Wed 1 – Nephew Tommy and Michael Shawn headline an April Fool’s Day show at the Improv in Arlington. At this death-defying performance, they’ll cut off and reattach their limbs, set themselves on fire, and take turns jumping into a mayonnaise jar. One of those previous sentences is our April Fool’s joke to you. The performances are at 7:30pm and 9:30pm at 309 Curtis Mathes Way, Arlington. Tickets are $30. Call 817-635-5555.
Thurs 2 – Danny Hoey Jr. won awards for his debut novel The Butterfly Lady, about a cross-dressing African-American man trying to come to terms with his sexuality against the backdrop of Cleveland’s race riots in the 1960s. The author will appear at UNT to read from his book at 7:30pm at UNT Willis Library, 1506 W Highland St, Denton. Admission is free. Call 940-369-5981.
Fri 3 – Irving native and Booker T. Washington Performing Arts High School graduate Dylis Croman stars as Roxie Hart in the stage production of Chicago that rolls through Bass Hall for two nights (and one afternoon) only. Bob Fosse’s choreography makes the splashy musical about a murderous 1920s showgirl a treat for dance fans. The play runs Fri-Sat at 555 Commerce St, FW. Tickets are $49.50-121. Call 817-212-4280.
Sat 4 – We’re all trying to be conscientious about what we eat, not just for our own health but for the environment and the people who help produce our food and get it to our table. That’s why UNT is hosting the Moral Cultures of Food Conference, where guest speakers will discuss urban grocery stores, Vietnamese coffee production, the flaws in locavorism, and various other topics. The conference is Thu-Sat at UNT Business Leadership Bldg, 1307 W Highland St, Denton. Admission is free. Call 940-565-3197.
Sun 5 – We hate to send you all the way to Ellis County, but if you’re a RenFaire enthusiast, you won’t find a better place to let your medieval banner fly than Scarborough Faire. The 34th annual festival hosts games, music, food, and shops on a 35-acre space larger than most shopping malls. The festival runs Sat-May 25 at 2511 FM 66, Waxahachie. Admission is $10-25. Call 972-938-3247.
Mon 6 – In 1949, fresh from having much of his music publicly banned by the Soviet government for being too Western, Sergei Prokofiev met a young cellist named Mstislav Rostropovich. Not knowing if it would ever be performed, he composed his powerful, declamatory Cello Sonata for the brilliant new talent. You can hear this work when the Lin/Castro-Balbi Duo performs it at TCU, along with music by Beethoven and Richard Strauss, at 7pm at PepsiCo Recital Hall, 2800 S University Dr, FW. Admission is free. Call 817-257-7602.
Tues 7- Bass Hall hosts a John Giordano tribute concert, but it’s not for his longtime leadership of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. No, it’s the Cliburn hailing a man who has served as the president of the Van Cliburn Competition’s jury innumerable times. To mark the occasion, Cliburn-winning pianists from years past dating all the way back to 1973 will play in his honor at 7:30pm at 555 Commerce St, FW. Tickets are $20-90. Call 817-212-4280.
