The 20 Best Things to Do in Dallas This Week, Nov. 4-10

Monday, November 4

DMA Arts & Letters Live: Lori Gottlieb
Lori Gottlieb is a certified therapist (whose expertise is frequently sought on morning talk shows), a New York Times best-selling author and the columnist behind The Atlantic’s “Ask a Therapist.” Gottlieb’s latest book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, is based on her own attempts to keep it together while treating a group of disparate characters with a bouquet of blossoming neuroses. The book, which is receiving high praise for its insight and humor, is reportedly being developed into a TV show. Gottlieb will be speaking on her work with Dallas’ own acclaimed author, Sarah Hepola, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St. Tickets are $40 for nonmembers, with discounts for students and educators. For more information, visit dma.org. Eva Raggio

Tuesday, November 5

Cats
A seven-time Tony Award winner, including “best musical,” Cats (the touring company) will let the “Memory” live again (with the help of one-time glamour cat Grizabella) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, in the Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 1st Ave. Music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber; the new choreography is by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton). For those keeping score, Cats is the fourth-longest-running Broadway show of all time and the movie version is due out over the holidays. For single tickets, 800-982-2787; for groups, 214-426-4768. More info? dallassumermusicals.org. Reba Liner
Full Steam Ahead
STEAM is an initiative by a group of Dallas leaders and executives to provide young women with access to education in science, technology and the arts. The Full Steam Ahead Concert celebrates women in classical music with a performance by members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, including female conductors and players, performing works by mostly male composers like Vivaldi and Ravel — because in case anyone has forgotten, women were barely allowed to touch an instrument back then, unless we were using it to accompany tea or to seductively unhook our corsets — with one contemporary female composer in the mix, Jessie Montgomery. The performance, at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., will be preceded by a panel from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. that will focus on the project’s impact. The performance, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. is free, but RSVP is required at mydso.com. Eva Raggio

Wednesday, November 6

The Thanksgiving Play
"Woke" culture gets trussed up and roasted like a turkey in The Thanksgiving Play, written by Lakota playwright Larissa FastHorse and getting its Dallas premiere at Undermain Theatre, 3200 Main St. Bruce DuBose directs the satiric comedy about a troupe of "woke" teaching artists struggling to stage a Thanksgiving play that also celebrates Native American Heritage Month. Preview performances take place Nov. 6-8, the official opening night is Nov. 9 and the show continues through Dec. 1. Tickets to Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. show are $10 (they go up on opening night). Find them and a full schedule at undermain.org. Patrick Williams

Thursday, November 7

Sister Act
A lounge singer sees her gangster boyfriend commit murder, so to protect their witness' life, authorities hide her away in a convent, where she brings a little energy to the nuns' choir. That's the basic plot of the musical comedy Sister Act, the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg that's getting a stage treatment from WaterTower Theatre.  (You can tell it's a comedy by the absurdity of the premise. As far as personal safety goes, any smart woman would be better off taking their chances with the mob rather than a Catholic convent.) Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance are $41 plus $3 service charge at watertowertheatre.org. Performances continue through Nov. 10 at Addison Theatre Center, 15650 Addison Road. Patrick Williams
D.L. Hughley
The bad news for comedy fans is that The DL Hughley Show was taken off cable network TV One this month after just eight months. The good news is that he's still on the road and is bringing his stand-up act to the Addison Improv, 4980 Belt Line Road, for six shows. (Other good news is that he still has a syndicated radio show and, given his record of success, Hughley, one of the original Kings of Comedy, won't be off the air for long.) Not familiar with his work, which is both homey and edgy? Here's a little sample from Hughley about his hearing news that two California men were mauled by a mountain lion. He could tell they must have been white because "black people don't hike. ... The only way  a mountain lion ever gonna get black people is if it learns to pick a lock. ... It's dangerous enough just being black." Catch him at 8 p.m. Thursday or at one of five other shows through Sunday. Find a schedule and tickets, $40-70, at improvtx.com. Patrick Williams

