It's another relatively slow weekend in Dallas events-wise, but there are still some gems to be had, including a visit by a popular comedian, live performances of some great movie music and a musical based on everybody's favorite dirty book.
Below are your 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, January 9
50 Shades! The Musical
Since Fifty Shades of Grey was published in 2011, it has inspired a slew of imitators and parodies. In fact, this is the third Fifty Shades parody to make its way through the Dallas area in just the past year. The musical, playing at Dallas City Performance Hall through Saturday, centers around a women's book club who react with glee and horror at what kind of material their selection contains.
Theatre Three presents I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
Some of Theatre Three's shows have proved so popular that the company brings them back time and again, and this annual production tops that list. Now in its 14th year, it's a musical revue that takes the audience through the various stages of courtship and marriage. The production plays in the Theatre Too space through February 16.
Friday, January 10
Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional
Colin Quinn is one of those comedians everybody knows but nobody seems to know very well. He's done the requisite stretches at Saturday Night Live and with his own shows, but none of them has made him as popular as friends like Jerry Seinfeld. In this one-night-only show at the Wyly Theatre, he tackles constitutional issues with a pop culture flair.
Dallas Observer North Texas Hip-Hop Showcase
Some of the best rap and hip-hop artists in Dallas-Fort Worth perform at the Dallas Observer North Texas Hip-Hop Showcase at the Granada Theater. Included on the bill are A.Dd+, Blue, The Misfit, Sam Lao, topic, Lord Byron, Jaeson Green, AV The Great and Jay Clipp.
Saturday, January 11
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Pixar in Concert
Pixar has been known for making outstanding animated films ever since the original Toy Story came out in 1995, and a big reason for its success has been the music in the films. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to Pixar in two separate performances at Meyerson Symphony Center by playing selections from various films while clips are shown on a big screen.
The Sixth Floor Museum Living History Series: Maurice "Mickey" Carroll
The Sixth Floor Museum's Living History Series proved so popular leading up to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy that the museum decided to continue it throughout 2014. First up is Maurice "Mickey" Carroll, a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune in 1963 who witnessed the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald.
Sunday, January 12
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents An Evening of Prokofiev
This concert by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, performed three times Friday through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall, is billed as an evening of Prokofiev, but the showcase of the event is a performance of Crane, a single-movement symphonic work composed in 2009 by the symphony's composer-in-residence, Donnacha Dennehy.
Chinese Lantern Festival
The organizers of the Chinese Lantern Festival certainly know how to draw things out. Originally scheduled to run only through December 31, the festival at Fair Park now runs through February 17, meaning you now have another month or so to enjoy the colorful displays and other activities in and around the lagoon.
50 Shades! The Musical plays at Dallas City Performance Hall through January 11.
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