Weekend Event Planner

Book of Mormon and Valentine's Day fun top best weekend events in Dallas

It's two holiday weekends rolled into one, as it's Valentine's Day on Saturday and Presidents' Day on Monday. What that means is that there are plenty of excuses to get out and have some fun, including the return of a popular musical, romantic options and more.

Below are the 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, February 12

Bob Seger in concert
Rocker Bob Seger has been going for more than 50 years, and even though he could rest on the reputation of hit songs like "Night Moves," "Old Time Rock and Roll," and "Shakedown," he continues to put out new music. Seger plays with his Silver Bullet Band at American Airlines Center in support of his 2014 album, Ride Out.

The Book of Mormon
This isn't the first time that Dallas has had a chance to see the Tony Award-winning Book of Mormon, but with a musical this good, you always want to go back for more. The production, created by South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone, both skewers and pays odd tribute to the Mormon religion. It plays at Winspear Opera House through February 22.

Friday, February 13

Sarah Jaffe in concert with Sam Lao and Blue, The Misfit
It seems like Denton's Sarah Jaffe is always just on the edge of becoming a true national star. She's toured with Norah Jones, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and contributed lyrics and her voice to Eminem's "Bad Guy" on his Grammy-winning The Marshall Mathers LP 2. For now, though, she's still under the radar enough to play a venue like Trees, where she's joined by Sam Lao and Blue, The Misfit.

Uptown Players presents Gilligan's Fire Island
We still have to wait until June to see the official beginning of Uptown Players' 2015 season, but they are presenting Gilligan's Fire Island, another one of their patented parody shows, as a bonus production to tide us over. Playing at the Rose Room inside Station 4 through March 15, it's a gay twist on the classic sitcom that will change your idea of Gilligan forever.

Saturday, February 14

Perot Museum presents the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes
You can't go anywhere in pop culture these days without running into one version of Sherlock Holmes or another, and now you can try your own hand at sleuthing when the Perot Museum of Nature and Science opens this exhibit. You can collect clues using the same tools Holmes would have used in the 19th century, as well as take in Holmes-related artifacts, video and more. The exhibit is on display through May 10.

Ricki Derek and Casablanca Valentine's Day double feature
Two of the most romantic things imaginable — songs from a great crooner and star-crossed lovers — collide at the Granada Theater on Valentine's Day. Ricki Derek, who has been doing his best Frank Sinatra impression for years, starts off the night with a concert, followed by a screening of one of the best movies of all time.

Love and Laughter Valentine's Day Show: Fantasia and Rickey Smiley
There used to be a time when comedians opened for singers all the time, but that's a rarity these days. This event at Music Hall at Fair Park is a throwback, then, as comedian Rickey Smiley, whose known for his prank calls on his national radio show, loosens up the crowd before former American Idol winner Fantasia takes the stage.

Sunday, February 15

John Waters in concert
The life that John Waters has led is one for the books, which is appropriate because he's written a lot of them. The director known for films like Pink Flamingos and Hairspray comes to the Texas Theatre to perform his one-man show, in which he talks about his obsessions with crime, fashion, music, art, film and more.

Wayne Brady in concert
Comedian Wayne Brady is a multitalented performer who's made a name for himself with an infamous appearance on Chappelle's Show, on shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? and as host of the rebooted Let's Make a Deal. This event at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie will likely contain a bit of everything, from singing to stand-up to improv.

The Book of Mormon returns to the Winspear Opera House, playing through February 22.

4 The Book of Mormon at the Hobby Center September 2013 Phyre Hawkins, Mark Evans Christopher John O'Neill

Photo by © Joan Marcus

The Book of Mormon returns to the Winspear Opera House, playing through February 22.

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Movie Review

Safe cracking is a snap for White Lotus alum Leo Woodall in Tuner

Photo courtesy of Black Bear

Leo Woodall in Tuner.

Of all the ways that movies depict people trying to steal money and other valuables, safe cracking is among the least exciting. By design, it’s a laborious process that only those with a very certain set of skills can do. While clever editing and the right music can enhance scenes of safes being cracked, there’s a reason that the method is among the least used in heist films.

In the new film Tuner, Niki (Leo Woodall) has a job and a condition that just happens to lend itself well to committing that specific crime. He works as an apprentice piano tuner for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), usually doing the hard work while Harry schmoozes the client. Niki is well-suited for the job because he has a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him both sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle things that others cannot.

When he runs across a trio of criminals trying to break open a safe at a house where he’s tuning a piano, he helps them more out of frustration than avarice. But when Harry goes into the hospital and racks up huge bills, Niki decides to join the group to make some quick money. They soon want more than he’s willing to give, and he must find a way to extricate himself from them without losing himself completely.

Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (making his narrative feature debut) and co-written by Robert Ramsey, the film has a nice pace to it despite there being relatively little action. Roher and Ramsey spend the first third or so establishing Niki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) as characters, letting the audience understand their relationships and how they interact with each other.

The time they devote to the personal storytelling pays dividends when Niki starts to descend into crime, as his divided loyalties - not to mention the danger of the thefts - insert tension into the plot. That stress is heightened even more when Niki starts a relationship with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), as getting closer to her necessitates a series of lies.

There comes a point, though, where the plot stagnates to a degree. Niki’s end goal, if he has one, is never clear, and it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart. After starting strong in their character development, Roher and Ramsey take shortcuts as the film rushes toward its conclusion. This is most notable in a weird argument scene between Niki and Ruthie that comes out of nowhere and seems to serve no purpose in the story.

Woodall, who had a memorable turn in season 2 of The White Lotus, is on the cusp of breaking out, and this understated-but-compelling lead role should help him become an even bigger name in Hollywood. Hoffman has a small role, but he remains as interesting as ever despite the lack of screentime. Liu (Bottoms) is also an up-and-coming actor who should become a star with more roles like this one.

Tuner is a low-key thriller that succeeds because of the way the filmmakers approach the under-used method of robbery. Even if it doesn’t quite reach its potential, the film maintains a high quality throughout thanks to its storytelling and acting.

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Tuner is now playing in theaters.

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