Weekend event planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

This long holiday weekend across Dallas is dominated by one type of event: theater. There will be six different productions, including a national tour of a Broadway musical and local version of a classic musical. Other choices include two comedy events, two big concerts, two dance events, and the return of a popular Easter event.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Still looking for a place for Easter brunch? Find that list here.

Thursday, April 6

The Firehouse Theatre presents Hello, Dolly!
Matchmaker Dolly Levi is a widow, a matchmaker, and also a professional meddler - but everything changes when she decides that the next match she needs to make is to find someone for herself. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Hello Dolly! is a musical filled with charisma and with heart that is boisterous and charming from start to finish. The production runs through April 23 at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.

Improv Addison presents Michael Rapaport
Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport has appeared movies likeTrue Romance, Higher Learning, Cop Land, Deep Blue Sea, The 6th Day, and The Heat, and TV shows like Boston Public, Friends, Prison Break, Justified, and Atypical. He’s also the host of the I Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast. He'll perform five times through Saturday at Improv Addison.

Whose Live Anyway?
Whose Live Anyway? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Dave Foley, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray perform witty scenes they invent before the audience's eyes. The live event showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running TV show, as well as some exciting new ones. The event will be at Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton.

Broadway at the Center: Anastasia
The musical Anastasia transports the audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family. The production will have four performances through Saturday at Winspear Opera House.

Theatre Three presents The Butterfly’s Evil Spell
In a whimsical world of beetles, scorpions, and bugs of all sorts, a beetle falls in love with an injured butterfly. An "insect comedy" written in verse, The Butterfly’s Evil Spell is a story about unrequited love in a “green and humble meadow” covered in dewdrops on the side of the road in South Texas. The production runs through April 30 at Theatre Three.

Friday, April 7

The O'Jays in concert
The R&B group The O'Jays dates back to the late 1950s, when original members Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles formed the group as teenagers. Their biggest success came in the 1970s, when they had a string of top-selling albums thanks to hits like "Love Train," "For the Love of Money," and "I Love Music (Part 1)." They'll play at the Music Hall at Fair Park as part of their final tour, Last Stop on the Love Train. They'll be joined by The Spinners.

Dallas Theater Center presents Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a whimsical, timeless classic from Stephen Sondheim, masterfully intertwining beloved fairy tales with contemporary challenges into a critically-acclaimed musical masterpiece. The enchanted story begins with the Baker and his wife and their desire for a child; when they engage with the vengeful Witch, the adventure brings childhood storybook characters Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, a Wolf, giant, and of course a charming prince, "into the woods" for an incredible journey. The production runs through April 30 at Wyly Theatre.

TITAS / Dance Unbound presents Vuyani Dance Theatre - CION: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero
A cathartic, yet uplifting and remarkable work, Vuyani Dance Theatre's CION: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero is a hauntingly beautiful and moving exploration of grief, struggle, and relief. The music of Ravel’s Bolero using South African a cappella voices as a musical device creates the powerful score. There will be two performances - one Friday and one Saturday - at Moody Performance Hall.

Bath House Cultural Center presents A Light in Dark Places
A Light in Dark Places features five short plays working together to break down the stigma surrounding the topic of suicide, using a mix of comedy and drama to encourage healthy discussion, create community, and offer hope to those affected. Performances, running through April 15 at Bath House Cultural Center, will be followed by a Q&A featuring members of the production team and mental health professionals.

Theatre Coppell presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Written in 1876, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River, is one of Mark Twain’s best-loved and most quoted works. In this theatrical adaptation, all of the major adventures of Tom and his friends are brought to the stage. The production runs through April 23 at Coppell Arts Center.

Saturday, April 8

Bruce Wood Dance and The Dallas Conservatory presents Dallas Spring Arts Festival
Co-produced by Bruce Wood Dance and The Dallas Conservatory, the Dallas Spring Arts Festival is a multicultural celebration of North Texas artists featuring storytellers, musicians, singers, dancers, poets, visual artists, and interactive art activities. Headlining the festival is mixed media artist and storyteller Jin-Ya Huang and The Wishing Tree. The festival takes place at Klyde Warren Park.

LiveNation presents Hip Hop Classic featuring Scarface
Hip hop of the '80s and '90s makes a comeback as the Hip Hop Classic tour comes The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory. Headlining will be Scarface, and he'll be joined by other great performers like Doug E. Fresh, Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Big Daddy Kane, and Slick Rick.

Sunday, April 9

Turtle Creek Conservancy presents Easter in the Park
After a three-year hiatus, the Turtle Creek Park Conservancy will bring back Easter in the Park at Turtle Creek Park. The afternoon of fun will feature food trucks, music, games, photos with the Easter Bunny, the Pooch Parade, a live concert, and a new Easter Egg Recognition Wall.

Easter in Lee Park Facebook

Easter in the Park takes place at Turtle Creek Park on April 9.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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