Weekend Event Planner

These are the 14 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's another big weekend in and around Dallas, headlined by the return of a major musical. Other choices include an art fair, a local theater production, seven concerts spanning multiple genres, a symphony gone country, special shows presented by a local theater company, a new art exhibition, and a screening of a classic movie hosted by one of its stars.

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. Still need Mother's Day ideas? Here's a long list of restaurants ready to spoil Mom on Sunday.

Thursday, May 9

The Other Art Fair
The Other Art Fair is a global art event dedicated to showcasing independent artists. It combines affordable and original artworks and 130 independent artists with immersive installations, performances, DJs, and a fully stocked bar. It will take place through Sunday at Dallas Market Hall.

Broadway Dallas presents Hamilton
The Tony Award-winning Hamilton has become the first classic musical of the 21st century, continuing to draw sellout crowds both on Broadway and on its multiple tours. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton turns the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton into a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. It will run through June 9 at Winspear Opera House.

Echo Theatre presents Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper
Beyond the Yellow Wallpaper is a new historical drama delving into the extraordinary life of feminist author and social reformer, Charlotte Perkins Gilman. From adolescence to her deathbed, the production follows Charlotte’s complicated journey to professional success, and shows firsthand how her ongoing struggle with depression and an unconventional life shaped her work. The production runs through May 25 at Bath House Cultural Center.

Gary Clark Jr. in concert
Guitarist and singer Gary Clark Jr. has risen out of his roots in Austin to become one of the preeminent blues musicians working today. His albums consistently come in near the top of the Billboard 200 charts, and he's the winner of four Grammy Awards, including three alone for his 2019 album, This Land, and the title song. He'll play at Majestic Theatre in support of his new album, JPEG RAW.

Friday, May 10

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Country Hits: Songs from Nashville"
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present a honky-tonking, heart-aching celebration of everything America loves about country music past and present. The concert, conducted by Jeff Tyzik and featuring vocalists Emily West and Rick Brantley, will feature classic country hits from Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, The Chicks, and Kacey Musgraves. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Uptown Players special events
Theatre company Uptown Players will take a break from their normal productions to present two special events. On Friday they'll host the quartet The Kinsey Sicks and their show Deep Inside Tonight, a musical newscast-run-amok in which America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet probes today’s hottest issues and scintillating scandals, all in glorious four-part harmony. On Saturday and Sunday will be Simply The Best: A Tribute to the Greatest Artists of Our Time, a cabaret show celebrating hits from music icons who have had a major impact on the LGBTQ+ community, such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Tina Turner, Cher, and Elton John. Both shows will be at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Jackopierce in concert
Jackopierce - a folk rock duo made up of Jack O'Neill and Cary Pierce - is a Dallas original, releasing their first album in 1990. Since then, they've gone through the usual ups-and-downs of a rock band, including breaking up for around five years to explore solo options. But they've always gravitated back to each other, with their latest album being 2018's Feel This Good. They'll play at Granada Theater.

Saturday, May 11

Nasher Sculpture Center presents The Haas Brothers: "Moonlight" opening day
"Moonlight" is an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artists Nikolai and Simon Haas, featuring other-worldly sculptures that will be installed inside Nasher Sculpture Center, in its garden, and outside on Flora Street, greeting museum visitors and passersby alike, conjuring the magic of moonlight through the summer months. The whimsical and powerful installations highlight the artists’ distinctive fusion of art, design, and technology. The exhibition will be on display through August 25.

Kenny Chesney in concert
Country superstar Kenny Chesney has a habit of making a stop in Dallas-Fort Worth in late spring, returning to AT&T Stadium in Arlington after playing the venue multiple times in the past decade. Chesney, who comes to town as part of his Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour in support of his new album, Born, will be joined by Zac Brown Band, Megan Moroney, and Uncle Kracker.

Majestic Theatre presents Fast Times at Ridgemont High with Judge Reinhold
Actor Judge Reinhold was an undeniable star in the 1980s, starring in movies like Gremlins, the Beverly Hills Cop series, and Ruthless People, among others. But it was it his role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and especially his participation in a certain scene, that made him an indelible part of the movies from that decade. He'll be on hand at Majestic Theatre to host a screening of the film and talk about his role and career.

Cody Jinks in concert
For years, if you wanted to see country singer Cody Jinks play in Dallas-Fort Worth, it was going to be at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth. That's despite the fact that the Haltom City native was hitting it big on the Billboard Country charts, releasing four top 5 albums between 2016 and 2019. Call it the cumulative effect, then, as he's finally play a big venue - Dos Equis Pavilion - in support of his new album, Change the Game. He'll be joined by Blackberry Smoke, and if you act fast, you can snag some $25 tickets to the concert.

Photo courtesy of Gary Clark, Jr.

Gary Clark, Jr. will play at Majestic Theatre on May 9.

Tank in concert
There are few bigger R&B singers in the 21st century than Tank. The artist formerly known as Durrell Babbs has released 10 albums dating back to 2001, with half of them going to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts. He's also had multiple No. 1 hits, including "Please Don't Go," "Next Breath," and "Can't Let It Show." He'll perform at the Music Hall at Fair Park, joined by Keri Hilson and Carl Thomas.

Nicki Minaj in concert
Rapper Nicki Minaj may not go out on tour alone much - this concert is part of her first solo tour in eight years - but she sure does love the color pink. Her new album, Pink Friday 2, joins a discography that also includes Pink Friday (2010), Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012), and The Pinkprint (2014), with 2018's Queen the only outlier. Minaj, the first woman to score 100 Billboard Hot 100 hits, will perform at American Airlines Center, joined by Monica.

Sunday, May 12

Boney James in concert
Jazz saxophonist Boney James is in his fourth decade of making music, becoming one of the most renowned and respected musicians in the genre in that time. The Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart has only existed since October 2005, and in the ensuing 18+ years, James has notched a whopping 20 No. 1 hits on the list, including the recent "Cigar Lounge" with Big Mike Hart. He'll play at Majestic Theatre.

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Movie Review

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

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