Weekend event planner

These are the 15 best things to do around Dallas this weekend

The power of women will be on full display in and around Dallas this weekend, with a female pop superstar and top-level female athletes showcased in two huge events. Other choices include a historic music venue being revived with a trio of concerts, several new local theater productions, two big-name comedians, a retrospective screening of a beloved indie movie, and more.

Below are the 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, March 30

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Ladysmith Black Mambazo
For 60 years, South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo has warmed the hearts of audiences worldwide with uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. Paul Simon’s 1987 Graceland album introduced the group to the world and late former South African President Nelson Mandela designated the group "South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world." They'll perform at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Longhorn Ballroom Grand Re-opening Weekend
The historic Longhorn Ballroom, which hasn't hosted regular concerts since 1997, will come back to life with three shows this weekend, with more to come. Texas legends Asleep at the Wheel, who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, will kick things off on Thursday, followed by Old Crow Medicine Show on Friday, and Morgan Wade and Lucero on Saturday.

Friday, March 31

2023 Women's Final Four
The high-powered Women's Final Four comes to Dallas this year. Undefeated No. 1 South Carolina is the prohibitive favorite, but they're facing Iowa, which has arguably the best shooter - men or women - in America, guard Caitlin Clark. The other semifinal game at American Airlines Center features LSU vs. Virginia Tech. Related activities include Tourney Town, taking place through Sunday at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Final Four Bounce at Dallas City Hall on Saturday, and the Super Saturday Concert featuring Saweetie at AT&T Discovery Center on Saturday.

The Dallas Opera presents Biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition
The Dallas Opera's Biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition uniquely supports emerging Texas singers for their future success in opera. The statewide competition offers developing singers an opportunity to showcase their talents on the Winspear Opera House stage, a chance to be discovered, and win cash prizes.

Theatre Arlington presents Noises Off
Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on- and off-stage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. The production runs through April 16 at Theatre Arlington.

Ballet Ensemble of Texas presents Celebration of Dance: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ballet Ensemble of Texas will present their annual Celebration of Dance, which will highlight A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This will be the troupe's inaugural performance of Shakespeare’s tail of adventure and misadventure about a group of mortals and immortals afflicted by the difficulties of loving and being loved. There will be performances on both Friday and Saturday at Irving Arts Center.

Taylor Swift in concert
Pop superstar Taylor Swift always attracts attention, though not always for the right reasons. Tickets for The Eras Tour were notoriously hard to get thanks to huge snafus by Ticketmaster. If you were able to snag tickets, you'll be witness to a reportedly three-hour, 40+ song extravaganza featuring songs from throughout her career, including her latest album, Midnights. She'll perform three shows through Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Captain Phantasm vs The Nefarious Dr. Noir
Captain Phantasm vs The Nefarious Dr. Noir is another one of Pocket Sandwich Theatre's popcorn-tossing melodramas. From the classic radio serials of the 1940s comes Captain Phantasm, the protector of Metroville City, fighting malefactors with his heightened catlike reflexes, his uncanny intellect, and his mighty fists of justice. Little does he know that villainy is near and hatching a devious plan. Who is this nefarious Dr. Noir and what is his evil scheme? The production will run at PST's new home in Carrollton through May 13.

Pegasus Contemporary Ballet presents Synergy: Dallas Music In Motion
Synergy, Dallas Music In Motion is a contemporary dance program from Pegasus Contemporary Ballet that will highlight the vibrancy and variety of the Dallas music scene, combining the creative energy of music and dance artists into one meaningful and exciting show. The collaborative performance will connect audiences and artists spanning different backgrounds and generations, featuring new choreographic works by Diana Crowder, Daniel Ojeda, and Joshua L. Peugh. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

Blue October in concert
Houston rock band Blue October rose from relative obscurity in the late '90s/early 2000s to become one of the bigger groups of their genre in the 2010s, scoring five top 5 albums from 2011-2018. Known best for songs like "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean," they'll play shows on both Friday and Saturday at Majestic Theater in support of their 2022 album, Spinning the Truth Around.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents Driving Miss Daisy
When Daisy Wertham, a stubborn, elderly Southern widow, crashes her new car into the neighbor’s garage, her son forces her to take on a chauffeur. He employs Hoke Coleburn, much to her chagrin. At first, Daisy refuses to rely on a black man to get her from one place to the next and Hoke spends two weeks sitting in the kitchen doing nothing. Gradually, however, Daisy’s prejudices are broken down and, against all odds, he becomes her best friend. The production will run through April 16 at Richardson Theatre Centre.

