Weekend Event Planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

This weekend is a busy one. In addition to the penultimate weekend of the State Fair of Texas, there will be the return of a beloved film festival, two big concerts, a packed slate for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, three new local theater productions, golf in a ballpark, a visit from a comedian-turned-senator-turned-comedian-again, and more.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.

Thursday, October 7

Modest Mouse in concert with Future Islands
The career of Modest Mouse has been full of hits, best-selling albums, and long album titles. Best known for songs like "Float On," "Dashboard," and "Lampshades on Fire," the band has released such wordy albums as This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, Good News for People Who Love Bad News, and We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. They'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving in support of their latest album, The Golden Casket.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg"
This concert will feature the world premiere of a new work by distinguished American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich paying homage to and remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the first anniversary of her passing in September 2020. Other selections for the concert, taking place at Meyerson Symphony Center, will include Mozart's Overture to Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Jeffrey Biegel's Reflection of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Wagner's Overture to Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman).

The Firehouse Theatre presents In the Heights
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood, a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. The Tony Award-winning musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes will take place outdoors at The Sound at Cypress Waters in Coppell through October 17.

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Good Latimer
Kitchen Dog Theater kicks off its 31st season with the world premiere of Good Latimer by Dallas native playwright Angela Hanks. Dallasites Ravinia and Good have reached a crossroad in their 35-year relationship. Ravinia has had a sudden epiphany: she is no longer in love with Good. And Good? Far from accepting his fate, he is determined to win her back, even if it means overcoming a sky that rains armadillos, a rare North Texas earthquake, and Dallas's maddeningly ever-evolving landscape. The production will run at Trinity River Arts Center through October 24.

Friday, October 8

Globe Life Field presents Stadiumlinks
Baseball season may be over for the Texas Rangers, but their home stadium will transition to another sport — golf — for Stadiumlinks, a a one-of-a-kind, nine-hole golf experience. Tee times will be offered on both Friday and Saturday in both early morning and evening sessions, ending with the ballpark lights illuminating the entire course under the night sky.

Dallas International Film Festival
The Dallas International Film Festival has returned for a shortened version that will include more than 30 feature and short films over three days. Notable films at the festival include Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch; Belfast, directed by Kenneth Branagh; The Humans, starring Richard Jenkins, Amy Schumer, Steven Yeun, and more; and Mike Mills' C'mon, C'mon, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The festival will take place at Alamo Drafthouse - Cedars through Sunday.

Chris Botti in Concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
For over two decades, Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer Chris Botti has amassed a spectacular variety of honors, including multiple Gold and Platinum albums, to become the nation’s largest selling instrumental artist. He has performed with an array of legends, including Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and Andrea Bocelli. He'll perform with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerson Symphony Center through Sunday.

Al Franken: The Only Former U.S. Senator Currently on Tour Tour
As far as anyone knows, Al Franken is the only U.S. Senator who was also one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live. He’s the author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, served Minnesota in the Senate from 2009-2018, and now hosts The Al Franken Podcast. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre on October 8.

Theatre Three presents Little Shop of Horrors
A deliciously devious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical, Little Shop of Horrors has devoured the hearts of theatergoers for over 30 years. The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant they name "Audrey II" after their co-worker crush. As the plant grows, Seymour begins to realize how the plant that gave them everything desires to take everything (and everyone) in return. The production will be at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre through October 31.

Saturday, October 9

Turtle Creek Chorale presents "Broadway's Back, Baby!"
Turtle Creek Chorale will present "Broadway’s Back, Baby!," highlighting some of the best songs from Broadway’s rich musical history. The concert will feature two special guests: Major Attaway, known for his playing the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway; and Patty Breckenridge, known for her role as Donna in the WaterTower Theatre production of Mamma Mia! and more. There will be two performances, one Saturday and one Sunday, at McFarlin Auditorium.

