Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

While most big events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there are a few that have popped up to offer the masses some entertainment while still adhering to the necessary social distancing measures.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. While they're not all outside of the house, they all promise to provide a nice distraction from the everyday life.

Thursday, September 10

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Bronfman Plays Beethoven"
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will continue its season with "Bronfman Plays Beethoven," featuring pianist Yefim Bronfman playing Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto. The concert, conducted by Fabio Luisi and playing three times through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center, will also feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8. These concerts and other forthcoming concerts are currently available to subscribers only.

Friday, September 11

Fair Play at the Statler
Statler Hotel's ballroom will transform into Fair Play at the Statler, an interactive State Fair-inspired installation and activity zone. The event, taking place on the weekends through September 20, will feature artistic built-out activations such as an Elvis butter sculpture and Cotton Candy Corral, kids’ activities, games, food and drink tastings, and more. Additionally, the onsite restaurant and gaming hub Scout, and its outdoor space, will transform into “TX Fare & Midway,” where patrons can enjoy State Fair-inspired fare, drink specials, and games such as horseshoes, cornhole, skee-ball, billiards, washers, and more.

Improv Addison presents Paul Rodriguez
Longtime comedian Paul Rodriguez has been making audiences laugh all over the world (in Spanish and English) for nearly three decades with his unique brand of humor that is a perfect blend of his Latin heritage, the American dream, and his undeniable universal appeal. Rodriguez will perform at Improv Addison five times through Sunday.

Ida Y Vuelta Flamenco presents "Flamenco Fever: Memorias Flamencas"
"Flamenco Fever: Memorias Flamencas" features the father of flamenco jazz, Jorge Pardo, a world-renowned flute and saxophone artist who recently won a Grammy as a contributor in Chick Corea's Best Latin Jazz Album, Antidote. This show, taking place at Annette Strauss Square, will kick off a fall series of concerts at the outdoor venue.

Addison Weekend Drive-In Concert Series
The Addison Weekend Drive-In Concert Series, where guests can listen to live music from a variety of Dallas-Fort Worth bands, wraps up this weekend with two final events. Attendees will be able to enjoy the shows from the comfort of their vehicles, or bring lawn chairs to sit next to a car. Music will be transmitted via both speaker system and FM radio. This weekend features performances by Raised Right Men on Friday and The Redwine Band on Saturday. The concerts take place in a parking lot just south of Addison Circle Park.

Saturday, September 12

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Legacy Performance Series
Dallas Black Dance Theatre will present the first virtual showcase of its 44th season. The Legacy Performance + Dancemaker's Discussion will feature From Within, choreographed by Nijawwon Matthews. Following the virtual performance the audience will be able to talk live to Matthews and the dancers. Viewers must register in advance for the event on Zoom.

Carbaret: Ford v. Ferrari Drive-In & Car Show
The latest Carbaret, taking place at Brizo in Richardson, will feature a special screening of Ford v. Ferrari. There will be car show with Mustang Shelby Mustangs and Ferraris onsite, and DJ Devin Pike will be spinning Detroit Motor City & Italian rock to fuel the night. In honor of the Italian race car driver and automaker Enzo Ferarri, they'll be offering an Italian menu prepared by Aboca's Italian Chef Artur Piro.

Sunday, September 13

Kluber Family Foundation presents Curveball for a Cause Celebrity Gala
Pitcher Corey Kluber's first season with the Texas Rangers has not gone as planned, as he went on the injured list after just one inning in his first game. But Kluber will continue his philanthropic efforts with the inaugural Curveball for a Cause Celebrity Gala, now a virtual event. Fox Sports Southwest anchor John Rhadigan will act as emcee, and Kluber and several of his Rangers teammates will make virtual appearances. Proceeds will support the Kluber Family Foundation’s community outreach programs.

Pianist Yefim Bronfman will perform with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, September 10-13, at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Photo by Frank Stewart

Pianist Yefim Bronfman will perform with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, September 10-13, at Meyerson Symphony 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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