Weekend Event Planner

These are the lucky 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Local arts groups will be in the spotlight in and around Dallas this weekend, as there will be no fewer than six theater productions, as well as two dance productions. Other choices include comedians, an exhibition about a famous shipwreck, a concert, and a visit from a world-famous basketball team.

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, along with Valentine's Day and its evil twin Galentine's Day.

Thursday, February 13

Sam Morril: The Errors Tour
Sam Morril was a regular on Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar, where he appeared on frequently when not touring cities across the nation. Morril can be heard on the podcast We Might Be Drunk with co-host Mark Normand and seen on Netflix’s That’s My Time with David Letterman. His latest special, Sam Morril: You’ve Changed, can also be streamed on Amazon Prime Video. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Theatre Arlington presents In the Heights
Set against the beats of salsa and hip-hop, In the Heights tells the story of Usnavi, who longs to pick up his roots and move away from Washington Heights, the tight-knit New York City neighborhood that shaped him. Featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. The production, which started last week, runs through February 23 at Theatre Arlington.

Fair Assembly presents Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night (Or What You Will) is the last of Shakespeare’s warm comedies, and his final exploration of this genre before his greatest tragedies. Viola finds herself shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria and fears she has lost her twin brother Sebastian at sea forever. Dressed in his clothing, and determined to survive, she disguises herself as a young boy to serve the Duke Orsino. While on an errand to win the love of the Lady Olivia on Orsino’s behalf, Viola (now Cesario) wanders in to a harrowing love triangle. The production runs through February 23 at Arts Mission Oak Cliff.

WaterTower Theatre presents Phantom: In Concert
Adapted from Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera, Kopit and Yeston’s Phantom tells the poignant story of Erik, a disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. When the Opera is taken over by an untalented diva, Erik discovers Christine Daaé, a young soprano with an astonishing voice, and he is captivated by her talent and spirit. Their connection blossoms into a moving tale of love, longing, and the search for acceptance. The concert production will have six performances through Sunday at Addison Conference and Theatre Centre.

Friday, February 14

Titanic: The Exhibition
At Titanic: The Exhibition, visitors can embark on an immersive, interactive tour of the Titanic, complete with recreations of the ship's interior and exterior. Hundreds of artifacts from Titanic and her sister ships tell the details of the Titanic's sinking, including recovered objects, authentic White Star Line objects, and even props and costumes from James Cameron's 1997 Oscar-winning film. The exhibition will be open through at least May 11 inside a former Steinmart within Pepper Square in North Dallas.

Repertory Company Theatre presents A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
Repertory Company Theatre will celebrate Valentine's weekend with A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, the murderous Tony Award-winning musical. Based on the comedic novel by Roy Horniman, it is brought to life by Robert L. Freedman (book and lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music and lyrics). This is the seventh installment in the new theatre series designed to bring Broadway musicals to downtown Plano. There will be three performances through Sunday at Courtyard Theater in Plano.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Cultural Awareness
Dallas Black Dance Theatre's annual Cultural Awareness is a Black History Month celebration featuring a multifaceted array of dance works. The program will include a special revival of …And Now Marvin, Darryl B. Sneed’s tribute that captures Marvin Gaye's passionate artistry and complex legacy through movement. It will be complemented by Testament, an exploration of faith and resilience by Katricia Eaglin, Nycole Ray‘s Love Tri-Tango, and a world premiere by DBDT dancer Brandon Palmer. There will be performances on both Friday and Saturday at Wyly Theatre.

Garland Civic Theatre presents Shakespeare in Love
In 1593 London, Will Shakespeare has writer’s block. Low on funds and out of ideas, the young playwright finds his muse in Viola de Lesseps, a wealthy merchant’s daughter with dreams of the stage. Adapted by Lee Hall from the 1998 film of the same name by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, the production runs through March 2 at Granville Arts Center in Garland.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Love Stories
Love Stories is a night of new works commissioned through Women’s Choreography Project that showcases the talent and creativity of women in the dance industry with live music. The performances will feature a diverse range of choreographic styles, from classical ballet to contemporary dance, all created by female choreographers. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

Teatro Dallas presents Nuevo Mundo (A New Directors Festival)
Teatro Dallas will present Nuevo Mundo, a new three-weekend festival to incubate new directors and playwrights. Three young directors will be paired with seasoned directors to mentor and support their selections of plays they believe deserve to be seen. First up on Friday and Saturday will be Como Agua Para Chocolate, written by Laura Esquivel. In 1910, during the Mexican Revolution, Pedro Muzquiz and Tita de la Garza fall in love, but their love is forbidden. When Pedro and his father ask Tita’s mother for her hand in marriage, she refuses, citing family tradition that the youngest daughter must care for her mother in old age. In order to stay near Tita, Pedro reluctantly agrees to marry Tita’s older sister, Rosaura. Performances take place at Latino Cultural Center.

Becky Robinson: Members Only Club Tour
Becky Robinson is an LGBTQ+ LA-based comedian, writer, actor, and voice-over star known as the "Entitled Housewife," the outspoken viral golf character Robinson created during the pandemic. She also hosts the podcast Start at Birth, an original series capturing hilarious memories, behind the scenes stories, and moments of vulnerability. She'll bring an all-new variety show starring her wild cast of original characters to Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, February 15

Howard Jones & ABC in concert
New wave icon Howard Jones and synth pop stars ABC come to Dallas as part of their co-headlining tour. Jones has released 15 albums in his career, most recently Dialogue in 2022, while ABC has released 10 albums in their career, most recently The Lexicon of Love II in 2016. They will be joined by SiriusXM DJ Richard Blade at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Sunday, February 16

Harlem Globetrotters 2025 World Tour
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters come to Dallas as part of their 2025 World Tour. The Globetrotters, the trick-shot stars of basketball, will show off their signature spins, dunks, and slam as they take on their determined rivals, the Washington Generals. The game takes place at American Airlines Center.

Photo courtesy of Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters will play at American Airlines Center on February 16.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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