David Cross: Worst Daddy in the World Tour
David Cross is an Emmy-winning (and two-time Grammy-nominated) stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director known for his knockout roles in Arrested Development, the Kung Fu Panda film franchise, The Ben Stiller Show, and more. He'll perform at Texas Theatre with Sean Patton.

Saturday, April 1

Pete Holmes: Where Were We
Pete Holmes is the creator and star of HBO's Crashing and TBS' The Pete Holmes Show. He's also the star of CBS' How We Roll as well as two HBO stand-up comedy specials, as well as the host of the You Made It Weird podcast and the author of Comedy Sex God. He'll bring his Where Were We tour to House of Blues Dallas for one night only.

The Texas Theatre presents Napoleon Dynamite Live!
Napoleon Dynamite was the indie film hit of 2004, with those in the know repeating lines like "Kip, bring me my Chapstick" over and over. This special event at the Texas Theatre includes a full screening of the film followed by a lively moderated discussion with fan-favorite cast members Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, and Jon Gries.

Photo by Chinh Phan

Taylor Swift will play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, March 31-April 2.

Turtle Creek Chorale presents Rhapsody
Turtle Creek Chorale will present Rhapsody, their annual benefit gala. The special guest will be Patti LuPone, the Broadway legend who will explore how her lifelong love affair with Broadway began and the unpredictability of the Great White Way. She'll sing interpretations of classic Broadway show tunes by the likes of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Jule Styne, Stephen Schwartz, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin. The event takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.

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Movie Review

Bravura lead performance carries sex worker film Anora

Photo courtesy of Neon

Mikey Madison in Anora.

Writer/director Sean Baker’s filmography is full of films that aim to show stories not typically seen in mainstream movies, ones that often feel so true to life that they can be tough to watch. His latest film, Anora, is similar to his previous content in some ways, but much different in others.

Anora (Mikey Madison), aka Ani, is a stripper/sex worker who works at a club in Brooklyn. Because she can speak Russian, she is assigned to dance for Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), who she discovers is the son of a Russian oligarch. With an unlimited supply of money, he pays Ani for sex and, enjoying spending time with her, for her to pretend to be his girlfriend for a week.

That week sees them do a lot of wild stuff, most notably an impulsive trip to Las Vegas where they - almost as hastily - decide to get married. Their elopement doesn’t stay secret for long, though, with Ivan’s parents especially upset. A trio of henchmen track them down, enlisted by Ivan’s parents to force them to get the marriage annulled at all costs.

Baker is not your typical storyteller, and so even though the film has three distinct acts, they don’t play out in ways that will be familiar or comfortable for many filmgoers. Much of the first act involves Ani in states of undress, either dancing for customers or having sex with Ivan. Although the “rich guy paying for the company of a sex worker” echoes a film like Pretty Woman, the comparison doesn’t really fit, especially because the immature, video game-playing Ivan is about as far from romance as you can get.

Whatever appeal he might have had disappears in the second half of the film when he’s confronted with his parents’ displeasure. It’s here that Baker seems to play with moviegoer expectations the most. With three goons sent to get Ani and Ivan to take back what they’ve done, it feels like Baker is going to go down the typical mob movie road. Instead, what transpires can only be described as an intense farce, with Ani resisting the trio’s efforts with all her might, causing lots of comedic chaos.

What plays out throughout the film, and especially in the final act, is a disparity of wealth. While Ani being willing to have sex with a rich guy who comes into the club could be viewed in multiple ways, it does hint at her need to make money however she can. Conversely, Ivan spends money with abandon and acts accordingly, like someone who will never have a care in the world. After much frivolity, this imbalance hits like a ton of bricks in the film’s final minutes.

Madison, who’s had small but showy roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the reboot of Scream, proves herself to be a star in this role. She owns every part of the performance, from the New York accent to the pole dancing, and she is the fire that keeps the film humming. She is especially important because Russian actor Eydelshteyn is only intermittently effective. Special note goes to Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Yura Borisov, the three men who come for Ani and Ivan. Each walks the line between drama and comedy especially well.

Taken at face value, Anora could be viewed as a merely titillating and somewhat shallow film. But Baker doesn’t do anything without a purpose, which is why the subtext of the story gives the film its power, with a bravura performance by Madison to put it over the top.

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Anora is now playing in theaters.

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