Weekend Event Planner

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

Catch Joe Rogan at the Bayou Music Center.

Photo by James Law

While we will unfortunately be going another year without the Houston Art Car Parade, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art will still show a lot of festive vehicles this weekend during the Houston Art Car Experience.

Some 80 cars will be on display during the day, along with nighttime, live-music performances and an illuminated Art Car Walk.

More fun awaits this weekend, such as:

Thursday, May 13

Moore Vision Entertainment presents Godspell
All this weekend at the DeLuxe Theater, Moore Vision Entertainment will present the forever-heavenly, Tony-nominated musical. In this tale of building a community, friendship, loyalty and love, a small group of disciples helps Jesus tell a variety of parables through song, dance, and a heaping dose of humor.

The musical boasts a score with chart-topping songs by Stephen Schwartz. 7:30 pm (10:30 am, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday; 2:30 pm Sunday).

Improv Houston presents Whitney Cummings
Whitney Cummings is finally coming to Houston to perform some stand-up. Anyone who follows her on Instagram knows some medical issues made her cancel shows she scheduled for January.

But, she is fully recuperated and back to being her bold, brash, uninhibited self. If her Insta-stories are any indication, there is a strong possibility that Cummings will doff her top and dance to “WAP” during her shows, so look out for that. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 Saturday).

Friday, May 14

A Cowboy Steak Dinner at Central Market Houston
Capture the flavors of Texas in a meal that would satisfy any hard-working ranch hand.

The Central Market cooking staff will show you how to cook a USDA Prime Texas steak to perfection; create a salad and a side dish that highlight local flavors; and discover how baking in cast iron adds a new dimension to your desserts. Ages 18 & up and $75 per person. Participants who are 21 years and older will enjoy Texas wines paired with their meal. 6:30 pm.

Revue Prevue Party Hosted by Dandy Wellington
Kick-off the 13th Annual Galveston Island Beach Revue (happening this Friday and Saturday) with a special night under the stars. The party also features one-night-only performances by New York City's Gin Minsky and Austin’s Amelia Foxtrot.

Ticket holders will receive a complimentary drink ticket for a special cocktail from DTO Galveston, complimentary craft beer and wine and bonus admission to Saturday's Beach Revue. 6:30 pm.

Joe Rogan in concert
In case you haven’t heard, Joe Rogan is a Texas boy now. The comedian, UFC commentator and beloved podcaster moved his family and his whole, Joe Rogan Experience podcasting operation to Austin last summer.

Now, he’s getting ready for his upcoming summer stand-up tour by testing out some material on us Houston folk, as he performs at Bayou Music Center this weekend. Maybe you’ll see him and new Houston resident 50 Cent together. 8 pm.

Saturday, May 15

Dream Festival Tribute Concert at Big Rivers Waterpark and Adventures
This weekend, the New Caney waterpark will be taking you back to the good ol’ days of hair metal with this festival concert, featuring the area’s greatest tributes to KISS, Motley Crue, Poison and AC/DC.

The bands that will be playing include Kidd Sixx, Poison IV, TNT, Motley Crew, and KISS Alike. The concert is included in park admission, so you can also enjoy the park attractions, which includes more than a dozen waterslides, wave pool, lazy river, etc. 1 pm.

2021 OMG Food Fest at Bayou City Event Center
It looks like we have the world’s first hip-hop food festival happening this weekend. Not only will this fest have delicious food — BBQ, tacos, boudin, turkey legs, etc. — coming from all directions, there will also be the city’s best DJs and bands playing hip-hop, rap and everything else that will keep you moving.

More than 60 vendors will be in attendance. Kids 8 and under can get it free, but keep in mind the music may not be kid-friendly. 2 pm.

Tatemo and Underground Creamery present A Night Market
The final, Montrose-based Night Market will be happening this weekend. Started by Tatemó and Underground Creamery in collaboration with their teams and other small businesses, this open-air market features live music, multifarious food experiences, desserts and zero-proof cocktails all celebrating the city’s diverse roots.

The closing finale will feature the Texas contestants from season 18 of Top Chef: Dawn Burrell, Gabriel Erales, and Sasha Grumman. 6 pm.

Sunday, May 16

Bobcat Teddy’s 1st Annual Crawfish Cook-Off
Get ready for some mudbug madness as Bobcat Teddy’s holds its first-ever, crawfish cook-off. Come by and enjoy the day with live music on the lot from Good Time Muffin and plenty of crawfish to taste. $30 wristbands allow you to sample each booth and vote for your favorite crawfish.

During the event, Bobcat Teddy's will also be collecting food to benefit Kid's Meals Inc. Each donation will enter you a chance to win some fun prizes. 1 pm.

Houston Symphony Stream at Discovery Green
Enjoy an afternoon outdoors with a live performance of Houston Symphony, under Matthew Strauss and executive director John Mangum (stepping in for music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada), on the Anheuser-Busch stage.

Guests will be supplied a circle on the ground to ensure social distancing and are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase at The Lake House. 2:30 and 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

movies film