weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Hilarious actor-comedian Craig Robinson hits Houston this weekend.

Have you ever wanted to take part in a walk or run, but you didn't really want to, well, walk or run?

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will start up its virtual, 34th annual Rodeo Run on Saturday, which will go until Sunday, May 9. In addition to the traditional 5K or 10K walk, run or wheelchair race, there are also two new race categories, bonus challenges and opportunities to win special prizes.

As always, plenty of events and activities are on tap. Look for a hilarious alum of The Office, a 10-minute play festival, and a Kentucky Derby party — with a disco theme.

Here are your best for the weekend.

Thursday, April 29

Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation presents A Celebration of Reading
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation will present its 27th annual fundraiser as a hybrid production. Guests at the event will enjoy a professional-quality program, featuring a line-up of bestselling authors and entertainers, followed by dinner.

The lineup features authors former President George W. Bush, Matthew McConaughey (virtual appearance), Mark Sullivan, Elin Hilderbrand, and husband-and-wife duo Peter Baker and Susan B. Glasser. 6:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Craig Robinson
Craig Robinson is best known for his role as acerbic Dunder-Mifflin employee Darryl Philbin on NBC’s Emmy-winning The Office. The man has also done a lot of movies and TV, from Judd Apatow movies like Knocked Up to acting alongside the late Chadwick Boseman in the James Brown biopic Get on Up to headlining his own, short-lived sitcom (called Mr. Robinson, of course). Catch him this weekend as he does his musical brand of stand-up at the Improv. 7 pm (7:30 and 9:45 pm Friday; 7 and 9:30 pm Saturday).

Friday, April 30

Mother's Day Trunk Show Series at Deutsch Fine Jewelry
Deutsch Fine Jewelry will host Houston-based, women-owned designer Armenta on Friday and New York-based designer Lauren K. on Friday and Saturday. Handcrafted in Houston, Armenta provides women from disadvantaged circumstances a better chance in life, hiring women based on passion rather than skill set. As for Lauren K. they will showcase their one-of-a-kind pieces, perfect for the mom who is looking to add a splash of color to her jewelry collection. 6 pm (5 pm Saturday).

Houston Symphony presents Brian Del Signore Plus Brahms
Principal percussionist Brian Del Signore makes an extra-special, Houston Symphony solo debut, performing the marimba movement from his own Percussion Concerto. Plus, hear "Celestial Blue" by Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, followed by an invigorating early masterpiece by Benjamin Britten. The concerts close with Brahms’s genial Serenade No. 2. The Saturday performance will be live-streamed for home viewers. 8 pm (2:30 pm Sunday).

Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts presents 10-Minute Play Festival
All this weekend, the UH School of Theatre & Dance will present its annual 10-Minute Play Festival. This one-weekend-only, popular showcase highlights some of the best new works by B.F.A. playwrights, as well as pieces selected from their international 10-minute play contest. The video link for this event will be continuously viewable between Friday night and Sunday at 11 pm. Ticket registration closes at 8:30 pm on Sunday. 8 pm.

Saturday, May 1

Archway Gallery presents Shirl Riccetti and donna e perkins: "Exploring Paint" virtual opening
When friends Shirl Riccetti & donna e perkins decided to have a show together, they could never have anticipated such a tumultuous year as 2020. Perkins, an abstract painter, and Riccetti, a more traditional painter, decided to confront the challenges of 2020 by continuing to do what they have been doing for most of their lives. The virtual opening and artist talks will be posted to the gallery website, Facebook and YouTube. The exhibition will remain on display through Thursday, June 3. 10 am.

Sounds to Live By at the Menil Collection
Bring your picnic blankets and head out to the Menil for an afternoon of free, outdoor-music listening on the museum’s east lawn. Jamal Cyrus, Peter Lucas, and DJ Flash Gordon Parks will be spinning an eclectic mix of vinyl records from their personal collections. The event will take place on the Menil’s east lawn. Guests are required to abide by the museum’s COVID-19 safety protocols. Additional green-space policies apply. 3 pm.

Disco Derby at Onion Creek Cafe While there are plenty of Kentucky Derby parties this weekend, this one sounds the funkiest. Put on your favorite hat, disco shirt or whatever you're comfortable in as hosts Denver Courtney (aka Denverado) and DJ Melodic transform Onion Creek into "Disco Alley." There will be cash and prizes for best-dressed, as well as spins on a "prize wheel." There will also be plenty of food and drink specials all day. Derby and/or disco attire is encouraged but not required. 7 pm.

Sunday, May 2

The Women's Fund presents Board with Breakfast in Bed The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency’s ROC for H.E.R. will present a virtual Board with Breakfast in Bed to celebrate moms, mentors and friends via Zoom. Guests are invited to wear their PJs and stay in bed while Board & Bordeaux founder Stacy Williams teaches the art of charcuterie board arrangement. Brunch board ingredients, a bamboo board, mini mimosas, and an access link to the Zoom class will be provided on Saturday. 11 am.

Strange Bird Immersive presents The Man From Beyond InThe Man From Beyond, Madame Daphne leads a private séance to contact the spirit of Harry Houdini. But all is not what it seems, and when the ghost appears, things take a dramatic turn. Unravel mysteries a century in the making, and you could find yourselves doing more than escaping a room. The hybrid experience of immersive theatre and game will leave guests wondering if the magic is real. 2 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

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Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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