Weekend Event Planner

The Barber of Seville and Chelsea Handler top best weekend events in Dallas

Spring has officially sprung, and temperatures are skyrocketing. So, naturally, this weekend features ... a lot of indoor events. But don't worry: There is one place celebrating the season, along with great offerings in the fields of comedy, theater, music and opera.

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, March 27

Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Forbidden Broadway
If you love Broadway shows but can't afford to see everything you want, Forbidden Broadway is almost the next best thing. The show lovingly makes fun of a slew of recent and classic Broadway shows, like Porgy and Bess, The Book of Mormon and Wicked, rewriting songs to hilarious effect. It plays at Bass Performance Hall for one night only.

Marc Cohn in concert
Having only one hit song can be a blessing and a curse for some singers, but folk rocker Marc Cohn has made it work for more than 20 years. Best known for "Walking in Memphis" off his debut album in 1991, Cohn has nonetheless forged out a solid career, as he still plays with the likes of Bonnie Raitt. He plays at The Kessler.

Friday, March 28

Dallas Opera presents The Barber of Seville
The Dallas Opera is closing its 2013-2014 season with one of the most popular operas of all time. Composed by Gioachino Rossini, the comic opera has crossed boundaries for almost two centuries, making its way into film scores and Bugs Bunny cartoons. It runs at Winspear Opera House through April 13; the April 11 performance is simulcast at AT&T Stadium.

Chelsea Handler in concert
She's never been one to play nice, but Chelsea Handler has been stirring up things more than usual in the promotion of her new book, Uganda Be Kidding Me. During the Oscars, Handler took over the Huffington Post's Twitter feed and piggybacked on wins by 12 Years a Slave in a way some deemed racist. You can hear other ways she offends when she hits Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Saturday, March 29

One Day University: Eight Short Films Every Movie Lover Should See
The Dallas International Film Festival starts April 3, and you can prep for its 11 days of films with this One Day University at LOOK Cinemas. Hosted by visual arts professor Douglas Leclaire and Dallas Morning News film critic Chris Vognar, the event includes short films that have won Academy Awards or Best of Show honors at prestigious film festivals.

Klyde Warren Park presents 2014 Spring Celebration
The event organizers at Klyde Warren Park appear to be the beneficiaries of the expected warm temperatures this weekend, as they put on a day-long celebration of spring. The event includes music from Open Classical and Sara Hickman, exercise with the YMCA, other kid-friendly activities and, of course, plenty of sunshine.

Betsey Johnson Meet and Greet
Some fashion designers are known only for their clothes, but Betsey Johnson is known as much for her unique personal look as she is for her whimsical designs. Expect both to be on full display when Johnson makes a personal appearance at Dillard's NorthPark to promote her line. Photographs with Johnson and tote bags are free for a lucky few, while those who buy something from the line get a special thank you gift.

Sunday, March 30

Dave Barnes in concert
Acoustic Christian rock singer Dave Barnes has gained a steady following since his debut in 2004, thanks in part to his reliable release schedule of one album every two years. He comes to Dallas in support of his sixth album, Golden Days, which was released at the end of January. His popularity is underscored by the fact that he plays two shows on the same day at The Kessler.

Improv Addison presents D.L. Hughley
Once upon a time, D.L. Hughley ranked high up in the comedy world, starring on his own sitcom and making film appearances aplenty. His star has faded a bit since the early 2000s, but he's still has funny as ever. He's playing six shows at the Improv Addison Friday through Sunday, but because he's only doing one show Sunday night, it's a good bet he'll cut loose big time then.

The Dallas Opera presents The Barber of Seville at Winspear Opera House through April 13.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Opera

The Dallas Opera presents The Barber of Seville at Winspear Opera House through April 13.

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All Eyes on Them

Dallas alt hip-hop group wins prestigious Tiny Desk Contest by NPR

Cure for Paranoia/Facebook

As winners of the Tiny Desk Contest, Cure for Paranoia will record their own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour.

Few live recording studios or musical web series have the cultural sway of NPR's Tiny Desk, and a Dallas band is poised to make an impactful debut: Cure For Paranoia, an alternative hip-hop project by rapper Cameron McCloud and producers Tomahawk Jonez and Jay Analo, has won the high-stakes annual Tiny Desk Contest for 2026.

They'll record their official Tiny Desk show "soon," the announcement by NPR says.

Winning the concert also means Cure for Paranoia is going on tour. The only Texas stop will be at Emo's Austin on June 24.

Tiny Desk is known for platforming both niche and majorly successful artists — NPR posted a new Foo Fighters set on YouTube on May 13 — for stripped-down sets that are literally played behind former All Things Considered director Bob Boilen's old desk. (Fun fact for Texans: Tiny Desk was created because folk artist Laura Gibson was disappointed with the sound at her South by Southwest show in Austin in 2008, and she wanted a redo.)

Most artists who appear on Tiny Desk more than 15 years later are already well-known, at least in their specific circles. But the Tiny Desk Contest, which launched in 2015, helps a growing group of newer, unsigned artists get their foot in the door. Contestants record one video of them performing a single song behind a desk, and a jury of radio staff and musicians chooses their favorite.

In their audition video, Cure for Paranoia gathered 11 musicians around a truly tiny desk and in front of downtown Dallas' iconic gigantic eyeball sculpture. They played the song "No Brainer," a frenetic track that starts with clever boasts and becomes a criticism of racism in the United States.

McCloud, a pre-school teacher, is known independently of Cure for Paranoia for rapping to his social media following about politics and current events. Some of those lyrics made it into "No Brainer." He says he started the group because he found that music was more helpful than medication for coping with bipolar depression and paranoid schizophrenia.

Alex Marrero, host of the Austin-based KUTX show Horizontes, was one of the judges this year. He was impressed with the visuals in Cure for Paranoia's audition.

“When this popped up, I immediately felt something different," he wrote in a blurb for the announcement. "It just jumped out. The visuals were super cool and creative, BUT I could still totally envision them bringing the heat behind the Desk.”

Madison McFerrin, jazz vocalist and daughter of the famous singer Bobby McFerrin, was one of the musical judges.

"Cure For Paranoia’s energy is infectious, fresh and distinctly theirs — exactly what you want in a Contest winner!" she wrote.

McCloud's post on Instagram announcing the group's win has only been up for three hours at the time of this article's publication, and it already has more than 8,000 likes. The YouTube audition has garnered 74,000 views.

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