Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

As we ease into 2023, event organizers are doing the same, with relatively few new events taking place this weekend. Among them will be a classical music concert, two local theater productions, two traveling comedians, the return of an acclaimed Chinese dance experience, a tribute to Elvis, and the end of a notable art exhibition.

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, January 5

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Shostakovich Symphony No. 5"
The program for "Shostakovich Symphony No. 5," featuring conductor James Conlon and violinist Alexander Kerr, will include Shostakovich's Festive Overture, Korngold's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D minor. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will perform the concert three times through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Junior Players presents Be More Chill
Jeremy Heere is just an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about "The Squip," a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most. But is being the most popular guy in school worth the risk? Blending the contemporary with retro sci-fi, the production takes on the competing voices in all of our heads, and ultimately proves there's never been a better time in history to be yourself. There will be four performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Friday, January 6

Art Centre Theatre presents Pride & Prejudice
All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense - but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. The production will have five performances through January 15 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.

Improv Arlington presents Adele Givens
Adele Givens shined as a member of The Queens of Comedy. She has worked with noted comedians such as Sinbad, Damon Wayans, and Martin Lawrence, and her television credits include The Steve Harvey Show, Tracey Takes On, Moesha, Martin, HBO's Def Comedy Jam, and Showtime at the Apollo. She'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Shen Yun
Shen Yun’s unique artistic vision expands theatrical experience into a multi-dimensional, deeply moving journey. Featuring one of the world’s most ancient and richest dance systems - classical Chinese dance - along with dynamic animated backdrops and all-original orchestral works, Shen Yun opens a portal to a civilization of enchanting beauty and enlightening wisdom. There will be seven performances through January 15 at Winspear Opera House.

Improv Addison presents Jared Freid
Jared Freid is a stand-up comedian based out of New York City with a strong focus on dating and relationships. His comedy is current and reflects the ordinary daily thoughts of everyone you know, especially if you know a lot of millennials that are obsessing over dating apps, trying to be real adults, and worrying about their bodies. Freid will perform five times through Sunday at Improv Addison.

Saturday, January 7

Entertainment Series of Irving presents Kraig Parker: The Ultimate Elvis
The day before what would have been Elvis Presley's 88th birthday, the Entertainment Series of Irving presents Kraig Parker: The Ultimate Elvis in continuation of its "Timeless Tributes" series. Unlike many imitators, Parker hits the stage with a full Las Vegas style show band. The concert takes place at Irving Arts Center.

Sunday, January 8

Nasher Sculpture Center presents Nairy Baghramian: "Modèle vivant" closing day
Sunday will be the final day to view "Modèle vivant," the exhibition from 2022 Nasher Prize Laureate Nairy Baghramian, at Nasher Sculpture Center. Over the past three decades, Baghramian has delved into elements of sculptural practice and installation to create works that challenge their settings and upend expected modes of presentation as well as the architectural, sociological, political and historical contexts that inform them. For her Nasher exhibition, Baghramian created a new series of sculptures that explore the provisional body as the site of trauma by disrupting the habits of the conditioned eye.

Photo courtesy of Kraig Parker

Elvis tribute artist Kraig Parker will perform at Irving Arts Center on January 7.

concerts symphony music theater comedy dance galleries event-planner

Movie Review

Lack of freshness in Scream VI shows Ghostface needs to go down for good

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Ghostface in Scream VI.

The reboot of the Scream franchise in 2022 might have been intended to be dumped in the dead zone of January, but its unexpectedly high $81 million box office put a sequel on the fast track. And it’s a good thing they did, because the new young cast members – notably Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmine Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding – are hot properties and getting hotter by the minute.

Scream VI finds the foursome away from the cursed town of Woodsboro, as they have all relocated to the notoriously safe New York City together. Tara (Ortega) and twins Mindy (Savoy Brown) and Chad (Gooding) are students at the fictional Blackmoore University, while Sam (Barrera) does her best to keep Tara safe after reconnecting with her sister in the previous film.

The emergence of a new Ghostface killer not only puts all of them at risk, but also new roommates Quinn (Liana Liberato) and Ethan (Jack Champion), as well as Sam’s new love interest, Danny (Josh Segarra). Helping to track down the killer (or killers) is Det. Bailey (Dermot Mulroney) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panatierre), now an FBI agent after being terrorized herself in Scream 4.

Still sticking with the credo of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the filmmakers – returning co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Ginnett, and returning co-writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick – go back to the same formula seen many times before over and over again. The killer attacks, manages to stab a victim or two before getting hit by a blunt object, disappears mysteriously after the protagonists are distracted, rinse and repeat.

At this point it would be surprising if they deviated much at all from what is expected, since fans don’t seem to mind the repetition. That’s not to say that the film is completely devoid of entertainment. The brutal opening scene, another hallmark of the series, manages to bring a degree of cleverness to the film. And even though most of the kills are telegraphed, the level of violence will satisfy any hardcore horror fan.

However, the film too often takes the easy road. It’s set around Halloween, so that hordes of people roaming the streets in masks, many of them Ghostface ones, seems natural. Instead of raising the tension, it somehow takes it away as the filmmakers can’t use the idea properly. Sam being haunted by her parentage once again plays a big part in the story, but just as in the last film, it doesn’t add up to much.

The lack of good material is a crying shame, as the film truly does have a gem of a cast. Ortega is at the top of everyone’s list after the Netflix show Wednesday and other recent roles. Barrera has the charisma and the looks to be the star in many more projects. And Savoy Brown and Gooding have the goods to easily slide back and forth between movies and TV.

In the Scream franchise, Ghostface will never die because there will always be someone new who’s willing – or psychotic enough – to don the mask and do some more slashing. But unless filmmakers are able to inject some new ideas into the mix, it might be best to let the series die, once and for all.

---

Scream VI opens in theaters on March 10.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Ghostface in Scream VI.

Hayden Panatierre Jenna Ortega Reboot of Scream film movies