Five stories that have North Texas talking: "Hamilton" is coming to Dallas; thousands of Texans participate in March for Life; the Astrodome earns landmark status; and more.
For all you “young, scrappy and hungry” North Texans, your favorite musical about one of America’s founding fathers is heading south. Seeing “Hamilton: An American Musical” in New York was next to impossible for many, but the hardest thing about seeing it in Dallas will be the wait. The date hasn’t been nailed down yet, but the show is slated for the 2018-2019 season presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.
In order to see the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, patrons will be have to buy tickets to the 2017-2018 seven-show season, which are available now, and then renew their subscription for the following season, The Dallas Morning News reports. You’d then be able to guarantee “Hamilton” tickets before they go on sale to the general public, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. More details about specific dates and single tickets will be announced later. Check out Dallas Summer Musicals’ website. Until then, watch the PBS documentary about the making of “Hamilton.” [The Dallas Morning News, Fort Star-Telegram]
- Hundreds protested at Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport this weekend demanding the release of travelers detained in the wake of President Donald Trump’s ban. Trump signed an executive order Friday barring citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations from entry into the U.S. As part of the ban, the U.S. refugee program is suspended for 120 days. Trump's order imposed the most aggressive ban on Syrians, indefinitely blocking entry to the U.S. by anyone from that country. This caused major complications and unrest at airports across the country. In Dallas, nine people were detained Saturday and held overnight. Read our coverage. [KERA News]
- Thousands of Texans protesting abortion marched to the state Capitol Saturday. In solidarity with the March for Life in Washington D.C., participating Texans called for the defunding of Planned Parenthood and overturning of Roe v. Wade, which turned 44 last week. Organizers and participants said they felt confident about the future of the anti-abortion movement under the new administration, The Texas Tribune reports. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks on Friday issued a preliminary injunction to prevent Texas from enforcing rules that would require abortion facilities to cremate or bury fetal tissues. [The Texas Tribune]
- The Texas Historical Commission has granted landmark status to the Houston Astrodome. Commission members voted Friday to recognize the Astrodome as a Texas antiquities landmark and to provide legal protections, The Associated Press reports. The Astrodome opened in 1965 and has been vacant for 18 years, falling into disrepair. The enclosed stadium was declared unfit for occupancy in 2009. Voters in 2013 rejected a $217 million renovation package. Harris County commissioners last year approved a $105 million redevelopment project that includes space for public and other commercial use, plus parking. [The Associated Press]
- At the South Dallas Cultural Center, January has been a celebration of the African Diaspora. Art&Seek reports: “Throughout history, Africans have been forced from their homes by external forces like war, colonization, and the slave trade. So members of the African Diaspora have an altered sense of home.” The cultural center’s celebration opened with a new photography and video exhibit, called “Distant Relatives.” The work was created Nigerian-American photographers Hakeem Adewumi and Moyo Oyelola. The celebration builds a bridge between important black holidays. Black history month is in February. In December, the center celebrated Kwanzaa. [Art&Seek]
