April is a month dripping with huge stars performing on stages all over DFW including concerts with Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks, and more.
Big names and the brightest stars always seem to end up in Dallas.There is constantly something good … make that GREAT to see and do in Dallas.
I’m Sue Krider, your high-rise real estate authority in DFW, and I’ve lived here for years. I know the market well and enjoy keeping a finger on the pulse of the local entertainment scene, especially in and around the Dallas Arts District – with a few extras and some cool surprises. With that in mind, I’ve put together a special list of ideas designed to make your days and nights in Big D even more memorable. So whether you’re a local, visiting, or just surfing in search of your next dream home, this is indeed the place for you!
The month kicks off with a enthusiastic blast from the past that will leave you laughing … hard. On April 1, catch Napoleon Dynamite Live at Dallas’s historic Texas Theatre. The unique evening includes a screening of the movie followed by a lively discussion with some of the original cast members: Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico).
If you love the art of dance, on April 2 the Lake Cities Ballet Theatre performs Swan Lake and other classics at the Moody Performance Hall in the Arts District.
Outrageous motion picture Baz Luhrmann’s version starred Hugh Jackman and was a major hit. See Moulin Rouge! The Musical, presented by Broadway Dallas. Catch the final performances of the run April 1-2 at the Fair Park Music Hall
His 2017 single “Selfish” was the perfect launching pad for his musical career, followed by more songs that have appeared in movies and TV shows. Spencer Sutherland is scheduled to appear at the House of Blues on April 2.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the world’s most popular contemporary astrophysicists. He’s back in Dallas with an all-new look at science, space, and the kind of headscratchers that make you wonder out loud on April 4 at the Winspear.
Explore the ongoing pursuit of liberty in a special exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center featuring rare artifacts including a 14th-century copy of the Magna Carta and versions of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights on display. Freedom Matters runs now through December 31 at the Bush Presidential Library and Museum adjacent to the SMU campus.
Renowned Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi has spent his illustrious career composing for ballet, the cinema, and the theater. On April 5 he brings his award-winning Underwater Tour to the Fair Park Music Hall.
From the Tony Award-winning creators of Broadway’s marvelous Ragtime comes a production of Anastasia, April 6-8 at the Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts District. The dazzling new show transports the audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the roaring 1920s.
On April 6 and 7, a pair of stellar rockers are in town. First, Built to Spill performs at the Granada Theater, followed by Dawes (“Things Happen,” “When the Tequila Runs Out”) at The Factory in Deep Ellum.
Sarah Millican rose to prominence in England, then published her bestselling autobiography “How to be Champion,” which took her popularity to new levels. She appears on April 7 at the Majestic Theatre.
Looking for laughs in all the wrong places? Standup comedian Palmer Trolls is scheduled at the Dallas Comedy House on April 7-8.
The unforgettable music of Ravel’s Bolero, using South African a cappella voices as a stirring musical device, creates the incredibly powerful score in a cathartic, uplifting work by Greg Maqoma’s Vuyani Dance Theatre, presented by TITAS, April 7-8 at Moody Performance Hall.
The Eisemann Center in Richardson is only a short drive north to see The Sinatra Experience on April 8. Talented Dave Halston stars in an evening of music, fun, and a zesty lineup of ol’ blue eyes’ most popular songs with the original arrangements. Then, on April 11 V. E. Schwab speaks as part of the Arts & Letters Live series at the Dallas Museum of Art. The Washington Post lauded the author’s most recent work as “one of the most compulsive and captivating novels in recent memory.”
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim took everyone’s favorite storybook characters and brought them together in their modern classic, Into the Woods. Catch the Dallas Theater Center’s take on the Broadway classic April 11-30 at the Wyly Theatre.
The annual event is billed as the world’s largest Earth Day celebration of its kind, bringing together advocates, business and political leaders, and the public to rally around our shared love for the ecosystem we all call home. Welcome to EarthX, April 12-23 at Fair Park.
His lyrics are so vulnerable and authentic that audiences are irrevocably captured by the powerful experience of sharing musical journeys live. Opening Bell Coffee proudly presents Griffin Bell (no relation), on April 13
He’s a Lone Star favorite, a Grammy-winning native of small-town Klein who deftly blends jazz, swing, pop, and more in his songs like “Church,” and “If I Had a Boat.” Texas native Lyle Lovett and his acoustic band play the Majestic Theatre April 13-15.
The MTV age comes alive with the iconic music of Madonna, Debbie Gibson, Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, Queen, Joe Cocker, and others, performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Decades: Back to the 80s is scheduled for April 14-16 at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
On April 16 perennial Dallas favorite, humorist David Sedaris appears at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium on the SMU campus, where he’s also part of the DMA’s Arts & Letters Live series.
