Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this Christmas weekend

With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, the number of new events over the long holiday weekend is significantly diminished. There are holiday events wrapping up their runs, a special holiday race, a national tour of a beloved musical, two comedians, a big soccer match, a holiday drag show, a holiday-themed circus, and a chance to get a little crazy at an iconic sports venue.

Below are more best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend before Christmas. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Looking for the best Christmas lights to see this weekend? Find those lists here and here.

Thursday, December 21

Ongoing holiday events
There are plenty of great holiday events continuing this weekend and beyond in and around Dallas, including Holiday at the Arboretum, The Trains at NorthPark, Christmas at the Anatole, Vitruvian Lights, Prairie Lights, and Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol. Check out the full calendar for all ongoing holiday events.

$National tour of Les Mis\u00e9rables$

Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

The national tour Les Misérables will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park through December 31.

Dallas Jingle Bell Run
The Jingle Bell Run is a festive family-friendly event with a nighttime 5K run/walk, 1 Mile walk, and a huge afterparty. Participants are encouraged to run dressed up in their favorite holiday attire. The afterparty includes live entertainment, complimentary food and beverages, and more. The run takes place at the Hilton Anatole.

Broadway Dallas presents Les Misérables
Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption - a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. The production runs through December 31 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Improv Arlington presents Mark Curry
Mark Curry is an American actor, comedian, and host best known as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo. He'll perform five times through Saturday at Improv Arlington.

The Match: FC Barcelona vs Club America
FC Barcelona is one of the most accomplished ~~soccer~~ football teams in the world, having won 27 La Liga titles, 31 Copa del Rey titles, and five UEFA Champions League titles. Club America has been equally dominant in Mexico, winning 14 Liga MX titles, six Copa Mexico titles, and seven CONCACAF Champions Cup titles. The two storied franchises will play a special match at Cotton Bowl Stadium to support the victims of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco.

Friday, December 22

Dallas Comedy Club presents Myles Weber
Myles Weber has racked up over 60 million views across all platforms, was featured on MTV’s Greatest Party Story Ever Told, and had a top 10 Special on the Dry Bar Comedy App in 2021, leading to a second upcoming special with the company. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Dallas Comedy Club.

Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas
For the ninth consecutive year, Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas, the longest running drag tour in America. Host Miz Cracker and other favorite queens will perform live on stage, joined by special guest Todrick Hall. The event takes place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland
Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland is a musical journey that will transport audiences to a magical land far away for a holiday-themed show experience. The show will feature acrobats, aerialists, hijinks, and holiday cheer. The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with a musical mix of timeless seasonal favorites. There will be three performances through Saturday at Winspear Opera House.

Saturday, December 23

Jared's Epic Blaster Battle: Holiday Edition 2
Jared's Epic Blaster Battle will hold a "Holiday Edition" version of the largest foam dart blaster battle of all time. The event will feature an all-new theme, music, special guests, and special battles. Visitors can join team red or team green and get ready to have a blast on the climate-controlled turf of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

holidays kids families theater races music comedy sports event-planner

Movie Review

The life of an actor is far from rosy in dramedy Misty Green

Photo courtesy of A24

Rosalind Eleazar in Misty Green.

For every well-known/successful actor in Hollywood, there are thousands of others whose lives are more tenuous as they struggle to find work. The new film Misty Green is about one such actor who, after a period in the limelight, now finds herself on the outskirts of the industry, just hoping to find her way back in.

Misty (Rosalind Eleazar) won an Emmy for a 2000s-era TV show that still gets her recognition, but not much work. Still living in the apartment of a recently-deceased man with whom she was having an affair, Misty spends her days sleeping in and her nights getting blitzed on alcohol and drugs. She seems to be heading nowhere fast until a few things coincide to break up her routine.

The man’s wife (Amy Landecker) shows up and tells her she has seven days to vacate the apartment; Misty’s brother, Jay (Daniel Kaluuya) — who is bipolar — arrives after being kicked out of his facility for non-payment; and Jordan (Chris Rock), a former colleague with whom she had a falling-out, reappears in her life, offering a possible chance to rehabilitate her image.

Written and directed by Rock (his first feature since 2014’s Top Five), the film is a funny and excruciating look at how the entertainment industry might actually work. Misty is her own worst enemy thanks to late nights fraternizing with unsavory characters like Zach (Adam Driver), who deals in drugs and women in equal measure, but her frustration proves warranted when her agent, Randy (Topher Grace), and casting directors like Rhonda (Tracie Thoms) hardly give her the time of day.

Misty tries her best to stay positive, but when jobs like singing in a bar are the best she can do, the mountain seems insurmountable. Rock does an effective job of demonstrating the elements that are within and without Misty’s control that affect her ability to regain her position in the industry. The chip on her shoulder is almost as big as the bias some have against her, and other negative circumstances don’t help matters much.

There are many small touches that Rock and his crew put in the film to give it an air of authenticity. Filming in Los Angeles (a rarity these days), Rock uses both subtle and overt shots of homeless people in the city, suggesting that the line between the haves and have-nots is a fine one, especially with Misty on the verge of not having a place to live. He also has cameos from a few of his funny friends, including a bit of meta-casting of Anthony Anderson (who has faded a bit after starring in Black-ish) in a bit part as a cop.

Eleazar, a British actor best known for appearing on the Apple TV show Slow Horses, is a magnetic presence as Misty. The character herself is somewhat cringey in her decision-making, and Eleazar sells every bit of her righteous indignation and self-defeating actions. The supporting cast is great across the board, including Rock, Driver, Kaluuya, Thoms, Grace, Anna Kendrick, and Rich Sommer.

Misty Green makes you rage against the Hollywood machine, laugh at the various ways different people deal with its maddening quirks, and hide behind your fingers as Misty chooses options that don’t help, either voluntarily or because her back is against the wall. It’s a powerhouse of acting that gives a unique angle on the inner workings of Hollywood, one that ironically might be competing for awards at year’s end.

---

Misty Green is now playing in theaters.

movies film