Onstage NTX, Fall into Winter 2023

It’s been a great two years—does that mean we’re an ‘adult’ site now? Lots of shows covered, writers coming (and going), and editor Jan was given the ‘Arts Advocate of the Year’ award for 2023 by the LIVE THEATRE LEAGUE OF TARRANT COUNTY. (Thanks, y’all!)

Just now, we’ve finished covering lots of Christmas/Holiday theater, and are looking ahead to the shows opening in 2024.

Our writer Jill Sweeney moved to the Seattle area, and we miss her. Sam Lisman moved on to another gig. Subtext: We are looking for reviewers—and interested in any “leads” from our readers. (You can suggest yourself or someone else you know, so long as you/they can put together a few paragraphs about a play or musical you’ve seen. Lively, diverse voices is what we’re hoping for.)

We lived up to our ‘NTX’ this past year, hitting theaters doing good work in Allen, Mesquite, Cleburne, Rockwall, The Colony, Addison, Denton, Grapevine, and other towns in the wide loop of territory called North Texas.

As you’ve probably been reading, theaters all over the U.S. are struggling to get audiences back in numbers big enough to keep them going. Lots of cutbacks and season trimming for budget reasons. BUT…in the meantime, some of the best NTX theater-making ever has been onstage this past year or so. Some examples: Theatre Three’s production of the deeply felt, beautifully sung NEXT TO NORMAL, about a family struggling with loss, grief, and mental health issues…and Theatre Arlington’s lovely FLY BY NIGHT, a musical about a group of ordinary people in New York (ending in the 1965 blackout). The young creators of this musical find the extraordinary beauty and importance in all the so-called “small” lives on the stage.

In no particular order of time, Amphibian Stage produced the strikingly original family story BABA, and the outrageously funny and humane MISS MOLLY…Stage West wowed us with a classic, comic run of the vintage musical ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, a chaser of sorts to the cut-diamond dialogue of its CRUEL INTENTIONS…and Bishop Arts Theater Center collaborated with Undermain on a searing and challenging production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s FAIRVIEW. So much theater—if we can keep it.

Wishing you a grand New Year…and GO SEE A SHOW! —Jan Farrington

One Year Down…(or do I mean “Up”?)

It's our ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY at Onstage NTX, and we're feeling like celebrating!

MANY , MANY THANKS to all our readers, and to the North Texas theater companies who have told us how glad they are that we're doing...well, what we're doing! Here are some stats: In the past year, we've had 25,000 visits from 18,000 "unique" visitors...and 52,000 page visits from people in 91 countries. The Top Ten are: United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, and Switzerland.

Our most read music review: Yunchan Lim @ Cliburn Concerts

Most read theater review: Oklahoma! (tour) @ The Winspear Opera House

First review: JQA @ Stage West

First music review: Madame Butterfly @ The Dallas Opera

We began with three critics, all "alums" of the late, great website Theater Jones. We now have TEN—Jan Farrington, Jill Sweeney, Wayne Lee Gay, Ramona Harper, Martha Heimberg, Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, Sam Lisman, Teresa Marrero, Cathy Ritchie, and Chris Sanders (and a few more who may join us soon).

We've published 31 music reviews; 143 theater reviews; 20 book reviews, and 40 Cliburn pieces. Thank YOU, all of you, for your support and enthusiasm, and here’s to the next year and beyond!

Jan Farrington, Managing Editor/Onstage NTX

Member, American Theatre Critics Association