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

Nick Jonas steals song from Paul Rudd in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

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