Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

It makes sense for the Fourth of July to dominate the landscape on Fourth of July weekend, but there will still be plenty of other things to do. Among the choices around Fort Worth will be a visit from a well-known comedian, concerts aplenty both indoors and out, an intriguing new documentary, and a chance to play on the Rangers' field while they're away.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.

Thursday, July 1

Improv Arlington presents Marc Curry
Marc Curry is an American actor, comedian, and host who is best known as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo. Although he's maintained a presence on the small screen in recent years, he also continues to tour with his stand-up act, which he'll bring to Improv Arlington through July 3.

Friday, July 2

Magnolia at the Modern: Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation
The work, lives, and personal journeys of the iconic American artists Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams coalesce with creative combustion in this innovative dual-portrait documentary. Filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland distills the loves, fears, and artistic achievements of these masters via an array of archival materials, film clips, and vibrant voiceover work from Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto as Capote and Williams, respectively. Packed with pearls of wisdoms and eloquent observations, the film celebrates the sometimes tumultuous friendship of the titular writers through the years. The film will screen five times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Rahr & Sons Brewing presents Rhythm & Roots Summer Concert Series
Rhythm & Roots is a concert series at Rahr & Sons Brewing featuring the pure sounds of country and Americana over the course of four Fridays in July. Kicking off the series will be a performance by Texas originals Asleep at the Wheel. Each ticket for those 21 and over includes three Rahr beers. There will also be food trucks with a variety of items for purchase.

Texas Hill in concert
Texas Hill is a band born out of the fires of reality music competitions. The group features Craig Wayne Boyd and Adam Wakefield, both former contestants on The Voice, and Casey James, a former finalist on American Idol. The three take turns singing lead, a style that proves they're as good together as they are individually. They'll play at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis in support of their debut self-titled EP.

Steve Earle & The Dukes in concert
For 35 years, Steve Earle has been at or near the top of the Billboard Country album charts on the strength of his bluegrass and rock-infused style. Backed by his band The Dukes, Earle has been a firebrand for much of his career, unafraid to speak his mind when he felt it was warranted. He and The Dukes will play at Billy Bob's Texas in support of their new album, J.T.

Saturday, July 3

Fourth of July events
Most people's focus on the Fourth of July weekend will naturally be on holiday events and fireworks. There are a multitude happening around Dallas-Fort Worth; check out this link for a full rundown of the best events taking place on both July 3 and 4, including Fort Worth's Fourth and the America Strong concert by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Panther Island Pavilion presents Rockin’ the River
With the temperatures continuing to head northward, there's no better time for Rockin' the River to kick off its six-week run. Each week, the event features five different bands playing back-to-back sets. After the headlining band finishes, the water party moves to the shore with the fifth and final band playing on the after-party stage before a weekly fireworks display. Performers this week will include Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Carson Jeffrey, Dylan Wheeler, Kenny Feidler, and Corina Grove.

Texas Rangers present Family Field Day
While the team is on the road in Seattle, the Texas Rangers will host a Family Field Day to celebrate Independence Day weekend. Guests can participate in the Wiffle Ball Homerun Derby, run the bases, play catch on the field, and enjoy tons of yard games and inflatables. Attendees will also be able to explore the new Rangers ballpark with self-guided tours.

Wild Acre Brewing Co. presents 4 + 5 Anniversary Palooza
Wild Acre Brewing Co. had to skip their 4th anniversary party due to the pandemic, so they're making up for lost time by combining their 4th and 5th anniversary parties into one. The event will feature performances by Quaker City Night Hawks and Thomas Csorba. Tickets include vouchers for beer or non-alcoholic beverages; kids 10 and under are free.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd in concert
Most concerts at Billy Bob's Texas come from the country side of things, but the blues will be front and center when Kenny Wayne Shepherd takes the stage on Saturday night. Shepherd is pretty much the preeminent blues guitarist/singer working today, with all nine of his albums, including 2019's The Traveler, going to No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

The weekly Rockin' the River series returns to Panther Island Pavilion on July 3.

Rockin' the River at Panther Island Pavilion

Photo courtesy of Tarrant Regional Water District

The weekly Rockin' the River series returns to Panther Island Pavilion on July 3.

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Movie Review

Long-anticipated Wicked movie adaptation does not disappoint

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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