Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's crunch time, y'all: There is less than one week until Christmas. If you feel like taking a break from holiday shopping or want to show visitors a good time, you can take in one of four holiday-themed concerts, as well as another version of The Nutcracker. You can also spend some time in virtual reality, with a music superstar, at a Tony-winning musical, or at one of the first bowl games of the year.

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 19

Jumanji: Reverse the Curse at The VOID
In conjunction with last week's release of Jumanji: The Next Level, the immersive experience Jumanji: Reverse the Curse will give fans the ability to truly enter another game, taking on the form of its heroes, Dr. Bravestone, Ruby Roundhouse, Professor Oberon and “Mouse” Finbar, to save Jumanji from a new dark and mysterious villain. The new experience at The VOID at Cinemark West Plano will run through at least February 29.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Big Brassy Christmas & Organ Extravaganza
The holidays will be in full swing at this concert featuring the Dallas Symphony Orchestra brass and percussion sections, as well as the Lay Family Concert Organ. This Dallas Symphony tradition will make the holidays merry and bright with an extra helping of Christmas cheer. The concert, taking place at Meyerson Symphony Center, will be conducted by Lawrence Loh.

Cher in concert
It's been 14 years since legendary singer Cher supposedly said goodbye to touring, but the 73-year-old continues to find sufficient inspiration to hit the road yet again. This time fans will get a two-for-one deal, as Cher is touring in support of Dancing Queen, an album full of cover versions of ABBA songs that was inspired by her role in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. The concert will be at American Airlines Center.

AT&T Performing Arts Center Broadway Series presents Once on This Island
Winner of the 2018 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, Once on This Island is the sweeping, universal tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Guided by the mighty island gods, Ti Moune sets out on a remarkable journey to reunite with the man who has captured her heart. The production will run at Winspear Opera House through Sunday.

Friday, December 20

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl: Utah State vs. Kent State
With TCU in a down year and SMU off playing in Florida this weekend, area college football fans jonesing for an in-person fix will have to make do with one or more of the four local bowl games. The first of those games is the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, featuring a matchup between the Utah State Aggies of the Mountain West Conference and the Kent State Golden Flashes of the Mid-American Conference. The game will be at Toyota Stadium in Frisco.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Christmas with Megan Hilty & Cheyenne Jackson
Both Megan Hilty and Cheyenne Jackson have long Broadway resumes. Hilty has starred in productions like Wicked, 9 to 5: The Musical, and Noises Off, while Jackson has starred in Altar Boyz, All Shook Up, and Damn Yankees. The two singers will join forces with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for this special holiday concert featuring beloved Christmas classics. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Avant Chamber Ballet presents a full-length production of The Nutcracker, the holiday classic designed to take the whole family on a magical trip to the Land of Sweets through Clara’s eyes with Tchaikovsky’s rich score and ACB’s professional production. There will be three performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall. They'll also present The Nutcracker Suite on Saturday afternoon, a free, one-hour version of the ballet designed with young audiences in mind.

Saturday, December 21

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Eve and Other Stories
Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 2019 tour is a throwback to their debut album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories. Released in 1996, the album was the beginning of their "Christmas Trilogy" that would go on to include The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve. Featuring songs like "O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night" and "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," the concert will have two performances on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

Sunday, December 22

SiriusXM Presents: A Pentatonix Christmas Tour
Arlington's own Pentatonix got their big break when they won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011. Since then, the a cappella group has gone on to release seven albums, including three Christmas albums like 2018's Christmas is Here! You can expect the full spectrum of those Christmas albums during this concert, taking place on both Sunday and Monday at The Theatre in Grand Prairie.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform at American Airlines Center twice on December 21.

Photo courtesy of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform at American Airlines Center twice on December 21.

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Movie Review

Rose Byrne fights for her life and car in new movie 'Tow'

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Rose Byrne in Tow.

Actor Rose Byrne had a banner year in 2025, getting her first Oscar nomination for her starring role in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Although she came up short in that race, she’s getting another chance to prove her acting bona fides in the new film, Tow.

In the “inspired by a true story” movie, Byrne plays Amanda, a down-on-her-luck woman who lives in her car and can’t find a job. Living in Seattle, she tries to stay in touch with her daughter, Avery (Elsie Fisher), who lives with her dad in another city, but circumstances sometimes limit their communications, especially when her car is stolen.

The good news is that her car is found relatively quickly. The bad news is that the tow company is charging her to get her car back, money she can’t afford. Now truly homeless, she does everything in her power to right the wrong, even taking the company to court. Without much luck, she has to start staying in a women’s shelter run by Barbara (Octavia Spencer), where she makes friends with Nova (Demi Lovato) and Denise (Ariana DeBose), among others.

Directed by Stephanie Laing and written by Jonathan Keasey and Brent Boivin, the film has relatively low stakes going for it and never really tries to make the story feel deeper than it is. The situation Amanda finds herself in is clearly a tough one, and any empathetic person would feel for her and want her to overcome her plight. But the filmmakers keep things light and never try to up the drama in any significant way.

The issue Amanda is dealing with, being price gouged by a predatory towing company, is one with which many people can relate. But aside from helpfully underscoring Amanda’s frustration by showing the increasing number of days she is without a car, they never establish why they felt this particular story was one worth telling. Her personal issues, including a growing estrangement with her daughter, fail to conjure any big emotions.

The filmmakers are very loose with their storytelling, especially when it comes to side characters. The presence of the women she meets at the shelter, and Kevin (Dominic Sessa), the young lawyer who offers to help her, never makes full sense other than a need for her to have other people with whom to interact. A tighter focus on what Amanda was going through would’ve helped both her and people around her feel more important.

Byrne is a dynamic performer who’s shown great skill at both drama and comedy, but there’s nothing special about her performance here. Hampered a bit by a blonde wig and false teeth, she feels out of sorts for much of the film. The unusually high-powered supporting cast - both Spencer and DeBose are Oscar winners - makes things interesting on first blush, but none of them outside of Sessa is given much to do, so they’re mostly wasted.

Tow will be a disappointment for anyone hoping to see more great stuff from Byrne. While she remains a fine actor, her performance and the story as a whole are nowhere near the level shown in her previous film. The real life predicament shown in the film also never rises to the level of being of something worth showing to the masses.

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Tow is now showing in theaters.

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