Ah, St. Valentine. Patron saint of lost causes, broken hearts, and utter indifference. Kidding. This Hallmark holiday should be all about the good stuff. If you haven’t made dinner plans already, shame on you. SideDish has the nicest looking, most comprehensive list of menus around. And now that you’ve booked a nice meal, allow us to present a few different options for celebrating with your lucky love.
I’d Rather Kiss a Wookie: Events Before Feb. 14
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Through Feb. 19) Theatre Three revives this musical revue of suburban courtship and romance every year around this time, and it’s always insanely popular. According to the show’s Off-Broadway producers (way back when it was winding down an impressive 12 year run), ILYPNC inspired at least 60 marriage proposals, all of which resulted in “yes.” So there’s that. There’s a limited number of tickets still left for the Feb. 14 performance.
Dave Isay: Love Stories from StoryCorps (Feb. 9) This isn’t technically a Valentine’s Day activity, but what’s sweeter than hearing tales of true, real-life love? StoryCorps, Dave Isay’s oral history project, has amassed more than 35,000 interviews, insight into the lives of seeming ordinary folk. Founder Isay will give a talk as part of the DMA’s Arts & Letters Live series, sharing some of these interviews and discussing his most recently published book, All There Is, a collection of StoryCorps’ most inspiring love stories.
Isley Brothers at Fair Park (Feb. 10) With hits like “Twist and Shout” and “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You),” these Motown legends know a thing or two about love. Ronald and Ernie Isley will set the mood, and all you have to do is show up.
Sweet Origami Chocolate Box at Oil and Cotton. (Feb. 10) Learn how to make a homemade gift that anyone could love (not just Mom). Brooke Herrin will help you select a pretty color of cardstock and fold it up into a nifty box. Add a crafty gift tag and a gourmet chocolate from local chocolatier CocoAndré, and you’ll surely be into something good. A portion of the proceeds from the class will be donated to the Genesis Women’s Shelter.
Champagne, Chocolates & Comedy Valentine’s Celebration (Feb. 11, Feb. 14). We believe that a good sense of humor is vital for maintaining a healthy relationship. Feed your love by laughing together at this special comedy evening. Irving-based Paul Verghese headlines a stand-up show that includes Aaron Aryanpur and Backdoor Comedy Club co-founder Linda Stogner. You get a glass of champagne, a box of chocolates, and a free ticket to another show.
Death by Chocolate at the Garland Civic Theatre (Through Feb. 11) Guests at the Meadowbrook Health Resort, a place for relaxation, start dropping like flies after treating themselves to a piece of chocolate. The body count casts a negative light on the resort’s grand reopening, so manager John Sloth and an amateur sleuth must figure out who’s up to no good in this musical and dance show.
Stupid Cupid: Events on Feb. 14
The Practice of Sex, the Work of History/ the Work of Sex, the Practice of History at the Modern Museum of Art. Andrew Campbell, a professor at Texas State University, has devoted considerable time and attention to the academic study of the gay and lesbian leather communities in the 1970s. This mature-audiences-only lecture will feature four contemporary artists (Christian Holstad, Monica Majoli, Dean Sameshima, and A. K. Burns/A. L. Steiner) who reappropriate source documents from the ’70s to comment on what Campbell calls the “politicized practices of LGBTQ love and sex in the twenty-first century.” It’s part of the regular Tuesday evening series at the Modern, so you’ll be able to sip cocktails and enjoy light bites from Café Modern.
Valentine’s Day at Arlington Hall (Feb. 14) Since music is the food of love, we don’t think it’s a bad idea to spend Valentine’s Day with the Orchestra of New Spain in the place where Candice Crawford and Tony Romo became man and wife. There’ll be food and wine, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and romance in the air.
Valentine’s Double Feature at the Lakewood Theater (Feb. 14) Get ready to do your best Bogey impression. First you’ll hear Ricki Derek and the Cupid Quartet perform timeless romantic hits by Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra. Then cuddle up as close as the theater seats will allow for a screening of the classic Casablanca. Just keep it rated G, okay?
A Gershwin Valentine. (Feb. 14) Let’s just get this out in the open. George Gershwin was an extremely good looking man. It hardly hurts that he was also a musical genius. The Dallas Wind Symphony has a piano roll of Gershwin’s 1925 recording of Rhapsody in Blue, and they’ll play it before pianist Jeff Hellmer leads the band in a romantic evening of song and sound, all written by that 1920s hottie.
Champagne, Chocolates & Comedy Valentine’s Celebration (Feb. 11, Feb. 14). We believe that a good sense of humor is vital for maintaining a healthy relationship. Feed your love by laughing together at this special comedy evening. Irving-based Paul Verghese headlines a stand-up show that includes Aaron Aryanpur and Backdoor Comedy Club co-founder Linda Stogner. You get a glass of champagne, a box of chocolates, and a free ticket to another show.
Raincheck: Events After Feb. 14
Singles Awareness Day at the Aloft Hotel. (Feb. 15) The name of this event might be cringe-worthy, but the cause is not (ticket proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dallas). Ladies and gents currently flying solo are encouraged to eat, drink, and make new friends. Neill Skylar of Most Eligible Dallas will provide live musical entertainment.
The Generational Equity Cupid Dash. (Feb. 18) We don’t have to tell you that running is good for cardiovascular health. And if your significant other can love you when you’re red-faced and sweaty after you’ve done a few faster-than-normal laps around the outside of a shopping mall, well, your heart is probably in good hands. Choose from a 10K, a 5K, or a one-mile fun run, and enjoy Valentine’s Day-themed activities and live music from cover band Live80. Proceeds from the race benefit MakeAWay Charities. If you’re planning on proposing sometime in the near future, consider submitting your sweet story for the chance to win an insanely gorgeous diamond ring from Zales. The only catch is that you’ll have to propose at the Cupid Dash. Send “how you met and fell in love” stories to [email protected] by 6 p.m., February 10, 2012.
