Weekend Event Planner

These are the 18 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

While holiday-related events dominate this weekend across Dallas, of course, there are surprising number of non-holiday events from which to choose. So if you're not into Christmas music or the many Nutcrackers available, you can catch one of three local theater productions, a rapper-turned-comedian, an actor/comedian, a circus, a dance production, or a rock concert.

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. Looking for the best Christmas lights to see this weekend? Find those lists here and here.

Thursday, December 7

Marie Osmond: Symphonic Christmas
Beloved singer and actress Marie Osmond comes to Arlington to perform her show, Symphonic Christmas, featuring classic Christmas songs accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Osmond, who came to fame in the 1970s alongside her musical brothers, has released 12 albums in her career, including 2007's Magic of Christmas, which featured classics and traditional songs. She'll perform at Arlington Music Hall on Thursday and Friday.

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home
In less than two hours, star pitcher Victor Castillo is set to take the mound for game 7 of the World Series. But when a rumor begins to circulate that Castillo may use the sport’s biggest stage as a political protest, the shockwaves hit all corners of the stadium, from the owner’s box to the locker room. Pods of audience members, led by tour guides, will travel throughout Riders Field in Frisco to nine different spaces, ranging from a luxury suite to the men’s room to the dugout. The stadium's existing spaces becoming stages for a cast of actors who repeat their scenes over and over. There will be five performances through Sunday.

Improv Arlington presents Tip Harris
Rapper Tip Harris is known by T.I., Tip, or TIP, but you may not know that he's also a comedian. In addition to his 11 hit albums, multiple Grammys, Billboard, BET, and American Music Awards, blockbuster movies, and top-rated television shows, he's also been growing his stand-up act, which he'll demonstrate in five shows through Saturday at Improv Arlington.

Cirque Italia Water Circus
Cirque Italia will present their new production, a story about Rafael, a farm boy swept away by a tornado who lands in the heart of the city's chaos. It's a comedic escapade as Rafael the Clown seamlessly transitions from farm life to the dazzling lights of the city, weaving humor into both worlds. The circus, which includes the Trampoline Wall, Rolla Bolla, a Rope act, Juggling, Hand to Hand act, Skating, and a Swing act, will put on seven performances through Sunday at Town East Mall in Mesquite.

Friday, December 8

Christmas at the Anatole
The Hilton Anatole will transform into a winter wonderland that’s fun for the whole family. Guests can enjoy breakfast with Santa, create holiday crafts, explore a Christmas tree forest, and snap photos in a twinkling tunnel of lights. The holiday event takes place on various dates through December 30.

Festival Ballet of North Central Texas presents The Nutcracker
Beginning in 1988, Festival Ballet’s The Nutcracker has become a holiday tradition in Denton. This production will feature the return of Marta Petkova and Nikola Hadjitanev from the Sofia Opera and Ballet, Bulgaria as the principal guest artists. There will be five performances through Sunday at UNT Dance and Theatre.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Avant Chamber Ballet’s sparkling production of Paul Mejia’s The Nutcracker with live orchestra features Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, ACB’s professional dancers, lush sets, and costumes. There will be four performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Company of Rowlett Performers presents Fruitcakes
Jamie is a kid who has run away from home and come as far as his money will take him. At first, he thinks the town's inhabitants are "nuttier than fruitcakes," but soon he comes to admire, appreciate and adore the nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding, and reconciliation, Fruitcakes provides audiences with a heaping helping of holiday warmth and Christmas cheer. The production runs through December 16 at Plaza Theater in Garland.

Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life
Viewers of Ted Lasso may not know it, but Brett Goldstein - who played the brash yet lovable Roy Kent - is also a stand-up comedian. He is also the host of podcast, Films To Be Buried With, which finds him in candid conversation with special guests as they discuss the films that have shaped them. He'll present a night of comedy at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis has been one of America’s favorite holiday traditions for over 35 years. The Grammy Award winner has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The concert, taking place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie, includes multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting.

TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Complexions Contemporary Ballet
Led by dance icons Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, Complexions Contemporary Ballet has awakened audiences to a new, exciting genre with their singular approach of reinventing dance and contemporary ballet. Filled with technical prowess and brilliant artistry, Complexions pairs its fierce evocative style with musical ranges from David Bowie to Bach. They'll perform on December 8 at Winspear Opera House.

Saturday, December 9

Dallas Park and Recreation Department presents Kiest Park Holiday Festival
Dallas Park and Recreation and Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold are bringing the Christmas spirit to Kiest Park with a holiday festival featuring carnival rides and inflatables, a hot chocolate station, and photos with Santa. The lighting display of a 26-foot tree in the Kiest Memorial Garden highlights the festival.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Espresso Nutcracker
At Dallas Black Dance Theatre's Espresso Nutcracker, the audience will travel to a winter wonderland full of cheer, delight, and the sweetest of treats with the Dallas Black Dance Academy students. Sprinkled with sugarplum fairies and a little holiday magic, it is a whimsical reimagining of a timeless tale. The performance takes place at Majestic Theatre.

