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    Weekend Event Planner

    These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

    Alex Bentley
    Nov 19, 2020 | 6:00 am

    While many events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, some organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment while we need it the most.

    Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. For the first time in a long time, each event will be in-person but with all of necessary precautions during this strange time.

    Thursday, November 19

    Rocky Mountain High: Songs of John Denver by Rick Schuler
    Ever since singer, songwriter, and adventurer Rick Schuler wore his first pair of round glasses at age 13, it was undeniable that he looked like John Denver. Nearly four decades later, Schuler has emerged as the leading performer of Denver’s music. In his Rocky Mountain High experience, Schuler performs favorite hits such as “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “You Fill Up My Senses,” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” He'll perform on Thursday and Friday at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson.

    Friday, November 20

    SnowDay Dallas
    At SnowDay, taking place through January 3 at Galleria Dallas, guests will navigate their way through 5,000+ square feet of wondrous holiday fun. It includes multiple photo opportunities throughout, with integrated professional cameras and lighting. Photos are delivered instantly to visitors' phones, with the opportunity to print pictures in the gift shop.

    Luminova Holidays
    At the new Luminova Holidays, visitors will be able to view millions of twinkling lights, take to the ice on an outdoor rink, and snap selfie-worthy pics. The sprawling indoor and outdoor wonderland, located at Globe Life Field in Arlington through January 3, marks the first event to be open to the general public at the new stadium. It also includes appearances by Santa Claus, a 65-foot Christmas tree, interactive activities like light up hopscotch, train rides for the kids, strolling holiday entertainers, and booths with food and special mementos.

    Six Flags Over Texas presents Holiday in the Park
    Holiday in the Park is back for select days at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. The winter wonderland features a variety of interactive activities, festive shows, an extravagantly decorated Christmas tree, holiday treats, unique holiday-themed attractions, seasonal entertainment, a Merry Marketplace, The Frosty Snowhill, and, of course, world class thrill rides. It will take place through January 3.

    Magic of Lights
    The Magic of Lights at The Lakefront is a COVID-19-safe, drive-thru event taking place at Little Elm Park in Little Elm. The 1.25-mile experience features favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. It will take place through January 2.

    Dallas Zoo Lights
    Dallas Zoo Lights, presented by Reliant, has been reimagined so guests can drive through a holiday safari of lights in their own vehicles. Visitors will cruise through a newly constructed pathway — and through familiar parts of the Dallas Zoo — while viewing more than one million lights in elaborate displays, silk-covered animal lanterns depicting Zoo favorites, an ice palace fit for a trio of penguins, and more. The event takes place through January 3.

    TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Parsons Dance
    Parsons Dance is everything that is right about American modern dance. Their bold, joyous and athletic movement has solidified them as one of the world’s leading modern dance companies. Stunning works like the iconic Caught exemplify this company’s innovation and huge audience appeal. They'll perform at Winspear Opera House in the venue's first event since the pandemic started.

    Saturday, November 21

    Chamberlain Ballet presents Nutcracker Sweets
    Nordstrom and Galleria Dallas will hold a limited-attendance production of the abbreviated Nutcracker Sweets, presented by Chamberlain Ballet. Tickets include a continental breakfast for each guest, a pass to SnowDay on the day of the performance, and a Galleria Ice skating pass, including skate rental. Additionally, Chamberlain Ballet will bring The Nutcracker story to life via photography with an exhibit featuring decades of performances captured in photographs. The exhibit will be onsite on Level I at Galleria Dallas near Apple, December 1-31.

    Seltzerland
    Seltzerland is a socially distanced, hard seltzer celebration where attendees will sample from 50+ flavors of the popular alcoholic drink. Taking place at Irving Golf Club, it features the best hard seltzer brands, from iconic national brands to beloved local companies, who will be on-site offering a variety of beverage samplings, along with Hormel Black Label Bacon providing brunch bites.

    Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Concert Truck
    The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present the residency of The Concert Truck during the holiday season. Taking place on various dates through December 18, the DSO and The Concert Truck will present collaborative community concerts across the city, featuring musicians of the DSO and other arts organizations. The performances kick off at The Potter's House Church on Saturday and The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on Sunday.

    Sarah Jaffe in concert
    Singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe has been on the verge of stardom for a decade. After getting her start in Denton, she's gone on to release four acclaimed albums, including 2017's Bad Baby, and has toured with the likes of Norah Jones, The Polyphonic Spree, and Old 97's. She'll perform at Granada Theater as part of the venue's reopening weekend.

    Snowday Dallas, running November 20- January 3, is one of several holiday events opening this weekend.

    Snowday Dallas
    Photo courtesy of Snowday Dallas
    Snowday Dallas, running November 20- January 3, is one of several holiday events opening this weekend.
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    Movie Review

    Legendary filmmaker makes tepid return with meandering film Ella McCay

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 12, 2025 | 11:38 am
    Emma Mackey in Ella McCay
    Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios
    Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

    The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

    The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

    Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

    Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

    Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

    What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

    Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

    Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

    ---

    Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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