Motley Cloak

 8/31

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  Jon Secada

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

is, perhaps, the best musical ever conceived. If it's not the best, well, it certainly ranks pretty high up there. Definitely in the top five. Maybe six. This fact--which we will not dispute, not for a second--doesn't have much to do with the singing and acting and whatnot. It's fine enough, but off the top of our head, we can think of dozens of musicals with more memorable songs and more interesting characters. At the moment, we can't remember a single song from Joseph and can name only one character (um, Joseph, played in the Dallas Summer Musicals version by Jon Secada). But Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat outshines all others: It made Donny Osmond a star again. (This has to count for something, or else our value system is a complete sham.) And it inspired one of the funniest Seinfeld episodes ever, which culminated in Kramer walking down the street wearing the technicolor dreamcoat and being mistaken for a pimp. It opens August 31 and runs through September 12 with shows 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, plus 8 p.m. September 5 and 2 p.m. September 9. Tickets are $11 to $75. Call 214-631-ARTS. --Zac Crain

Sleep on It
9/1

Flip Orley is somewhat of a Renaissance man. Not only is he a hypnotist, but he's also a self-help guru and a comedian--which, in itself, is kinda funny. Known as "Hypnoman," Orley brings together his comic and hypnotic skills for live shows in which he has audience members volunteer to be put under his spell. With heavy eyelids and a relaxed subconscious, his subjects are instructed to perform various hilarious tasks. Maybe they forget their own names. Or maybe they become convinced they're a trailer-park family from Arkansas. Either way, Orley plants the seed, and the volunteers provide the laughs. Did we mention Orley is somewhat of a genius, too? How else do you explain a stand-up comedian who doesn't have to provide his own punch lines? In any case, Orley's approach ensures that every performance is unique. To see what Dallas audiences have to offer, check out one of Orley's performances at the Addison Improv. Shows are September 1 through September 12 with performances at 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Fridays; 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturdays; and 8 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15 to $18. Call the Improv, 4980 Belt Line Road, at 972-404-8501. --Rhonda Reinhart

Classical Gas
8/28

There are two types of people: those who know Bach does rock and stupid people. Tough love, kids. The former will enjoy the taping of the syndicated radio show From the Top, which airs on WRR-FM 101.1 at 9 a.m. Saturdays. The show highlights pre-college-aged classical musicians, and the taping will include performances by local musicians and host Christopher O'Reilly. The taping is at 8 p.m. Saturday at Brookhaven College's Performance Hall, 3939 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch. For tickets, call 972-860-4118. --Shannon Sutlief

Wild at Heart
8/26

On its surface, Tale of the Allergist's Wife seems like a wonderfully enjoyable contemporary comedy. Marjorie, the aforementioned allergist's wife, worries about such things as which chandelier looks best in the home. She is rich and satisfied--until her childhood (male) friend reappears and fills her head with wild ideas and her heart with inspiration. I say "seems" because my wife has an old boyfriend who likes to stop by and do the same thing. And trust me, that ain't funny. It runs through October 2 at Theatre Three. Call 214-871-3300. --Eric Celeste

Rock ’Em, Amadeus
Kids get a class in classical
9/1