Weekend Event Planner

Billy Joel and Harlem Globetrotters headline best weekend events in Dallas

It doesn't happen every week, but the events on tap for this weekend appeal have broad appeal, from comedy to music to theater to sports to film, with a near 50-50 split between adults-only and family-friendly. So no excuses — get out there and have a good time.

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, January 22

John Mulaney in concert
If you've enjoyed John Mulaney's eponymous sitcom Mulaney, you might want to catch it while you can, as it will wrap up its first — and likely only — season in the next few weeks. But the failure of his show in no way means the comedian himself isn't funny, something he proves with this performance at the Majestic Theatre.

Billy Joel in concert with Jamie Cullum
It's been 14 years since Billy Joel released new music of any kind, and seven years since he's played in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, so this concert at American Airlines Center, with Jamie Cullum as opening act, should be packed with fans dying to hear songs like "Piano Man," "Tell Her About It" and "We Didn't Start the Fire."

Friday, January 23

Dallas Theater Center presents Stagger Lee
The 2014-2015 Dallas Theater Center season kicks into high gear with the opening of previews for Stagger Lee, a world premiere musical from renowned playwright Will Power. The production, playing at Wyly Theatre through February 15, takes its title from a century-old folk song and has a story that spans the 20th century, tracing mythical characters in their quest to achieve the American Dream.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Kenny G
For going on 30 years, the dulcet tones of Kenny G's saxophone have been the go-to for lovers of smooth jazz music and/or anyone who's been stuck on hold or in an elevator. In advance of the release of his latest album, Brazilian Nights, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra welcomes him to Bass Performance Hall for three nights of his greatest hits.

Lyric Stage presents Annie Get Your Gun
This rendition of Annie Get Your Gun features a full acoustic orchestra playing some of the musical's most famous songs, including "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun." The production, which runs only through Sunday, stars Daron Cockerell as Annie Oakley.

Saturday, January 24

2015 Texas Rangers Fan Fest
Believe it or not, we're less than a month away from the start of Major League Baseball's 2015 season. Although the 2014 Texas Rangers were a major disappointment thanks to a slew of injuries, a new season means renewed hope, and you can mingle with players, coaches and fellow fans at Globe Life Park in Arlington during Fan Fest.

Harlem Globetrotters 2015 World Tour
Although the Dallas Mavericks are doing well this year, there's nothing like the brand of entertainment the Harlem Globetrotters bring to the basketball court. The sleight of hand, twirling, spinning and generally acrobatic moves they display while taking it to the hapless Washington Generals are a joy to watch. They play three times at American Airlines Center on Saturday and Sunday.

Odysseo by Cavalia
Horses and theater collide in this special event inside huge tents at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco. Running through February 8, it's an ode to horse and man that features 63 horses and 46 artists in a production that was created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of Cirque du Soleil.

Sunday, January 25

The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part 1
We're about two-and-a-half years into Shakespeare Dallas' ambitious project to present every single one of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, which means we're roughly halfway through. The 19th in the series, playing Sunday and Monday at Wyly Theatre, is the first half of the saga involving King Henry IV, this one featuring Prince Hal owning up to his family responsibilities.

KidFilm 2015
There aren't a ton of recognizable names participating in the USA Film Festival's KidFilm this year, but there are plenty of worthy options. Taking place at Angelika Film Center Dallas on Saturday and Sunday, expect appearances by authors Alison McGhee and Kathi Appelt, plus cool-looking films like Maya the Bee Movie, The Boy and the World, and Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart.

Lyric Stage's Annie Get Your Gun runs January 22-25 at Irving Arts Center.

Annie Get Your Gun at Lyric Stage in Irving.

Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage

Lyric Stage's Annie Get Your Gun runs January 22-25 at Irving Arts Center.

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Movie Review

Jessica Chastain drama Dreams stumbles through steamy romance

Photo courtesy of Teorema

Isaac Hernández and Jessica Chastain in Dreams.

The opening scenes of the new drama Dreams are bracing, fictional sequences that call to mind real-life scenarios. In them, a young Mexican man named Fernando (Isaac Hernández) goes through a somewhat harrowing journey from the back of a semi truck in South Texas all the way to San Francisco. It’s a familiar immigrant story that seems to set the stage for a film with something interesting to say.

It turns out, however, that Fernando has not made the long and arduous trek for a job. Instead, it’s to be with Jennifer McCarthy (Jessica Chastain), a rich woman who helps lead a foundation dedicated to multiple things, including funding dance academies. Fernando, a talented dancer, and Jennifer have been in an off-and-on affair for years, with Jennifer wanting to keep their relationship a secret.

Although both are drawn to each other in an inexplicable, lustful way, their bond is tenuous, with each of them dissatisfied for different reasons. Fernando clearly sacrifices much more of himself than Jennifer, who wants for nothing except maybe more affection from her father, Michael (Marshall Bell), and brother, Jake (Rupert Friend).

Writer/director Michel Franco seems to try to inject tension into Fernando and Jennifer’s relationship from the start, an attempt that is only halfway successful. It’s clear from the way they greet each other - not to mention a steamy sex scene shortly thereafter - that they have known each other for a good length of time. Franco is able to get across this familiarity with an economy of scenes, and the intensity of their bond holds for a while.

But as the film progresses and both of them grow disenchanted with their arrangement, Franco starts taking the story in some odd directions. The biggest issue is that it’s never clear at what point in time the story is taking place. Fernando ends up making multiple trips back and forth across the border, with Jennifer doing the same at one point, and Franco’s use of flashbacks muddies the waters, wrong-footing the audience when he should be trying to draw them further into Fernando and Jennifer’s complications.

Revelations in the final act make the story even more confusing, as both main characters start saying and doing harsh things that seem to come out of nowhere. That would be all well and good if Franco actually committed to their changes of heart, but he keeps things wishy-washy for most of the final 15 minutes, resulting in an ending that makes little sense for either character.

Despite the story issues, both Chastain and Hernández give compelling performances. Chastain has been a little under the radar since winning an Oscar for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, but she keeps this character interesting longer than it should have been. Hernández has limited credits and appears to have been cast for his dancing ability, but he goes toe-to-toe with Chastain on more than one occasion and acquits himself well.

Dreams had all of the ideas to explore a more in-depth story about the complicated immigration policies between Mexico and the U.S., or how wealthy people take advantage of those less fortunate. But Franco never finds the right footing, settling instead for a titillating and somewhat mystifying relationship story that feels half-baked.

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Dreams is now playing in select theaters.

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