Pablo Francisco
From featured player on MADtv to touring with fellow Latino comics Carlos Mencia and Freddy Soto, Pablo Francisco has gained stand-up fame thanks in part to his dead-on impersonations. That's right, just like old people who remember Rich Little, comic impersonators can actually be funny. At least Francisco, who tosses sound effects and wry observations into the mix, is funny. See for yourself as he stops by the Arlington Improv, 309 Curtis Mathes Way, for five shows this Thursday-Sunday. Thursday's performance is at 8 p.m., and tickets are $25-35. Find them and a full schedule at improvtx.com.  Patrick Williams

Friday, November 8

Angel Olsen
Released last month to universally positive reviews, Angel Olsen's latest album, All Mirrors, has ratcheted her already ascending stardom into another echelon. With lush string arrangements and a muscular production (courtesy of local favorite John Congleton) supporting nearly each track's esoteric laments and observations, Olsen's songwriting sounds grander but actually deals in more obfuscated topics than many of the biting confessionals that dotted the landscapes of her earlier releases. However, in interviews she has referred to this one as her "angry record," so maybe the characters inhabiting these sketches are more autobiographical than realized. Regardless of their characterization, these new songs (as they have already been done on a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon) should sound fully cinematic and mesmerizing in a live setting. It starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. Tickets are $28.50 at prekindle.com. Jeff Strowe

American Heroes: A Salute to Veterans
Veterans Day is the mother of all federal holidays in that, like your mother, it's too easy to blow off but you feel really guilty for doing so. Spare your conscience and get a jump on honoring U.S. military veterans with The Colony's American Heroes, A Salute to Veterans festival, taking place Thursday-Sunday at The Colony Five Star Complex, 4100 Blair Oaks. America's defenders get the full-on festival treatment with a carnival, car show, memorial ceremony, fireworks, 5K run and live music from the likes of Jack Ingram, John Michael Montgomery and many more. The carnival opens at 4 p.m., and Cory Morrow and Ingram are the main-stage acts on Friday. General admission is free, but VIP tickets are available for $35 and get their holders prime concert seats, dinner and drink tickets. Find them and a packed schedule at thecolonytx.gov/700/American-Heroes. Patrick Williams
Sleater-Kinney
Veterans of the riot grrrl movement of the early 1990s, Sleater-Kinney's music is more relevant to issues of sexuality, politics and female empowerment today than ever. Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker now make up the band as a duo, after the recent departure of longtime drummer Janet Weiss — whose last album with the band was this year's The Center Won't Hold, produced by fellow female powerhouse and Oak Cliff native St. Vincent. Sleater-Kinney plays toe-tapping and fist-pumping punk rock sweetened with catchy hooks and stirred with Tucker's raw and attention-grabbing vocals. With influences like Sonic Youth and Bikini Kill, the band's sound has been compared with other female artists like Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Patti Smith. Catch the band play Dallas for the first time as a duo in support of The Center Won't Hold at House of Blues with opener Joseph Keckler. It starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. Tickets are $37.55-$47.55 at livenation.com. Diamond Rodrigue

Winnie the Pooh
Poor, old, silly bear — not only does Winnie the Pooh have to struggle with a massive honey addiction, but his uncanny resemblance to Chinese autocrat Xi Jinping got him banned in that country, he was gorily murdered this season on South Park and came back zombified for Halloween and, to top it all off, he probably still has his nose stuck in a honey jar. Give the guy a break and take your kids to see him where he belongs, hanging out with Christopher Robin and crew in 100-acre wood as Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., presents Winnie the Pooh. Steven D. Morris is Pooh in this musical adaptation of the classic tale for children. Friday's performance is at 7:30 p.m, and tickets are $11-$16.70 at theatrearlington.org. Performances continue through Nov. 10. Patrick Williams
Ballet British Columbia
Canadian dance troupe Ballet British Columbia is "taking the world by storm," according to promo material for the group's upcoming Dallas show. Whose world we're not actually certain, as ours contains very little modern dance, and we generally like it that way. Still, judging by videos we found online, if a dance troupe were going to storm our world, these guys probably could. Very, um, coordinated and movement-y (that's a technical term common among dance aficionados). OK, look, we're not fooling anybody here, but if you know dance, and the people at TITAS/Dance Unbound, the show's sponsors, certainly do, then trust them: These guys are good. See them at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St. Tickets are $25-$75 at attpac.org. Patrick Williams

