At this time of year, it’s nice to remember that a valiant angel, not Valium, got George Bailey out of his funk. If you haven’t yet reached the “bah humbug” threshold with the 1946 Frank Capra movie It’s a Wonderful Life, the stage version subtitled A Live Radio Play and…
Part of the renascent body-count action industry, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning mere existence might shock many Americans. “There are four Universal Soldier movies?” those shocked Americans would say. They might also be taken aback by the bracing violence that marks the film from stem to stern: the gangland-style execution…
Everyone thinks that art openings are where it’s at, but if you missed the welcome reception for White Space’s Bright Black Lines, then you still may come out on top at its closing bash. That’s where your need for instant gratification will be met, as all works are available for…
The Gallery at the Fairmont gets an added collar pop Friday when three local talents present Caviar, a group show that pokes gentle fun at swank living, as told through a throwback rear-view mirror. Filling the walls are works by artists Daniel Perez, Daniel Driensky and Ray Albarez, all of…
I’m not always happy to see the holiday season upon us as November closes out. It means more traffic, more stuff to cram into the calendar and more of those obnoxious diamond commercials on TV. But the good news: The end of November also marks the end of Movember, that…
On Friday, American Airlines Center hosts one of the world’s most powerful and recognizable voices. Blind Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Bocelli brings his current world tour to Dallas for a night of moving arias and romantic duets. Bocelli is classically handsome and a born showman; his concerts evoke everything…
The McKinney Avenue Contemporary’s Blue Yule Artist Party and Ornament Sale is back for the 17th year in a row. And there’s a reason it’s been around long enough to be a senior in high school — it’s rad. Every year “emerging and established artists” create unique ornaments and works…
Southern California street art will finally get its due on Saturday when Dallas gets a visit from an old friend. Here-turned-there artist David Grizzle returns to his yeehaw heritage this weekend to show off his skate-deck art in a one-night-only show called Acrylics on Decks./b> His subjects include everything from…
Whether you find yourself in the East Dallas, White Rock Lake or the Design District area Saturday night, there’s a show you’ll need to pop into. Starting at the Bath House Cultural Center, take in a view of Dallas’ most endangered spaces: architecture. The group show Vanishing Dallas brings to…
Technology. Innovation. Dudes with jobs. You’ll find them all at re:THINK, the 2012 installment of TEDxSMU, a day-long symposium happening on Saturday at the new City Performance Hall (2520 Flora St.). Now in its fourth year, the event combines the best varieties of geekly fascinations. There are lectures and panels…
Around this time of year, people think about those less fortunate than themselves. The poor, homeless and hungry are put center stage as the community lends a helping hand and shares the holiday spirit by giving, and with a little help from the Stewpot, they can give back in kind…
Among the many, many joys of the holiday season — including family, friends and delicious food — there is one that warms you from the inside out. Mulled wine is the holiday panacea; everything is merry and bright with a belly full of this classic brew. Handle up on the…
Dogs get patios, sticking their heads out of the window to feel the breeze, carte blanche to dig in places that don’t house their own waste, and the awesome distinction as living security systems. Cats get a bad rap for being elusive, distant and licking their own buttholes (never mind…
As famous holiday tales have taught us all, sometimes entities come back from the dead to teach about the true meaning of the season … and comedy. Last year, we said goodbye to sketch and improv comedy troupe 4 Out Of 5 Doctors, but it wasn’t forever. They’ve banded back…
Adaptations can be funny things. Take, for example, Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll & Hyde takes the short tale of good and evil and mixes in a few songs, a lot more murders, and…
If you’ve ever dug into your history textbook while huffing mescaline, you might already know the story behind On The Eve, the new locally crafted rock musical written by Michael Federico and Home by Hovercraft’s Seth and Shawn Magill. It’s the almost completely true story of Marie Antoinette, with a…
Safe to say AMC knows a little something about pulling off a period drama. So we have high hopes for a pilot recently ordered by the ambitious cable network — especially since it’s set in Dallas, and double-especially since it was written by a native son. The show is called…
Jeremy Turner, owner of the mobile vintage store The Vintagemobile, has a little side project going this Christmas season: selling 3,000 Christmas sweaters. He’s been collecting the festive garments since last January, and now it’s time to spread the itchy holiday cheer. “I started selling Christmas sweaters on The Vintagemobile…
Editor’s note: Stephanie Embree, an SMU student and Observer photo intern, braved the world of CouchSurfing for a school project. See her slideshow, The Photo Chronicles of a CouchSurfer, and read about her adventure here. Most of my friends thought I was going to die. They were supportive at first,…
“A lot of you are probably wondering, What the hell is Mike gonna do on stage tonight?” Mike Tyson asks at the beginning of his one-man show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. “I’m wondering the same thing.” Wonder no more, friends. Tyson is bringing the Spike Lee-directed show, which has thus…
At first glance, you think it’s the strangest decision for a wrap, ever. Upon closer inspection, this sedan gets even more perplexing as you realize that it’s hand-painted. Yup. A hand-painted, 360 degree replica of van Gogh’s dorm poster classic,The Starry Night. I don’t know who the artist/driver is, but…
Filmmaker Judd Apatow lands in Dallas today to promote his new movie, This is 40, a raw, raucous look at three weeks in the life of an excessively good-looking American family. I saw it yesterday. It’s good. More on that later, from me and people way more qualified than me…
