Weekend Event Planner

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

While most big events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there are a few that have popped up to offer the masses some entertainment while still adhering to the necessary social distancing measures.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. While they're not all outside of the house, they all promise to provide a nice distraction from the everyday life.

Thursday, September 10

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Bronfman Plays Beethoven"
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will continue its season with "Bronfman Plays Beethoven," featuring pianist Yefim Bronfman playing Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto. The concert, conducted by Fabio Luisi and playing three times through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center, will also feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8. These concerts and other forthcoming concerts are currently available to subscribers only.

Friday, September 11

Fair Play at the Statler
Statler Hotel's ballroom will transform into Fair Play at the Statler, an interactive State Fair-inspired installation and activity zone. The event, taking place on the weekends through September 20, will feature artistic built-out activations such as an Elvis butter sculpture and Cotton Candy Corral, kids’ activities, games, food and drink tastings, and more. Additionally, the onsite restaurant and gaming hub Scout, and its outdoor space, will transform into “TX Fare & Midway,” where patrons can enjoy State Fair-inspired fare, drink specials, and games such as horseshoes, cornhole, skee-ball, billiards, washers, and more.

Improv Addison presents Paul Rodriguez
Longtime comedian Paul Rodriguez has been making audiences laugh all over the world (in Spanish and English) for nearly three decades with his unique brand of humor that is a perfect blend of his Latin heritage, the American dream, and his undeniable universal appeal. Rodriguez will perform at Improv Addison five times through Sunday.

Ida Y Vuelta Flamenco presents "Flamenco Fever: Memorias Flamencas"
"Flamenco Fever: Memorias Flamencas" features the father of flamenco jazz, Jorge Pardo, a world-renowned flute and saxophone artist who recently won a Grammy as a contributor in Chick Corea's Best Latin Jazz Album, Antidote. This show, taking place at Annette Strauss Square, will kick off a fall series of concerts at the outdoor venue.

Addison Weekend Drive-In Concert Series
The Addison Weekend Drive-In Concert Series, where guests can listen to live music from a variety of Dallas-Fort Worth bands, wraps up this weekend with two final events. Attendees will be able to enjoy the shows from the comfort of their vehicles, or bring lawn chairs to sit next to a car. Music will be transmitted via both speaker system and FM radio. This weekend features performances by Raised Right Men on Friday and The Redwine Band on Saturday. The concerts take place in a parking lot just south of Addison Circle Park.

Saturday, September 12

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Legacy Performance Series
Dallas Black Dance Theatre will present the first virtual showcase of its 44th season. The Legacy Performance + Dancemaker's Discussion will feature From Within, choreographed by Nijawwon Matthews. Following the virtual performance the audience will be able to talk live to Matthews and the dancers. Viewers must register in advance for the event on Zoom.

Carbaret: Ford v. Ferrari Drive-In & Car Show
The latest Carbaret, taking place at Brizo in Richardson, will feature a special screening of Ford v. Ferrari. There will be car show with Mustang Shelby Mustangs and Ferraris onsite, and DJ Devin Pike will be spinning Detroit Motor City & Italian rock to fuel the night. In honor of the Italian race car driver and automaker Enzo Ferarri, they'll be offering an Italian menu prepared by Aboca's Italian Chef Artur Piro.

Sunday, September 13

Kluber Family Foundation presents Curveball for a Cause Celebrity Gala
Pitcher Corey Kluber's first season with the Texas Rangers has not gone as planned, as he went on the injured list after just one inning in his first game. But Kluber will continue his philanthropic efforts with the inaugural Curveball for a Cause Celebrity Gala, now a virtual event. Fox Sports Southwest anchor John Rhadigan will act as emcee, and Kluber and several of his Rangers teammates will make virtual appearances. Proceeds will support the Kluber Family Foundation’s community outreach programs.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Legacy Performance Series, a virtual event, on September 12.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents From Within

Photo by Amitava Sarkar

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Legacy Performance Series, a virtual event, on September 12.

galas event-planner movies dance concerts

Movie Review

Long-awaited Wicked movie adaptation lives up to the hype

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked.

The musical Wicked is indisputably the biggest Broadway smash of the 21st century, having grossed more $1.6 billion in New York alone and achieving the rare feat of running for over 20 years. All of which is to say that the long-awaited movie adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel will most likely be a massive success whether it lives up to what longtime fans envisioned or not.

Part one — yes, this 2 hour and 40 minute film is merely the first act of the musical; part two arrives a year from now — introduces Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who goes on to become Dorothy’s nemesis, and G(a)linda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the pink-garbed “good” witch, as they meet at Shiz University in Oz. Glinda is the ultra-popular one with sycophantic hangers-on, while Elphaba is shunned by almost everyone, sometimes including her disabled sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who’s desperate to make her own space away from Elphaba.

Her mistreatment by others leads Elphaba to get angry, which manifests itself in uncontrollable magic. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) notices this and takes a personal interest in her, giving her one-on-one instruction in hopes of harnessing her power. In the meantime, Elphaba and Glinda attempt to go from forced roommates to actual friends, although Glinda’s entitled personality is more of an obstacle than anything else they encounter.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by original book writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, the film does a great job of distinguishing itself from the stage version while still remaining true to what made it so beloved. As Chu showed in his last film, In the Heights, he has an innate feel for how to tap into the essence of the source material while expanding it into something befitting the scope of a blockbuster movie.

In this case, he finds a way to give even greater emphasis to the bigotry that Elphaba faces simply because of her green skin; the fact that she is being played by a Black woman drives home the point even more. The story remains light and fluffy for the most part, but the ostracization/otherness that Elphaba feels is delivered in a powerful way, as is her empathy for talking animals like Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), who are facing their own persecution.

Of course, the highlight of the film is Stephen Schwartz’s music, and while not all of the songs are equal in impact, they still make for a cohesive whole. The number of songs and order they appear in the first act is identical to the stage musical, with the standouts remaining “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Defying Gravity.” While there is some superfluous action and cutaways added to certain numbers, it’s not enough to distract from what makes the songs effective.

Oddly, the progression of the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda works better on stage when the timeline is accelerated, but Erivo and Grande-Butera make up for this slight lack with their fantastic performances. The emotion each brings to their characters fits them almost perfectly, and there’s simply no denying the strength of each of their voices. Bode, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more make for a solid supporting cast.

The well-known ending of the first act of Wicked is a huge high point that is so good that it almost makes up for the fact that audiences won’t see the second film for a long time. But if part one is any indication, part two should turn out to be another great musical theater adaptation in a decade that has already seen its fair share.

---

Wicked opens in theaters on November 22.

movies film