In the realm of recent music stars to come out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Kelly Clarkson tends to get the headlines. But Demi Lovato is arguably just as big a star.
The singer, actress, reality show judge and Dallas native will attempt to show why when she performs at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, on February 17, 2014, as part of The Neon Lights Tour.
It will be a 27-city tour across North America, starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, on February 9, and ending in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 30. Lovato is touring in support of her fourth album, Demi, which came out in May 2013. Opening act duties will be split by Little Mix, who will perform at Verizon Theatre, and Cher Lloyd.
Additionally, Lovato is using her other job as judge on The X Factor to her advantage by bringing former X Factor finalists Fifth Harmony on tour as a second opening act at every stop. Lovato returned for her second season on the reality singing competition — the show's third overall in the U.S. — earlier in September.
Lovato, of course, has been in the public eye for quite a while, first with her stint on several Disney Channel productions and later with her music career. After an extended break from acting, she'll participate in a little Fox synergy by appearing in at least two episodes of Glee this season.
Tickets for all dates on The Neon Lights Tour go on sale to the general public Saturday, October 5, although Citi cardmembers will have access to a pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, October 2, through Citi's Private Pass Program.
Photo courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures
Milly Alcock in Supergirl.
The new Superman in 2025 brought with a renewed sense of optimism for, if not the concept of the comic book movie, then at least the DC Comics universe. After more than a decade of DC films that felt mostly creatively bankrupt, the leadership of James Gunn gave the story a sense of fun. That included the brief introduction of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who’s now getting her own showcase in, naturally, Supergirl.
When we first met her in Superman, Supergirl was in rough shape, arriving at the Fortress of Solitude visibly inebriated. Nothing has changed at the beginning of this film, save for her aimlessly traveling around the universe with her rambunctious dog, Krypto. One of her random stops puts her in the same bar as Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is looking for help tracking down Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a group known as the Brigands after they brutally murdered her family.
Kara is initially loath to offer aid, but when Krem shoots a poison dart into Krypto while escaping, her motivation goes way up, especially since Krem holds the antidote. Kara, with Ruthye doggedly following her, uses every means available to her to find Krem, a journey that is hampered by galaxies having different colored suns than the one that gives her powers, the yellow sun.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film is a big step back in the fun category, not least because Supergirl is deep in her feelings for much of the film. Her personal trauma, which is detailed in occasional flashbacks, gives a reason for her depression, but fails to land fully. The story seems to want everyone to be sad, as it includes a child trafficking ring and multiple instances of families being murdered.
Milly Alcock and Krypto in Supergirl.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
To try to counteract that downer material, the filmmakers give Supergirl many opportunities to show off her fighting skills. While still CGI-heavy, the action scenes contain enough of a semblance of reality that they feel exciting. Unfortunately, this is undercut by the inclusion of several slow-motion sequences, giving the impression that the filmmakers didn’t trust the actors to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.
Superman (David Corenswet) makes a handful of appearances in the film, and while his presence is welcome given how well the character came across in the previous movie, it also doesn’t allow Supergirl to become her own person. Almost everything she does is colored by either her cousin or her parents, and since her powers are identical to those of Superman, there is very little that makes her story unique aside from how she’s dealing with the fallout.
Alcock (House of the Dragon, Sirens) gives an appealing performance despite her character being drunk and/or moody most of the time. She definitely sells what Supergirl is going through, so if given a better story in a future film, she’s proven her capability. Schoenaerts makes for a pretty good villain, although he’s aided by a look that includes a face full of studs. Jason Momoa has a memorable supporting role as the bounty hunter Lobo, even if his character doesn’t add much to the story.
While not a full-on disaster, Supergirl does not continue the momentum that Superman started. With a story that’s more concerned with showing audiences death scenes than a hero saving people, the film doesn’t seem to understand the appeal of a character like Supergirl or how to make her someone audiences will return to over and over again.
Milly Alcock and Krypto in Supergirl.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures