Weekend Event Planner

The 13 best events in Dallas this weekend go back to the future

There will be a number of big names entertaining audiences across Dallas this weekend on a few different fronts. Choices include a floral art exhibit, a circus, three well-known comedians, the national tour of a Broadway musical, a dinosaur exhibition, a unique theatrical experience, a local theater production, and four concerts, all from different genres.

Back to the Future: The Musical national tour

Photo by McLeod9 Creative

The national tour of Back to the Future: The Musical will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park through March 30.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, March 20

NorthPark Center presents "Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE"
Visitors can experience the artistry of flowers in "Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE," a floral exhibition featuring one-of-a-kind fresh floral mannequins. Thoughtfully designed by a selection of North Texas florists, each one celebrates a vibrant arts and cultural institution in Dallas-Fort Worth. The exhibition, which will be on display through Sunday at NorthPark Center, will also feature a variety of special events, including a flower arranging class, a chance to meet the floral artists, and cultural performances.

Venardos Circus presents Far Beyond
Venardos Circus presents an all-new production, Far Beyond. The show will feature Ringmaster Julia Swann, the Reyes Brothers’ Juggling Perch Pole, contortion by Sno Bunta, slapstick comedian Sam Ferlo, Duo Dadiva’s aerial acrobatics, the Wicked Wheel of Wonder, and more. The circus will be at Red Tail Pavilion through March 30.

Tom Papa: Grateful Bread 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 actor, host, and author, in film, TV, radio, and podcasts, as well as on the live stage. He is the host of the SiriusXM show, Come to Papa. He'll bring his Grateful Bread tour to Majestic Theatre.

Broadway Dallas presents Back to the Future the Musical
The beloved '80s movie Back to the Future is now a Broadway musical. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself … back to the future. The production, running through March 30 at the Music Hall at Fair Park, features original music alongside hit songs from the movie.

Friday, March 21

Jurassic Quest
Jurassic Quest is a dinosaur adventure for the whole family, featuring over 50 ultra-realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs. Visitors can interact with the huge creatures, learn about them, and even ride a few. There are also huge T-Rex and Triceratops fossil digs where young paleontologists can uncover long hidden dinosaurs bones, the “Dino Bounce” area with several dinosaur-themed inflatable mazes, face painting, dino crafts, and more. The event takes place through Sunday in Centennial Hall at Fair Park.

AT&T PAC & Realscape Productions present Darkfield: Séance, Flight, and Coma
Known for pushing the boundaries of sensory storytelling, Darkfield offers audiences a unique theatrical experience that blurs the line between reality and imagination. It features three experiences: Séance, Flight, and Coma, each staged within a custom-built shipping container. The pitch-black environments utilize 360-degree binaural sound and innovative sensory effects to create immersive worlds that challenge perceptions and evoke deep emotional responses. The event will be at Sammons Park outside of Winspear Opera House through June 22.

Art Centre Theatre presents The Whale
The Whale is best known as the Oscar-winning film by Darren Aronofsky, but it was originally a play by Samuel D. Hunter. On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a 600-pound recluse hides away in his apartment and slowly eats himself to death. Desperate to reconnect with his long-estranged daughter, he reaches out to her, only to find a viciously sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen. Big-hearted and fiercely funny, The Whale tells the story of a man's last chance at redemption, and of finding beauty in the most unexpected places. The production runs through April 6 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.

Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: The Family Reunion Tour
Known for her relatable storytelling and sharp comedic timing, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes has built a dedicated following through her stand-up specials and work in television and film. Her latest comedy special, Say I Won’t, premiered on YouTube, and she has released six comedy specials across various platforms. In addition to her stand-up career, Anjelah published her first memoir, Who Do I Think I Am?: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams, in 2022. She'll perform at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in concert
Jazz music has been declared dead or dying by a variety of people over the years, but as long as there are talented people like Trombone Shorty keeping the tradition alive, the genre will survive. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music, and he and his band, Orleans Avenue, have released eight albums since 2002, most recently Lifted in 2022. They'll play at Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, March 22

Violent Femmes in concert
Violent Femmes has been a cult group since their debut in 1983. After disbanding in 2009, they came back together in 2013, going on to release their first album in 16 years. At this special show, they'll begin by playing their second album, Hallowed Ground, in full. Following a brief intermission, the band will retake the stage and play their debut record, Violent Femmes, as well as a few fan and band favorites to finish the show. The concert takes place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Sunday, March 23

Papa Roach and Rise Against in concert
Rock bands Papa Roach and Rise Against come to Dallas as part of their co-headlining Rise of the Roach Tour. Papa Roach has released 11 albums in their career, most recently Ego Trip in 2022, while Rise Against has released nine albums in their career, most recently Nowhere Generation in 2021. Joined by opening act Underoath, they will play at American Airlines Center.

Bonnie Raitt in concert
Blues singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt has been performing for over 50 years, although she didn't achieve breakthrough success until her 10th album, 1989's Nick of Time. It was her follow-up album, Luck of the Draw, which made her a superstar, thanks to hits like "Something to Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me." She'll play at Winspear Opera House, joined by special guest Jon Cleary.

Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour
Comedian Wanda Sykes has been entertaining audiences for over 30 years as an Emmy-winning stand-up comic, writer, actress, and producer. In 2023, she received three Primetime Emmy nominations, including two for her Netflix special, Wanda Sykes: I'm an Entertainer (her sixth stand-up special) and one for her role as Gladys Murphy in Crank Yankers, a role she originated in 2004. She'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

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Movie Review

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

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