There will be nice diversity to the events in and around Dallas this weekend. You can catch the final days of an immersive art exhibit, a Tony Award-winning musical, a classical music concert, appearances by three big-name comedians, a unique virtual reality experience, new local theater, and the latest edition of a long-running kids film festival.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.
Thursday, January 20
Dallas Summer Musicals presents Hadestown
Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites the audience on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and director Rachel Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. The musical will play at Winspear Opera House through January 30.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Trifonov Plays Brahms"
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Trifonov Plays Brahms," featuring pianist Daniil Trifinov and conductor Fabio Luisi. Selections for the concert, playing at Meyerson Symphony Center through Sunday, will include Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 and Schmidt's Symphony No. 4.
Heather McMahan: The Farewell Tour
The 33-year-old Heather McMahan is closer to the start of her career than the end of it, but that didn't stop her from calling her new tour The Farewell Tour. A self-described "high functioning hot mess," the comedian will perform three times through Saturday at Majestic Theatre.
Friday, January 21
Nasher Sculpture Center presents CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible)
The Nasher Sculpture Center, in partnership with the George W. Bush Presidential Center, will present the virtual reality exhibition CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible), conceived by Academy Award-winning writer and director Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The immersive experience is a 20-minute solo journey centered around a multi-narrative virtual reality sequence based on true accounts reenacted by Central American and Mexican refugees. The experience, located inside the Food & Fiber Pavilion at Fair Park, will take place through April 17.
Mainstage Irving - Las Colinas presents Anna in the Tropics
Exotic and enticing, Anna in the Tropics is a poetic play set in 1929 in a Floridian Cuban American cigar factory. It’s a place where cigars are still rolled by hand and “lectors” are employed to read newspapers, poetry, and novels to the workers. The new lector reads Tolstoy's Anna Karenina unaware that the passions it inflames will spin the listeners’ relationships out of control. The play will run through February 5 at Irving Arts Center.
Improv Addison presents Adam Ferrara
Adam Ferrara is a stand-up comedian and actor who hosted the show Top Gear USA. Ferrara has had parts in shows like Rescue Me and Nurse Jackie, and in movies like Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Definitely Maybe. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Addison.
Saturday, January 22
USA Film Festival presents KidFilm
The USA Film Festival presents the 38th Annual KidFilm Family Festival, the oldest and largest-attended children’s film festival in the United States. Highlights of this year’s program, taking place at Angelika Film Center in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday, include the new animated feature film Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb; new live-action feature films The Wolf and the Lion, The Time Guardians, Kung Fu Girl, Dwarf Long Nose, JimButton and the Wild 13, and Birta; and over 25 short films.
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: Back On Tour
Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is the star and executive producer of Mr. Iglesias on Netflix, and has a comedy stand-up special, One Show Fits All, also on Netflix. Feature film credits include co-starring roles in Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL, and A Haunted House 2. He's also provided voices for many animated films, most recently Space Jam: A New Legacy and Ugly Dolls. He'll perform at American Airlines Center.
Sunday, January 23
"Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience"
If you haven't had a chance to catch "Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, this weekend is your last chance, as it closes on Sunday after a five-month stay. The 360-degree, immersive digital art experience illuminates and transforms a unique physical space into a fully immersive exhibit, where Van Gogh’s work takes over the walls via digital projections and VR experiences.
Mainstage Irving - Las Colinas presents Anna in the Tropics, playing January 21-February 5 at Irving Arts Center.
