For Mom

Experiential outings are how we're gifting quality time this Mother's Day

The Ascendants XVIII (She Is Here And So Are You), 2021. Wangari Mathenge. Oil on canvas. Dallas Museum of Art, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Fund, 2022.27. © Wangari Mathenge.

Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London

Here's your official warning: Mother's Day is less than a month away. You won't want to leave her gift(s) until the last minute — Mom deserves the best — so book that brunch reservation now and then start shopping for an experience you can enjoy together.

We have a few ideas to get you started:

Dallas Museum of Art
Give mom the gift of art with tickets to the DMA, which start at only $10. Whether the mom in your life is into the classics or prefers something on the contemporary side, the DMA has something special for everyone. Current exhibitions include:

"When You See Me: Visibility in Contemporary Art/History," an exhibition that breaks away from traditional storytelling and visual strategies to amplify the voices of the silenced. From abstract expressions to vivid figurations, this exhibition explores themes of invisibility, hypervisibility, the desire to be seen, and the right to be private. See how artists navigate the intricate nuances of visibility, allowing for richer representations of those who have been traditionally excluded or erased.

"The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse": Why give her a bouquet of flowers when you can have Monet’s full garden instead? This exhibition presents iconic artists that we all know and love — think Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Paul Gauguin — against the backdrop of their revolutionary innovations in art.

"He Said/She Said: Contemporary Women Artists Interject" celebrates the power of womanhood by showcasing female artists from the 1970s to today who use their art to question the myth of the sole male genius.

Make a day of it by grabbing a bite at the DMA Cafe, shopping art-inspired treasures at the DMA Store, or strolling through the galleries during your visit. The DMA’s free permanent collection showcases over 5,000 years of stunning works by artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Salvador Dalí, and Jeffrey Gibson.

When you see me, 2019. Deborah Roberts. Mixed media and collage on canvas. Dallas Museum of Art, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Fund, 2020.20. © Deborah Roberts. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York

Broadway Dallas
You can’t stop the beat! Hairspray, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon, is back on tour and in Dallas June 18-30 at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show.

Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Featuring a beloved score that includes the hit songs “Welcome to the ’60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat, ” this all-new touring production of Hairspray is sure to charm a new generation of theater audiences.

Broadway Dallas presents the all-new national tour of Hairspray. Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Dallas Comedy Club
Ivan Decker is an award-winning comedian that has been seen on Conan, Netflix, and more. His sharp, polished, and multi-layered observational comedy makes for a show your mom will love. Get 2-for-1 tickets to either of his Friday, May 10, shows at 7:30 pm or 9:30 pm by using code LOVEMOM at checkout.

Let Ivan Decker charm both you and Mom.Photo by Jon Mark Photo

Cyndi Lauper at Turtle Creek Chorale's Rhapsody gala
Wanna experience a full, live-band concert by the iconic Cyndi Lauper, all in an intimate setting with 600 of your closest friends? Then this is your personal invitation to experience Rhapsody, Turtle Creek Chorale's premier fundraising gala.

This black-tie event is a grand affair with an elegant reception, sumptuous dinner, luxury live auction, and an intimate and unforgettable concert. Then, dance the night away with DJ Rockstar Aaron.

Not only is Rhapsody a highlight on the social calendar, but it also serves as the primary source of funding for TCC's mission to make their concerts and the arts accessible to all. Rhapsody is Saturday, June 1, at Omni Dallas Hotel. Tickets start at $600.

Cyndi Lauper headlines the Rhapsody gala.Photo courtesy of Turtle Creek Chorale

Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts
Get tickets to An Evening with Lee Asher on Friday, June 7, 2024, at 8 pm, presented by the Eisemann Center. Lee is an animal rescue advocate, content creator, motivational speaker, and star of the Animal Planet series My Pack Life who documents his rescue missions and daily life around The Asher House Sanctuary, a registered nonprofit sanctuary in Estacada, Oregon, that rescues animals that have been discarded or unwanted.

After quitting his day job in 2017 to pursue his passion for rescuing animals and helping people, Lee and his dogs hit the road in a converted school bus, working with shelters across the nation to host meet-and-greets and adoption events. Along the way, Lee learned to harness the power of social media to inspire positivity, laughter, and happy tears among his 8 million-plus followers.

Tickets are $40-$50, or go one step further and buy Mom a VIP meet-and-greet (only available to ticket purchasers).

Meet animal rescue advocate Lee Asher.Photo courtesy of Eisemann Center Presents

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Movie Review

Film sequel Avatar: Fire and Ash is a technical and visual feast

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Oona Chaplin in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

For a series whose first two films made over $5 billion combined worldwide, Avatar has a curious lack of widespread cultural impact. The films seem to exist in a sort of vacuum, popping up for their run in theaters and then almost as quickly disappearing from the larger movie landscape. The third of five planned movies, Avatar: Fire and Ash, is finally being released three years after its predecessor, Avatar: The Way of Water.

The new film finds the main duo, human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his native Na’vi wife, Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), still living with the water-loving Metkayina clan led by Ronal (Kate Winslet) and Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). While Jake and Neytiri still play a big part, the focus shifts significantly to their two surviving children, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), as well as two they’ve essentially adopted, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and Spider (Jack Champion).

Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who lives on in a fabricated Na’vi body, is still looking for revenge on Jake, and he finds help in the form of the Mangkwan Clan (aka the Ash People), led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). Quaritch’s access to human weapons and the Mangkwan’s desire for more power on the moon known as Pandora make them a nice match, and they team up to try to dominate the other tribes.

Aside from the story, the main point of making the films for writer/director James Cameron is showing off his considerable technical filmmaking prowess, and that is on full display right from the start. The characters zoom around both the air and sea on various creatures with which they’ve bonded, providing Cameron and his team with plenty of opportunities to put the audience right there with them. Cameron’s preferred viewing method of 3D makes the experience even more immersive, even if the high frame rate he uses makes some scenes look too realistic for their own good.

The story, as it has been in the first two films, is a mixed bag. Cameron and co-writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver start off well, having Jake, Neytiri, and their kids continue mourning the death of Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) in the previous film. The struggle for power provides an interesting setup, but Cameron and his team seem to drag out the conflict for much too long. This is the longest Avatar film yet, and you really start to feel it in the back half as the filmmakers add on a bunch of unnecessary elements.

Worse than the elongated story, though, is the hackneyed dialogue that Cameron, Jaffa, and Silver have come up with. Almost every main character is forced to spout lines that diminish the importance of the events around them. The writers seemingly couldn’t resist trying to throw in jokes despite them clashing with the tone of the scenes in which they’re said. Combined with the somewhat goofy nature of the Na’vi themselves (not to mention talking whales), the eye-rolling words detract from any excitement or emotion the story builds up.

A pre-movie behind-the-scenes short film shows how the actors act out every scene in performance capture suits, lending an authenticity to their performances. Still, some performers are better than others, with Saldaña, Worthington, and Lang standing out. It’s more than a little weird having Weaver play a 14-year-old girl, but it works relatively well. Those who actually get to show their real faces are collectively fine, but none of them elevate the film overall.

There are undoubtedly some Avatar superfans for which Fire and Ash will move the larger story forward in significant ways. For anyone else, though, the film is a demonstration of both the good and bad sides of Cameron. As he’s proven for 40 years, his visuals are (almost) beyond reproach, but the lack of a story that sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater keeps the film from being truly memorable.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19.

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