Dallas Summer Musicals’ latest production, Little House on the Prairie, has a very big star on its roster: Melissa Gilbert. Yes, that Melissa Gilbert—the one who played Laura on the television show back in the day. She is no longer playing Laura, however. Now, she plays Ma. (Yes, we are that old). If you’re going out to see the show, I’ve got a tip for you. The restaurant at the Music Hall at Fair Park serves “themed” meals before performances. For just $24.95 (less for lunches), you can choose from all kinds of Prairie-type foods, like pickled veggies, dried meats, pork spare ribs, and bread pudding (full menu is here). The restaurant is open two hours before the show, so no need to worry about that embarrassing tummy growl during Gilbert’s solo.
Something else fun happening tonight: Renfield’s Corner, a bar on Routh Street owned by the Old Monk/Idle Rich crew, has live music on Wednesday nights. No cover and all that. But what we’re really curious about is the cask-conditioned ale they serve there. Apparently, there aren’t a lot of places in town that serve this unfiltered and unpasteurized beer, and since we like to try things that our friends haven’t so we can brag, we are planning on getting a pint or two (St. Arnold Elissa IPA is what they’ve got currently). Also, any place that serves pigs in a blanket gets a high rating from me.