Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

The list of new events in and around Dallas this weekend may be shorter than usual, but they pack a collective punch. Choices include a powerhouse classical music concert, four theater productions (including a Tony Award winner), the continuation of the stay of a great dance troupe, the final days of a notable art exhibit, and a Japanese new year tradition.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, January 9

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Fabio Luisi Conducts Scheherazade
At this concert, audiences can travel to the world of the 1001 Arabian Nights in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. The concert will also feature the Dallas premiere of Fountain of Youth, a commissioned work by Julia Wolfe. Plus, Lise Lindstrom sings Barber’s rarely performed Andromache’s Farewell. The concert, conducted by Fabio Luisi, will have four performances through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

AT&T Performing Arts Center Broadway Series presents The Color Purple
Two years after its first visit to Dallas, the Tony Award-winning The Color Purple returns for a brief stay at Winspear Opera House. The musical features a soul-raising, Grammy-winning score of jazz, gospel, ragtime, and blues, giving an exhilarating new spirit to this Pulitzer Prize-winning story. It is a reimagining of an epic story about a young woman’s journey to love and triumph in the American South. There will be six more performances through Sunday.

Imprint Theatreworks presents Puffs (The Play)
Puffs is a clever and inventive play that gives audience a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers. The play will run at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater through January 25.

Friday, January 10

Theatre Arlington presents Ripcord
A sunny room on an upper floor is prime real estate in the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, so when the cantankerous Abby is forced to share her quarters with new arrival Marilyn, she has no choice but to get rid of the infuriatingly chipper woman by any means necessary. A seemingly harmless bet between the old women quickly escalates into a dangerous game of one-upmanship. The play will run at Theatre Arlington through January 26.

Shakespeare Dallas presents Pride and Prejudice
Shakespeare Dallas will present Pride and Prejudice for its second annual Winter Season performance. The play is a tale about Elizabeth Bennet, whose four sisters and overzealous match-making mother keep the topic of marriage alive and lively. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense. The production will run through January 19 at Moody Performance Hall.

Saturday, January 11

Shen Yun
After two weeks at Winspear Opera House, Shen Yun travels up Central Expressway to Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson for three performances. The dance troupe lets audiences travel back to the magical world of ancient China, experience a lost culture through the breathtaking art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. There will be two performances on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Sunday, January 12

Dallas Museum of Art Presents Sheila Hicks: "Secret Structures, Looming Presence" closing day
The Dallas Museum of Art's first exhibition of works by pioneering fiber artist, designer, and weaver Sheila Hicks comes to an end on Sunday. The special display illuminates how the 84-year-old contemporary artist’s practice is inspired by the weaving traditions of indigenous artisans from Latin America. "Secret Structures, Looming Presence" pairs works from the museum’s collection of ancient Andean art with a selection of loom-woven, wrapped, twisted, and knotted fiberworks by the artist to offer a fresh examination of textile traditions through time.

Japan-America Society of DFW presents Mochitsuki New Year’s Celebration
Japan-America Society of DFW will celebrate the Year of the Rat with mochi (rice cakes), music and dance performances, and authentic cultural activities. At the event, taking place at Fujitsu Network Communications in Richardson, guests can learn about Japan’s rich New Year’s traditions, connect with the local Japanese community, and see a live demonstration on how mochi is made. It will include a special appearance by Consul General Hideo Fukushima.

Theatre Arlington presents Ripcord, January 10-26.

Photo by Eric Younkin

Theatre Arlington presents Ripcord, January 10-26.

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Movie Review

Chris Hemsworth tries to steal diamonds and hearts in Crime 101

Photo courtesy of Amazon Content Services

Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101.

The career of actor Chris Hemsworth is a curious one, as it feels like he’s a huge star (mostly from playing Thor in Marvel movies) and not at the same time, with most of the non-MCU movies featuring him in a lead role failing to become big successes. But he still has a certain presence about him, which is why he’s being given another chance to prove his star power in the new thriller, Crime 101.

Hemsworth plays Davis, a talented thief who knows how to get what he wants without resorting to violence. When a job early in the movie turns slightly sideways, it makes him think twice about working with his handler (Nick Nolte), who seems to prefer someone with a stronger touch, like the up-and-coming Ormon (Barry Keoghan).

Davis is the main character, but two others who come into his orbit get their own subplots. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a slightly schlubby LAPD detective who’s convinced he knows the pattern of an unknown thief that likes to hit places close to Highway 101. Sharon (Halle Berry) works for a high-end insurance agency known for working with ultra-wealthy clients, the types who might be a great target for a thief like Davis.

Written and directed by Bart Layton, the film has a decent propulsion to it that comes with most crime thrillers. Davis and Ormon represent the yin and the yang of criminal approaches, and and it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two as their simmering rivalry heats up over the course of the film. When the film commits to actually showing its crimes, it has an excitement that’s worth watching.

Unfortunately, Layton displays a real lack of focus, taking the audience into subplots with each of the three main characters that prove unnecessarily distracting. Lou’s marriage problems may explain his disheveled appearance, but there’s no need to see him deal with them with wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Sharon’s troubles with her male-dominated company prove slightly pivotal, but still don’t merit the time put into exploring them.

The most baffling subplot is Davis pursuing a relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a woman he randomly meets. At different points in the movie, including many of his interactions with Maya, Davis seems like the most uncomfortable, antisocial person in the world. And yet he somehow morphs into a suave smooth-talker who’s able to convince anyone to do what he wants at other key points, making it unclear exactly what kind of person he really is.

Hemsworth does relatively well in the lead role, but he’s still missing that certain something to make his character, and therefore the movie, truly compelling. The rest of the cast is fine, too, but each of them seem to be putting in just the minimal amount of effort to make the film watchable. Ruffalo and Barbaro come off the best, but with the talent in the cast (11 Oscar nominations and one win), they could have been used better.

Crime 101 has most of the ingredients to be another great entry in the genre, and it succeeds when it actually decides to deliver on its promise. But too much of the film is spent on things that have no real bearing on plot or character development, leaving the movie in the middle of the pack.

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Crime 101 is now playing in the theaters.

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