Weekend Event Planner

CultureMap Social and Cirque du Soleil top best weekend events in Dallas

The last weekend in July in Dallas-Fort Worth will be heavy on theatrics, whether it's the opening of several actual theater productions or the arrival of a Cirque du Soleil show. And to get you ready for those, we're putting on another one of our patented parties that's sure to get your weekend started right.

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, July 24

Summer 2014 CultureMap Social
By now many of you know that we here at CultureMap Dallas love to offer our readers opportunities to let loose. Our latest social, taking place at Winston's Supperclub in Uptown Dallas, will feature tastings of two new El Jimador tequila flavors, food from Urban Taco, swag from Hari Mari, Blaine Bowen Jewelry, Live Love Pop and others, and music from DJ Adam Cleland.

Friday, July 25

Cirque du Soleil: Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour
It's been just over five years since the premature death of Michael Jackson, but his influence on the world at large has yet to fade. Helping to keep his legacy alive is Cirque du Soleil: Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, a show that combines music from Jackson's entire career with the awe-inspiring and often death-defying acrobatics of Cirque performers. The show will play once on Friday and once on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

WaterTower Theatre presents Dogfight
It's not likely that many people remember the 1991 film Dogfight starring River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, but perhaps that's what makes turning it into a musical such a great idea. Winner of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, WaterTower Theatre tackles the show in which early 1960s Marines compete to find the ugliest date, only to have their expectations upturned. The production will play at Addison Conference Centre through August 17.

Broken the Musical
Most musicals trend toward the upbeat side of things, delivering peppy songs that keep audiences singing as they leave the theater. Broken the Musical, playing at Gilley's Dallas through August 17, seems likely not to have many smiles, as it deals with the subject of rape and how one woman struggles to pull her life together after the horrific encounter. 50 percent of the proceeds from opening night will go to the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.

Saturday, July 26

The Best Movie Fest Ever! presents My Favorite Musicals
Speaking of musicals, three of the most popular movie musicals of all time - Hello Dolly!, Moulin Rouge! and Oklahoma! - will be presented back-to-back-to-back as part of a triple feature from the new series, The Best Movie Fest Ever! Playing at Cinemark West Plano on both Saturday and Tuesday, July 29, the event will be hosted by Dallas theater experts like Mark Lowry and Nancy Churnin.

speakEASY premiere
If you walk around downtown Dallas, you're sure to run into your fair share of interesting characters. Filmmaker Josh David Jordan and artist Steve Hunter decided to document some of these people, the result of which is speakEASY. The exhibit features a short film by Jordan with 27 different interviews and paintings of each person by Hunter. The exhibit will premiere at City Tavern and then pop up at different places downtown in the coming weeks and months.

Sunday, July 27

Uptown Players presents The Boy from Oz
The life of Australian singer Peter Allen, who went on tour with Judy Garland, married Liza Minelli and wrote scores of hit songs, seems custom-made for the theater. The musical, for which Hugh Jackman won a Tony Award, makes its regional premiere courtesy of Uptown Players, who will present it at Kalita Humphreys Theater through August 10.

Austin Mahone in concert with The Vamps, Fifth Harmony and Shawn Mendes
You may not know who Austin Mahone is yet, but chances are the teenage girls in your life do. The 18-year-old San Antonio native has been slowly but surely making his way up in the music business, opening for Taylor Swift and being named by MTV as an Artist to Watch. He'll headline this concert at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie that will also feature The Vamps, Fifth Harmony and Shawn Mendes.

Uptown Players will present the regional premiere of The Boy from Oz at Kalita Humphreys Theater through August 10.

Photo by Mike Morgan

Uptown Players will present the regional premiere of The Boy from Oz at Kalita Humphreys Theater through August 10.

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Festival News

Billy the Kid Film Festival in Hico, Texas loves outlaws the most

Courtesy photo

Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles

Who doesn't love an outlaw? Surely not the annual Billy the Kid Film Festival, a festival dedicated to outlaws which is coming to Hico, Texas from November 7-9.

The festival was founded in 2019 in Hico, the hometown of "Brushy Bill" Robert, AKA Billy the Kid. It seeks films that answer the question, What does it mean to be an outlaw? — featuring stories of characters who go against the grain.

This is the festival's 7th edition and it will screen 55 films including shorts and music videos. Opening night will include a free under-the-stars presentation of short films at Green Canoe's Beer Garden in Hico, featuring two documentaries with a Dallas connection:

Dallasite Bart Weiss’ Rolling Film, Rocking History, Al Maysles Captures the Beatles — people, where is the editor here — where Al Maysles tells the story of how he shot the Beatles coming to the U.S. for the first time
Former Dallasite Justina Walford’s Tattler’s Tale about a legendary stray dog that finally finds a home in South Dallas

Two narrative shorts will also be included: Robby Robinson’s Hub City about a singer dealing with the mysterious death of his brother; and The Strange Story of Blasting Betty directed by William Samson about a woman in the Wild West.

The evening’s program will be capped by screenings of three music videos, two of which have parentheses in the title: I Remember the Alamo (But Can't Recall Her Name), Let’s Keep Austin, Texas and The Elephant (Dear Valentine).

The festival's 55 films include nine feature-length, plus 46 short films and music videos, all of which have outlaw and/or western themes, with a focus on local and Texas-based filmmakers.

Along with the free-to-the public opening night, there'll be a film festival workshop with filmmaker consultant Rebecca Smith offered to aspiring filmmakers and those navigating the film festival circuit; as well as the return of Dennis and Amanda Moore from Pine Moore Old West Studio to present BTKFF’s annual Pine Moore Award, in honor of the famous western and Old West location set which has been utilized by countless films, television shows, commercials, and music videos for scenic backdrops.

Film/TV and Texas legend Barry Corbin will appear at the Billy the Kid Film Festival on both Friday and Saturday as a special guest. The festival will also feature the locally produced film Reel Hico, which was filmed entirely in Hico and showcases many of the town’s residents. This hometown favorite will screen as a Friday night feature presentation.

he festival is introducing a new venue, the Wild Saddle Saloon, where films will be shown throughout the day on Saturday. The VIP and Red Carpet Party will take place under a Big Party Tent provided by Event-O-Matic, offering attendees a lively and festive atmosphere to celebrate the weekend’s events.

Festival founder Luci DiGiorgio, said, “In our magical seventh year, the Billy the Kid Film Festival feels the confidence of a long-standing festival. We are ecstatic to bring the best of Texas filmmakers as well as daring films from all over the world. We’ve truly developed a filmmaker family here in Hico.”

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