weekend event planner

Here at the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

Dazzling art and photography celebrating royal India await at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Photo by Neil Greentree

It’s the start of a new month, and while swarms of Houston folk will get their cowboy on at RodeoHouston, there are other intriguing, active, artsy, and even free events that are poppin'. We've rounded up your top eight, to make the most of your weekend.

Thursday, March 1

Bun B opens the Bayou City Music Series at Discovery Green
For the next few months, The Bayou City Music Series will dispatch a number of Houston-proud performers to various venues throughout the city, in the hopes of getting the townspeople in an enjoyable, ultimately soulful mood. It all begins at 6:30 pm at Discovery Green, with trill rap icon, author, Rice University guest lecturer, and occasional CultureMap advice columnist Bun B as the headliner. The High School for the Performing Arts (HSPVA) Jazz Ensemble, former B.B. King bandleader Milton Hopkins, and jazz/blues legend Jewel Brown will serve as the opening acts. A great show — and it's free.

Rock out at Houston Ballet’s Rock, Roll and Tutus
The Houston Ballet has an intriguing, mixed repertory program happening this weekend, called Rock, Roll and Tutus. There will also be a pre-show, costume exhibit located in the theater’s lobby. Aptly titled “Tutus: From Stitch to Stage,” the exhibit features wardrobe from the Ballet’s various performances throughout the years. Among the tutus on hand: the Coppelia tutu, the Don Quixote tutu and, of course, the Swan Lake tutu. (Both those tutus will be seen again when productions of Quixote and Lake happen later this season.) The tutu/ballet fun runs through Sunday, March 4, at George R. Brown’s Resilience Center.

It's Turtle racing (!) at Little Woodrow’s
Have you ever wanted to get drunk while watching sea-dwelling creatures compete in a race? Little Woodrow’s in Midtown will once again serve all those looking for reptile-themed sporting events. Every Thursday night at 8 pm, the Little Woodrow’s Turtle Guy (apparently, this place has an official turtle handler) and his wranglers will bring in some turtles to take part of in a series of turtle races, while cheering fans get the chance to win a koozie if they pick the winner. Of course, if the sight of racing turtles doesn’t make you immediately giddy, this place still has lots of beer.

Friday, March 2

Leon Bridges brings old-school soul to RodeoHouston
As we noted, Ft. Worth native Leon Bridges is a legit national star, and a major player on the neo-soul scene. There have been some rumblings about Bridge's booking as the sole African-American act, but that doesn't take away from his superstar appeal. Expect head-swaying tunes from his album, Coming Home, which calls to mind greats such as Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. This show is sure to be a RodeoHouston standout, and unlike many of the other performances, there are still tickets available.

MasterChef Junior — with “HotHead Henry” viewing party
Katy kid chef Henry Hummeldorf will be the guest of honor at Dish Society at LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch. This night is special for the lad; that’s when the new season of MasterChef Junior airs, in which he appears as a Top 40 contestant. Along with giving a viewing party, Dish will also serve free ice cream with the purchase of a meal, as well as have Henry’s sauce stocked to spice up your dinner. (Already have HotHeadHenry on hand? Henry's happy to sign bottles of his sauce upon request.) This kid will be on TV and has his own sauce? Doesn’t this make you feel like you didn’t do a damn thing in your childhood?

Saturday, March 3

Meet tennis legends at Zina Garrison's EAT.PLAY.LOVE
Local tennis great Zina Garrison and her Zina Garrison Tennis and Education Academy has put together a charity weekend, basically known as EAT.PLAY.LOVE. The event starts at 8 am with a competitive doubles tournament. After that, VIP tents will feature contestants and winners from Hell’s Kitchen whipping up some food. Garrison and Martina Navratilova will then entertain folks at a dinner/auction set at Richard and Marty Finger’s home in River Oaks. On Sunday, there's a semi-finals tournament, followed by the “Ace of Love Fashion Show.” The event will culminate with finals and a trophy presentation.

