Weekend Event Planner

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

The last weekend of September was already a big one in Dallas because of the start of the State Fair of Texas. But this year that major event will be competing with a ton of other big happenings, including seven concerts with notable names, the start of six local theater productions, a symphony concert, and a trio of comedy performances.

Big Tex and State Fair of Texas at sunset

Photo courtesy of the State Fair of Texas

The State Fair of Texas starts its 24-day run at Fair Park on September 29.

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, September 28

Luke Bryan in concert
Since his debut album in 2011, country singer Luke Bryan has been as consistent as they come, with each of his five albums featuring all-original songs going to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts and making at least the top 5 on the Billboard 200. He's also upped his profile by appearing on The Voice and, since 2018, serving as a judge on American Idol. He'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion in support of his 2022 compilation album, Prayin' In A Deer Stand.

Wilco in concert
Alt-rock band Wilco is one of those groups who has always scored well with music critics and its loyal fanbase, even if their albums have rarely become big hits. They have released 13 albums over 28 years, including the new Cousin, with their heyday coming from 2004-2011, when they had four straight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200. They'll play at South Side Ballroom.

Undermain Theatre presents Bondage
Bondage, making its regional premiere at Undermain Theatre, takes place pre-Emancipation on a small island in the South. With the onset of puberty, Zuri must use her wits to outsmart the twisted desires of a drunken master and a sadistic mistress on a haunted plantation. Hierarchies of race and gender collide in this AfroSurreal tale of an enslaved girl who dares to follow her own instincts toward liberation by any means. The production will run through October 15.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Copland and Liszt"
"Copland and Liszt," featuring conductor Fabio Luisi, clarinetist Anthony McGill, tenor Carl Tanner, and the Dallas Symphony Chorus, will include William Schuman's American Festival Overture, Copland's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, and Liszt's A Faust Symphony. It will be performed on Thursday and Sunday only at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Theatre Three presents Lizzie: The Musical
Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in the late summer of 1892. Lizzie: The Musical explores the mind of Borden and speculates on the motivations she may have had: overwhelming oppression, abuse, and madness. By her side is her older sister Emma, maid Bridget, and neighbor Alice. Together, the four women tell the story of why the legend of Lizzie Borden was born with an electric punk rock score. The production runs at Theatre Three through October 29.

Friday, September 29

State Fair of Texas
The 24-day, four-weekend extravaganza that is the State Fair of Texas returns, with its impressive butter sculptures, nightly fireworks, oodles of fried food, and more. Visitors can try all the new concoctions, check out the Midway, enjoy free concerts from artists like Lonestar, Ceelo Green, and Lil Jon, or take a trip to the top of the Top 'o Texas Tower. Just make sure you don't pay full price for your tickets! The Fair goes on at Fair Park through October 22.

Pink in concert
It can be difficult for a singer to maintain a certain image over a long period of time, but Pink - or, if you prefer, P!nk - has managed to do just that. She's stuck with her version of pop/rock for over 20 years, and her fans have rewarded her by pushing her to the top of the charts with every album, including the new Trustfall. She'll play at Globe Life Field in Arlington as part of her Summer Carnival Tour, joined by Brandi Carlile, Grouplove, and KidCutUp.

Company of Rowlett Performers presents Arsenic and Old Lace
Drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat. Mortimer rushes to tell Abby and Martha before they stumble upon the body themselves, only to learn that the two old women aren’t just aware of the dead man in their parlor - they killed him. Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family. The production runs through October 8 at Garland Civic Theatre.

Cara Mía Theatre presents We Have Iré
We Have Iré is a bilingual musical play about the triumphant journeys of artists from Cuba’s countryside to the United States and back. Brought together by their common pursuit of achieving their dreams, their stories come to life through Afro-Caribbean music, contemporary dance, spoken word, storytelling, and jazz. Cara Mía Theatre will put on three performances through Sunday at Latino Cultural Center.

Art Centre Theatre presents Fire Bringer
At the dawn of humanity, one tribe of cave-people survives the many trials of prehistoric life under the wise leadership of Jemilla, The Peacemaker. But one member of the tribe doesn't seem to fit in: Zazzalil. While out hatching her latest scheme, Zazzalil stumbles upon the most important discovery in history. One that will pit her tribe against wooly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, and change the world forever. The production, featuring separate adult and teen casts, runs through October 15 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.

Texas Theatre presents Christopher Titus
Christopher Titus is a prolific stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is currently performing his ninth 90-minute special "Stories I Shouldn't Tell, while his most recent hit special, “Amerigeddon,” is available on Amazon. He also has a podcast,The Armageddon Update/Titus Podcast. He'll perform at Texas Theatre.

Russell Peters: "Act Your Age World Tour"
Canadian comedian Russell Peters holds the distinction of being the first comedian to get a Netflix stand-up special with 2013's Notorious. He's gone on to have another Netflix special and one for Amazon Prime Video, starred in a variety of movies and TV shows, and toured the world. Peters will be at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie as part of his "Act Your Age World Tour," in which he gives his hilarious takes on cancel culture, aging, and the current state of the world.

