wicked in dallas - please help

[mh]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 1:18pm

I would love to see wicked when it comes to dallas, but need help with the following information.

1) Is the music hall at fair park in the center of the city (you know close to restaurants, shopping, good hotels etc...) or is it further out of the city ?
2) Can people recommend high quality hotels, restaurants in the area close to the music hall ?
3) can the tickets for the dallas leg be purchased yet. Ticketmaster says 'currently not on sale'.

Information for any of the above would be appreciated.

Thanks,

mh

[msutton]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 1:59pm

1) It is in Fair Park, the annual site of the Texas State Fair (the musical will be going on during this year's State Fair, so the place will be packed with people/games/rides/food. It is a little southeast of Downtown Dallas (I presume that is what you are refering to as "the center of the city"). There are a couple of restaurants/cafes around Fair Park, but the area had fallen into blight for about 50 years, though some redevelopment steam is beginning to develop. I would recommend staying in Downtown and hiring a car to take you to and from the theatre (or the Fair, perhaps, if you want to experience that as well. It's pretty fantastic, and I think your show ticket will get you into the Fair as well). Then you could eat at any of the numerous specialty restuarants in or around Downtown Dallas and will be near the light rail and streetcar for any additional activites you might want to do in Dallas.

2) There are tons of hotels in the area. The most 'posh' is the extremely expensive botique Hotel Zaza (http://www.hotelzaza.com/ - they also have a fantastic "asian fusion restaurant, Dragonfly, that is not as expensive as you might expect). This is where Jessica Simpson always stays when she comes to town: there was evidently a bit of a 'war of words' there when both she and Brittney Spears stayed there. It's a fantastic hotel, but it can be immensely costly.

Another option would be the Crescent Hotel (www.crescentcourt.com). Also very expensive, but older, and a little more "traditional Up-scale New York" in style than Hotel Zaza. It's my favorite hotel anywhere, period. Rates go anywhere from $225-$3000 for the penthouse suite. It's connected to some of the most upscale dining and shopping places in the entire area, perhaps the state, and right by the trolley line (across the street from Zaza, also, so they both have excellent locations).

Other pretty nice hotels in the area, that are much more affordable, are the Adam's Mark (http://www.adamsmark.com/dallas/index.asp - 1,840 rooms in what used to be an office skyscraper, right next to a light rail station, so also very well connected), The Fairmont (http://www.fairmont.com/dallas/ - Very nice inside; fancy, Italian-style rooms that on average go about $200 a night), or more traditional chains like the Hyatt (direct connection to Union Station and the rotating restaurant at Reunion Tower), Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, etc.

3) The tickets cannot be purchased yet. The DSM likes to get as many season subscribers as they can, so they often wait until a month or two before the run of a show begins to sell invididual tickets. You could call their office and ask when tickets to Wicked will be available, their website is www.dallassummermusicals.org

This is probably alot of information, but there is a lot more that is available if you need it. Feel free to visit the DFW Urban Forum (http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/) and ask any kind of question you have about accomidations, activities, transportation, restaurants, etc. I post there often, but I'm no where near as knowledgable as most people on that forum are. If you have any other questions, feel free to post it here, email me, or post questions over at DallasMetropolis where I and others will rush to help you.

Good luck!

[mh]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 2:20pm

Thanks so much for the help.
I appreciate the time you have taken to pass this info on to me.

mh

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 2:31pm

We've had good luck with the AmeriSuites downtown. A nice, large room at a reasonable price. It's also around the corner from that restored shop/restaurant area. The alley? Msutton, what is that area called? We have always driven ourselves to Music Hall, but never during the State Fair which I imagine would be a nightmare. Msutton's suggestion of hiring a car is probably best.

[msutton]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 2:46pm

Yeah, parking will be atrocious during the State Fair. Hiring a car, especially if you're staying downtown, should be your best option. It won't be terribly expensive since you'll just be going a mile or two, and you dont have to deal with the hassle of renting a car/driving/finding parking/paying for the parking lot/etc.

