The global stage sensation Magic Mike Live: The Tour is created and directed by Channing Tatum, Magic Mike Live is bringing its magic to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a limited engagement for five weeks only starting May 11.

The Tour is co-directed and choreographed by film franchise choreographer Alison Faulk with co-choreographer Luke Broadlick and associate choreographers The Bartley Brothers (Anthony and Charles), with original music by Jack Rayner, and production design by Rachel O’Toole.

Producing is Channing Tatum, Steven Soderbergh, Reid Carolin, Greg Jacobs, Peter Kiernan and Nick Wechsler in association with Vincent Marini, Bruce Robert Harris, Jack W. Batman, Julian Stoneman, Louis Hartshorn, Brian Hook, Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, Los Angeles Media Fund, ZKM Media, Richard Winkler, Alan Shorr, Dawn Smalberg, Marlene and Gary Cohen, and Simon Thomas. Emmy and Tony Award-winner Michael Cohl and his partner Tony Smith, principals with Bat Out of Hell Productions, will serve as the lead promoters. The tour

Hot on the heels of the hit film Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the North American touring production will perform 10 shows a week in a custom-built venue located in the center of the action at the vibrant Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, TX. The tour’s North Texas engagement was announced today with an electrifying performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, giving viewers across the country a sneak peek at the spectacular production. A limited number of tickets starting at $69 are on sale now and going fast at MMLTour.com. 

Thanks to the incredible audience support of Magic Mike’s Last Dance in North Texas, the magic is heading live and in-person to Frisco! Magic Mike Live features professionally trained dancers delivering a thrilling 90-minute show that packs in sexy and daring dance routines, acrobatics, live music, comedy, and more in front of, above, and all around the audience. Equal parts empowering and exhilarating, provides an unforgettably fun night of live entertainment, perfect for date night or the ultimate girls’ night out, that’s guaranteed to leave guests feeling inspired and ready to ignite their inner magic.

“We considered a number of amazing cities to open our first production of Magic Mike Live  after the release of Magic Mike’s Last Dance, but the Dallas-Fort Worth area rose to the top,” said Magic Mike Live Executive Producer Vincent Marini. “North Texas audiences have been visiting our Las Vegas show in huge numbers for years, but this touring production is something new. It’s the culmination of everything we’ve learned about our show and our guests after selling over a million tickets around the world. It’s joyful, it’s sexy, and it’s just a ton of fun. I just know that people will be blown away the minute they walk into the venue!”

Guests will marvel as they enter the multi-story, 600-seat venue which incorporates the best design features from Magic Mike Live productions around the world. Every performance, every fabric, every finish, every detail of the venue has been meticulously curated by Tatum and the Magic Mike Live  creative team.

Guests are invited to come early and stay late to enjoy the indoor-outdoor lounge complete with music, multiple bars, and comfortable seating. The venue’s bars will offer a curated cocktail experience created in collaboration with Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh’s spirit brand Singani 63, featuring signature beverages inspired by moments in the show.

 Epic experiences await those looking to up the ante on their visit to Magic Mike Live :

• Ultra Seats – Experience Magic Mike Live  like never before from one of just 12 available Ultra Seats. Priced at $299 per person, each Ultra Seat package includes:
  • Front-row, plush couch seating as close to the action as you can possibly get.
  • Complimentary cocktails paired with special moments throughout the show.
  • Complimentary preferred parking.
  • A commemorative lanyard.
  • A personal concierge, who will provide each party with direct communication before, during and after the show.
  • Dedicated waitstaff during the show.
  • All offerings from Mike’s Exclusive Package, including a post-show meet and greet with members of the cast, cocktail, and live music.

• Mike’s Exclusive Package: No matter where you sit for the show, upgrade your experience to score access to an intimate meet and greet with select cast members after the show with the purchase of a Mike’s Exclusive Package add-on for $99 per person. With their commemorative lanyard, guests will get to meet and take photos with members of the cast while enjoying live music and a specially curated cocktail. A show ticket is required to purchase the Mike’s Exclusive Package add-on.

To take full advantage of all that the region’s premiere shopping and entertainment destination has to offer, ticket buyers can also pair their experience with an afternoon brunch on Saturday and Sunday at Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom. Priced at $50 per person, the 2 p.m. brunch seating offers up a three-course menu that includes stuffed cheese bread and your choice of pizza, wood-fired breakfast sandwich, or full salad, and either a delicious apple pie or cinnamon glazed knots for dessert, all topped off with a $20 Tap Wall credit to indulge with your favorite beer, wine or cocktail. A limited number of weekend brunch packages are available to add-on to any 4 p.m. performance ticket purchase on Saturday or Sunday. 

