weekend event planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Nick Cannon and crew get wild in Houston this weekend.

This weekend, we celebrate the historic Juneteenth and Dads and father figures everywhere. Look for two festivals — one toasts theater, another all things Brazilian, including music, dance, and food. Some major comics head to town, the Houston Symphony goes Disney and Zeppelin, and a dad party features beer, brisket, and a Lego walk (ouch).

Enjoy: here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, June 16

Alley All New Festival
This fest will feature new plays in development from some of the most exciting voices in contemporary theatre. The festival will feature workshop performances of Torera by Monet Hurst-Mendoza and Thornton Wilder’s The Emporium; readings of Christa McAuliffe's Eyes Were Blue by Kemp Powers, The World is Not Silent by Don X. Nguyen; and an early draft preview of a commission developed by Houston playwright ShaWanna Renee Rivon. Though Sunday, June 26. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

Houston Symphony presents Disney's The Little Mermaid Live in Concert
As the 1989, animated Disney classic plays on three large screens, the Houston Symphony will perform the film’s Oscar and Grammy-winning score live to film. One of the most beloved films and soundtracks, The Little Mermaid features songs and score by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman. So, just know you'll be taking part in a rousing sing-along of "Under the Sea" if you attend this show. 7:30 pm.

Donut Media Live
Donut Media is known all over the world for talking about cars and occasionally working on them, sometimes without breaking them. Six million YouTube subscribers still does not bring enough validation. So, they're piling in a bus and taking to the stage for a five-city tour across the southwestern United States. For the first time ever, fans can join James, Nolan, Zach, Jeremiah, and Justin for 90 minutes of insanity influenced by their YouTube content. 8 pm.

Friday, June 17

Houston Symphony presents The Music of Led Zeppelin
Guest conductor Brent Havens kicks off Summer Sounds at the Hobby Center with this two-night salute to Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and the blues-rock tunes that made them international rock icons. The Symphony, augmented by a full rock band, will cover a set list of Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits, including “The Immigrant Song,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and more. (We also better get "Kashmir!") 7:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Godfrey
Even though comedian Godfrey has been making people laugh for over a quarter-century, it wasn't until he went viral a couple years ago for doing a dead-on impersonation of Steve Harvey on his podcast that he got people talking. Since then, the Chicago comedian has been making major moves, appearing on That Damn Michael Che (where he did his Steve Harvey impression again) and Nick Cannon's hip-hop improv fest Wild N' Out. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

Next Brazilian Productions presents Houston Brazilian Summer Carnaval
The Houston Brazilian Summer Carnaval will feature the upbeat rhythms of Monobloco, Brazil’s most exciting street band, known for their raucous parade performances during Carnaval. Opening DJ DEXX will spin some Brazilian music. Attendees can also enjoy Comida de Buteco (Brazilian appetizers) and sweets from Brazilian food vendors Brazeiro Catering, Vita Dolce 160, and Sacole Gourmet. 8 pm.

Theatre Southwest presents The Legend of Georgia McBride
After years of struggling at a small-time club in the Florida Panhandle, and after discovering his wife is pregnant, Casey realizes that it's now or never for his career as an Elvis impersonator. Enter Miss Tracy Mills, a self-proclaimed grand dame of drag who guarantees Casey's life is about to get "all shook up." This hip-shakin' heartwarming tale explores what happens when one man trades in his blue suede shoes for platform pumps and discovers he ain't nothing but a drag queen. 8 pm.

Saturday, June 18

Lawndale Art Center presents "The Big Show 2022" opening day
"The Big Show" is an ambitious, open-call juried competition of artists — practicing within a 100-mile radius of the Center — that reflects the Center's commitment to supporting local and regional artists at various stages in their career. For the 2022 exhibition, juror Daisy Nam selected 39 artists from over 500 submissions. Featured artists include Patrycja Adamowicz, Jen Bootwala, Rontaye Butler, Paula Córdoba, daniel coreas, Sophia Longoria, Quentin Pace, Jesus Trevino and others. Through Saturday, August 13. 11 am.

The Rose presents 33rd Annual Shrimp Boil
At the Rose’s annual Shrimp Boil, guests can enjoy in-person dining and curbside pickup while participating in live auctions, silent auctions with digital bidding and more. Participants can also order tribute signs to honor and remember the life of someone lost to breast cancer. The boil aims to raise $120,000 to support the life-saving work of The Rose, where patients receive screening and diagnostic breast health care regardless of their ability to pay. 4 pm.

National Sushi Day at Nobu
So, Saturday is National Sushi Day, and Nobu is hoping y'all will celebrate the day over at its establishment. From familiar, favorite sushi maki rolls such as spicy tuna and California rolls to more adventurous varieties including Japanese eel with cucumber and new style salmon, there is something for everyone. Or go off-script and explore the nigiri and sashimi options like Japanese red snapper, king crab, and salmon belly. 5 pm.

Nick Cannon presents Wild ‘N Out Live Tour
For those of you who are diehard fans of Nick Cannon's version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? for hip-hop heads,here's a live show that will bring the series to the road and mix up comedy, variety, and game show elements all in one. Cannon and the cast members (here's hoping this goofy lady will be around) will also invite members of the audience to join them for the show's most popular games.8 pm.

Sunday, June 19

Father's Day at Typhoon Texas
This Father’s Day, dads can splash to their heart’s content with free admission to Typhoon Texas, where the entire family can enjoy a full day of waterpark fun. Simply purchase a full-priced day ticket for $49.99 in-person at the ticket window on Father’s Day -- and dad gets in free. The old man can also get some authentic, Texas barbecue, slow smoked onsite daily and served with zesty BBQ sauce made from scratch. 11 am.

The Rad Dad Father’s Day Extravaganza at Eureka Heights Brewery
EyeFearNoBeer, Houston’s premier beer blogger and craft beer advocate, will be hosting this dad-day extravaganza. The celebration includes a “Lava” Lego walk of endurance, a dadcore fashion contest (think white clunky New Balance Shoes and jean shorts), and smoked brisket burgers and dogs from up-and-coming Houston pitmasters Deckle and Hide. The event will also showcase a collection of vintage toys from Super Happy Incredible Toys, as well as freshly brewed “crispy bois” from Eureka Heights. Noon.

The Secret Group presents Bobcat Goldthwait
In the '80s, Bobcat Goldthwait was mostly known as that loud, crazy dude from the Police Academy movies. Now, he's one of comedy's elder statesmen. His stand-up features hilarious riffs on politics, divorce, going broke, and his career as a writer and director of film. (Personally, we prefer his documentaries more than his darkly comic cult films, like Shakes the Clown.) Let's hope he gives us juicy, behind-the-scenes stories about his time as a regular on Hollywood Squares. 8 pm.

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Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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