Weekend Event Planner

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

St. Patrick's Day weekend in Dallas features an eclectic slate of events that will likely entertain you no matter what you like to do. You can enjoy some college basketball, a talk by a tech genius, stand-up comedy, local theater, songs from a master done classically, two fun holiday celebrations, two big-name concerts, 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, March 15

2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First/Second Rounds
Dallas will play host to first- and second-round games of the NCAA Tournament, with six games played over the course of two days, Thursday and Saturday. The games will feature matchups between the No. 3 and No. 14 seeds, and No. 6 and No. 11 seeds in both the South and East regions, with teams like Tennessee, University of Miami, Texas Tech, and Florida leading the way. All games will be played at American Airlines Center.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents #hearhere: Steve Wozniak
A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than 30 years, Steve Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products the Apple I and II. Through the years, Wozniak has been involved in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools and stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students. He will speak at Winspear Opera House.

Improv Arlington presents Deon Cole
Since getting exposure as a writer for Conan, comedian Deon Cole has gone on to star in a string of television shows, including Black-ish, Grown-ish, Angie Tribeca, and the game show Face Value. He'll get back to his first love — stand-up comedy — by performing six times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Friday, March 16

Nasher Sculpture Center presents 'til Midnight
The monthly 'til Midnight at Nasher Sculpture Center features live outdoor concerts from a variety of national and regional musical talent paired with film screenings in the Nasher Garden. Guests also get to visit the Nasher for free, taking in the museum’s renowned collection of modern and contemporary art. The first 'til Midnight of the year will feature music by Psychic Ills and Francine Thirteen, followed by a screening of Cooley High.

MainStage Irving-Las Colinas presents Witness for the Prosecution
In Witness for the Prosecution, Leonard Vole is on trial for the grisly murder of esteemed London socialite Emily French. While facing these vicious allegations, only one thing stands between Leonard and the end of a rope — his wife. Will she come to his defense even though she is a witness for the prosecution? Or will her testimony be the evidence that hangs him? The courtroom thriller will play at Irving Arts Center through March 31.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Nat King Cole Songbook
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present The Nat King Cole Songbook, featuring Denzal Sinclaire and conducted by Jeff Tyzik. Selections for the concert will include timeless classics from Nat King Cole like "Unforgettable," "I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)," "Mona Lisa," and more. There will be three performances through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

Saturday, March 17

St. Patrick's Day celebrations
It's the rare year when St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday, so you can expect the celebrations to be extra exuberant. The two big places to be will be the Dallas St. Patrick's Parade and Festival, featuring more than 90 floats, 1,700 participants, bands, and more along Greenville Avenue; and the St. Patrick's Day Block Party on Lower Greenville, featuring three music stages and specials at area bars and restaurants.

The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory's House Party featuring Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert, who was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards, will kick off the inaugural House Party at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory. Lil Uzi Vert released his first full-length album, Luv is Rage 2, in 2017. He'll be joined by G Herbo, Dice SoHo, DJ Drama, and JVN.

Sunday, March 18

Lorde in concert with Tove Styrke and Run the Jewels
It's not just anyone who becomes worldwide famous at the age of 17, but that happened for Lorde when she released her debut album, Pure Heroine, which featured the inescapable "Royals" and top 10 hit "Team." She'll comes back to Dallas to play at American Airlines Center in support of her 2017 album, Melodrama, joined by opening acts Tove Styrke and Run the Jewels.

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival will take place on March 17 along Greenville Avenue.

Photo by Jerry McClure

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival will take place on March 17 along Greenville Avenue.

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Movie Review

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

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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