Best Things To Do in Dallas This Weekend

Friday

The Dallas Black Dance Theatre, 2700 Ann Williams Way, presents an event that’s part holiday party, part gift: their Black on Black production at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, operates as an exciting talent showcase while serving up seasonal merriment. The 21-and-up soiree kicks off with a holiday happy hour at 6:30 p.m. and is followed by an energetic and exhilarating performance where company members bring to life works choreographed by their fellow dancers. It’s an amazing opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of this emerging talent — and when it’s over, you can stick around to celebrate their accomplishments at a bumpin’ after-party, complete with live DJ. Get your tickets for $40 at attpac.org/on-sale/2018/black-on-black. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

We’d just gotten used to calling the White Rock Marathon the “Dallas Marathon” when some German automaker bought the naming rights. Oh well, we never stopped calling the Fair Park amphitheater “Starplex” even as its official name changed every few months, so maybe we can wait this one out too. Whatever you call it, the White Ro — excuse us, the BMW Dallas Marathon events begin with the Health & Fitness Expo 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin St.; the expo continues 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Actual running starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Dallas City Hall Plaza, 1500 Marilla St., with the 10K, 5K, 2-mile walk, 2-mile dog walk and kids’ races. The marathon, half-marathon, five-person and corporate relays and, new this year, ultra-marathon (50K) start at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, also at Dallas City Hall Plaza. Early registration would have been cheaper, but you can still sign up, with entry now ranging from $10 for kids’ races to $179 for the ultra to $449 for relay teams. Cheering runners on is free, as always. Visit bmwdallasmarathon.com for course map, registration and more info. Jesse Hughey

If you haven’t seen The Meyerson during the holiday season, you’re missing out on one of Dallas’ most breathtaking seasonal spectacles. It’s the inside of a jewelry box set to mammoth proportions, a magnum opus of architectural design tastefully adorned in traditional, shimmering grandeur. It makes the annual Dallas Symphony Christmas Pops Concert all the more fun and regal. Christmas staples, audience-involved caroling, and other holiday favorites and surprises are to be expected. Lawrence Loh conducts; Joshua Habermann directs the chorus. Eleven performances take place Dec. 7-16, with the first happening at 7:30 p.m. Friday. All take place at the Meyerson (of course!), 2301 Flora St. Tickets start at $44. More info at mydso.com. Jonathan Patrick

Former lead guitarist of The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile’s single “Pretty Pimpin” sits at 47 million Spotify streams as of press time, making it easy to see why the indie-rock guitar hero turned frontman-singer-songwriter sits on the verge of breaking into the mainstream. His Lou Reed-meets-Neil Young delivery perfectly blends his Middle America rock sound with city-folk street-smart lyrics. “Pretty Pimpin” soared to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart in early 2016, making Vile’s first track to land on a Billboard chart also his first chart-topper. In October, Matador Records released Bottle It In, Vile’s first new solo album since 2015’s b’lieve i’m goin down. Interestingly, this year’s album, which was recorded in a piecemeal fashion over two years of touring, is one of his most eclectic and ambitious while also being the most cohesive listen. With Bottle It In, Vile seems poised to finally make the crossover from indie darling to mainstream dream. 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 at The Bomb Factory, 2727 Canton St., $15 and up at ticketfly.com. Daniel Rodrigue

The singer-songwriter, Oscar winner and one-time rodeo cowboy was just recently in these parts when he appeared at a rally for Beto O' Rourke in the days leading to last month's Senate election. That night, he performed alongside Margo Price and Stephen Stills as the trio ran through a stunning version of "For What It's Worth." It's that type of versatility that has kept Ryan Bingham's career rolling throughout the past decade. Still probably best known for his 2009 hit, "The Weary Kind," for which he won that Oscar, he's on the road this winter with just a barstool and a guitar performing songs and telling stories from his seven-album catalog. With his rich, whiskey-tinged voice, he's one of those artists who sounds good reading or singing almost anything. Fortunately, he has the tunes and the tales to go along. 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 at The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., sold out. Jeff Strowe