The North American touring production of Magic Mike Live  is led by South Africa-born Kalon Badenhorst, who has performed the titular role of “Mike” in Berlin and Las Vegas, and emcees Crystal Powell and Nikki Lowe. The ensemble features alumni Gianluca Briganti, Clare Billson, Nate Bryan, Kiana De Van der Schueren, Marcquet Hill, Burim Jusufi, Jake Paul Green, Nicholas Phillips, Blake Varga, and Joshua Williams. Additional casting to be announced.

While thrilling more than 1.2 million guests around the world with shows currently running in Las Vegas, London, on tour across North America, and past engagements in Berlin and Australia, Magic Mike Live has earned its place at the center of the zeitgeist with regular appearances on major TV shows including The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Talk, SHERRI, ELLEN, The TODAY Show, The Graham Norton Show, This is Us, Britain’s Got Talent, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and more. MAGIC MIKE LIVE also inspired HBO Max™’s instant-hit unscripted reality series Finding Magic Mike, and continues to fuel popularity for the Magic Mike film franchise, including the latest hit, Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

Starting May 11, MAGIC MIKE LIVE: The Tour will perform a 90-minute show at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday with 10 p.m. performances Thursday through Saturday, and a 4 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday; no shows on Monday and Tuesday. For tickets starting at $68, upgrades, and information for groups of 10 or more, visit MMLTour.com or call 833.624.4265.

Connect with the show on social media: @MMLTour on Instagram and Twitter; @MagicMikeLiveTour on TikTok and Facebook / #MMLTOUR.

Get ready to do your happy dance!

Making every hour the happiest of hours on the highly anticipated Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International has unveiled more than 15 of the bars and nightlife experiences that will light up the world’s best vacation when the sun sets. Icon will debut an unrivaled lineup when it sets sail in January 2024 and there are some phenomenal ways to get your song on with three cheers in the air.

Across the newly revealed venues, which are among 40-plus ways to dine, drink and be entertained, grownups are in for all-new experiences and favorites from end to end and even day to night. Serving up brand firsts are venues all about the tunes, like Lou’s Jazz ‘n Blues in Central Park and Dueling Pianos in Royal Promenade, and spots to grab a drink and mingle before a show like the Rye & Bean coffee bar in AquaDome and the Bubbles champagne bar in Central Park. When it comes to favorites, from Trellis Bar and its first menu of bites to more ways to play in Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, every place has a sense of new – whether it’s a new look and location or signature cocktails exclusive to Icon.

“We’ve set out to introduce a new kind of vacation in every sense and taken a blank slate to create an unparalleled blend of ways vacationers can celebrate and make memories whatever their mood, vibe and style,” said Linken D’Souza, vice president, food and beverage, Royal Caribbean International. “From all-new venues and bolder favorites to new iconic drinks on every menu, zero-proof cocktails and twists to classics, there’s something for everyone to make the most of their nights out on Icon of the Seas.”

Here are a few of the amazing highlights:

Dueling Pianos – In Royal Caribbean’s first dueling pianos bar, it’s the battle of the baby grands at the hands of two talented pianists who take song requests to bring high-energy performances of crowd-favorite hits to the Royal Promenade – the heart of Icon.

The Overlook and Overlook Pods – The elevated lounge and first-of-their-kind nooks at sea take nights out and hangouts to another level. The wraparound windows in the AquaDome bring the ocean center stage during the day, and at night, the cruise line’s marquee aqua shows are just a few steps away. The next-level pods are where friends can lounge with a drink, play classic boardgames and kick back to live music, too.

Returning favorites include The Attic, inspired by Manhattan’s dark and intimate comedy clubs with adults-only live shows, and Music Hall, to rock out to the house tribute band.

Point & Feather – The neighborhood English pub on Royal Promenade has a new open layout, games – and tournaments – of darts and sips joining the signature lineup of pints and the live guitarist at the center of it all.

Spotlight Karaoke – Aspiring singers take the stage in front of the crowd or in a private room with their friends and family at this fan-favorite karaoke spot on Royal Promenade.

 Icon will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami year-round. Every cruise will visit Royal Caribbean’s award-winning private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas, where adventurers can create their perfect vacation day at Thrill Waterpark’s 13 waterslides, the first overwater cabanas in The Bahamas at Coco Beach Club and more. Vacationers will also visit idyllic Caribbean destinations like Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Roatan, Honduras.

More details about the first Icon Class ship will be revealed in the coming months. Travelers can dive into the all-new vacation on www.RoyalCaribbean.com/Icon.

Stephen Sondheim birthday was March 22nd and somehow I missed it. His masterpiece Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway originally March 1, 1979, at the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin). His newest revival opened Sunday, March 26th at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. So here’s to you Steve.