With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, plenty of people will spend their weekend celebrating the holiday by trick-or-treating, attending parties, or going to haunted houses. But there are plenty of other things to do, including six theater productions, three concerts, a timely dance production, an opera production, and a Día De Los Muertos-themed symphony concert and festival.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. For more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, October 29
Bishop Arts Theatre Center presents Fade
Fade by Tanya Saracho is a play about Lucia, a Mexican-born novelist who lands her first job in a predominantly white Hollywood writers’ room, and Abel, the Mexican-American custodian working in her office building. What begins as an unexpected connection grows into a complicated friendship as they navigate identity, class, culture, ambition, and the question of who gets to tell whose story. The production runs through November 8 at Bishop Arts Theatre Center.
NTPA Repertory Theatre presents The Rocky Horror Show
In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. There they meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rock-n-roll biker and a creepy butler, who are celebrating Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s newest creation. The production of the kitschy rock ’n’ roll sci-fi gothic musical will have six performances through Sunday at North Texas Performing Arts in Plano.
Shakespeare Live presents Macbeth
Shakespeare Live in Arlington is celebrating Halloween with the bloody good show of Macbeth, Shakespeare's classic tragedy about a Scottish general who murders his way to the throne and is haunted by supernatural visions. The outdoor production, which will have three performances through Saturday at Levitt Pavilion, will be complemented by the inaugural Shakespeare RenFest, a community arts event on Saturday afternoon that will feature live entertainment, artists, craftspeople, food trucks, performers, and Renaissance-inspired festivities.
Inclusion Productions presents El Exorcista
Performed entirely in Spanish, El Exorcista is an adaptation of John Pielmeier’s play that follows a mother’s desperate fight to save her daughter from a mysterious and terrifying force. As faith, fear, and the supernatural collide, audiences are drawn into a suspenseful journey that explores love, sacrifice, and the battle between good and evil. The production will have five performances through Sunday at Kalita Humphreys Theater.
Undermain Theatre presents for the rest of our lives
Does love last longer than a lifetime? for the rest of our lives, Erin Malone Turner’s poetic exploration of love and relationship, follows a young couple through multiple incarnations, from ancient times to present day. The love they share is reborn along with them as they encounter one another in life as well as in between lives. The production runs through November 22 at Undermain Theatre.
A.R. Rahman in concert
Composer A.R. Rahman comes to town as part of his The Symphonic Experience tour. A Grammy and two-time Academy Award winner, Rahman is one of the world’s most prolific music composers, known best for composing the score for Slumdog Millionaire. Rahman has released 20 albums in his career, most recently The Flying Lotus in 2017. The concert takes place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.
Friday, October 30
Avant Chamber Ballet presents Dracula
Avant Chamber Ballet's production of Dracula, with a score by Philip Glass, features stark modern costumes and scenery and the dramatic score created by Glass to accompany the 1931 horror film classic Dracula. The production tells the suspenseful and gripping thriller reimagined to reflect the minimalist score and our current times. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
The Dallas Opera presents The Cunning Little Vixen
In The Cunning Little Vixen, composer Leoš Janáček tells the story of a young fox, trapped by the forester as a cub. She makes a dramatic escape in search of what a wild animal’s life should be, including hunting, true love, and always looking over your shoulder. Australian director Barrie Kosky’s bold and glitzy new production brings vibrant theatricality to the classic story. There will be four performances through November 7 at Winspear Opera House.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Dia de Los Muertos"
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will presents a vibrant Day of the Dead concert, celebrating lost loved ones with a colorful affirmation of life. The DSO’s annual tradition features pan de muerto and hot chocolate, traditional Mexican dancers, and vibrant music. The concert takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.
Saturday, October 31
Fellowship for Performing Arts presents C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In
C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In uses Lewis’ own words to explore what convinced Lewis of the divinity of Christ; why the BBC gave him a huge audience to deliver wartime talks that would become Mere Christianity; how Hitler influenced the writing of The Screwtape Letters; and how his profound insights on prayer, heaven, and the Second Coming of Christ influenced The Chronicles of Narnia. There will be three performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.
Dallas Día De Los Muertos Parade & Festival
The Dallas Día De Los Muertos Parade & Festival will feature live music, food concessions, arts and crafts, vendor booths and a parade. The procession will begin and end at Dallas City Hall, bringing colorful costumes and pageantry to downtown in honor of the traditional Mexican holiday. The celebration welcomes families from across the Dallas community to share in a tradition rooted in remembrance. Guests and parade participants are encouraged to wear attire that honors Día de los Muertos.
Little Big Town in concert
Country group Little Big Town is used to playing in arenas, including their last tour which came to Fort Worth. But they're downsizing for their current tour, dubbed For The Art Of It Tour, playing in relatively small theaters like the Music Hall at Fair Park. The band will play music from their latest album, It's a Dying Art, as well as hits from throughout their nearly 25-year career.
Sunday, November 1
RNB X Live: Dallas
RNB X Live in Dallas is the biggest expression of Spotify’s RNB X to date, bringing the platform’s flagship destination for R&B discovery and fandom to life. Created in partnership with Live Nation Urban, the event brings together generations of R&B, including Erykah Badu, H.E.R., kwn, Destin Conrad, Jai'Len Josey, and rjtheweirdo. The concert takes place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.