Find your inner dude at the Houston Lebowski Bash
Twenty years ago this month, Joel and Ethan Coen’s The Big Lebowski hit theaters, though it wasn’t a smash upon its initial release (everyone was too busy seeing Titanic over and over again). However, this hilarious mashup of film-noir detective story, and rambling stoner comedy, has now turned into an iconic cult film — even spawning an annual, major gathering: Lebowski Fest. Local Lebowski fans can celebrate this movie by attending the Houston Lebowski Bash, at 6 pm at Smither Park. Along with an 8 pm screening of the movie, there will be a costume contest, Lebowski Trivia and a Vinyl Ranch DJ set. And yes, White Russians will be served.

Sunday, March 4

Dazzling treasures at Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India
This weekend, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston unveils eye-opening, sophisticated, Indian treasures. Sunday is the kickoff date for Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India, an epic exhibition of royal treasures from India. Some 250 objects will be on display — many of them seen for the first time in the U.S. Along with the artifacts, there is also a community “Mela” party on Sunday, from 12:15 pm to 6 pm. Free with admission, it will be full of art-making activities, Indian cuisine, performances, and other goodies. Peacock runs at the MFAH through Sunday, August 19.

Dazzling art and photography celebrating royal India await at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Photo by Neil Greentree

Dazzling art and photography celebrating royal India await at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

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Movie Review

Timothée Chalamet cements star status in new movie Marty Supreme

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Timothée Chalamet

In a time when true movie stars seem to be going extinct, Timothée Chalamet has emerged as an exception to the rule. Since 2021 he has headlined blockbusters like the two Dune movies and Wonka, and also earned an Oscar nomination for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (his second nomination following 2018’s Call Me By Your Name). Now, he’s almost assured to get his third nomination for the stellar new film, Marty Supreme.

Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a world-class table tennis player living in New York. But reducing Marty to his best skill doesn’t do him justice, as he’s also a motormouth schemer who will do almost anything to achieve his dreams. He doesn’t have any qualms about wooing married women like neighbor Rachel (Odessa A’zion) or actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), or hiding his true ping pong skills to win money in scams with friends like Wally (Tyler the Creator).

Marty is seemingly on the go the entire movie, whether it’s trying to convince Kay’s millionaire husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) to fund his table tennis ambitions; or trying to track down the dog of Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a man he accidentally injures; or trying to avoid the ire of the boss at the shoe store where he works. Just when you think he might slow down, he’s off to the races on another plan or adventure.

Directed by Josh Safdie and written by Safdie and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein, the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives, and yet the throughline of Marty keeps everything tightly connected. His particular type of brash behavior turns much of the film into a comedy as he does and says things that are both shocking and thrilling.

Another thing that makes the movie sing is the fantastic characterization by Safdie and Bronstein. Almost every person who is given a speaking line in the film has a moment where they pop, which speaks to airtight dialogue that the writers have created. Characters will be introduced and then disappear for long stretches of time, and yet because they make such an impression the first time they’re on screen, it’s easy to pick up their thread right away.

Safdie, as he’s done previously with brother Bennie (Uncut Gems), calls on a host of well-known non-actors or people with interesting faces/vibes to inhabit supporting roles, and to a person they are crucial to the film’s success. O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), rapper Tyler the Creator, director Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi each deliver knockout performances. The relative unknowns who play smaller roles are just as impressive, making each beat of the film feel naturalistic.

Leading the way is the powerhouse performance by Chalamet. For one person to believably play both the famously reserved Dylan and also a firecracker like Marty is astonishing, and this role cements Chalamet’s status as his generation’s movie star. A’zion is a rising star who gets great moments as Marty’s on-again/off-again love interest. Paltrow pops in and out of the film, lighting up the screen every time she appears. Fran Drescher as Marty’s mom and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor also pay dividends in small roles.

Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial effort is unlike any other movie this year, or maybe even this century. Thanks to its breakneck storytelling, a magnificent performance by Chalamet, and countless intangibles that Safdie employs expertly, the film smacks viewers in the face repeatedly and demands that they come back for more.

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Marty Supreme opens in theaters on December 25.

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