06.13.10 & 06.27.10 CONCERT ON THE LAWN FREE
Started in 1916 out of a local barbershop, the Richardson Community Band is one of the neighborhood’s oldest groups. The members would meet at Newt Harris’ shop on McKinney Street regularly for practice and fellowship. With the onset of World War I and II, the group was disbanded until 1970, when Richardson High School band director Joe Frank revived it. Today, the band’s 60 volunteer musicians — which include business owners, teachers, executives, retirees and college students — are keeping the neighborhood music tradition alive and going strong. You can listen to that tradition firsthand during one of the free neighborhood concerts the band will perform this month. Pack a blanket or lawn chair and head to the Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho, for an outdoor concert under the stars. Both performances begin at 7; in case of bad weather, call 972.673.8256 for information on cancellations.
richardsoncommunityband.org. —Marlena Chavira-Medford
THROUGH 06.20 BLACK PEARL SINGS $27-$35
This play by Frank Higgins profiles Susannah Mullally, who travels the country during the Great Depression recording lost traditional songs for the Library of Congress. When she meets Pearl in a Texas prison, she unearths a treasure trove of unrecorded songs from the slave era. The two women, both from radically different backgrounds, grow to find common ground in the music, each learning about themselves along the way. Water Tower Theatre, 15650 Addison Circle. 972.450.6220 or watertowertheatre.org.
THROUGH 06.20 DREAM CAFÉ $18-$22
Brian, a single man trying to find love, keeps running into obstacles. His problem, perhaps, is that none of his relationships are real. Five scenes from Brian’s life are acted out — but the audience selects the sequence of the scenes, so the outcome of the play changes every time it’s performed. Someone could watch this play several times, and see a different story each time. Stone Cottage Theatre, 15650 Addison Circle, 972.450.6241 or mbsproductions.net.
06.05-06.26 SYMPHONIC SATURDAYS FREE
Bring a blanket and sprawl out under the summer night sky during one of these outdoor concerts. The Dallas Wind Symphony and the Richardson Symphony Orchestra will perform during this annual concert series at Beckert Park in Addison, which sits between Quorum and the Tollway. Concerts are every Saturday night in June, beginning at 8. addisontexas.net.
