Events News

The latest event cancellations in Dallas-Fort Worth due to coronavirus concerns

The national tour of Come From Away at the Music Hall at Fair Park has been rescheduled for January 5-17, 2021.

Photo by Matthew Murphy

As concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus and government restrictions on group gatherings continue, more event cancellations and postponements are being announced every day in Dallas-Fort Worth. In an effort to keep you as up-to-date as possible, we'll compile a list of different announcements every week.

Note: Given the pace at which things are happening during these times, cancellations are coming at a rapid clip. To be sure you're up to speed, you may want to check with the presenting organization or venue regarding the status of any particular event.

Dallas

Dallas Summer Musicals presents Come From Away: The national tour of this production had barely started its original run of March 10-22 at the Music Hall at Fair Park when it was shut down. It has been rescheduled for January 5-17, 2021.
Bert Kreischer: The appearance by the comedian, scheduled for The Theatre at Grand Prairie on April 24, has been rescheduled for September 25.
BFD 2020: This hard rock music event featuring Disturbed and others at Dos Equis Pavilion, scheduled for May 24, has been canceled.
Cody Ko & Noel Miller: Tiny Meat Gang – Global Domination: The appearance by the YouTube/podcast duo, scheduled for April 18 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie, has been rescheduled for October 20.
DMA Arts & Letters Live: The remaining events in the spring series have either been canceled or postponed with the possibility of rescheduling. Erik Larson, originally scheduled for March 30, has been rescheduled for September 10. David Sedaris, scheduled for May 11, has been rescheduled for October 30.
Dallas Children's Theater: The theater company has canceled three productions: The Last Stop on Market Street (scheduled March 21-April 5), Balloonacy (scheduled April 18-May 3), and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (scheduled May 2-23). Their final production of the season, Miss Nelson Has a Field Day (scheduled June 20-28), is still scheduled for now.
Dallas Pride Weekend: The annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, scheduled for June 6 and 7 at Fair Park, has been rescheduled for July 25 and 26.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Chris Botti: The appearance by trumpeter Botti, originally scheduled for March 13-15 at Meyerson Symphony Center, has been rescheduled for July 10-12.
The Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival: Featuring performances by Mike Epps, Kountry Wayne, Jess Hilarious, and Haha Davis, this event scheduled for June 12 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie has been rescheduled for February 14, 2021.
JMBLYA: The music festival, which also has stops in Austin and Houston, was scheduled to take place at Fair Park on May 1. It has been postponed to an undetermined date in fall 2020.
Justin Bieber: The concert by the pop superstar, scheduled for June 28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, has been postponed to an undetermined date in the future.
Kesha: The concert by the pop star, scheduled for April 25 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, has been postponed to an undetermined date in the future.
The Who: The concert by the classic rockers, scheduled for April 27 at American Airlines Center, has been postponed to an undetermined date in fall 2020.

Fort Worth

Casa Mañana: The theater company has rescheduled two Children's Theatre productions. Matilda the Musical, originally scheduled to run March 20-April 5, has been rescheduled for July 17-26. Shrek the Musical, scheduled for April 17-May 10, has been rescheduled for August 7-16.
Fort Worth Chorale presents Masterworks Concert: The music group's final concert of the 2019-2020 season, scheduled for April 24, has been postponed to an undetermined date in the fall.
James Taylor and Jackson Browne: The concert by the two legendary singers on May 16 at Dickies Arena has been postponed to an undetermined date.
Patty Griffin and Mavis Staples: The co-headlining concert, scheduled for May 9 at Ridglea Theater, has been rescheduled for October 24.

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer is an unappreciated mom in Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer is an unappreciated mom in Oh. What. Fun.