Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Theater, comedy, and music are almost equally represented in this week's list of the best things to do in and around Dallas. The theater includes a kids show, a hyper-local production, a local production of a Broadway musical, and a national tour of a Broadway musical. The comedy side features two live podcasts and two actors/comedians. Musically, you can take in a symphony concert or two separate events with well-known R&B stars.

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, January 11

TheaterWorksUSA presents Dog Man: The Musical
Based on the worldwide bestselling book series by Dav Pilkey, Dog Man: The Musical follows the chronicles of a canine superhero who loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime? The production runs through January 28 at Wyly Theatre.

Pod Meets World Live: The Kids Wanna Jump! Tour
Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle host Pod Meets World, a podcast where they rewatch, and earnestly react, to the ‘90s sitcom they starred in, Boy Meets World, now 30 years later. They'll present a live version of the show, which turned an innocent attempt for friends to watch their teenage selves on TV into a worldwide phenomenon. The event takes place at Majestic Theatre.

Soul Rep Theatre Company presents Elm Thicket
Elm Thicket is a serio-comedy set in 2020 in Dallas’ Elm Thicket community where playwright (and Soul Rep Theatre Company co-founder) Anyika McMillan-Herod grew up. It centers around two middle-aged neighbors’ attempt to explore love and friendship while facing a complicated history, world pandemic, social unrest, and neighborhood gentrification. The production, part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, runs through January 20 at Wyly Theatre.

Lyric Stage presents The Producers
A down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers (all “little old ladies”) out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit. The production runs through January 20 at Moody Performance Hall.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Prokofiev Symphony No. 5"
Dallas Symphony Orchestra's latest concert, "Prokofiev Symphony No. 5," features conductor Dmitry Matvienko and DSO Principal Flute David Buck. Selections for the concert include Lyadov's The Enchanted Lake, Nielsen's Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5. There will be performances on Thursday and Friday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

Friday, January 12

Improv Arlington presents Brandon T. Jackson
Brandon T. Jackson is a multifaceted young actor carving his own path in Hollywood. He started out in stand-up comedy and has evolved into a young film and television star who is perhaps best known for his role in Tropic Thunder. He has also starred in Thunderstruck, the third incarnation of Fox’s Big Momma’s House franchise, and Warner Bros.’ Lottery Ticket. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Two Funny Mamas: Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley
Comedic actresses Sherri Shepherd and Kym Whitley blend their comedic power and chemistry to deliver their award-winning podcast, Two Funny Mamas, that speaks to culture, sisterhood, moms, and working women everywhere. Nothing is off limits when these two funny ladies get together to talk about life, love, motherhood, singleness, relationships, dating, pop culture, sex (or the lack thereof), and everything in between. The live version of the podcast will be at Majestic Theatre.

Arlington Music Hall presents Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore tasted stardom in the 1990s thanks to his MTV show Totally Pauly, as well as starring roles in films like Jury Duty, In the Army Now, Bio-Dome, Encino Man, Son In Law, and A Goofy Movie. Apart from actively touring the country with his stand-up comedy, Shore is working on a documentary of his life that spans the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. He'll perform at Arlington Music Hall.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Jagged Little Pill
Jagged Little Pill is a new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music, an electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family. The national touring production, featuring a book by Oscar-winning writer Diabolo Cody, will have five performances through Sunday at Winspear Opera House.

Saturday, January 13

Smooth Winter Groove VIII with Kem, Eric Benét, and Leela James
The first of two R&B ensemble concerts at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie this weekend, Smooth Winter Groove VIII will feature performances by Kem, Eric Benét, and Leela James. Kem is arguably the most successful of the three, with three top 5 albums on the Billboard 200 and two No. 1 albums on the Billboard R&B chart. Kem's most recent album is Love Always Wins in 2020, Benét's most recent album is Eric Benét in 2016, and James' most recent album is Thought U Knew in 2023.

Sunday, January 14

The R&B '90s Kick Back with Keith Sweat, Bobby Brown, Jon B., and Troop
More big names will be on hand for The R&B '90s Kick Back at Texas Trust CU Theatre, featuring performances by Keith Sweat, Bobby Brown, Jon B., and Troop. Sweat's most recent album is Playing for Keeps in 2018, Brown's most recent album is The Masterpiece in 2012, Jon B.'s most recent album is Comfortable Swagg in 2012, and Troop's most recent albums is Mayday in 1998.

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

TheaterWorksUSA presents Dog Man: The Musical at Wyly Theatre, January 11-28.

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Movie Review

The Mandalorian and Grogu is not the Star Wars movie fans are looking for

Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu.

At one point in the 2010s, there were plans to release a different Star Wars movie every year, with an “Episode” film (like The Rise of Skywalker) alternating with anthology movies like Rogue One. But when 2018’s Solo underperformed, those plans changed, and the pandemic made any Star Wars movie less appealing, with Lucasfilm shifting heavily toward TV shows like The Mandalorian.

The popularity of that show in particular has led to the return of Star Wars to the theaters in the form of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film follows the bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) and his Force-sensitive adopted child as they travel around the universe, hunting down the remaining members of the Galactic Empire (the film, like the series, is set in the years following The Return of the Jedi).

The main thrust of the film has the duo, at the behest of Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) of the New Republic, trying to track down Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), the son of the late Jabba the Hutt, who’s supposedly been kidnapped. The discovery of the ultra-buff Rotta sets them down a different path than they thought, one that puts Mando and Grogu in the crosshairs of Rotta’s twin cousins.

Directed by Jon Favreau and written by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor, the film is perfectly fine if you consider it to be an extended Mandalorian episode, but at no point does it rise to the level of a great movie experience.

The film, like the show, is defined by the Mandalorian’s unflappable nature and strict code, as well as Grogu’s mischievousness and unquenchable appetite. Right from the start, the Mandalorian has a “take no prisoners” approach, laying waste to all comers in a PG-13 sort of way. Grogu is mostly along for the ride, occasionally breaking out the Force to help out, but mostly serving as the comic sidekick. Their relationship keeps the film watchable, but only just barely.

The biggest issue, one which was starting to affect the Disney+ show as well, is that the story never seems to go anywhere despite the fact that its two main characters are constantly on the move. No matter how big or ferocious the opponent they face, the overall stakes are so low as to almost be nonexistent. If Favreau and Filoni (who has a small part in the film) are trying to build toward some larger story, it doesn’t come through on screen.

The film’s action fits in well with sequences that have been put forth in previous Star Wars films, but to call them “cinematic” would be stretching things. There are all manner of monstrous creatures that the duo comes across in their adventures, but only a few of them are memorable. The most interesting sequence features a snake/dragon hybrid that Mando fights in a watery pit that is reminiscent of the trash compactor scene in the original Star Wars. Much of the rest of the film blends together in a mish-mash of uninteresting opponents.

For a live action film, there are precious few actors who actually show their faces. The Mandalorian removes his helmet exactly once, making it clear that Pascal is merely providing the voice for the character. White affects a tough voice for Rotta that may be canon, but frankly sounds ridiculous coming from the character’s body and in no way resembles White’s actual voice, which negates his casting altogether. Weaver is close to a non-factor in her small role, but Martin Scorsese is kind of fun voicing a four-armed fry cook/informant.

The cachet of Star Wars and the fun of The Mandalorian series may be enough for many to enjoy the inoffensive lark that is The Mandalorian and Grogu. But the film does not come close to reaching the heights of the best Star Wars movies, and does nothing to indicate what to expect from the valuable intellectual property going forward.

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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu opens in theaters on May 22.

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