Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

There are some weeks where events in Dallas offer pure entertainment and little more. This is not one of those weeks, as multiple events will mark the second anniversary of the deaths of five police officers in a shooting in downtown Dallas. On a lighter side will be a trio of concerts, a semi-famous comedian, and the beginning and ending, respectively, of two big theater productions.

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, July 5

Cry Havoc Theater Company presents Babel
Cry Havoc Theater Company has created a new documentary work that examines the second amendment right to keep and bear arms. The company has traveled locally and nationally, collecting interviews from voices on multiple sides of the gun ownership debate. Those interviews, along with the teens' reflections on them, will offer a glimpse into the emotionally charged, national conversation. Part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, the production will play in Hamon Hall at Winspear Opera House through July 15.

Donny & Marie Osmond in concert
Brother and sister Donny & Marie Osmond have collectively recorded more than 70 albums, starred in their own television series, specials, documentaries and numerous other programs. They'll come to Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie as part of a tour will take fans on a journey through their hits, including One Bad Apple," "Paper Roses," "Love Me For A Reason," and "Crazy Horses."

Friday, July 6

2018 Vans Warped Tour
The Vans Warped Tour is the largest traveling music festival in the United States and includes a multitude of genres, including metal, hip hop, reggae, pop, and more. The tour will feature performances across six stages at Dos Equis Pavilion, including sets from Bowling for Soup, Reel Big Fish, Falling in Reverse, The Used, Kublai Kahn, Sharptooth, Hail the Sun, Unearth, and more.

Improv Arlington presents Donnell Rawlings
Donnell Rawlings is an overnight success a decade in the making. He appeared on Comedy Central’s award-winning and critically celebrated Chappelle’s Show as Ashy Larry, the '70s jheri-curled "Beautiful," and numerous other characters. He'll perform five stand-up comedy sets through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Saturday, July 7

July 7 commemorative events
On the two-year anniversary of the Dallas police shootings, there will be multiple events commemorating the anniversary, including the Officer Down Motorcycle Ride at Dallas City Hall, a a 35-mile historic ride that raises funds to support officers and community building programs; and Fundraiser for the Dallas Five at Ferris Wheeler's, featuring barbecue and music to raise money for Brotherhood for the Fallen.

March for Our Lives presents Road to Change
Sticking with the theme of gun violence, March for Our Lives will present Road to Change, a panel discussion and engagement fair at Paul Quinn College. The moderated discussion will include students and alumni from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida; Manuel Oliver, father of slain MSD student Joaquin Oliver; and local students who have been affected by gun violence.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Broadway Series: Hairspray
AT&T Performing Arts Center and Dallas Theater Center are joining together to produce the Broadway musical, Hairspray. It’s 1962 in Baltimore, and Tracy Turnblad, has only one desire — to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network. The production will have a limited run at Winspear Opera House through July 15.

Dallas Summer Musicals presents The Lion King
If you haven't had a chance to see one of the best Broadway musicals of all time while it's still in town, this is your last chance. The Lion King, finishing with two performances on Saturday at the Music Hall at Fair Park, boasts the music you love and jaw-dropping technical wizardry that still astonishes 20 years after the musical debuted on the Great White Way.

Sunday, July 8

Fine Arts Chamber Players presents Basically Beethoven Festival
Every Sunday in July, Fine Arts Chamber Players will present another concert as part of the Basically Beethoven Festival, featuring Rising Star Recitals with young musicians followed by a showcase performance with professional musicians. This performance at Moody Performance Hall will feature a professional trio composed of Shauna Thompson, flute; Deborah Brooks, cello; and Shields-Collins Bray, piano.

Xscape in concert with Keyshia Cole
The all-female R&B trio Xscape only released three albums in the '90s, but they left a big impression thanks to hits like "Just Kickin' It," "Understanding," "Who Can I Run To?," and "The Arms of the One Who Loves You." They recently released their first new music in almost 20 years, and they'll play at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie with support from fellow R&B star Keyshia Cole.

Cry Havoc Theater Company presents Babel in Hamon Hall at Winspear Opera House through July 15.

Photo courtesy of Cry Havoc Theater Company

Cry Havoc Theater Company presents Babel in Hamon Hall at Winspear Opera House through July 15.

event-planner

Movie Review

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

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