The area you are referring to, ChrisLovesShows, is in the West End. Dallas Alley may be the "alley" you mentioned, but since you've been here it has kind of deteriorated. All of the old clubs were closed at one point. Two have re-opened now, and there as a great, intimate comedy theater open in one of the old club spaces. It's a nice enough area, and the fantastic Dallas World Aquarium is right there, so that's also an option. There are a ton of restuarants there, but about half of them are just nice versions of chain restaurants (Friday's, On the Border, Dick's, Corner Bakery, etc.). The Crescent and Hotel Zaza are in my favorite part of town, but they are so expensive...

Also, when you're here, make sure to stop by the Nasher Sculpture Center (http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/) - it's one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculpture in the world, with multiple pieces from Picasso, Giacometti, Rodin, De Koonig, Lichtenstein, Matisse, Noguchi, Stella, and many more. It's a fantastic collection in a great building by famed Italian architect Renzo Piano that is coming up on it's second birthday. If you want to find other stuff like this to do in dallas, visit that forum that I mentioned.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 2:56pm

At the Music Hall, I suggest sitting near center and as far up front as possible in whichever section you choose. Music Hall is NOTORIOUS for causing sound problems.

[Becky]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 5:23pm

Music Hall is NOTORIOUS for causing sound problems.

So very true. If you aren't in the front part of the orchestra, you should really ask for the hearing impaired earphone system they offer. I *always* use them if I'm in the back or in the balcony (the Musica Hall echoes in the balcony and the sound can be terrible.)

And the State Fair causes horrible problems where parking is concerned. If you are able to get tickets to the show, head out really early. For a weekend matinee (2pm) I try to be in the immediate area by at least 1pm to have time to park/walk since it's difficult to park close. Evening performances aren't quite as bad.

[Parks]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 5:24pm

My mom lives about a minute away from the music hall. Is it big? I've actually never seen it/been inside of it before. It looks pretty big from the seating charts..

[msutton]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 5:35pm

They just installed a totally new sound system, though, so it may not be so bad anymore. It premiers with Hairspray, so, I guess we'll know after that.

Becky, don't you think if mh is just going to be staying downtown, a hired car's the way to go? I don't see why they need a rental car... they can get a cab or take the bus/TRE from the airport... it should save them some money and alot of stress/time.

Parks, the music hall is HUGE. 3,420 seats according to the website. When you walk in, it's quite overpowering. I can't imagine what it's like to perform on that stage. Despite the terrible acoustics, I'd love to experience that someday.

[Parks]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 5:39pm

Good Lord, that's massive. The most seats that I think I've ever seen (or been in an auditorium with) is close to like..1,500.

[msutton]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 6:38pm

Isn't it? It always makes me laugh when people talk about how "small" the Majestic theatre is at 1667 seats. By Broadway standards, that's pretty average, isn't it? But I suppose when a metro area of like 6 million people only get a chance to see stuff like the producers and wicked for a few weeks, you need to have a damn lot of seats to even attempt to get the people who want to see them in there...

[Becky]

Posted: 3/4/05 at 6:39pm

Becky, don't you think if mh is just going to be staying downtown, a hired car's the way to go? I don't see why they need a rental car...

Oooh, a new sound system??? It's about time!! I'm going to Hairspray, so I'll be excited to hear the difference. Thanks for the great news msutton!!!

***Edited: After thinking about it, I think they might want to go with the rental car (if they can get one at the airport) because of price. If you are looking at cab rides to/from the airport and car services to/from the show - it's going to be far more expensive than a rental car. And that's assuming they aren't needing to go anywhere else. Also, they aren't dependent upon dealing with pick up/drop off issues either - and they would have a little more freedom. If they stay in downtown Dallas they are pretty limited on foot.

Updated On: 3/4/05 at 06:39 PM

[msutton]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:25pm

Becky, have you seen Hairspray yet? i cant wait to hear how the new sound system is...

