Weekend Event Planner

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

The first full weekend of September brings an interesting mixture of events in and around Dallas. Choices include Harry Potter in concert, two local theater productions, an early Halloween event, three concerts, a unique dance/sound performance, a festival celebrating all things pickle, and two comedians.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Photo courtesy of Nelly

Nelly will perform at Dos Equis Pavilion on September 5.

Thursday, September 4

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Concert
CineConcerts goes back to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for an evening of music and magic in the Harry Potter Film Concert Series. Audiences can relive the magic of Harry Potter soaring across the big screen in high-definition and experience the music of a live symphony orchestra performing Nicholas Hooper’s score. The experience includes themed photo backdrops, specialty food and beverages, and more. There will be four performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Ochre House Theater presents Opera Box
A poor Southern family, caught up in the addiction of the opioid crisis and the collapse of their American Dream, journeys through a Tibetan bardo seeking clues to understand their lives. The production, written in verse, will employ live music, shadow play techniques, projections, puppetry, and a wickedly hilarious cast of talented unflinching artists. It runs through September 20 at Ochre House Theater.

Friday, September 5

Galleria Dallas presents Boo!
BAYMO, the creative team behind Santaland and Snowday! at Galleria Dallas, has taken over ownership of the BooMont Hotel. Guests will enter the "hotel" through the refurbished lobby, still decorated in the golds and greens that delighted guests when it opened in 1901. Elevators transport guests through the hotel, where older children and adults can expect the unexpected as they navigate through mysterious rooms, interactive spaces, and imaginative photo opportunities. The Halloween-style event will be open at Galleria Dallas through November 2.

Kidz Bop: Certified Bop Tour
The Kidz Bop: Certified Bop Tour is a high-energy concert that features family-friendly versions of today’s biggest pop hits, including “espresso,” “HOT TO GO,” and “Dance Monkey.” The interactive concert will feature eye-popping visuals, engaging stage design, and the fan-favorite Daddy Dance Off. There will also be a special opening performance by Snoop Dogg’s DOGGYLAND*, a colorful crew of musical pups. The concert will be at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Repertory Company Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily
The wit of Oscar Wilde meets the cunning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the sleuthing caper Sherlock Holmes & The Case of the Jersey Lily. Wilde’s muse, actress Lillie Langtry (a.k.a the Jersey Lily) presents Holmes with what seems like an open and shut case. But with his superior powers of deductive reasoning, Sherlock wastes no time in exposing a much more sinister conspiracy. Meanwhile, Wilde is in the throes of writing his acclaimed The Importance of Being Earnest and Holmes might inspire some of the play. The production runs through September 14 at Repertory Company Theatre in Richardson.

Shakti Collective presents Shades of Women in Love
Shades of Women in Love discovers the timeless power of love through the lens of feminist poets and ancient texts. From Maya Angelou to Natya Shastra’s Ashta Nayikas, the program explores the emotional states of women in love, as well as how these archetypes connect to modern-day experiences, highlighting themes of love, longing, and empowerment. The production, part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project, will have three performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.

Nelly in concert
Rapper Nelly is now one of the old guard in the hip hop genre, having released his debut album, Country Grammar, in 2000. Known best for early hits like "Ride Wit Me" and "Hot in Herre," Nelly has also been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Ashanti that resulted in a recent marriage and child. He'll celebrate the 25th anniversary of Country Grammar at this concert, joined by special guest Ja Rule and others at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Saturday, September 6

Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation presents Pickle Fest
Pickle Fest will feature more than 65 pickle-themed vendors, pickle-inspired food and drinks, and fun for the whole family. Guests can challenge their friends in the pickleball tournament, show off their speed in the pickle-eating and juice-drinking contests, or dress to impress in the pickle costume contest. The event takes place in Historic Downtown Grand Prairie.

Leanne Morgan: Just Getting Started
Leanne Morgan’s style of comedy combines her Southern charm and hilarious storytelling about her own life. As a stay-at-home, mother of three with a husband, people are always accusing her of spying on them because she seems to be living the same life that they do. The fact that everyone can relate to her comedy has made her a hit even among the strangest of audiences. Morgan, who recently released the sitcom Leanne on Netflix, will perform an early show and late show at American Airlines Center.

Simple Plan in concert
Canadian rock band Simple Plan has always been a bigger deal in their home country than the United States, but they've had some success south of the border, most notably with their 2004 album, Still Not Getting Any..., which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band with the Bigger Than You Think! tour. They'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, joined by 3OH!3, Bowling for Soup, and Lolo.

Sunday, September 7

Anthony Rodia: Laugh Till It Hurts Tour
A first-generation Italian-American born and raised in Westchester, New York, Anthony Rodia came out of the womb making people laugh. In his twenties he tried a few open mics, but ultimately took a different career path as a finance manager of a luxury car dealership. In 2019, Rodia returned to comedy and left his day job to become a full-time stand-up comic. He hit the ground running and performed 100 shows in just nine months, and within a few years Rodia gained a massive fan base online and around the country. He'll perform at Texas Theatre.

music movies symphony concerts theater kids families dance festivals food-drink comedy event-planner

Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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