Richardson packs June with theater, tribute concert, family events

Kong’s Night Out sets the pace at Richardson Theatre Centre

The month opens with a clever, low-cost draw for theater fans: *Kong’s Night Out* runs June 5-28 at Richardson Theatre Centre, with Thursday shows at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22 on Thursdays and Sundays and $24 on Fridays and Saturdays, with a $2 discount for groups of 10 or more, making it one of the more accessible ticketed outings on the calendar.

Jack Neary’s 2014 comedy is billed by the theater as a riff on the 1933 film *King Kong*, and director Rachael Lindley leads a cast that includes Christopher Dean, Emily Fry, Kenneth Fulenwider, Sue Goodner, Brian Hoffman, Adam Koch, Elise Stuart, Lloyd Webb and Kendra Young. Richardson Theatre Centre is also using the run to spotlight itself as a finalist in Best of Richardson 2026, with voting open June 1-30, giving regular patrons another reason to pay attention before they even reach the curtain.

Tony Bennett gets a tribute night at the Eisemann Center

On June 13, the Eisemann Center shifts the calendar from comedy to classic standards with *The Good Life - Tribute to Tony Bennett* at the Bank of America Theatre. The show is set for 7:30 p.m. and brings tribute singer Tom Stevens together with a four-piece band for Bennett’s biggest songs.

Ticket prices run from $63.50 to $85, placing it squarely in the premium end of Richardson’s June lineup. For households planning a night out around dinner and a show, this is the marquee concert-style option, and it adds a familiar name to a month otherwise built around local stages and public venues.

Dolly Day turns the library into a music-and-books stop

Richardson Symphony Orchestra gets a library-centered moment on June 18 with Dolly Day at Richardson Public Library. A string quartet will play Dolly Parton music, and the event is paired with discussion of *Ain’t Nobody’s Fool*, which gives it a mix of live performance and book-club energy that is easy to fit into an afternoon.

That combination matters for readers looking for something more relaxed than a full theater outing. It is also a good example of how the city is using the library as a cultural venue, not just a place for borrowing books, by building programming that connects a recognizable musician with a biography and a live ensemble.

Movie in the Park brings a free family night to Huffhines

For families watching summer spending, *Movie in the Park* is the clearest free option in the June lineup. The June 19 screening at Huffhines Park Pavilion will show *The Princess and the Frog* under the open sky, making it a straightforward low-cost night out with built-in kid appeal.

The setting is as important as the movie. Huffhines Park gives the event a picnic-style feel that is different from a seat inside a theater, and the free admission makes it the easiest entry point for parents looking to stretch summer dollars without giving up an outing.

Wildlife on the Move brings the wild side to the library

The family programming gets a science twist on June 20, when Wildlife on the Move presents *The Unhuggables* at Richardson Public Library. The hands-on session brings spiders, snakes and other animals into the mix, which should make it one of the more memorable stops on the month’s schedule for children who like getting close to real animals rather than seeing them only in books or on screens.

That kind of event does more than entertain. It turns the library into a place for discovery and gives families a free or low-cost educational option in the middle of summer, when keeping kids engaged can become as important as filling a weekend.

The Super Pickle rides the pickleball wave at the Eisemann

Richardson’s arts calendar leans into pop-culture humor on June 20 with *The Super Pickle: A Musical Parody* at the Bank of America Theatre. The Eisemann Center lists performances at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and the show is built around the pickleball craze, giving the city a comic stage production that connects directly to one of the most talked-about recreational trends.

Prices run from $49 to $70, which keeps it below the Bennett tribute but well above the free community events. That middle-to-upper range makes it a likely choice for theatergoers who want a polished production without the full cost of a premium concert night.

Clay, registration and one last June date at the library

Richardson closes the month with a two-part Air-Dry Clay Pottery Workshop at Richardson Public Library on June 20 and June 27. The workshop is free, but registration is required, so this is one event on the calendar where early sign-up matters more than walking in at the last minute.

The workshop rounds out a June lineup that leans hard into arts, family programming and library use. Between the theater farce, the tribute concert, the park movie, the animal demonstration and the clay class, Richardson is clearly using its civic spaces to give residents a mix of paid and free options, with enough variety to appeal to families, seniors and arts fans all at once.