Weekend Event Planner

Lion King roars into the 15 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

This weekend in and around Dallas is a bit unusual, in that every event on the list will either take place or start before the traditional weekend days of Saturday and Sunday. Choices include eight separate theater productions (including a huge Broadway tour), three concerts, a music festival, an opera production, a dance production, and symphony concerts in the great outdoors.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, June 5

Broadway Dallas presents The Lion King
In The Lion King, giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap, and the entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. Still running on Broadway after almost 30 years, The Lion King is a spectacular production renowned for its visual artistry, music, and uniquely theatrical storytelling. It will run through July 3 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Lil Baby in concert
Lil Baby may not be as widely known as other big rappers, but you can't argue with the success he's had. After a series of well-received mixtapes, including one that charted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, he released his debut album in 2018, which went to No. 3. Each of his next three albums including the new WHAM, have gone to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip Hop charts. He'll perform at American Airlines Center, joined by BigXthaPlug and Loe Shimmy.

The Righteous Brothers in concert
Bill Medley has been keeping the music of The Righteous Brothers alive since the death of original duo partner Bobby Hatfield in 2003, but the 84-year-old singer has finally decided to hang it up for good. With the help of singer Bucky Heard, Medley will entertain fans one last time with Righteous Brothers' hits like "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’," "Soul & Inspiration," "Unchained Melody," "Rock and Roll Heaven," Medley’s Grammy-winning Dirty Dancing theme "The Time of My Life," and more. The concert will be at Majestic Theatre.

Soul Rep Theatre Company presents Ain't No Mo'
Soul Rep Theatre Company will present the North Texas premiere of the Tony-nominated play by Fort Worth native and celebrated playwright Jordan E. Cooper. Through a blend of sketch, satire, avant-garde theatre, and a dose of drag, Ain’t No Mo’ answers the incendiary question: What if the United States government offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa? The unpredictable comedy speeds through the turbulent skies of being Black in today's America. The production will have five performances through Sunday at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Rover Dramawerks presents 10-Minute Comedies
For the seventh year, Rover Dramawerks will present a festival of nine separate 10-minute comedies, featuring the winners of their annual 10-minute comedy contest. Winners came from all over the U.S. and Canada, including Bibbidi Bobbidi Boot Camp by Clinton Festa (Greensboro, NC), Love Thy Neighbor by Sinan Beskok (Plano, TX), Stay Golden by Jessica Moss (Toronto Ontario, Canada), and What is Due by Deirdre Girard (Newbury, MA). The festival will run through June 21 at Cox Playhouse in Plano.

Theatre Three presents Xanadu
Xanadu is a high-energy, roller-skating extravaganza that brings the 1980 cult film to life on stage. Set in Venice Beach, California, the musical follows Sonny Malone, a struggling artist who encounters Kira, a beautiful Greek muse. With Kira's guidance and a touch of divine inspiration, they embark on a mission to revive a rundown roller disco and reignite Sonny's artistic passion. The production runs through July 6 at Theatre Three.

Friday, June 6

KHYI 95.3 The Range Radio presents Texas Music Revolution
The 29th annual Texas Music Revolution is a two-day event featuring over 75 bands on 15 stages. Performers will include Flatland Cavalry, Dawes, The Wilder Blue, Silverada, Lola Kirke, Jamie Richards, Bri Bagwell, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, and more. The festival takes place on Friday and Saturday in Historic Downtown McKinney.

Pizza Chapel Theatre Company presents Girls Talking
Girls Talking is an original piece about connection, healing, and grown-up girlhood. Although this theatrical piece witnesses two women attempting to stage a production of Macbeth, the real heart of the work lies in the story of connection and the healing power of feminine friendships. Using comedy, pastiche, and a touch of absurdism, the work reminds audiences that no (wo)man is an island. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Arts Mission Oak Cliff.