Jackopierce in concert
Jackopierce — a folk rock duo made up of Jack O'Neill and Cary Pierce — is a Dallas original, releasing their first album in 1990. Since then, they've gone through the usual ups-and-downs of a rock band, including breaking up for around five years to explore solo options. But they've always gravitated back to each other, with their latest album being 2018's Feel This Good. They'll play at The Kessler.

Sunday, October 10

Dallas Museum of Art presents "Pursuit of Beauty: The May Family Collection" opening day
"Pursuit of Beauty: The May Family Collection" offers a look at the exemplary Dallas-based collection of American art that was built over nearly 60 years by Thomas and Eleanor May and their children Christopher, Sterling, Meredith, and Laura. The exhibition features 24 oil paintings, watercolors, and sculpture by influential artists, including Cecilia Beaux, William Merritt Chase, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent. The exhibition will remain on display at the Dallas Museum of Art through January 9, 2022.

Feed the Streetz Tour: The Living Legends
The who's who of hip hop will come to Dallas as part of "Feed the Streetz" Tour. The night will feature performances by Rick Ross, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Fabolous, Lil Kim, Boosie Badazz, DJ Drama, and other surprise guests. The concert will be at American Airlines Center.

The Turtle Creek Chorale will present "Broadway's Back, Baby!," starring Major Attaway, at McFarlin Auditorium on October 9 and 10.

Photo by Matthew Murphy

The Turtle Creek Chorale will present "Broadway's Back, Baby!," starring Major Attaway, at McFarlin Auditorium on October 9 and 10.

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Movie Review

Chris Hemsworth tries to steal diamonds and hearts in Crime 101

Photo courtesy of Amazon Content Services

Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101.

The career of actor Chris Hemsworth is a curious one, as it feels like he’s a huge star (mostly from playing Thor in Marvel movies) and not at the same time, with most of the non-MCU movies featuring him in a lead role failing to become big successes. But he still has a certain presence about him, which is why he’s being given another chance to prove his star power in the new thriller, Crime 101.

Hemsworth plays Davis, a talented thief who knows how to get what he wants without resorting to violence. When a job early in the movie turns slightly sideways, it makes him think twice about working with his handler (Nick Nolte), who seems to prefer someone with a stronger touch, like the up-and-coming Ormon (Barry Keoghan).

Davis is the main character, but two others who come into his orbit get their own subplots. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a slightly schlubby LAPD detective who’s convinced he knows the pattern of an unknown thief that likes to hit places close to Highway 101. Sharon (Halle Berry) works for a high-end insurance agency known for working with ultra-wealthy clients, the types who might be a great target for a thief like Davis.

Written and directed by Bart Layton, the film has a decent propulsion to it that comes with most crime thrillers. Davis and Ormon represent the yin and the yang of criminal approaches, and and it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two as their simmering rivalry heats up over the course of the film. When the film commits to actually showing its crimes, it has an excitement that’s worth watching.

Unfortunately, Layton displays a real lack of focus, taking the audience into subplots with each of the three main characters that prove unnecessarily distracting. Lou’s marriage problems may explain his disheveled appearance, but there’s no need to see him deal with them with wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Sharon’s troubles with her male-dominated company prove slightly pivotal, but still don’t merit the time put into exploring them.

The most baffling subplot is Davis pursuing a relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a woman he randomly meets. At different points in the movie, including many of his interactions with Maya, Davis seems like the most uncomfortable, antisocial person in the world. And yet he somehow morphs into a suave smooth-talker who’s able to convince anyone to do what he wants at other key points, making it unclear exactly what kind of person he really is.

Hemsworth does relatively well in the lead role, but he’s still missing that certain something to make his character, and therefore the movie, truly compelling. The rest of the cast is fine, too, but each of them seem to be putting in just the minimal amount of effort to make the film watchable. Ruffalo and Barbaro come off the best, but with the talent in the cast (11 Oscar nominations and one win), they could have been used better.

Crime 101 has most of the ingredients to be another great entry in the genre, and it succeeds when it actually decides to deliver on its promise. But too much of the film is spent on things that have no real bearing on plot or character development, leaving the movie in the middle of the pack.

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Crime 101 is now playing in the theaters.

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