Event planner

Mardi Gras celebrations and John Williams tributes top the best events in Dallas this weekend

This weekend presents quite the eclectic bunch of Dallas events. Want to see a live broadcast of a national radio show? You got it. Dreamed of having some of your favorite local arts groups join forces? We've got two creative collaborations for you. Love to listen to movie soundtracks? The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is playing your favorites live.

Best of all, Mardi Gras will be celebrated early with several different events. Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, February 7

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
Believe it or not, this live broadcast of the NPR quiz show may just be the only sold-out show in town this week, quite an accomplishment for a program that boasts no one more famous than panelist Paula Poundstone or host Peter Sagal. If you were one of the lucky few to snag a ticket to the show at the Winspear Opera House, you'll be treated to a hilarious rundown of the week's news (expect the blackout Super Bowl to be a big topic) and an interview with Erykah Badu.

Uptown Players and Turtle Creek Chorale present Ragtime
This unique collaboration between Uptown Players and the Turtle Creek Chorale brings the music of the early 20th century to life at Dallas City Performance Hall. Is it a musical? Is it a concert? It's both, and the talents of both arts groups are sure to provide much bang for your entertainment buck. Don't dawdle, though — the production only consists of four shows through Saturday.

Friday, February 8

House of Blues Dallas presents Ninjapalooza Pardi Gras
Mardi Gras isn't until Tuesday, but who wants to wait until then when you can party right now? Ninjapalooza says it's the biggest Mardi Gras party in Dallas, and it's hard to question that claim. The fest has concerts on literally every stage the House of Blues Dallas has to offer, featuring groups like Graceland Ninjaz and Zydeco Stingrays. Grab your beads and dancing shoes, 'cause it's gonna be a fun night.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Tribute to John Williams and Arthur Fiedler
Millions of people know John Williams as the composer for movies like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and countless others, but he was also the conductor of the Boston Pops for 13 years. He was preceded by Arthur Fiedler, who conducted the orchestra for 50 years and was known for showcasing lighter classical music fare like Gershwin and Sousa. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to both with three concerts through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center. Additionally, they present Musical Magic of John Williams, a family-friendly concert on Saturday afternoon dedicated solely to Williams' movie soundtracks.

Dallas Theater Center presents Red
It's the week of artistic collaborations, as Dallas Theater Center and the Dallas Museum of Art team up to put on Red, the life story of artist Mark Rothko. Audiences get an inside look at the abstract painter's artistic process and the drama involved in his life through the intense play. The production runs through March 24 at Wyly Theatre.

Saturday, February 9

Go Oak Cliff presents 2013 OCarnivale Mardi Gras Ball
The Mardi Gras celebrations continue with this party at The Kessler in Oak Cliff. Guests are encourage to dress in their best Mardi Gras-themed attire for this event, which includes music from The Matt Tolentino Band, Club Wood and the Inner City All Stars, and, of course, Creole food and New Orleans-style Hurricanes. The only way you're getting more authentic is by actually going to New Orleans.

Fifth Annual Dallas Burlesque Festival
Anybody who goes to Ninjapalooza on Friday night gets a sneak preview of this event, but this is the main course. At least 15 different performers strut their stuff, including headliner Bettina May. If this display of sexy theatrics at House of Blues Dallas isn't enough, they also have an awards dinner on Sunday with additional performances.

Sunday, February 10

2013 Mardi Gras Oak Cliff Parade
The trio of Mardi Gras events comes to a close on Sunday with the annual Mardi Gras Oak Cliff Parade. The parade features all manner of musicians and floats and enough beads to tide you over until next Mardi Gras. The parade runs along Davis Boulevard, finishing up in the Bishop Arts District.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin has had one of the more consistent and enviable careers in Hollywood. She's worked steadily in both television and movies since 1966, starring with the likes of Rowan & Martin, Big Bird, and, coming soon, Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in the new movie Admission. With her broad experience, she has more than a few good stories to tell, and she gives you the lowdown at Winspear Opera House.

Mardi Gras is in full swing in Dallas this weekend with three different events.

Mardi Gras, partying, masks, drinks, New Orleans

411NOLA.com

Mardi Gras is in full swing in Dallas this weekend with three different events.

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Movie Review

Podcaster lets creepy noises get under her skin in Undertone

Photo courtsy of A24

Nina Kiri in Undertone.

While the horror genre is still capable of producing some innovative filmmaking, most of the output tends to fall back on jump scares and other tropes to deliver their terror. So when a film like the new Undertone tries something different, it should be applauded for the effort, even if it’s not as successful in its execution.

Evy (Nina Kiri) is a podcaster who co-hosts a show called Undertone, which focuses on paranormal videos and sounds they find on the internet. Her co-host, Justin (Adam DiMarco), lives in London, so - for kind of contrived reasons - in order to make the time difference between them work, Evy records at around 3 am her time. Evy - who lives at home with her bedridden, dying mother - is the skeptic of the two, consistently debunking clips that Justin presents to her.

Her doubts are tested when Justin brings in a series of 10 audio clips that purport to be about a boyfriend recording his girlfriend as she talks in her sleep. The audio begins in a lighthearted manner and quickly turns creepy and then sinister as unexplained things start happening. Evy senses that what she’s hearing is bleeding into her own world, especially when inexplicable actions take place in her mother’s bedroom.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Ian Tuason, the film is effective early on when it introduces the story concept. Making great use of sound design, Tuason essentially puts the audience inside Evy’s head, where every little sound is heightened. Setting the podcast sessions in the middle of the night ups the anxiety level for both her and the audience.

However, as the film goes along it gets a little tedious watching Evy listen to the audio, even as Tuason attempts to keep the film dynamic by moving the camera around her. The premise of the story - progressively going through 10 clips - and Tuason’s framing of shots that focus as much on the background as they do on Evy seem to promise more interesting results than actually transpire.

What ultimately holds the film down more than anything is its lack of different viewpoints. The only other person who’s actually seen is Evy’s mother, who is unable to speak. Evy speaks to Justin, another friend, and a doctor over the course of the story, and while each broadens our understanding of Evy somewhat, none of them make her a truly three-dimensional person. Getting a little more information about her history might have helped the story work better.

Kiri does her level best to vary her acting in the various podcast scenes, and even when they start to get repetitive, she remains compelling and watchable. It’s difficult to judge the other actors based on audio alone, but knowing that DiMarco also starred in season 2 of The White Lotus helps to visualize him and his acting style.

Undertone does well in creating a spine-chilling mood, but it needed something beyond that to become a truly great horror movie. Tuason shows some promise as a filmmaker, especially in the way he uses the camera to create tension, but a more complete story will serve him better the next time around.

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Undertone is now playing in theaters,

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