Events News

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

The annual Dallas Art Fair, which had been rescheduled to October 1-4, has been canceled. It will return in 2021.

Photo by Mei-Chun Jau

As concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus and government restrictions on group gatherings continue, more event cancellations, postponements, and reschedulings 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.

New in-person and virtual events are on the uptick, so we may be able to occasionally present the regular weekly events roundup. Still, 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 Art Fair: The annual large-scale art show, which had been postponed from April 16-18 to October 1-4, has now been canceled. It will return April 15-18, 2021.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra: The orchestra announced a reduced 2020-2021 season, postponing, cancelling, or rescheduling multiple concerts. There are now only 15 scheduled concerts in fall 2020, with the spring 2021 schedule to be determined at a later date.
Girls Gotta Eat: This live performance of the popular podcast, scheduled for September 10 at Majestic Theatre, has been postponed to an undetermined date.
The Kessler: The concert venue has rescheduled a number of concerts, including Bob Schneider (was August 7, now May 14, 2021), James McMurtry (was August 13, now June 4, 2021), and The Polyphonic Spree: Jukebox Jamboree (was August 21-22, now February 27-28). They have also postponed Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (August 15) to an undetermined date.
The Last Podcast on the Left: This live performance of the popular podcast, scheduled for August 24 at Majestic Theatre, has been rescheduled for June 4, 2021.
The Read Live: This live performance of the popular podcast, scheduled for September 5 at Majestic Theatre, has been canceled.
Undermain Theatre: The theater company has canceled all live performances through the end of 2020, which includes Athena (September 9-October 4) and Hedda Gabler (November 11-29). At this time, it has not been announced if those productions will be rescheduled. In lieu of live performances, Undermain will present multiple streaming series, including In Concert Undermain (featuring music performances), Archives Undermain (revisiting previous live productions, starting with the 2014 production of We Are Proud to Present a Presentation... by Jackie Sibblies Drury), and Virtual Undermain (new streaming-only productions).

Fort Worth

Billy Bob's Texas: While the music venue has postponed two more concerts, including Gretchen Wilson (August 7) and Drake White & The Big Fire (August 14), they have plans to open up under restaurant guidelines starting August 14 with a concert by The Bellamy Brothers (who moved up their scheduled December 4 date). Upcoming concerts will be limited to 1,200 tickets, although that could change given the circumstances.
Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth: The classical music group has canceled the first three concerts of its 2020-2021 season, scheduled for September 12, October 10, and November 21 at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The five concerts in 2021 are still scheduled, and the group is finalizing plans for three live-streamed concert performances by local artists.
Fort Worth Opera: The arts group has officially canceled its annual McCammon Voice Competition, originally scheduled for April 3 and 4. In lieu of the prizes the competitors could have won, each of the 30 semi-finalists will be given a grant of $300 to provide some financial relief during these challenging times.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra: The symphony has postponed a number of events in its 2020-2021 season, including Wild Wild West (September 12), Legends: The Paul Simon Songbook (September 25-27), Audra McDonald (November 6), The Music of John Williams (November 13-15), The Snowman (November 21), Handel's Messiah (December 4-6), and America's Wonders (January 2, 2021). Other programs throughout the season have been adjusted for content, performers, dates, and times.
Hip Pocket Theatre: After cancelling most of its season in June, the theater company has now postponed its final production, The Slam Bang Story of Icky Twerp (scheduled September 11-27), to September 10-26, 2021. Each of the other productions planned for 2020 will now take place in 2021, as well.
The Killers: This concert, scheduled for September 11 at Dickies Arena, has been postponed to an undetermined date.
Water Lantern Festival: This event, which had been postponed from April 4 to November 7, has been canceled. The event will return for its annual visit sometime in 2021.

Grand Prairie

Iliza Shlesinger: The Forever Tour: The appearance by the comedian, scheduled for August 21 at The Theatre at Grand Prairie, has been rescheduled for September 18, 2021.

Lewisville

Kelly Willis and Jamie Lin Wilson Song Swap: This concert, scheduled for August 9 at MCL Grand Theater, has been postponed to an undetermined date in spring 2021.

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Movie Review

Disney serves up yet another sequel with beautifully animated Moana 2

Photo courtesy of Disney

Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) in Moana 2.

When Moanacame out in 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios (the non-Pixar side of the studio) was in the midst of a creative boom, having released Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia over the previous four years. In the eight years since, though, the studio has - outside of the stellar Encanto - been in a rut, with studio mergers, a reliance on sequels, and the pandemic all combining for subpar products.

Unfortunately for Disney and fans of the first film, Moana 2 does not break that streak. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) has become the go-to wayfinder for her tribe on the fictional Polynesian island of Motunui, traveling long distances on her own thanks to her special connection with the ocean. As the film opens, she’s continuing her mission of exploring other islands in the region in hopes of finding other people besides her own tribe.

A message from her ancestors gives Moana fresh hope, and she recruits tribemates Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni (Hualalai Chang), and Kele (David Fang) to join her on a voyage to an island that may or may not exist. Naturally, along the way they meet up with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who’s run into his own issue, being held captive by the bat-obsessed enchantress Matangi (Awhimai Fraser).

On the positive side of the ledger, the animation is as beautiful as ever, with the water and other scenery especially impressive. And the returning actors, including Cravalho, Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rachel House, all bring nice touches to their performances. The songs, while not as dynamic as those from the original film, provide nice showcases for Cravalho, Johnson, and others.

But the film, which started off as a streaming series for Disney+ before being reworked into a movie, has almost none of the same feeling as the first film. The main plot is not very interesting, mostly because the obstacles thrown in Moana’s way are odd. The filmmakers’ choice to bring in three crewmates for Moana is also strange, as each of the characters acts more like a comic relief figure than an integral part of the story.

Moana and Maui remain the best parts of the film, but because they have to compete with other characters for attention, their collective impact is lessened. Matangi seems like she’s supposed to be the villain of the film, but her presence winds up being confusing. The filmmakers try to force some emotion into the film by giving Moana a clingy younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), but like most of the other new elements, she too falls flat.

With any sequel, the hope is that it will recreate the magic that made the first film so beloved. Moana 2, while not as egregiously bad as some other Disney follow-ups, does not offer nearly enough to be compared favorably to its Oscar-nominated predecessor.

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Moana 2 is now playing in theaters.

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