Welcome to the Winter Dance Party, an emotional re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper’s final tour. It is two hours of high-voltage entertainment featuring many of the biggest hits (“Peggy Sue,” “That’ll Be the Day,” “La Bamba,” “Donna”) of the era. It’s April 16 at Richardson’s Eisemann Center.
A musical adaptation of the hit movie Tootsie is the story of an actor who’ll do anything to land the role of a lifetime, including adopting an entirely new persona. The story unfolds onstage at the Winspear, April 18-30.
The sensational Gemma New conducts the Dallas Symphony in a program that includes Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, Katherine Balch’s world premiere of Cello Concerto, and Stravinsky’s classic, The Rite of Spring, April 20-22 at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
The Dallas Contemporary presents two sensational new exhibits: Eduardo Sarabia: This Must Be the Place features the Mexican artist’s rich and layered work, blending different cultures, mediums, and influences, on view in elements ranging from kitchenware and paintings to a site-specific mural. Cerámica Suro is the story of collaboration, production, and collecting for this, the first comprehensive local presentation of over 700 pieces from Guadalajara’s Zapopan Museum. Both exhibitions open on April 20 and run through the end of the year.
Mesmerizing, seductive and meditative, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a decorated company that joyously brings its annual showcase to the Arts District stage. Rising Excellence, April 21-22, in Moody Hall.
Umphrey’s McGee isn’t just any old jam band. They’ve played all the major festivals and developed a glorious reputation for getting lost in the music acting as a pied piper for their legions of fans. They’re scheduled to play the House of Blues on April 22.
As America’s “cultural ambassador to the world,” the spectacular Alvin Ailey American Dance Company has performed live before an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries. They return to Dallas April 22-23 to perform at the Fair Park Music Hall.
Nimesh Patel was once a pre-med student at NYU. A gifted standup artist, he became the first Indian American to join “Saturday Night Live” as a writer back in 2017. Catch his hilarious solo act on April 23 at the Majestic Theatre.
Highland Park United Methodist Church’s Tower Arts Series presents Ken Cowan and Lisa Shihoten on April 23. The husband-and-wife duo are an admired organist and award-winning chamber musician who has performed with orchestras and symphonies across the country.
Performing from every corner of the hall, the unbelievable artistry of percussionist Jake Nissly, plus a feast for your ears from a phenomenal young local talent, Arlington’s Kevin Day brings In Storm and Sunshine into brilliant focus. The Dallas Winds return on April 25 at the Meyerson.
Collectors, arts professionals, and the public all flock to a rich selection of modern and contemporary artworks presented by leading national and international galleries. Catch it all that the Dallas Art Fair April 20-23 in the Fashion Industry Gallery in the Dallas Arts District.
The periodic Dance Socials, like the one on April 26 in Sammons Park downtown, are a blast. Dust off your dancing shoes and join pros from a local dance studio for an evening of whirls and twirls, with no experience (or partner) required.
Known for his interpretations of classics, Jukka Pekka Saraste leads the emotionally charged, groundbreaking work brought about by the great suffering of the Stalin era in the Soviet Union.
The Dallas Symphony performs Shostakovich’s mammoth Symphony No. 4, April 27-30 at the Meyerson.
Art history conversations are free experiences for teens to learn more about art history using the DMA’s collection as a launching point with the museum staff and guest speakers. Art Exploration and Reflection is on April 28 at the Dallas Museum of Art
He graduated from opening for uber-famous comedians such as Dave Attell, Beth Stelling, Phil Hanley, Tom Green, and others, to headlining clubs all over. Shaun Murphy steers the laughs April 28-29 at the Dallas Comedy Club.
Actors, directors, craftspeople, and rabid movie fans converge on DFW on April 28-May 5 for the annual Dallas International Film Festival. Will you be there too?
A juried show of fine artists and craftspeople fills the Jonsson Color Garden with paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, woodwork, and more. Artscape is April 29-30 at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
The New York Times called him a “gifted young guitarist,” a soloist and avid collaborator who averages 85 performances a year. But you need to see Mak Grgic to truly feel his virtuosity. The Allegro Guitar Society presents the concert, on April 29 at St. Monica Catholic Church.
Made up of auditioned singers in fourth through 12th grade from around the Dallas area, the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus presents its spring concert April 30 at the Meyerson.
The Dallas Bach Society’s season grand finale is a glorious wave of compositional brilliance as the Dallas Bach Orchestra, Chorus, and soloists bring two pieces, Bach’s Magnificat, and Easter Oratorio, to life, on April 30 at Zion Lutheran Church.