Weekend Event Planner

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

In a surprising twist, holiday-themed events do not dominate this weekend's roundup. There are still plenty to be found, but the five new holiday events are overshadowed by new non-holiday theater, magic, dance, a comedic tribute to a certain boy wizard, a comic actress getting a big honor, a visit from a big stand-up comedian, and more.

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, December 6

Dallas Theater Center presents Fetch Clay, Make Man
Loosely inspired by the real-life friendship between Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit, DTC Playwright-in-Residence Will Power has crafted a daring script that brings these two iconic figures together to shape their legacies against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. Fetch Clay, Make Man is a powerful exploration of what it is to be a black man in America. The production will run in the Studio Theatre at Wyly Theatre through January 13.

Theatre Three presents Solstice: A New Holiday Adventure
Theatre Three will again capture the meaning of the holiday season by featuring the return of last year’s favorite mischievous Solstice characters, Stuart and Paulette. The couple’s adventures continue this winter through story and song and is fittingly set in NorthPark Center. This new holiday piece is definitely not your mother’s Christmas Carol, but it does feature the most lovable drug-addled grandparents Big D has to offer. The production will run through December 30.

Champions of Magic
The five world-class illusionists that make up the Champions Of Magic present daring grand illusions, stunning close-up magic, and incredible mind reading. Audiences will witness the impossible, including disappearances, levitation, teleportation, and a heart-stopping finale — all presented with lighting and special effects to rival the biggest theatrical spectacles. The show will run at the Music Hall at Fair Park through Sunday.

Friday, December 7

BMW Dallas Marathon
While the main event takes place on Sunday, the BMW Dallas Marathon is a weekend of events, starting with the Health and Fitness Expo at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, there will be the two-mile walk, 5K, 10K, and a series of new family races, followed by the marathon on Sunday, which begins and ends in downtown Dallas at Dallas City Hall Plaza.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Black on Black
Dallas Black Dance Theatre and DBDT: Encore! dancers will showcase their skills as choreographers, creating works performed by their fellow dancers. The performance, which will take place on both Friday and Saturday at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, concludes with a live DJ and DBDT dancers in an after-party finale.

Dallas Symphony Christmas Pops
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra's tradition returns with Christmas classics, sing-along carols, the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and the magnificence of the Meyerson Symphony Center decked out in its holiday finest. The concert, featuring soprano Katy Williams, will be conducted by Lawrence Loh. It will run through December 16.

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience
Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience is a parody show that's perfect for muggles, witches and wizards of all ages. The production, playing at Texas Theatre through December 29, goes through the story of the boy-who lived, combining all seven books into 70 hilarious minutes. The cleverly curated show includes all the favorite characters, crazily inventive props, and even a live Quidditch match.

Martina McBride in concert
Martina McBride has been country music royalty for a long time, releasing her debut album in 1992 and scoring four No. 1 albums and countless hits over the years. Though she can call upon any of number of songs in her repertoire, her return to the Dallas area will be in support of her new Christmas album, It’s the Holiday Season. She'll play at the Majestic Theatre.

Dallas Repertoire Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Dallas Repertoire Ballet presents its annual production of the beloved family classic The Nutcracker. Join Clara and her Nutcracker Prince, along with a cast of over 130 talented dancers, featuring students from the Allen-based Academy of Dance Arts. The production will run at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts through Saturday, with a special “sensory-friendly performance” at the Saturday show.

Saturday, December 8

Dallas Heritage Village presents Candlelight
Dallas Heritage Village will present its 47th annual Candlelight, where visitors can see how holiday traditions were celebrated in the late 1800s. The Village’s largest public fundraiser features carriage rides, holiday storytelling, Victorian carolers, musical entertainment on three stages, crafts, St. Nicholas, hand-weaving, blacksmithing, and many other festive activities. It will take place on both Saturday and Sunday.

Dallas VideoFest presents Ernie Kovacs Award: Amy Sedaris
Dallas VideoFest will honor actress and writer Amy Sedaris with the coveted Ernie Kovacs Award. Sedaris, a Second City alumna, is arguably best known for her role as Jerri Blank in the Comedy Central favorite Strangers with Candy. The Ernie Kovacs Award recognizes the career and talents of some of television’s greatest visionaries. The event will take place Alamo Drafthouse Richardson.

Brian Regan in concert
Setting a comedic standard of excellence that others continually try to follow, Brian Regan is a unique comedian who is relatable to generations of fans and revered by comedians as the best in the business. Known as a "clean" yet hilarious comedian, his comedy can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. He'll perform at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Sunday, December 9

Dallas Museum of Art presents "Asian Textiles: Art and Trade Along the Silk Road" closing day
Drawn from the DMA’s collection, this exhibition, which comes to a close on Sunday, showcases fine examples of garments and ornamental hangings. The works on view come from India, Central Asia, China, and Japan, with some objects featuring colored ink paintings on textile backgrounds. The garments range from a Japanese fireman’s coat to an Indian sari and a Chinese dragon robe.

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience will play at Texas Theatre, December 7-29.

Photo courtesy of Potted Potter

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience will play at Texas Theatre, December 7-29.

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Movie Review

New Superman film honors the past while forging into the future

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which - in a great joke - comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.

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