Although the weather's been running hot and cold, 2023 definitely has started to heat up on the event side of the world. This weekend in and around Dallas will feature two well-known comedians, two orchestra concerts, two new local theater productions, two closings of notable art exhibitions, and more.
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, January 12
Noel Miller: Everything is F#&ked
Noel Miller's biting one-liners and topical social commentary has made him a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world. In addition to starring in popular YouTube series That's Cringe, and comedy duo + podcast Tiny Meat Gang with fellow comedian Cody Ko, Miller has created successful series on his own, including his format around hit British reality show Love Island. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Sibelius Symphony No. 2"
Solemn Prelude, a lost work by Afro-English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor that recently discovered, opens this Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert. Pianist Paul Lewis will solo on Grieg’s Concerto in A minor for Piano and Orchestra, and the concert closes with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2. Conducted by Ryan Bancroft, there will be performances on both Thursday and Friday at Meyerson Symphony Center.
Rover Dramawerks presents Four Weddings and an Elvis
Anything can happen in a wedding chapel in Las Vegas ... and does! From a couple getting married by the King himself as revenge on their exes, to arrogant, aging stars tying the knot as a publicity stunt, to a ceremony that really needs to happen before the police arrive, to the nuptials of the wedding chapel owner herself, what happens in Vegas ... is hilarious! The production will run through January 28 at Cox Building Playhouse in Plano.
Arts Mission Oak Cliff presents Cabaret
In collaboration with Arts Mission Oak Cliff, Brian Harden, Oak Cliff resident and founder of The Lost Boy Presents, brings a contemporary rendition of Cabaret to the neighborhood. The historic sanctuary of AMOC, which mirrors the sanctity of the Kit Kat Club, provides an immersive and intimate setting for the show’s historically relevant and politically provocative narrative set in 1931 Berlin. As romances develop in this modern iteration of the Broadway classic, so does the swelling tide to suppress individuality and increase conformity with the Nazi ideal. The production runs through January 21.
Friday, January 13
Jeff Dunham: Still Not Canceled
Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is a comedy superstar, with a career that has included broadcast specials, global tours, and a best-selling autobiography. Dunham’s new one-hour Comedy Central Special, Me the People, premiered on November 25, 2022. Dunham and his cast of characters will perform at American Airlines Center as part of his “Still Not Canceled” North American tour.
TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Hamid Rahmanian's Song of the North
Hamid Rahmanian's Song of the North, making its Texas debut, is a magical evening of large-scale shadow puppetry that transports the audience into ancient worlds full of color, history, and stunning imagery. An inspirational epic from ancient Persia comes to life in the multi-disciplinary performance created through shadow puppetry, projected animation, music, movement, and theater. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday, January 14
Allen Philharmonic Orchestra & Symphony Chorus presents The Wonderful Wizardry of Harry Potter
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the U.S. publication of J.K. Rowling’s first installment of her iconic Harry Potter series, the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra & Symphony Chorus presents The Wonderful Wizardry of Harry Potter. The evening will feature a family-friendly collection of music designed to celebrate the magic of storytelling, including music from Harry Potter, the Wizard of Oz, Lord of the Rings, and the Chronicles of Narnia, as well as famous classical works such as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and The Firebird Suite. The concert takes place at Lowery Auditorium in Allen.
Sunday, January 15
Dallas Museum of Art presents "Octavio Medellín: Spirit and Form" closing day
Sunday will be the final day to view "Octavio Medellín: Spirit and Form" at the Dallas Museum of Art, the first-ever museum retrospective for Medellín, an influential Mexican American artist and teacher whose work helped shape the Texas art scene for six decades. Medellín was a noted sculptor who mastered a wide range of media, engaging with modernist trends in both his native Mexico and the United States.
Nasher Sculpture Center presents Matthew Ronay: "The Crack, the Swell, an Earth, an Ode" closing day
Sunday will also be the final day to view "The Crack, the Swell, an Earth, an Ode" by Matthew Ronay at Nasher Sculpture Center. The Brooklyn-based artist expanded the scale of his work to create his largest and most ambitious sculpture to date, "The Crack, the Swell, an Earth, an Ode," a 23-foot-long sculpture that offers a comprehensive introduction to Ronay’s surreal worlds and the various creatures inhabiting them.
The Dallas Opera presents Titus Family Recital: Ying Fang
If you love the sound of an exquisitely beautiful voice and the emotion that can only be expressed by a true artist, then you must hear Ying Fang. On the cusp of a sparkling career, she has mesmerized audiences at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and more. She'll perform at Moody Performance Hall.
Photo by Dario Acosta
The Dallas Opera presents Titus Family Recital: Ying Fang at Moody Performance Hall on January 15.