Girls Gotta Eat: "Snack City Tour"
Ashley and Rayna from the comedy podcast Girls Gotta Eat come to Dallas as part of their "Snack City Tour," in which they and special guests will answer burning questions about sex, dating, and relationships in a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience. No one leaves without a fresh outlook on dating and at least one new ab from laughing. They'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Theatre Coppell presents The Mousetrap
In The Mousetrap, a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a remote countryside guesthouse as news spreads of a murder in London. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. The production runs through October 15 at Coppell Arts Center.

Saturday, September 30

Maluma in concert
Colombian rapper/singer Maluma has been near or at the top of the Billboard Latin charts since his 2015 sophomore album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy. Since then he's collaborated with a bunch of other big artists, including Marc Anthony, Jason Derulo, Shakira, Madonna, and The Weeknd, as well as Jennifer Lopez, with whom he co-starred in the 2022 film Marry Me. He'll perform at American Airlines Center in support of his new album, Don Juan.

RBD in concert
Mexican Latin pop group RBD was huge in their native country and across Latin and South America in the 2000s, starting with their 2004 debut album, Rebelde. The group, which gained popularity due to them starring on the telenovela of the same name, would go on to release five albums (including versions in both Portuguese and English) before disbanding in 2009. Now they've reunited to celebrate that first album and more with the Soy Rebelde Tour. They'll perform at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Sunday, October 1

Depeche Mode in concert
There are few bands who have been able to maintain both the passion and popularity to keep a career going for over 40 years, but Depeche Mode is one of those rare acts. They have released 15 albums since 1981, including the new Memento Mori, with every one of them since 1990 making the top 15 in both their native UK and the U.S. They'll play at American Airlines Center.

Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service in concert
It's rare for a singer to be well-known for two different groups, but Ben Gibbard has accomplished that feat. For 25 years, he's headed up Death Cab for Cutie, which reached its peak with 2005's Plans, featuring the hit "Soul Meets Body." But he also did a side project in 2003 with producer Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis called The Postal Service, producing a single album, Give Up, which featured the ubiquitous hit "Such Great Heights." The two bands will join forces for a special concert at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

comedy concerts event-planner families kids music state-fair symphony theater

Movie Review

Long-awaited Wicked movie adaptation lives up to the hype

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked.

The musical Wicked is indisputably the biggest Broadway smash of the 21st century, having grossed more $1.6 billion in New York alone and achieving the rare feat of running for over 20 years. All of which is to say that the long-awaited movie adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel will most likely be a massive success whether it lives up to what longtime fans envisioned or not.

Part one — yes, this 2 hour and 40 minute film is merely the first act of the musical; part two arrives a year from now — introduces Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who goes on to become Dorothy’s nemesis, and G(a)linda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the pink-garbed “good” witch, as they meet at Shiz University in Oz. Glinda is the ultra-popular one with sycophantic hangers-on, while Elphaba is shunned by almost everyone, sometimes including her disabled sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who’s desperate to make her own space away from Elphaba.

Her mistreatment by others leads Elphaba to get angry, which manifests itself in uncontrollable magic. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) notices this and takes a personal interest in her, giving her one-on-one instruction in hopes of harnessing her power. In the meantime, Elphaba and Glinda attempt to go from forced roommates to actual friends, although Glinda’s entitled personality is more of an obstacle than anything else they encounter.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by original book writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, the film does a great job of distinguishing itself from the stage version while still remaining true to what made it so beloved. As Chu showed in his last film, In the Heights, he has an innate feel for how to tap into the essence of the source material while expanding it into something befitting the scope of a blockbuster movie.

In this case, he finds a way to give even greater emphasis to the bigotry that Elphaba faces simply because of her green skin; the fact that she is being played by a Black woman drives home the point even more. The story remains light and fluffy for the most part, but the ostracization/otherness that Elphaba feels is delivered in a powerful way, as is her empathy for talking animals like Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), who are facing their own persecution.

Of course, the highlight of the film is Stephen Schwartz’s music, and while not all of the songs are equal in impact, they still make for a cohesive whole. The number of songs and order they appear in the first act is identical to the stage musical, with the standouts remaining “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Defying Gravity.” While there is some superfluous action and cutaways added to certain numbers, it’s not enough to distract from what makes the songs effective.

Oddly, the progression of the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda works better on stage when the timeline is accelerated, but Erivo and Grande-Butera make up for this slight lack with their fantastic performances. The emotion each brings to their characters fits them almost perfectly, and there’s simply no denying the strength of each of their voices. Bode, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more make for a solid supporting cast.

The well-known ending of the first act of Wicked is a huge high point that is so good that it almost makes up for the fact that audiences won’t see the second film for a long time. But if part one is any indication, part two should turn out to be another great musical theater adaptation in a decade that has already seen its fair share.

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Wicked opens in theaters on November 22.

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