Weekend Event Planner

These are the 16 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Even though there is a lot going on around Dallas this weekend, there is not one event that stands above the others. Instead, you can choose from a lot of really good events, including five different local theater productions, a trio of big-name comedy events, four concerts from a variety of genres, and more.

Below are more 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.

Thursday, February 15

SMU Meadows Lyric Theatre presents Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Giacomo Puccini, Meadows Lyric Theatre presents a double-bill of the composer’s heart-rending Suor Angelica, the story of a young woman who has had a child out of wedlock and is sent to a convent to atone for her sin; and his only comedy, Gianni Schicchi, in which the greedy Donati family discovers that the wealthy Buoso has left all his money to the church, leaving them bereft of an inheritance. Both operas, sung in the original Italian with English titles projected above the stage, will have four performances through Sunday at Owen Arts Center.

WaterTower Theatre presents Ann
Ann is a no-holds-barred portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary governor of Texas. The inspiring and hilarious play brings the audience face to face with a complex, colorful, and captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed. It takes a revealing look at the impassioned woman who enriched the lives of her followers, friends, family, and fellow Texans. The production runs through February 25 at WaterTower Theatre in Addison.

Ochre House Theater presents Town for Sale
Town for Sale is about a secluded resort town that has passed its prime, with the current residents stuck in a place which could disappear from the map at any time. A stranger arrives with a mysterious plan, and is quickly caught up in mistaken identity. Town for Sale is a magical world of bright characters, bizarre turns, and delicious music. The production runs through March 2 at Ochre House Theater.

Friday, February 16

Repertory Company Theatre presents Bonnie and Clyde the Musical
Two small-town kids from the middle of nowhere became the biggest folk heroes in all America. They craved adventure and each other. Their names were Bonnie and Clyde. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, this is the electrifying story of love, adventure, and crime that captured the attention of an entire nation. The production will have three performances through Sunday at Courtyard Theater in Plano.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd in concert
Blues rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd got an early start in the music business, getting his first big exposure at the age of 13. Since his official debut in 1995 at 18, he has been atop the blues charts, with all 11 of his albums hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Blues charts, including Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1 in 2023. He'll play at Majestic Theatre.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Uptown Nights: It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing"
Inspired by Harlem’s famed musical hot spots like The Cotton Club and The Savoy, this swingin’ night of musical sensations focuses on Harlem’s heyday when Duke Ellington’s orchestra was the house band, and Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ethel Waters showcased the classics of the Great American Songbook. The concert, conducted by Jeff Tyzik, will feature trumpeter/vocalist Byron Stripling, vocalist Carmen Bradford, and tap dancer Leo Manzari. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Company of Rowlett Performers presents Moon Over Buffalo
Charlotte and George Hay are on tour in Buffalo in 1953 with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de Bergerac (the "revised, one nostril version") and Noel Coward's Private Lives when they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee. The production runs through February 25 at Plaza Theater in Garland.

Improv Arlington presents Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider is an accomplished actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in films, television, and stand-up comedy. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Improv Arlington.

The Definition of Love II : The Love and Laughter Edition featuring Joe & Cedric The Entertainer
Valentine's Day may have passed, but love will still be in the air at this special music and comedy event featuring Joe and Cedric the Entertainer. Joe has released 13 albums in his career, most recently My Name Is Joe Thomas in 2016. Cedric the Entertainer is best known for co-starring on The Steve Harvey Show, as one of The Original Kings of Comedy, and for his starring role in Barbershop. They'll perform at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts presents The Sound of (Black) Music
The Sound of (Black) Music is a dynamic and groundbreaking production that reimagines one of America's most beloved musical classics through an Afrofuturistic lens. The score, featuring elements of jazz, soul, funk, and hip-hop, celebrates the rich cultural heritage of black music and its impact on American popular culture. The one-night-only event takes place at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.

Saturday, February 17

Majestic Theatre presents Brad Williams
Brad Williams has become one of the most in-demand comedians working today. He has parlayed that success into a multitude of stand-up television experiences, including two one-hour specials on Showtime. In addition to stand-up and acting, Williams has a podcast with Adam Ray, About Last Night. He'll perform twice at Majestic Theatre.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Star-Crossed: Swan Lake Act 2 + Romeo & Juliet
For the Valentine’s season, Avant Chamber Ballet presents an evening of live orchestra and ballet masterpieces telling tales of romance and enchantment, true love and sacrifice. This triple bill features George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Swan Lake Act 2, and Paul Mejia’s Romeo & Juliet. There will be performances on Saturday and Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Cara Mía Theatre presents Yanga
Jaime Chabaud’s Yanga is inspired by the real-life story of Gaspar Yanga, an enslaved African Prince who led a rebellion and successfully negotiated an independent territory with the Spanish crown less than 100 years after the arrival of Hernán Cortés in Mexico. Newly translated to English for the first time, Yanga sheds light on the history of the Afro-Mexican experience. The production runs through March 3 at Latino Cultural Center.

