Weekend Event Planner

These are the 16 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

You might think you're seeing double on this weekend's list of events in and around Dallas, as there are two separate events for both Harry Potter and Dracula, just in time for Halloween. Other choices include a quartet of throwback concerts, two big-name comedians, an autumn festival, a big country star, a B-movie festival, and more.

Of course the biggest event in DFW will be the Texas Rangers taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series at Globe Life Field. Didn't get World Series tickets? No worries.

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

Thursday, October 26

Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts presents The Manhattan Transfer
The Grammy Award-winning vocal group The Manhattan Transfer comes to Richardson as part of its final tour. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary, the group looks back on a career that has spanned genres from pop to jazz to rock and roll and more. Trist Curless, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, and Cheryl Bentyne will be joined by guests The DIVA Jazz Orchestra at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.

Lyric Stage presents Little Shop of Horrors
Lyric Stage gets spooky for Halloween with their production of Little Shop Of Horrors, a delectable sci-fi horror musical. Seymour is a meek and dejected assistant at a floral shop who happens upon a strange plant. Little does Seymour know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice, a potty mouth, and an unquenchable thirst for human blood. The production runs through Sunday at Majestic Theatre.

Dane Cook: The Perfectly Shattered Tour
Dane Cook, a comedy trailblazer and actor known for his stand-up comedy specials and observational humor, comes to Dallas on his Perfectly Shattered Tour. Combining energetic physical comedy, clever wordplay, and trenchant observations about human behavior, Cook's unique brand of stand-up and accessible guy-next-door attitude have galvanized audiences of all ages. He'll perform at Texas Trust CU Theatre.

Friday, October 27

Ennis presents 21st Annual Autumn Daze
Autumn Daze in Ennis is back for its 21st year with more than 15,000 pumpkins. With the theme of "Season of Harvest," it will feature a giant pumpkin house, corn husk tepees, a corn display, pumpkin walk, and professional carvers. The star of the festival is the Giant Hay Maze and Pumpkin Patch. Along with the main attractions, kids will enjoy pumpkin painting, carnival rides, climbing on the life-size tractor made from haybales, a gigantic harvest moon, and the huge corn pit. The festival takes place in downtown Ennis through Sunday.

Chris Stapleton in concert
When country star Chris Stapleton comes to town, it's always a big deal in the literal and metaphorical sense. In 2021, he brought his All-American Roadshow to Globe Life Field in Arlington. He sized down the next year to Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, but it was his only stop in Texas that year. And now he's returned to play back-to-back nights at Dos Equis Pavilion right before the release of his fifth album, Higher. He'll be joined by Charley Crockett and Nikki Lane.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Dracula
The first of two Dracula ballets this week is this world premiere production from Avant Chamber Ballet. It features a dramatic score created by Philip Glass to accompany the 1931 horror film classic, and tells the suspenseful and gripping story reimagined to reflect modern times. The production, recommended for audiences 10 years and older, will have three performances through Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Johnny Cash - The Official Concert Experience
In this multi-media celebration, Johnny Cash’s rich, iconic baritone has been lifted from archival concert footage and recordings, enabling the "Man in Black" to perform his biggest hits, including "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire," with a live band again. In addition to never-before-seen footage and on-screen narration by Cash’s only son, John Carter Cash, male and female vocalists will split singing duties to perform even more Cash hits, as well as tunes by artists of the time, including The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and June Carter Cash. The concert takes place at Strauss Square.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert
Audiences can relive the magic of their favorite wizard in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert. The thrilling tale, accompanied by the music of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, follows Harry from when he uses the Marauder’s Map to when the Patronus Charm bursts from his wand. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

The Temptations and The Four Tops in concert
Motown legends The Temptations and The Four Tops will bring an electric evening of elegant harmonies and smooth-stepping moves to Grand Prairie. For more than 50 years, both The Temptations and The Four Tops have prospered, propelling popular music with a series of smash hits and sold-out performances throughout the world. They'll perform at Texas Trust CU Theatre.

Saturday, October 28

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience
It's a very Harry weekend, as The Forbidden Forest Experience opens up in Little Elm. Inspired by the iconic Forbidden Forest and featuring creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, visitors will see lights morph the landscape into a magical outdoor trail. Visitors will be able to discover some of their favorite moments from the Forbidden Forest, encounter mystical creatures such as Hippogriffs, unicorns, and Nifﬂers, and practice casting their very own spells. The event takes place daily at Little Elm Park through January 13, 2024.

It Came from Texas Film Festival
The It Came from Texas Film Festival will feature B-movies that were shown at drive-in movie theaters around the country in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s — quirky, campy films made in Texas that fit the horror/sci-fi genre. Highlights include 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Mocky Horror Picture Show making fun of Ray Kellogg's 1959 cheesy horror classic, The Giant Gila Monster. The festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Plaza Theater in Garland.

Samantha Bee: Your Favorite Woman
Samantha Bee has established herself as having one of the most unique and sharp comedic voices on television. After 12 years as the longest-serving regular Daily Show correspondent of all time, she got her own weekly late-night comedy series, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, which ran for seven seasons on TBS. Bee is the author of the essay collection I Know I Am, But What Are You? and she and her husband Jason Jones also co-created the half-hour comedy series, The Detour. She'll perform at Texas Theatre.

Raphael Saadiq and Tony! Toni! Toné in concert
The standing joke with the '80s/'90s R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné! is that none of them are actually named Tony (or Toni or Toné). Raphael Saadiq, his brother D'Wayne Wiggins, and Timothy Christian Riley will perform as a group for the first time in nearly 25 years. The Tonys' set will feature hits like "Feels Good," "Anniversary," and "It Never Rains (In Southern California)," brand-new material, and Saadiq performing his solo songs. They'll perform at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Ochre House Theater presents Kaput
Kaput is a seafaring comedy featuring the adventures of Captain Chuck, a Nazi hunter, Tappy, his ever-faithful Tugboat, Tulip, the French revolutionary in search of justice for her little brother Poppy, who wants to be a girl. These three Misfits set out together, seeking safe harbor in a cruel, fascistic world, on the world’s most mysterious and dangerous island called Kaput. The production runs through November 18 at Ochre Houe Theater.

Sunday, October 29

Ballet Ensemble of Texas presents Dracula
Ballet Ensemble of Texas' version of Dracula features unique twists to the traditional story. Patrons may also participate in The Vein Drain, Drinks with Dracula prior to the performance, and a Fiendish Frock Fashion Fantasy, a costume parade for the audience at the performance. The one-night-only performance takes place at Irving Arts Center.

Luis Miguel in concert
Mexican singer Luis Miguel has been one of the top-selling Latin artists for decades, dating back to his 1982 debut album, El Sol, released when he was just 11 years old. Now a fully mature 53-year-old, Miguel has gone on to release 21 albums in his career, most recently 2017's ¡México Por Siempre! As a testament to his continuing popularity, he'll perform at American Airlines Center not just on Sunday, but again a little more than six months later on May 8, 2024.

Courtesy photo

Chris Stapleton will play at Dos Equis Pavilion on October 27 and 28.

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Movie Review

New Superman film honors the past while forging into the future

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which - in a great joke - comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.

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