Saturday

In the world of brilliant ridiculousness, Amy Sedaris is a fearless leader with a roster of perfectly imperfect characters and a delicious cheeseball recipe for any occasion. The writer, actor and DIY enthusiast has proven herself as adept at winning over audiences on screen as she is winning over readers and fellow actors on the page. That range is why Dallas VideoFest selected Sedaris for its Ernie Kovacs Award. After all, the creative force who can bring to life Strangers With Candy’s main mishap Jerri Blank, the many characters of Exit 57, Mimi Kanasis of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and BoJack Horseman’s Princess Carolyn (among others) is deserving of a prize named for the late greatness who embodied characters such as Eugene and Percy Dovetonsils. The star of At Home with Amy Sedaris claims her honor Saturday at Dallas VideoFest 31 at Alamo Drafthouse, 100 S. Central Expressway in Richardson. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets for the award ceremony are $25 on prekindle.com. For more on Dallas VideoFest, visit videofest.org. Merritt Martin

Step back to long-ago 1985 for a Christmas past with Jubilee Theatre's production of The First Noel. The story follows Noel, a girl whose hope for a happy Christmas seem crushed in a home where her parents still mourn the death of their firstborn. The musical production comes with a score filled with pop, gospel, R&B and reworked holiday songs. Will something unexpected grant Noel her wish? We don't want to spoil the show, but it is Christmas. What do you think? Find out for certain at 3 or 8 p.m. Saturday, or at one of several performances scheduled through Dec. 23 at Jubilee Theatre, 506 Main St. Find more details and dates at jubileetheatre.org. Patrick Williams

Fetch Clay, Make Man is a play that looks at what it really means to be a black man in America. The script is loosely based on the friendship between Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali, the symbol of black pride, and Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, aka Stepin Fetchit, the controversial black vaudevillian who drew laughs from 1930s white movie audiences for a character that many black people saw as pandering to racists. Dallas Theater Center's playwright Will Power has created a story about the two men before their legacies were created, and it's set during the civil rights movement. It plays through Jan. 13 at Dallas Theater Center, 2400 Flora St. Tickets are $20 and up attpac.org. Paige Skinner

There are 101 ways to celebrate Christmas this year in Dallas, but if you're looking for alternative ways to celebrate the holiday season, you might come up short. Kwanzaa Fest helps fill the void with its festival Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9 at Fair Park, 1121 1st Ave. The event offers prizes, live music and free medical services, including screenings for high blood pressure and prostate cancer. Children can have their teeth and health checked, as well. Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price will be there, as well as comedian D. Elli$, Mike Jones, Lenny Williams and more. The event is free. For more information, visit johnwileyprice.com. Paige Skinner

Sunday

Only if you're privileged enough to live in New York City can you conveniently see the Rockefeller tree lighting at Radio City every year. Yes, you could travel to the Big Apple to enjoy Christmastime in the city, but plane rides cost money. Thankfully, Dallas has its own version of the event, Rockefeller Christmas at the Majestic at Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. Promised to be Radio City-style for all ages, the show offers family friendly dancing, singing, The Nutcracker and even some snow. See it all Sunday, Dec. 9. Tickets start at $25 at prekindle.com. Paige Skinner

Gabriella Wilson, the once anonymous artist simply known as H.E.R., made a splash with her debut SoundCloud release H.E.R. Volume 1 at the tender age of 19. Now, having reached the legal drinking age, Wilson is steadily rising from underground artist to R&B darling, after a platinum-selling collaboration with Daniel Caesar on "Best Part" and her Billboard No.1 release I Used to Know Her: The Prelude. But judging from her follow up to August’s prelude, I Used to Know Her: Part 2, it appears Wilson is still treading water in search of a cohesive sound. There are certainly glimpses of magic across the 14 tracks of the two-part EP but nothing comes off quite as organic as she had in 2016. Yet, while Wilson may still need to dive deeper to codify her sound, she’s already proved to be more than capable of dominating Spotify playlists and concert venues alike. Plus, tracks like “I’m Not Okay” and “Hard Place” off her latest release are good enough indicators that show H.E.R. has plenty more pearls of wisdom to offer. 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., $32.50 at thebombfactory.com. Nicholas Bostick

What happens when you fuse metal and mariachi? Metalichi. This unlikely band comes from Juarez, Mexico, and can appeal to more than one type of concertgoer with its unique genre. Boasting the only of their kind, the band, which bases itself in Hollywood, also puts a spin on classic rock songs. 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $12-$20. Diamond Victoria