There are a lot of big names making their way through the Dallas area this weekend — some are old, some are new, but all are highly entertaining. The weekend's lineup includes a great film festival, a world premiere play that couldn't be more topical, a throwback '90s concert for the ages, a movie actor moonlighting as a singer, and the most laid-back singer in the world.
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, June 8
6th Annual Oak Cliff Film Festival
After only six years, the Oak Cliff Film Festival has already established itself as a major destination for film lovers in Dallas. This year's edition, taking place through Sunday at Texas Theatre and other venues, includes screenings of A Ghost Story, directed by David Lowery and starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara; Lemon, starring Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, and Gillian Jacobs; and The Little Hours, a rowdy comedy about some very unholy and unapologetic nuns (Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Kate Micucci) in the 14th century.
Theatre Three presents A Little Night Music
Stephen Sondheim is a renowned composer and lyricist who has five Tony Awards for Best Musical on his résumé, including A Little Night Music. In the musical, presented by Theatre Three through July 2, Anne is married to Fredrik. Fredrik loves Desiree. Desiree is sleeping with Carl-Magnus. Carl-Magnus is wed to Charlotte. And Charlotte cannot be bothered. Couples intertwine, intersect, and change partners in this sumptuous turn-of-the-century fairy tale for adults.
Travis Wall's Shaping Sound: After the Curtain
Under the artistic direction of Emmy Award-winner Travis Wall, Shaping Sound is a mash-up of dance styles and musical genres brought to life on stage by a dynamic company of contemporary dancers. In After the Curtain, being performed at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson, these visual musicians tell the story of a man fighting to find his creative voice after the death of his one true love.
Friday, June 9
Kitchen Dog Theater presents Br’er Cotton
The mainstage production for Kitchen Dog Theater's annual New Works Festival is Br'er Cotton, which tackles complicated issues of racism and racial identity through the lens of three generations' wildly different attitudes and responses. The production runs at Trinity River Arts Center through July 1. You can also see works by the next generation of playwrights at the Playwrights Under Progress Fest, playing twice on Saturday at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts.
Bell Biv Devoe in concert with Guy, SWV, and En Vogue
For anybody who came of age in the late '80s/early '90s, R&B/New Jack Swing groups like Bell Biv Devoe, Guy, SWV, and En Vogue still loom large. Each of their runs to the top of the music world was relatively short, but the impact they had remains to this day. You can expect a packed crowd for this concert featuring all four groups at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.
The Bacon Brothers in concert
If you only know Kevin Bacon from his extensive and noteworthy movie career, you're only seeing half the man. He and his brother, Michael, have been playing music together professionally since the mid-1990s, releasing seven albums in total, including 2014's 36¢. You can jam out to their country-rock style at this concert at The Kessler.
Luck Dallas
The Luck Reunion, which takes place each March at Willie Nelson’s ranch in Luck, Texas, has become an annual pilgrimage for many fans of rock, roots, country, folk, and, of course, Willie Nelson. Luck Dallas at Granada Theater features a lineup of artists from the Luck family, including Amanda Shires, Paul Cauthen, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Son Little, Horse Thief, the Texas Gentlemen, and other secret performers.
Saturday, June 10
Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band in concert with ZZ Top
For Parrotheads, attending a Jimmy Buffett concert isn't just an experience — it's a way of life. The parking lots around Toyota Stadium in Frisco will turn into Margaritaville well before the concert on Saturday night, as thousands of people gather to celebrate Buffett's easygoing lifestyle. The concert itself is no slouch, with Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band joined by Houston legends ZZ Top.
Sunday, June 11
Dallas Museum of Art Family Days
If you consider yourself an art fan, this is the day to go to the Dallas Museum of Art as, along with the permanent collection, the normally paid exhibits "México 1900–1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, and the Avant-Garde," "Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion," and "Visions of America: Three Centuries of Prints from the National Gallery of Art" are all free. Make sure to show up early, as lines are sure to be big.
Travis Wall's Shaping Sound: After the Curtain takes place at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson on June 8.
