While many events in and around Fort Worth have either been postponed or canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment while we need it the most.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. While not every event is out of the house, they all promise to provide a nice distraction from everyday life.
Thursday, April 22
Theatre TCU presents For Bo: A Play Inspired by the Murder of Botham Jean by Officer Amber Guyger
Through a fictional narrative, this new original play explores the issues that led to Botham Jean’s death in 2018 at the hands of Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. For Bo, which debuted as a staged reading on the TCU campus in February 2020, is written by Theatre TCU faculty member Ayvaunn Penn. Performances will be presented virtually via online streaming across two weekends through May 2. Following the April 29 performance, Penn will be joined by intercultural and interdisciplinary professionals as well as special guests Allison Jean and Allisa Findley, Jean’s mother and sister, in a virtual community panel to facilitate conversations of cross-cultural understanding.
Miranda Lambert in concert
The showcase concert of Billy Bob's Texas' 40th anniversary celebration is Miranda Lambert, who will perform five times over two weekends through May 2. The country star and Texas native has had quite the career, with all but her debut album reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts thanks to hits like "The House That Built Me," "Heart Like Mine," "Over You," and "Somethin' Bad." Her new album, The Marfa Tapes, a collaboration with fellow Texans Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, will be released on May 7.
Friday, April 23
FitCon
Panther Island Pavilion will continue its spring season with FitCon, a high energy fitness expo featuring competitions, celebrity guests, fitness classes, and hundreds of exhibitors. There will be a certain kind of amped-up vibe at the outdoor venue on Friday and Saturday, with the event also including concerts and a kids zone.
Magnolia at the Modern: The Truffle Hunters
Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, 70 or 80 years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle, which to date has resisted all of modern science's efforts at cultivation. They're guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly trained dogs. The documentary will screen five times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Downtown Cowtown at the Isis presents Jaston Williams: I Saw the Lights
Jaston Williams of Greater Tuna fame is back with I Saw the Lights, a new darkly funny solo performance. When mysterious lights appeared over Lubbock, Texas in 1951, people wondered aloud whether they were part of some government plot, an invasion by the Russians or just seeing space aliens out to abduct Francine Whitharrel’s Persian cat. The virtual performance will be available to stream at any time through April 29.
Hootie & The Blowfish Virtual Concert
We're still not at the point where major music acts are doing arena shows yet, but Hootie & The Blowfish will put on a special virtual concert. The rock band has been on-again, off-again since lead singer Darius Rucker embarked on a solo country career in 2008, but they reunited to make the album Imperfect Circle in 2019. All ticketholders will have access to a recording of the show for 72 hours following the performance.
Theatre Wesleyan presents Oh, What a Night!
Theatre Wesleyan will present Oh, What a Night!, a free outdoor concert featuring students singing songs from popular rock musicals. It will be a concerts-in-the-garden-style event featuring singers and a live band. The concert, which will take place on the Kay Granger Mall lawn at Texas Wesleyan University, will have three performances through Sunday. The production will also be available to livestream.
Saturday, April 24
Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents "An Expanding Vision: Six Decades of Works on Paper"
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the new exhibition "An Expanding Vision: Six Decades of Works on Paper" revisits key moments in the Carter’s history of collecting works on paper, highlighting the museum’s path to becoming one of the finest collections of American art in the country. The exhibition illustrates how the works on paper collection has helped the Carter tell a more expansive and inclusive story of American art. It will remain on display through August 22.
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will be once again roll into Fort Worth, setting up shop at The Shops at Clearfork and giving fans a chance to purchase a new batch of exclusive goodies and limited-edition collectibles. Items will include a new Hello Kitty Cafe Pink Heart T-Shirt; a new Hello Kitty Cafe Rainbow Thermos; a new Hello Kitty Cafe Cookie Plush; new hand-decorated cookie sets; and Giant Hello Kitty Cafe Chef Cookies, among others.
National Theatre Live: Hansard
Olivier Award winners Lindsay Duncan and Alex Jennings star in this play, originally broadcast from the National Theatre in London. Tory politician Robin has returned home to the house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana — the picture of a perfect marriage. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport. The screening of the previously recorded live production will be at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Miranda Lambert will perform five times at Billy Bob's Texas, April 22-May 2.