Saturday, November 9

Snoop Dogg
From his online sports and culture commentary to his brilliant performance in provocateur Harmony Korine’s recent film The Beach Bum, Snoop Dogg never ceases to remain relevant. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of his indisputable masterpiece, Doggystyle, this year, Snoop Dogg will perform with Master P, Goodie Mob, Slim Thug and many more. Twenty-five years on and Snoop’s iconic delivery — smooth as velvet, languid as a dream — is as enthralling as ever, still scanning as something genuinely radical and peerless. Above lyricism, mood and even presence, Snoop’s insouciant vibrancy, the way he ambles through each bar, remains his greatest feature, each syllable and distinct emphasis a hook to itself. Rap will never find another stylist quite like Snoop Dogg. Love live the king. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Dos Equis Pavilion, 3839 S. Fitzhugh Ave. Tickets are $25-$130 at livenation.com. Jonathan Patrick

Holiday at the Arboretum
We know what you're thinking. The Halloween candy is still traveling through your intestines, there are veterans who deserve honoring and a whole Thanksgiving meal to plan. Do we really need to be talking Christmas right now? Hah. You loser with your "Christmas starts earlier every year" complaints. We put our tree up in August, passed out presents and downed egg nog on Labor Day, all to avoid getting caught short on time. Granted, egg nog is not the best drink to bring to a picnic when it's 112 degrees outside, but luckily no one spewed themselves to death, and when Christmas comes, we won't have to see family at all in December. Win! You dilatory types will just have to get started now, as the Dallas Arboretum brings out its annual holiday celebration with the 12 Days of Christmas display of decorated gazebos depicting images from the second most annoying Noel song. (No. 1 is "Little Drummer Boy," now and forever.) Visits from Santa, Christmas lights and a holiday "village" come to the arboretum later, as the big day gets closer, but if you too don't choose to wait, check out the gazebos at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 8525 Garland Road. Tickets start at $10 for adults. Find them and a schedule of upcoming holiday events at dallasarboretum.org. Patrick Williams

60 Digits
60 Digits, a condensed iteration of the Denton funk-rock heavy-hitter Ten Hands, will take the stage at AllGood Cafe this Saturday. Ten Hands celebrated the 30th anniversary of the iconic live album THE BIG ONE IS COMING at the beginning of the year. Over the decades, the band has always been about making people move and have fun while also being a little intellectual. Frontman Paul Slavens, aka The Spontaneous Song Generator, is as much an actor as he is a musician. This energy, coupled with the rest of the band's, helps bring every one of the group's shows to life. At AllGood Cafe, band members Steve Brand and Gary Muller will join Slavens as 60 Digits. If you haven't seen Ten Hands in concert yet, this show is a good place to start. The free show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at AllGood Cafe, 2934 Main St. Jacob Vaughn

Fight for Air Climb
No offense intended, and we certainly support the great work the American Lung Association does, but does a fundraiser to fight lung disease that involves volunteers trekking up a 51-story building strike anyone else as a tad insensitive? Like, you wouldn't have a candy sale to support diabetes research, or a pub crawl to benefit Alcoholics Anonymous, right? Who's with us? No one? Oh, that's right, we're dicks. Forgot. Luckily, lots of other people aren't. Be one of them, round up some sponsors and take part in the Fight for Air Climb, the association's annual fundraiser taking place at 8 a.m. Saturday at Fountain Place, 1445 Ross Ave. Participants have already raised a third of the event's $100,000 goal for Dallas, so put on your walking shoes, take a deep breath and climb 1,020 stairs for a good cause — namely supporting research to aid certain longtime smokers who, despite being dicks, deserve love. Sign up at lung.org. Patrick Williams

