Arlington's yearlong 150th birthday party is about to hit the stage. Next Tuesday, at 7 p.m., the Dance Theatre of Arlington will headline The Really Big Show at Arlington Music Hall, bringing together some of the city's longest-running performing arts groups for a single night of sesquicentennial celebration.
The show was announced by the City of Arlington, which described it as a tribute to Arlington's history and confirmed the lineup will include performances from Gown Town Theatre, Theatre Arlington and Six Flags Show Productions alongside the Dance Theatre of Arlington. The city's announcement frames the evening as part of its ongoing celebration of Arlington's 150th anniversary, tying the performance directly to the milestone year.
Arlington was officially founded on July 19, 1876, along the Texas and Pacific Railway, and the city is marking its sesquicentennial throughout 2026 as Texas's seventh-largest city, with nearly 400,000 residents, according to Arlington150.com. The city is home to UTA, Six Flags Over Texas, AT&T Stadium and the Rangers, a footprint that has helped cement its identity from railroad stop to major entertainment hub.
A Presenting Company Rooted in Local Dance History
The Dance Theatre of Arlington was founded in 1981 by local arts pioneer Persis Forster, who also opened Miss Persis Studio of Dance in 1954 and co-founded Theatre Arlington, according to Downtown Arlington. Forster's legacy was formally recognized by the city in November 2023 when officials dedicated honorary street signage in her name, cementing her status as a foundational figure in Arlington's arts community.
Theatre Arlington, one of the groups joining the bill, traces its roots to 1973, when it began as a community troupe called “The Potluck Players.” The organization now operates a permanent 199-seat venue in Downtown Arlington that draws more than 30,000 patrons annually, per its own history published by Theatre Arlington. Gown Town Theatre, also featured in the program, dates to the 1980s, when it began as a joint summer musical collaboration between the local community and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Inside a Venue With Its Own Musical Legacy
Arlington Music Hall itself carries a layered history that predates the theater groups performing there. The venue originally opened on February 10, 1950, as a movie theater with a screening of “The Story of Seabiscuit,” according to the Arlington Historical Society, before being converted into a live performance venue in 1995.
That same year, the hall became home to Johnnie High's Country Music Revue, a program that helped launch the careers of artists including LeAnn Rimes, Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and Blake Shelton, as Hoodline previously reported. The hall has continued to serve as a cultural anchor for the city, recently hosting a concert from singer-songwriter Steve Earle earlier this month.
Nostalgic Nods to a Long-Gone Arlington Landmark
Part of The Really Big Show's program will include nostalgic tributes to Seven Seas Marine Life Park, a city-owned 35-acre oceanarium that operated in Arlington's Entertainment District from 1972 to 1976, according to the City of Arlington. The brief-lived attraction has become a touchstone in the city's historical retrospectives during its anniversary year, resurfacing in city archive features earlier this summer.
The performance arrives amid a broader, heavily funded municipal celebration of Arlington's milestone birthday. In May, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court passed an official proclamation honoring the anniversary and recognizing Arlington's status as the Entertainment Capital of Texas, according to the City of Arlington. The sesquicentennial push has also included 16 new public art installations funded through hotel occupancy taxes and an $890,000 grant from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, as per Hoodline.
Tickets and Timing
Tickets for The Really Big Show range from $10 to $20, with the performance running from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. next Tuesday at Arlington Music Hall, according to listings on Arlington150.com. The city has described itself as “The American Dream City” in promoting the sesquicentennial festivities, positioning the evening as one more chapter in a year full of civic milestones for the growing Metroplex city.