Opera Arlington presents Don Giovanni
This production of Don Giovanni, Mozart’s most electrifying opera, is reimagined at the glittering, scandal-fueled center of a 1980s soap opera. In a world where power is seductive and fame comes at a price, one man plays everyone. As Giovanni’s web of seduction begins to unravel, past lovers resurface, revenge plots ignite, and the line between performance and reality begins to blur. Is Giovanni in control of his fate, or is he headed for a fall worthy of the tabloids? The production will have performances on Friday and Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church in Arlington.

Echo Theatre presents Open
Open is a one-woman show that asks the audience to believe in the magic of love. The Magician must perform the impossible to save the life of her partner, Jenny. The clock is ticking, the show must go on, and this magician’s act may offer the last hope against a world filled with intolerance and hate. The production runs through June 21 at Bath House Cultural Center.

Theatre Arlington presents A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on 17 dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The musical provides a glimpse into the personalities of the performers and the choreographer as they describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. The production runs through June 22 at Theatre Arlington.

Stray Kids in concert
The K-Pop group Stray Kids came out of the same-named 2017 reality TV series in South Korea. Releasing their debut album in 2020, the band quickly became one of the most popular groups in both their home country and Japan. To date, they have released three albums in Korean and two in Japanese, including their latest, 2024's Giant. They'll perform at Globe Life Field in Arlington on both Friday and Saturday as part of their second U.S. tour.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents Angel Street aka Gaslight
Mysterious things have been happening in the Manningham household: items go missing, their dog is injured, and Mrs. Manningham hears footsteps coming from the locked, uninhabited top floor. She fears that she is going mad; that is certainly what Mr. Manningham believes. But when Detective Rough arrives one night to visit Mrs. Manningham while she is alone, questions arise and secrets are revealed about her husband. The production runs through June 29 at Richardson Theatre Centre.

Bruce Wood Dance presents Echoes
Echoes brings Bruce Wood Dance's Season 15 to a close with the return of Bruce Wood’s landmark all-male, multigenerational work, I’m My Brother’s Keeper; a reprise of Concerto Six Twenty-Two by Lar Lubovitch; and the world premiere of Love Songs, a choreographic collaboration between Kimi Nikaidoh, Nycole Ray and Jennifer Mabus. There will be three performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Parks Concert series
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present two more free concerts in parks this weekend. Both the Friday concert at Exall Park and Saturday concert at Kidd Springs Park will feature a program of light classics, patriotic tunes and other popular fare, led by Assistant Conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg. The concerts will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Photo by Deen van Meer

Broadway Dallas presents The Lion King at the Music Hall at Fair Park through July 3.

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RIP Don

Don Nelson, legendary Dallas Mavericks head coach, dies at 86

Ronald Martinez /Allsport

Head Coach Don Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks points from the sidelines during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Reunion Arena in Dallas on April 5, 2001.

Former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday, August 9. He was 86.

Nelson’s family confirmed the death in a statement that did not say where he died or provide a cause.

“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”

Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time coach of the year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.

Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.

“The league really hadn’t seen an offense like the one we were running, and the results were undeniable,” Nelson wrote in 2016 in The Players’ Tribune.

Nelson said that “without Red Auerbach teaching me the mechanics of running the fast break, none of it would have been possible. He deserves all the credit for Nellie Ball, and for how fast the game of basketball is played today.”

Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.

In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.

“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”

His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.

Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.

In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.

Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks Don and Donnie Nelson persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Dallas Mavericks Facebook

“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game."

At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.

“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”

Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”

Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.

Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025, he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”

Don Nelson was miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade Courtesy photo

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.Dallas

Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont issued the following statement on the passing of Nelson:

“Don Nelson was a true original whose impact on the Dallas Mavericks and the game of basketball will endure for generations. Nellie helped transform this franchise, bringing an innovative spirit, a belief in doing things differently and, most importantly, a winning culture to Dallas. His influence can be seen throughout Mavericks history and across the NBA today.

“On behalf of the entire Mavericks organization, our thoughts are with Don’s family, friends, former players and coaches, and the many people whose lives he touched. We are grateful for all he gave to the Mavericks and to the game he loved.”

Read the Mavericks' tribute to Don Nelson at mavs.com/news/don-nelson-one-of-a-kind.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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