Weekend event planner

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

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Aretha: A Tribute," featuring Capathia Jenkins, at the Meyerson Symphony Center, October 14-16.

Photo courtesy of John Such Artists' Management

This weekend across Dallas is a busy one, kicked off by the newest signature event from CultureMap. There will also be four local theater productions, a fandom festival, a big film festival, a tribute to one of the best singers of all time, two country stars together in concert, two big comedians, and two new art exhibitions.

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.

Thursday, October 13

CultureMap Dallas presents The Tailgate
CultureMap Dallas presents the launch of our newest signature event series: The Tailgate, a celebration of the culture of sports - all sports - and the fans who cheer them on. This event combines the best parts of tailgating with an elevated but playful experience featuring chef-driven food, signature cocktails, game-day-inspired activities, entertainment, and more. The event takes place at The Empire Room.

Dallas Theater Center presents Trouble in Mind
The 1955 comedy-drama Trouble in Mind - planned for Broadway but canceled when the playwright wouldn’t tone down its message - made a triumphant premiere in New York in 2021. The play follows an experienced Black stage actress through rehearsals of a major Broadway production in Alice Childress’s funny, moving, and ultimately shattering look at racism, identity, and ego in the high-stakes world of New York theater. The production runs through October 30 at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Theatre Three presents Young Frankenstein
From the creators of the Broadway sensation The Producers comes the monstrously fun musical, Young Frankenstein. When the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein, inherits his family’s estate, his mad scientist genes come to fruition. With the help of his assistant, Igor, he brings a monster to life and hilarity ensues. With memorable tunes like "The Transylvania Mania," "Don’t Touch Me," and "Puttin' on the Ritz," Young Frankenstein is an electrifyingly good time. The production runs through November 13 at Theatre Three.

Rover Dramawerks presents Stone Cold Murder
Newlyweds Robert and Olivia Chappell have bought a small hotel in the English Lake District. At the end of their first season they settle down with a drink in front of a warm fire, but their evening is interrupted by the arrival of a rugged hiker seeking shelter from the snowstorm outside. Could the stranger have anything to do with Olivia’s dark past? A desperate fight for survival begins, with twists and turns for all those involved, while ratcheting up the suspense until the very end. The production runs through October 29 at Cox Building Playhouse in Plano.

Friday, October 14

Dallas Fan Festival
At Dallas Fan Festival, guests can participate in the pop culture playground’s many activities, contests, and special events that put creativity front and center. A number of celebrities will make appearances, including Colton Haynes, Matt Smith, Tom Sturridge, Jenna Coleman, Stephen Amell, Gates McFadden, and more. The festival runs through Sunday at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas.

16th Dallas International Film Festival
More than 80 films will screen during the 16th Dallas International Film Festival, including opening night film Armageddon Time, starring Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong; closing night film Call Jane, starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver; The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson; and Hargrove, a documentary executive produced by Erykah Badu about Jazz trumpet legend Roy Hargrove. Screenings will take place through October 20 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars and various other Dallas landmarks.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Aretha: A Tribute"
Broadway diva Capathia Jenkins and three-time Grammy nominee Ryan Shaw will perform during this concert featuring all the favorite Aretha Franklin hits. Led by Grammy Award-winning conductor John McLaughlin Williams, this high-energy, glittering tribute to the Queen of Soul includes iconic favorites like "Respect," "Think," "A Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools," "Amazing Grace," and more. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Travis Tritt and Chris Janson in concert
Two generations of country will come together when Travis Tritt and Chris Janson co-headline this concert at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie. Tritt is the veteran, with a career going back more than 30 years that's featured multiple No. 1 songs. Janson is only seven years into his career, but he's already released four albums, including 2022's All In. The two singers also collaborated on Janson's recent song "Things You Can't Live Without."

Richardson Theatre Centre presents A Few Good Men
Two Naval soldiers are accused of murder. When the two accused plead guilty, Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway are assigned to be their lawyers. Galloway doesn’t believe Dawson and Downey came up with the idea to kill; she has suspicions that they were following orders. Kaffee, on the other hand, couldn’t care less – about this trial, about the Navy, or, at first, about Galloway’s opinion. The two need to work together to figure out what exactly happened in Guantanamo Bay – but before they can bring anyone to justice, they need to learn how to work with one another. The production runs through October 30 at Richardson Theatre Centre.

JB Smoove: Physical Therapy Tour
JB Smoove is a multi-talented writer, comedian, and actor perhaps best known for playing Leon in the iconic HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. He tours as a standup internationally, bringing the ruckus to sold-out audiences all over the world. He'll perform for one night only at Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, October 15

Nasher Sculpture Center presents Nairy Baghramian: "Modèle vivant" opening day
Nasher Sculpture Center will open "Modèle vivant," the new exhibition from 2022 Nasher Prize Laureate Nairy Baghramian. For her Nasher exhibition, Baghramian will create a new series of sculptures that explore the provisional body as the site of trauma by disrupting the habits of the conditioned eye. The sculptures will be presented in dialogue with works from the Nasher’s permanent collection. The exhibition will remain on display through January 8, 2023.

Tom Papa: Family Reunion Tour
With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success as an author, in film, TV, radio, and podcasts, as well as on the live stage. He's written two books, including 2020's You’re Doing Great! - And Other Reasons To Stay Alive, and has released four hour-long stand-up specials. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, October 16

Dallas Museum of Art presents Matthew Wong: "The Realm of Appearances" opening day
The first museum retrospective and U.S. museum exhibition devoted to the late painter Matthew Wong premieres at the Dallas Museum of Art, the only museum that collected the artist’s work during his lifetime. Featuring approximately 60 paintings created by Wong during his short yet prolific career, Matthew Wong: "The Realm of Appearances" offers the first formal account of the full scope of Wong’s six-year oeuvre. The exhibition will remain on display through February 5, 2023.

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Movie Review

New Superman film honors the past while forging into the future

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which - in a great joke - comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.

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