Weekend Event Planner

The Lion King and Cattle Baron's Ball top best weekend events in Dallas

After a slew of music-heavy weekends in the Dallas area, some balance has been restored, with theater, film, art and comedy all figuring prominently in this weekend's docket. If you live for music, don't worry — you'll still be taken care of.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, October 3

Patio Sessions: Somebody's Darling in concert with Ryan Thomas Becker
The AT&T Performing Arts Center started up its free Patio Sessions series in Sammons Park a few weeks ago, but we're just now getting to the time when the cool(er) weather can actually let you enjoy the music without sweating off half your body weight. This week, as usual, has two fantastic local acts performing — Somebody's Darling and Ryan Thomas Becker.

Dallas Summer Musicals presents The Lion King
Even though there are other shows coming later this year, The Lion King is technically the final show in Dallas Summer Musicals' 2013 season, and it's one that shouldn't be missed, even if you've seen it several times before. The Disney adaptation, which premiered on Broadway in 1997, is a big reason there are so many movies being made into musicals these days. It'll play at Music Hall at Fair Park through October 20.

Friday, October 4

Dallas Theater Center presents Clybourne Park
Dallas Theater Center started its 2013-2014 season several weeks ago with the fantastic A Raisin in the Sun, and now the vision will become complete with its companion piece, Clybourne Park. It's a must-see for anyone who saw the first play, as the themes, setting and several actors will make repeat appearances. Clybourne Park will alternate with A Raisin in the Sun at Wyly Theatre through October 27.

Dallas VideoFest 26: Expanded Cinema: MultipliCity
The 26th annual Dallas VideoFest doesn't officially get underway until October 9, but it's bringing back the popular Expanded Cinema, in which images are projected onto the side of the Omni Downtown Dallas Hotel, to drum up a little excitement. There's a watch party at Hickory House Barbecue off of Industrial Blvd. and then an after-party at the Texas Theatre.

Saturday, October 5

Crow Collection of Asian Art presents Garden Party and Street Festival
The Crow Collection of Asian Art will unveil its new Sculpture Garden with a Garden Party and Street Festival, featuring tours of the garden, a number of different art activities, live music, dancing, food trucks and more. The Sculpture Garden is the result of six years of planning and takes inspiration from a variety of Asian countries.

2013 Cattle Baron's Ball
The Cattle Baron's Ball is arguably the biggest event on the Dallas social calendar, as the movers and shakers get to go to Southfork Ranch to bust out their cowboy boots and hats, listen to some top notch music — this year's entertainment is country superstars Rascal Flatts — and help support a great cause, the American Cancer Society.

Dane Cook in concert
The popularity of Dane Cook has ebbed and flowed over the course of his career. In the mid-2000s, it was easy to make the case that he was probably the most popular comedian in the United States. But his momentum has slowed in recent years, to the point where he may be more popular with kids thanks to his starring voice role in Planes than he is with adults. He'll try to prove he's still got it at the Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, October 6

19th Annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Remembrance Ride & Concert
Dallas native Stevie Ray Vaughan has been gone for over 23 years now, but the impact he made during his relatively short career continues to reverberate to this day, as evidenced by the annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Remembrance Ride & Concert. Hundreds of motorcycles will caravan from downtown Dallas to Cowboys Dancehall in Arlington, where blues musicians will pay tribute the best way they know how.

The Mavericks in concert with the Michael Guerra Band
The Mavericks were one of the more popular country bands back in the 1990s, thanks to their fusion of different musical elements. But they went their separate ways in 2004, and are just now attempting a comeback. This is their second appearance at the Granada Theater in a year, but their first since their latest album, In Time, was released. The Michael Guerra Band will be the opening act.

The Lion King will play at Music Hall at Fair Park through October 20.

$Nancy, Lion King, Jelani Remy as \u201cSimba\u201d from THE LION KING National Tour$

Photo by Joan Marcus © Disney

The Lion King will play at Music Hall at Fair Park through October 20.

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Movie review

Nick Jonas steals song from Paul Rudd in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

movies music film