Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

When you go to check out the scene in Dallas this weekend, keep two things in mind: You're going to have a lot to choose from, and it's going to be hot as hell. Most of the events are blessedly indoors, but there are a few that require you to spend all your time in the heat and humidity, so make sure you're prepared.

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, June 16

Dallas Theater Center presents Dreamgirls
Dallas Theater Center's latest production, Dreamgirls, is a modern-day classic that sparkles with almost as many awards and accolades as it does sequins on its costumes. Take a trip back to the seminal music scene of the 1960s, when young women sang their way to musical prominence in a man’s world. The musical plays at Wyly Theatre through July 24.

Dallas Summer Musicals presents Bullets Over Broadway
Based on the screenplay of the 1994 film by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath, Bullets Over Broadway is the story of a young playwright who, in desperate need of financial backing for his next show, accepts an offer he can’t refuse from a mobster looking to please his showgirl girlfriend. Dallas Summer Musicals presents the production at the Music Hall at Fair Park through June 26.

2016 Oak Cliff Film Festival
The 5th Annual Oak Cliff Film Festival includes 27 feature-length films and 41 short films, including a fully restored version of Eagle Pennell’s ’80s Texas classic Last Night at the Alamo and the new adventure/comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Taking place through Sunday, the festival includes screenings and events at Texas Theatre, Majestic Theatre, Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Wild Detectives, 29 Pieces, The Kessler, Oak Cliff Cultural Center, and Basement Gallery.

Shakespeare Dallas presents She Stoops to Conquer
Shakespeare in the Park returns as Shakespeare Dallas presents She Stoops to Conquer at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre. Also titled The Mistakes of a Night, Oliver Goldsmith’s comedy of manners is a wild romp in the lives of a family and their sordid adventures to pair two would-be lovebirds. The production runs through July 22.

Friday, June 17

Dallas Arts District parties
You won’t be able to walk two steps in the Dallas Arts District on Friday night without finding something to do. In addition to continuing productions of Dreamgirls and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, you can participate in the Summer Block Party in and around the district's three art museums; enjoy food, music, and more at One Arts Plaza's Party in the Plaza; or check out the Prashe Fashion Show.

Darius Rucker in concert with Dan+Shay and Michael Ray
If it’s June, that must mean it’s time for country star Darius Rucker to make his return to the Dallas area. Rucker has headlined a concert locally in three of the past four years, making him a regular. He’s playing at Gexa Energy Pavilion for the second time since the release of his 2015 album, Southern Style, this time with support from opening acts Dan+Shay and Michael Ray.

Saturday, June 18

Selena Gomez in concert with Bahari
It’s been an eventful 10 years for Grand Prairie's own Selena Gomez, as she’s gone from being a Disney ingénue to paramour of Justin Bieber to a musical powerhouse in her own right. An innocent no more — just check out the cover of her latest album, Revival — she’s coming back home to play at American Airlines Center, with help from opening act Bahari.

Martin Lawrence - Doin' Time: Uncut Live
The name Martin Lawrence is still a big one in the comedy world, even though it’s been a long time since the days of Martin,Bad Boys, and Big Momma’s House. But Lawrence made his name as a stand-up comedian, and he’s still as capable of slaying an audience now as he was 25 years ago. He’s performing at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Selena Gomez plays at American Airlines Center on June 18.

Photo courtesy of Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez plays at American Airlines Center on June 18.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig searches for elusive new bond in audacious film Queer

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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