Dear Pennies & Pens,
Last year, I attended several different shows at the AT&T Performing Arts Center here in Dallas. As far as the shows I attended, they were Alvin Ailey, Into the Woods, and The King & I.
I was able to attend these shows because I am on the ATTPAC’s media list and was invited to attend. I feel so blessed to have attended these shows and want to thank ATTPAC for having me.
What is the AT&T Performing Arts Center
For those that don’t know, (as stated in their press release) “AT&T Performing Arts Center is a nonprofit foundation that operates and programs a 10-acre campus comprised of three premier performance venues and a park in downtown Dallas.
Opening in October 2009, the Center has helped complete the 30-year vision of the Dallas Arts District. It’s a truly cool venue and it makes the arts a priority here in Dallas.
Events @ AT&T Performing Arts Center
Audiences enjoy the best and most recent from Broadway and off-Broadway; the finest dance companies from across the globe co-presented with TITAS Presents; top concerts and performers with Center Presents; cutting-edge speakers from the #hearhere series; and a five-year initiative to present The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.”
As a Dallas resident, I can honestly say the ATTPAC campus is gorgeous! It is truly a sight to see and explore. It was so fun attending the shows and seeing showgoers all dressed up, walking around the space. It’s a really cool design something you really need to experience. A night of theater is my kind of night, I love performance art.
Alvin Ailey @ the AT&T Performing Arts Center
The first show I was Alvin Ailey in April of 2017. The late Alvin Ailey was an amazing choreographer, dancer, and director who left behind not just a company bearing his name but some of the best modern ballets ever created. He was truly an artist. And guess what?! He was originally from Texas. In fact, some of the dances in his most famous ballet, Revelations were based on his childhood in Texas and growing up Baptist.
Revelations was by far my favorite ballet the company performed. It.was.EPIC. Life-changing. I will never forget seeing those dancers on stage. It was unlike anything, I’ve ever seen. I absolutely adored it! I just started going back to church and I promise you, God was speaking to those of us in the audience through those dancers. Praise dancing is real and that was it.
Revelations, Walking Mad and Deep by Alvin Ailey Dance Company
The Alvin Ailey performance also included other ballets like Walking Mad and Deep. Deep was choreographed by Italian choreographer, Mauro Bigonzetti. This ballet was set to the music of Ibeyi, two sisters who sing in English and Yoruba. I really liked this ballet. It was soulful yet eclectic.
I also liked Walking Mad. It was refreshing and funny. This ballet made you think and laugh. I liked the fact that it encouraged you to feel more than one emotion. It mirrors everything we feel on a daily basis as we travel this journey called life.
The next show I saw was Into The Woods in May of 2017. I went to see this with my friend, Tia. It was her birthday that week so she came with me to the show as my guest. The show was really cool! I am a sucker for fairy tales and musicals so y’all know I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Into The Woods @ AT&T Performing Arts Center
Into The Woods tells the story of a childless baker and his wife. They were cursed by a witch and so during their journey “Into The Woods” they come across characters from “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Rapunzel”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Cinderella”. It’s such a fresh storyline (even though the musical first dropped in 1986). Classic content usually stands the test of time.
Anywho, I think the actors did an excellent job of playing the characters. I also loved the set design in this production. It was really interesting and matched the storyline perfectly. Additionally, I loved the music in this production. It was so fun and definitely had me wanting to sing along. I would definitely recommend seeing this play!
The King & I @ The AT&T Performing Arts Center
The last and final show I saw was The King and I in December of 2017. I adored this show! The storyline behind the King and I is already super cute and the fact that it’s based on a true story just makes it even better.
Set in Bangkok in the 1860s, The King and I tells the story of of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
My Thoughts on The King & I
This play was absolutely hilarious! I loved it. There are so many different nuances because of the cultural clashes, it really makes you think. The King & I is a Rogers and Hammerstein’s production so for those that know their musicals, you already this is an oldie but a goodie. I also loved the set design with this play. I can’t imagine it was easy to re-stage a royal palace in Bangkok but somehow the designers made it happen.
Also, I loved the actors who played King Siam’s various wives and children. Most of them had limited speaking lines but the ones they did have were perfectly delivered. Furthermore, the actors who played Anna and the King had great chemistry. I loved their interactions. Overall, it was a fabulous show! It definitely was one of the highlights of my 2017.
To learn more about the AT&T Performing Arts Center and purchase tickets to future shows, visit: www.attpac.org
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
