Resident Acting Company member Bob Hess as Ebenezer Scrooge, DTC’s annual production of A Christmas Carol is a North Texas holiday tradition for audiences of all ages. Brimming with joyful songs, magical spirits and holiday cheer, this holiday classic embodies Charles Dickens’ classic story of joy, redemption and the spirit of Christmas.
Learn more: Dallas Theater Center
