Going to the movies or catching a show from the comfort of your living room can be a fun bonding experience for the whole family. But, you can get out of the house and enjoy live theater to switch up your regular family fun night instead. Here are five local theaters to watch unique live shows, take classes, and support North Texas performers.

Colleyville Heritage High School

Show your support for the talented young performers at Colleyville Heritage High School. These kids spend a whole semester improving their acting skills, learning their lines, and preparing to put on an amazing show, like “The Great Gatsby,” “Mary Poppins,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” When you get tickets for these shows, you support the arts in Colleyville, get to enjoy a fantastic show that’s perfect for the whole family, and even inspire the little performer in your family to join a future CHHS cast.

And, when your kids grow up, you can join the Booster Club to help raise money for the school’s theater department, build sets, create costumes, and otherwise manage the upcoming productions your kids get to perform in.

ONSTAGE in Bedford

“people standing on stage with lights turned on during nighttime” used with permission via Unsplash by introspectivedsgn

ONSTAGE in Bedford is a local theater that started back in 1985 and has been producing shows in the DFW area ever since. This theater produces a variety of shows that include never-before-seen plays, the classics, and family-friendly titles. In the past, the theater has played “Peter and the Starcatcher,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” and it only features local community actors. Also, ONSTAGE prides itself on providing high-quality theater at prices more people can afford so that theater is as accessible as possible.

If you or anyone in your family wants to get involved in ONSTAGE productions, consider auditioning at an upcoming audition event or sign up to be a volunteer.

Currently, the theater is waiting for its new permanent home to be built before they start up a new season of shows. While you wait, sign up for their newsletter to be the first to know about their upcoming shows.

Runway Theatre

Runway Theatre is one of the area’s best destinations for local theater, located over in nearby Grapevine. This theater has been putting on shows for more than 35 seasons, so it’s a community staple here in North Texas. Some of the theater’s previous seasons have featured shows like “Cinderella and the Crystal Slipper,” “She Loves Me,” and “Proposals.” You can catch an evening show on Friday and Saturday nights, or attend a Sunday afternoon matinee instead. 

If you really love what Runway Theater produces, consider becoming a member! You and your family can get perks like members-only events, discounted tickets for special events and shows, leadership opportunities, and more. And if you or anyone else in your family wants to perform, sign up to audition for an upcoming show.

Artisan Center Theater

The Artisan Center Theater in nearby Hurst hosts main-stage shows that are great for the whole family. It was founded in 2003 and is a vital performing arts center in North Texas since it’s run by more than 1,000 volunteers and hosts 10,000 audience members every year. The ACT features multiple family-friendly shows throughout the year, including comedies, musicals, and holiday shows. Some past shows include “The Sound of Music,” the school-version of “Les Miserables,” “Seussical,” and “West Side Story.”

The ACT also houses the Artisan Children’s Theater, which is theater for kids, by kids. Past shows include “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Shrek The Musical, Jr.” These shows can be a fun, heart-warming change to performances with adults and even inspire children thinking about getting involved in local theater to take the leap.

In addition to seeing shows, the whole family can audition for upcoming shows, and kids can take a variety of acting, singing, and dance lessons to become stronger performers as they grow up. Consider signing your kids up for classes in musical theater, acting for the stage, and acting for the screen.

Texas Star Dinner Theater

Located in Historic Downtown Grapevine is the Texas Star Dinner Theater, which offers a new, interactive twist to seeing a live show. Step back into the Old West and help solve a cowboy murder mystery with Lone Star Murder Mysteries. This show is a 90-minute comedy romp featuring performers in authentic cowboy/cowgirl getups and other 1880s garb who act out the investigation. Of course, you’re there to help them solve the mystery and laugh at the shenanigans that occur. After the show is done, make sure to grab a photo or two with the actors for some great memories. 

What sets this dinner theater experience apart from others is that the theater was designed with the audience’s live theater experience in mind as opposed to the dining experience. That means everything is easy to see and hear so you never lose engagement. The food is still amazing, but there’s no need to worry about distractions from the show when you get it. Plus, there’s a full cash bar for the parents to enjoy. 

While this theater experience got its start in the Stockyards District in nearby Fort Worth, it’s even closer to Colleyville, so you and your family can enjoy this unique experience more often. This place has shows on Friday and Saturday nights, and while it doesn’t have overt non-family-friendly themes, they recommend that parents only bring children older than 5 years old so everyone can really enjoy the experience.At Crème de la Crème of Colleyville, we know how important the arts can be in your child’s education. That’s why we include theater, music, and fine art in parts of our whole-child curriculum. When they become a Crème de la Crème student, your child can regularly enjoy storytelling at the Coconut Theater, use dramatic play with Krem TV, and practice melodies and rhythms in the Music Studio. Contact us to learn more about how our classroom rotation and curriculum can help your child thrive creatively, socially, and academically.