Cara Mía Theatre presents Diosa: A New Work in Progress
Cara Mía Theatre’s latest international collaboration with Spain’s Manifesto Poetico is a new-work-in-progress titled Diosa, which is inspired by the mother of all Aztec Gods, Coatlicue, and explores the archetypes of female goddesses and what they mean to us in the contemporary world. Through the “Work-In-Progress” performances of Diosa, audiences will have the opportunity to participate in contributing to the development of the play by providing feedback to the artists after each performance on Saturday and Sunday at Latino Cultural Center.

Theatre Three presents Deathtrap
Without a success to his credit for some years, Sidney Bruhl receives a new, potential hit script called Deathtrap that was written by his student. Sidney plots with his reluctant wife Myra about how best to plagiarize the play and the evening takes a hilarious and dangerous turn. The production runs through December 31 at Theatre Three. (The performances on December 7 and 8 were canceled due to two members of the cast contracting COVID. To give the understudies time to rehearse, the show will now start on Friday.)

Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith: Christmas Live in Concert
Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith will bring their Christmas tour to Dallas, joined by special guest Michael Tait of the Newsboys. With both artists having an expansive repertoire of holiday albums - five for Grant and four for Smith - the seasonal show will feature selections from that treasure trove of material. They'll perform at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Sunday, December 10

Photo by Jordan Fraker

Avant Chamber Ballet presents The Nutcracker at Moody Performance Hall, December 8-10.

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will highlight an international cast and Ukrainian Principal Artists performing at the peak of classical European Ballet. Audiences will be transported by the magic of jaw-dropping acrobatics, larger-than-life puppets, and hand-crafted sets and costumes. There will be two performances on Sunday at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Queens of the Stone Age in concert
Rockers Queens of the Stone Age defied conventional wisdom in their career, putting out five albums before finally reaching the top of the Billboard 200 charts with 2013's ...Like Clockwork. They've maintained a high place on the charts with their subsequent two albums, including this year's In Times New Roman... They'll play at The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

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Movie Review

A collision of humor and dark history make an impact in Wild Horse Nine

Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine.

It’s difficult to nail English writer/director Martin McDonagh down when it comes to his interests. Prior to his new film, he has set films in Bruges, Belgium; Los Angeles; the fictional small town of Ebbing, Missouri, and a remote island in Ireland, with stories that deal with crime, grief, lifelong friendships, and a kidnapped Shih Tzu. What all his films have in common though, is comedy that is mined through absurdity, something that is on full display in Wild Horse Nine.

Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are CIA agents in 1973, currently stationed in Chile, with a mission that Lee tries to hide but Chris broadcasts willingly. Their assignment is to undermine support for the newly-elected socialist president, Salvador Allende, but the film is not really about that. Instead, it follows the duo on a break from work as they decide to take a side trip to Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) so that Chris can fulfill his dream of seeing “the big heads.”

Once they’re there, Chris and Lee bicker over various things, including Chris being too open with two younger women, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo) and Alicia (Ailín Salas); who gets control over their rental car; the long-distance interference of CIA station chief MJ (Steve Buscemi); and more. All the while, a mostly unspoken agreement between Chris and Lee colors every decision they make, including why they came to Rapa Nui in the first place.

McDonagh has full control over the narrative of the film from minute one, establishing the tone through the super-quick banter between Chris and Lee that points to the strong bond the two share. A later revelation deepens the meaning of the story without taking away from the humor that comes from Chris and Lee sniping at each other. Despite the two characters not getting much of an introduction, they become a very memorable movie twosome as the film goes along.

A good working knowledge of 20th century world history is helpful, as McDonagh drops in subtle and not-so-subtle hints about the CIA’s involvement in certain notable events (including the JFK assassination, which takes on larger importance as the story goes on). Using real history like the impending coup d'état in Chile as a backdrop for the fictional story grounds the film, allowing the characters to engage in sometimes farcical elements without ever seeming like unserious people. It’s also a sly commentary on current events, with the U.S. continuing to insert itself into other countries’ affairs.

The impact of the film is immeasurably improved by the fact that they filmed on location in Chile and Rapa Nui. Having Chris and Lee visit the “big heads” (aka moai) while referencing them in their dialogue is both awe-inspiring and hilarious. There’s just something about the characters being able to get up close and personal with the ancient sculptures that makes the film feel more important than if they had employed CGI to put them there.

Malkovich is a two-time Oscar nominee with a storied career, but this performance ranks as one his best. With a face that unashamedly shows his 73 years and pitch perfect line deliveries, he nails every scene that he’s in. Rockwell complements him extremely well, giving a performance that fits in with his previous work but rarely on such a high level. Buscemi is also a pleasure to watch, popping up to steal small moments just like he did in the recent The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.

Save for a few action scenes, Wild Horse Nine is mostly filled with characters talking, but the level of the conversations and the comical moments that McDonagh has created contain cannot be understated. With a tour-de-force performance by Malkovich, a real world setting, and a funny twist on history, it’s one of the best movies of the year.

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Wild Horse Nine opens in theaters on November 6.

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