Plano Symphony Orchestra presents Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis received early acclaim as a saxophonist bringing new energy and new audiences to jazz. Since then, the multiple Grammy-winning icon has refined and expanded his talents and his horizons as a musician, composer, and educator to become a 21st century mainstay of artistic excellence. The Plano Symphony Orchestra will highlight the acclaimed musician in this concert at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.

Sunday, February 18

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: King for a Day
Daniel, O the Owl, Miss Elaina, Katerina Kittycat, Prince Wednesday, and more familiar friends will go on a brand-new adventure in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, where Daniel learns just what it takes to be King. The beloved characters come alive on stage with new songs, magical moments, and surprise guests along the way. The event takes place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Black Violin in concert
For nearly two decades, Black Violin - comprised of Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste - has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals and building bridges in communities along the way. The duo is coming off a recent Grammy nomination for “The Message,” a collaboration with Blind Boys of Alabama. They have released six albums in their career, most recently Give Thanks in 2020. They'll play at Majestic Theatre.

Photo courtesy of Rob Schneider

Rob Schneider will perform at Improv Arlington on February 16 and 17.

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Movie Review

Film sequel Avatar: Fire and Ash is a technical and visual feast

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

For a series whose first two films made over $5 billion combined worldwide, Avatar has a curious lack of widespread cultural impact. The films seem to exist in a sort of vacuum, popping up for their run in theaters and then almost as quickly disappearing from the larger movie landscape. The third of five planned movies, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is finally being released three years after its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water.

The new film finds the main duo, human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his native Na’vi wife, Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), still living with the water-loving Metkayina clan led by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). While Jake and Neytiri still play a big part, the focus shifts significantly to their two surviving children, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), as well as two they’ve essentially adopted, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion).

Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who lives on in a fabricated Na’vi body, is still looking for revenge on Jake, and he finds help in the form of the Mangkwan Clan (aka the Ash People), led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Quaritch’s access to human weapons and the Mangkwan’s desire for more power on the moon known as Pandora make them a nice match, and they team up to try to dominate the other tribes.

Aside from the story, the main point of making the films for writer/director James Cameron is showing off his considerable technical filmmaking prowess, and that is on full display right from the start. The characters zoom around both the air and sea on various creatures with which they’ve bonded, providing Cameron and his team with plenty of opportunities to put the audience right there with them. Cameron’s preferred viewing method of 3D makes the experience even more immersive, even if the high frame rate he uses makes some scenes look too realistic for their own good.

The story, as it has been in the first two films, is a mixed bag. Cameron and co-writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver start off well, having Jake, Neytiri, and their kids continue mourning the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) in the previous film. The struggle for power provides an interesting setup, but Cameron and his team seem to drag out the conflict for much too long. This is the longest Avatar film yet, and you really start to feel it in the back half as the filmmakers add on a bunch of unnecessary elements.

Worse than the elongated story, though, is the hackneyed dialogue that Cameron, Jaffa, and Silver have come up with. Almost every main character is forced to spout lines that diminish the importance of the events around them. The writers seemingly couldn’t resist trying to throw in jokes despite them clashing with the tone of the scenes in which they’re said. Combined with the somewhat goofy nature of the Na’vi themselves (not to mention talking whales), the eye-rolling words detract from any excitement or emotion the story builds up.

A pre-movie behind-the-scenes short film shows how the actors act out every scene in performance capture suits, lending an authenticity to their performances. Still, some performers are better than others, with Saldaña, Worthington, and Lang standing out. It’s more than a little weird having Weaver play a 14-year-old girl, but it works relatively well. Those who actually get to show their real faces are collectively fine, but none of them elevate the film overall.

There are undoubtedly some Avatar superfans for which Fire and Ash will move the larger story forward in significant ways. For anyone else, though, the film is a demonstration of both the good and bad sides of Cameron. As he’s proven for 40 years, his visuals are (almost) beyond reproach, but the lack of a story that sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater keeps the film from being truly memorable.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19.

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