Lizzie
What a simpler time 1892 was. In Fall River, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden stood accused of murdering her father and stepmother with a hatchet in a trial that riveted an entire nation. Borden was dark-haired, plain as a mud fence, in no way a celebrity and the body count was just TWO people. Today, a crime like that would merit about 2 column inches in a local paper, and nobody reads newspapers anymore until the body count gets up to around a dozen. Imprint Theatreworks presents a modern twist on the Borden "mystery" (she did it) with the musical Lizzie, which somehow reimagines the crime in a play with four women, all members of a rock band. It's almost worth checking out just to see how they pulled that one off. Find out at the Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther Drive, at 2 p.m. or 8 p.m. Saturday or one of several performances through Nov. 16. General admission tickets are $25 at brownpapertickets.com. Patrick Williams

Mondo Drag
It was Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, when King Camel Productions' Jeffrey Brown held his first-ever Locked & Loaded event at the Armoury in Deep Ellum. Almost every Saturday since, the Armoury has hosted a lineup of three or four live bands for the weekly event. This Saturday's show will be the last of the long-running series, which has given a stage to up-and-coming local and touring bands. "I am going to be taking a break from regular shows for a while unless it's something I can't pass up," Brown says. "I'll still be doing my special shows and events, but that's about it for the future." Though we will have to wait to see what 2018's DOMA-winning talent buyer has in store for us next, this show featuring three heavy psychedelic bands, Oakland's Mondo Drag with local support from Smokey Mirror and Wooden Earth, promises to be a proper send-off. The Locked & Loaded series will surely be missed for all it has done to build up the local music scene. It's nice to see it go out in a blaze of glory. The free show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Armoury D.E., 2714 Elm St. David Fletcher

Sunday, November 10

Lakewood Home Festival
You can keep your Highland Park. The M Streets don't move us. Bluffview? Hah. For our money, the most beautiful, envy-inducing neighborhood in Dallas is Lakewood, the hilly, wooded and very pricey enclave near White Rock Lake. Spanish eclectic, Spanish Mediterranean, colonial, whatever: The homes on this year's annual Lakewood Home Festival are all SFC to us (super effing cool). Wipe your feet, keep you hands in your pockets and mind your manners as a half-dozen remarkable homes are open to the plebes during the 43rd annual festival benefiting Lakewood Elementary School, J.L. Long Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School. Tours take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and the festival also offers a party, silent auction and special candlelight tours. Tickets for the standard tour are $20, extra for the auction party and candlelight sessions. Find them, a map and photos of the houses (even if you don't do the tour, check out the pix) at lakewoodhomefestival.com. Patrick Williams
Metalachi
It wouldn’t take much to argue that Dallas has always appreciated its Mexican influences about as much as a healthy dose of heavy metal music. And the best of both of these worlds can be found in the self-styled “greatest heavy metal band to ever live,” the one and only, Metalachi. Guaranteed to transform any “OMG” to an “Ay Dios Mio!” and shrill laughs into Grito Mexicanos, Metalachi is at bottom a cover band, more like to burst forth with a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Raining Blood” than “Volver Volver.” Frontman Vega De La Rockha comes off like the glorious love child of Alejandro Fernández and Dee Snider, rocking leopard-print pants and a top hat Sombrero, while belting out Guns N' Roses like a young Eje Rosa. Joining this unique cultural melting pot will be fellow DFW cover acts Kill Em All and The Tools to serve an appetizer to the destruction that Metalachi is known to wrought. It starts at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, Trees Dallas, 2709 Elm St. Tickets are $10-12 at treesdallas.com. Nicholas Bostick