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Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Alex Bentley
Feb 14, 2019 | 6:00 am

With Valentine's Day falling on a Thursday this year, you can make it a full Valentine's weekend if you so choose. The events in and around Dallas are here to help, as there are a bunch of romance-themed events happening, including three theater productions and a comedy showcase. Other options include a visit from a prominent author, a Latin music superstar, a country music legend, 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, February 14

Barnes & Noble presents Angie Thomas: On the Come Up!
Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, will come to Independence High School in Frisco in celebration of her new novel, On the Come Up!. Ticket holders will receive one copy of the book; the chance to attend a discussion between Thomas and Rose Brock, editor of the YA anthology Hope Nation, and participate in an audience Q&A as well as meet Thomas and get their book personalized.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Broadway Series: Falsettos
Falsettos revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, about-to-be-Bar-Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. It’s a hilarious and achingly poignant look at the infinite possibilities that make up a modern family … and a beautiful reminder that love can tell a million stories. The play will run at Winspear Opera House through Sunday.

Lyric Stage presents I Do! I Do!
The story of a marriage is at the center of I Do! I Do!, an intimate and nostalgic work. The show begins with Michael and Agnes on their wedding day. Their vows behind them, they look forward to spending the rest of their lives together. The audience watches as they go through their wedding night jitters, raise a family, and negotiate midlife crises. Lyric Stage will present the production at Majestic Theatre through Sunday.

Eisemann Center presents My Funny Valentine
Pat Hazell, one of the original writers for NBC’s Seinfeld and a veteran of The Tonight Show, and Dena Blizzard will present an evening of hilarious and heartwarming standup comedy. Topics include relationships, dating, parenting, and family life. There will also be a chance to ask for free relationship advice as the comedians answer questions from the audience. Four performances will take place through Saturday at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson.

The Firehouse Theatre presents The Boy Friend
The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch will present The Boy Friend, a 1920s musical comedy set against the backdrop of the French Riviera that tells the story of Polly, an English heiress interested in one thing: finding a boyfriend. Polly’s father forbids her from dating for fear that any man courting her is only after her family’s money. Polly hides who she really is from the boy she loves and a hilarious show filled with mistaken identity ensues. The production will run through March 3.

Marc Anthony in concert
Marc Anthony has been breaking down the barrier between English language and Spanish language music for almost 30 years. He's only had a couple of bona fide hits — 1999's "I Need to Know" and 2000's "You Sang to Me" — but his high-profile marriage to Jennifer Lopez and philanthropic work have kept his name in the headlines. He'll bring his Legacy tour to American Airlines Center.

Kitchen Dog Theater presents You Got Older
Kitchen Dog Theater will present the regional premiere of You Got Older, a bawdy, irreverent, and touching dark comedy that masterfully blends reality and fantasy. Mae's life is kinda falling apart. Her boyfriend dumped her, she got fired from her job, and she's moved back home to take care of her dad. As if that weren't enough, she has this weird rash and a fantasy cowboy that just won't leave her alone. What happens when your life path leads you right over a cliff? The play will run through March 10 at Trinity River Arts Center.

Friday, February 15

Cara Mia Theatre presents Bless Me, Ultima
Antonio Marez is 6 years old when Ultima enters his life. She is a curandera, one who heals with herbs and magic. Ultima comes to live with Antonio's family in New Mexico and graces him with the courage to face the challenges of childhood. Under Ultima’s guidance, Tony will probe the family ties that bind him, and he will find in himself the magical secrets of his ancestors. The play will run at Latino Cultural Center through March 3.

Saturday, February 16

Willie Nelson & Family in concert
It's always nice when a legend comes back to Dallas, and there are few singers more legendary than the 85-year-old Willie Nelson. Despite his advanced age, he remains as busy as ever, putting out not one but two different albums in 2018 — the all-originals Last Man Standing and My Way, a tribute to Frank Sinatra that just won Nelson his 13th Grammy Award. He and his friends/family will play at The Bomb Factory.

2Cellos in concert
2Cellos are a Croatian cello duo known for playing pop and rock songs, as well as classical and film music. Their music has crossed over from the stage to popular culture, with songs appearing on shows like Glee and The Bachelor. The duo will play at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving in support of their 2018 album, Let There Be Cello.

Sunday, February 17

Dallas Museum of Art presents "Women + Design: New Works" closing day
The Dallas Museum of Art will close “Women + Design: New Works,” an exhibition composed of recent works by seven contemporary female designers. International in origin and diverse in their media, forms, and objectives, this dynamic group of featured designers includes Iris van Herpen, Najila El Zein, Katie Collins, Carrie Dickens, Genevieve Howard, Katie Stout, and Faye Toogood.

Willie Nelson & Family will play at The Bomb Factory on February 16.

SXSW Supermensch Shep Gordon After Party Willie Nelson
Photo by Shelley Neuman
Willie Nelson & Family will play at The Bomb Factory on February 16.
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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Alex Bentley
Aug 21, 2026 | 11:44 am
Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree
Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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