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 3/18/05 at 11:55pm

I thought it was going to be at Bass Hall????? How many of you guys are in the Dallas area & are planning to go see Wicked????

[Becky]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:23am

msutton, I just saw Hairspray last night as a matter of fact. I'll admit I didn't notice a *huge* difference (enough to make me really take notice), but the sound was really good I think there is a definite improvement. It's hard because I was at the very front where the sound has always been pretty decent. I'd have to hear it from the back orchestra/balcony to see just how good the new system is and see if it has solved any of the echoing problems. Are you seeing the show? The cast is very strong and I had a WONDERFUL time. There is one performer that I'm still not sold on - but overall I didn't have any complaints. Solid production.

Post if you go!

[Becky]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:23am

.... Updated On: 3/19/05 at 02:23 AM

[msutton]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:35am

Hmm, interesting.

Yeah, I'm going to see it next friday night. I'm interested to see the show, but I have some reservations (I've heard the soundtrack before and was not too impressed, but everyone says its such a good show, I figure I should at least see what the hype is about!). I'm third row of the front of the balcony in the center, so I also probably won't be able to notice much of a difference. Maybe I'll sneak to the way back at some point to see...

in response to MTVMANN, i would go see wicked, but i'll be off to NYU by then. my dad wants me to come back and see it with him, but i dont think i'll be able or willing to scrounge up enough money for a flight back for that when thanksgiving is like 6 weeks later. We'll see though.

[hyperchet]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:09am

Yay! I love the music hall! I was in "Joseph" there. It was a blast! Um, the music hall is on the outskirts of downtown, actually. There isn't much food around it, but there are two resturaunts INSIDE the building

[Becky]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 11:16am

Yeah, I'm going to see it next friday night. I'm interested to see the show, but I have some reservations (I've heard the soundtrack before and was not too impressed, but everyone says its such a good show, I figure I should at least see what the hype is about!).

I can't imagine you not having a really good time - show is very entertaining and a LOT of fun. The cast recording alone may not sell you on the show - but when you see the songs in the context of the show (and the enjoyable choreography, etc) I think you will be pleased. The vocals in this company are outstanding.

Have fun, and let us know what you thought!

[Parks]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:04pm

Anyone know if I should be able to find tickts the night of the performance? (Hairspray)

[Becky]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 2:06pm

We got ours the night before and were on the 4th row. Most of the time I do buy them the day of - so you should be able to get some pretty easily.

[Parks]

Posted: 3/19/05 at 4:33pm

Sweet-I want to see it tonight if there's a show...I just need to find a friend to see it with me.

[msutton]

Posted: 3/26/05 at 1:38am

Saw it tonight, upgraded to great cancelled tickets before the show. And you're right Becky, I loved it. It's really fun, but its social commentary and variety of surprisingly interesting (for the genre) characters were really pleasantly surprising. And the cast as a whole was great, I thought. I didn't see anything wrong with Edna, other than the fact that she couldn't sing: since harvey can't sing either (IMO), it seems that the role is simply made to be croaked out in mild approximations of pitch. And MAN, his adlibs after the show pumping 'equity fights aids' donations were some of the funniest things i've ever HEARD. I need to get his stand-up CD.

The new sound system is terrific too. With it (and the terrific cozy seats), the Music Hall has finally become a pretty damn good place to see a show I think. It's an amazing experience to wach a musical with over 3000 other people around you.

I wonder if it ever fully sells out. Tonight it looked like there were maybe 300 seats empty total, which ain't bad for a theater of that size... I bet Wicked will sell it out.

Also, I looked recently at the schedual for the Majestic. Man I wish it would start to be more well-utilized. I wonder if we'll ever see a fully local production mounted there. Would the DSM managing group give them any kind of discount or financial incentive? With all the free events featuring high school orchestras or evangelists, you'd think they'd want to push for something more note-worthy and substantial in the more beautiful and precious of their two theaters.