Weekend Event Planner

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

With the 4th of July falling on a Tuesday this year, you can enjoy a long weekend full of patriotic events. But there's far more than just that going on, including the world premiere of a new family-friendly musical and no fewer than four concerts featuring huge music stars.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Monday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, June 29

Dallas Theater Center presents Hood: The Robin Hood Musical Adventure
Dallas Theater Center will present the world premiere of Hood: The Robin Hood Musical Adventure, a new musical comedy written and directed by five-time Tony-nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane, with music and lyrics by Lewis Flinn, who collaborated on Give it Up/Lysistrata Jones. Here they tell the real story of the disgraced nobleman Robin Hood, who is forced into the wilderness, seeks revenge, and reclaims his great love. The musical will run at Wyly Theatre through August 6.

Improv Addison presents D.L. Hughley
Comedian D.L. Hughley has had quite the ride in his 25 years or so in show business. He rose up relatively quickly in the stand-up ranks, earning his own sitcom, The Hughleys, which ran from 1998-2002. Since then, he's remained a presence on TV, in the movies, as an author, and, of course, as a stand-up. He gets back to his first love with six sets through Sunday at Improv Addison.

Melissa Etheridge in concert
Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa Etheridge has remained one of America’s favorite female singer-songwriters for almost three decades. Best known for the multi-platinum 1993 album Yes I Am, she has released 17 albums in her career, including Memphis Rock & Soul in 2016. She plays at the Majestic Theatre.

Friday, June 30

Boston in concert with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
It'll be a throwback kind of night at Starplex Pavilion when Boston and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts join forces. Boston was one of the biggest bands of the 1970s, with their first two albums selling almost 25 million copies combined. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts have been rocking together since the early 1980s, releasing 12 albums, including 2013's Unvarnished.

Saturday, July 1

The Rustic presents Picnic Party
The Uptown hot spot The Rustic celebrates the 4th of July weekend by hosting a Picnic Party with live music by pop/folk sibling trio Castro, featuring American Idol alumni Jason and Michael Castro, and their sister, Jackie. The Dallas trio released their debut EP Diamond Dreams in 2016. The event also includes a performance by acoustic duo D and Chi.

Dallas Wings vs. Seattle Storm
After a rocky first season in Arlington, the Dallas Wings are having a nice rebound season, sitting at 8-8 after a recent four-game winning streak. Led by star Skylar Diggins-Smith, who's averaging almost 18 points per game, the Wings are currently in sixth place in the WNBA standings. They take on the Seattle Storm, featuring stars Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, at College Park Center on the UT Arlington campus.

Sunday, July 2

Outlaw Music Festival featuring Willie Nelson, the Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, and more
Willie Nelson holds his annual 4th of July Picnic down in Austin on Tuesday, but Dallas gets an abridged preview of that event courtesy of the Outlaw Music Festival at Starplex Pavilion. It features performances by Willie Nelson & Family, the Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price, Hayes Carll, and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. There will also be local cuisine, craft beers, and crafts by local artisans.

Monday, July 3

Roger Waters in concert
There's a rule that whenever Pink Floyd's Roger Waters comes to town on a long holiday weekend, he must be included. Part of his US + Them tour, the concert at American Airlines Center features classic Pink Floyd, some new songs, and solo work. Waters' legendary live performances are renowned as immersive sensory experiences featuring high class, state-of-the-art audio visual production and breathtaking quad sound.

Melissa Etheridge plays at Majestic Theatre on June 29.

Courtesy of melissaetheridge.com

Melissa Etheridge plays at Majestic Theatre on June 29.

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Wicked News

Wizard of Oz ruby slippers bought by mystery bidder for $28 million

Heritage Auctions

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A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction on December 7.

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more, but the fast-paced bidding far outpaced that amount within seconds and tripled it within minutes. A few bidders making offers by phone volleyed back and forth for 15 minutes as the price climbed to the final, eye-popping sum.

Including the auction house fee, the unknown buyer will ultimately pay $32.5 million.

Online bidding, which opened last month, had stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began late Saturday afternoon.

The sparkly red heels were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.

Martin, now 77, who lives near Grand Rapids in northern Minnesota, wasn’t publicly exposed as the thief until he was indicted in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023. He was in a wheelchair and on supplementary oxygen when he was sentenced last January to time served because of his poor health.

The shoes were returned in February to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. They were one of several pairs that Garland wore during the filming, but only four pairs are known to have survived. In the movie, to return from Oz to Kansas, Dorothy had to click her heels three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home.”

As Rhys Thomas, author of The Ruby Slippers of Oz, put it, the sequined shoes from the beloved 1939 musical have seen “more twists and turns than the Yellow Brick Road.”

Over 800 people had been tracking the slippers, and the company’s webpage for the auction had hit nearly 43,000 page views by Thursday, said Robert Wilonsky, a vice president with the auction house.

Among those bidding to bring the slippers home was the Judy Garland Museum, which posted on Facebook shortly after that it did not place the winning bid. The museum had campaigned for donations to supplement money raised by the city of Grand Rapids at its annual Judy Garland festival and the $100,000 set aside this year by Minnesota lawmakers to help the museum purchase the slippers.

After the slippers sold, the auctioneer told bidders and spectators in the room and watching online that the previous record for a piece of entertainment memorabilia was $5.52 million, for the white dress Marilyn Monroe famously wore atop a windy subway grate.

The auction also included other memorabilia from The Wizard of Oz, such as a hat worn by Margaret Hamilton, who played the original Wicked Witch of the West. That item went for $2.4 million, or a total final cost to the buyer of $2.93 million.

The Wizard of Oz story has gained new attention in recent weeks with the release of the movieWicked, an adaptation of the megahit Broadway musical, a prequel of sorts that reimagines the character of the Wicked Witch of the West.

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