weekend event planner

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

Since we’re officially into October, all the haunted houses are opening up their scary, creepy doors this weekend. However, if you prefer not to be sacred out of your wits, this weekend has plenty of non-spooky options.

Get some Greek flavor at a festival and an art exhibit. Disney Jr. characters will be coming to life for children of all ages. Get tipsy (responsibly) at a whiskey tasting or watch someone get drunk at another Drunk Shakespeare production. A local rhythm-and-blues legend will be performing in Montrose, and a big ol’ train will be making a stop on Washington Ave.

And, Chris Shepherd, CultureMap’s wine guy, is hosting an epic fundraiser with chefs from all over the country.

Thursday, October 3

Houston Greek Festival
Hey, do you like souvlaki, spanakopita, and tzatziki? Well, those will be cooking up at the Houston Greek Festival. Now in its 58th year, the three-day fest celebrates one of the largest Greek Orthodox communities in the U.S. Part of the proceeds from the Greek Festival have helped many people through donations to various charitable organizations, such as Children’s Assessment Center, Houston Area Women’s Center, Covenant House, Texas Emergency Aid Coalition (EAC), and the Star of Hope Mission. 5 pm (11 am Friday and Saturday).

Alley Theatre presents Noises Off
Behind every successful show lies the chaos of rehearsals. Noises Off is a chaotic comedy (which was once adapted into a 1993 movie starring Carol Burnett and Michael Caine) that pulls back the curtain to reveal the hilarious pandemonium that ensues when a group of eccentric actors attempt to stage a play. From missed cues to misplaced props, this backstage farce will have audiences doubled over with laughter as they witness the mayhem unfold. Through Sunday, October 27. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2 and 8 pm Saturday and Sunday).

Drunk Shakespeare Society presents Drunk Dracula
Drunk Dracula offers a distinctive take on the tale of Transylvania’s most famous vampire, incorporating humor and alcohol. In the show, one of the actors in the ensemble consumes five shots of whiskey before delivering a raucous retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic story, while the other actors engage and attempt to keep the story on track. What results is an evening of comedy and unpredictability. Through Sunday, November 3. 7:30 pm (7 and 9 pm Saturday and Sunday).

Friday, October 4

Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play
Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play will see the addition of Ariel from the new Disney Jr. series Ariel, who will make her debut alongside Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and characters from other fan-favorite Disney Jr. series. The production features songs from hit Disney Jr. series, including the brand-new songs "Do the Spidey" from Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends, written by series composer/songwriter Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), and "Oopsie Kitty" from SuperKitties. 6 pm.

Southern Kindness Gallery presents Papou: "Yassou Yassou" opening reception
Southern Kindness Gallery presents "Yassou Yassou," an exclusive solo exhibition by the acclaimed Greek artist, Papou. Known for her vibrant and evocative "Coastal Cowboy" aesthetic, Papou transforms the 5,000 square foot space of the gallery into a vivid tableau that spans large-scale murals and new, inspiring works. This exhibition marks the culmination of Papou's groundbreaking residency in Galveston, where she explored local history and infused elements of the coastal lifestyle into her art. 6 pm.

Whiskey Washback Houston
Where our whiskey sippers at? Guests can immerse themselves in an evening of luxury and flavor at Whiskey Washback Houston. Sample over 100 types of whiskey, bourbon, rye, and Scotch from brands like Fierce Whiskers, Ghostwood Whiskey, Widow Jane, and more. Attendees can also discover handcrafted products from local businesses like Buena Vida Designs and LWx Custom Hats. 6 pm.

The Museum of FIne Arts, Houston presents Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
MFAH kicks off a series of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger films with this new documentary. Director Martin Scorsese celebrates his lifelong love affair with the movies of the British filmmaking team (The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, The Small Back Room). Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Scorsese explores the collaboration between Powell and Pressburger, who thrived during World War II, and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work. 7 pm.

Saturday, October 5

Emory Glenn presents County Fair Fundraiser
The County Fair at Emory Glen will feature carnival food, rides, activities, and a substantial donation to the Magnolia Education Foundation (MEF). At the second annual event, attendees will enjoy complimentary popcorn and cotton candy, carnival rides, face painters, a vendors’ market, live DJ, lawn games, and more. Food trucks will have Kona shaved ice and funnel cakes for purchase. Emory Glen will donate $10 per attendee, with a goal of raising up to $5,000, to the MEF. Noon.

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church - Starlight Outreach and Rescue presents Harvest Pawfest
Harvest Pawfest will feature an '80s-themed pet costume contest where pets strut their stuff in neon, sequins, and all the retro flair. Talented pets take the stage in pet acrobatic shows, showing off their best tricks and flips. There will also be a petting zoo for some cuddles with a variety of animals. The Blessing of the Animals will also be done to honor St. Francis of Assisi, plus local vendors, food trucks, games, raffles, and more. 1 pm.

Southern Smoke Foundation presents Southern Smoke Festival
Southern Smoke Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing emergency relief funds nationwide and access to mental health services for food and beverage workers, will present its annual fundraiser, the Southern Smoke Festival. More than 70 culinary stars from across the country will serve food, and there will also be drinks from the best wine, spirit, and beer producers, as well as live music. See why CultureMap editor Eric Sandler calls it Houston's best annual food festival. 3 pm.

Echoes presents Curley Cormier and the Gladiators
Echoes hosts a Saturday concert featuring live music from the legendary rhythm and blues band Curley Cormier and the Gladiators. Owner of the famed Silver Slipper nightclub in Fifth Ward, Cormier played guitar in backing bands for such stars as Johnnie Taylor, Etta James, BB King, and Ike and Tina Turner. Pop-up streaming radio station Ice House Radio, featuring tunes from DJs Sol Brotha, Moonlady, Skinny Play and FEELINGS, will begin the night at 5 pm. 9 pm.

Sunday, October 6

Union Pacific presents Big Boy No. 4014
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. Union Pacific Railroad's Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest steam locomotive, was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941 and was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service. It will stop in Houston as part of its 2024 Heartland of America Tour. 9 am.

Cigna Sunday in the Park
Cigna Sunday in the Park is back, people! The periodic, straight-from-the-Mayor’s-Office community event returns for the fall, providing Houstonians a free, unique opportunity to engage with others, meet new neighbors, and enjoy a neighborhood park. Each location will feature a theme with music, games, dancing, and fun activities for the whole family. The first event will go down at Love Park, over at 1000 W. 12th St. Noon.

Axiom Quartet presents "Risky(er) Business"
"Risky(er) Business" celebrates Dmitri Shostakovich and Nikolai Roslavets, a Soviet-era Russian and Ukrainian-Russian composer, respectively, whose experiments and ideologies lived on the perilous line between favor and dissent in the 1920s-’40s: when music represented power, politics, and the perspective of the people. When putting pen to paper wasn’t just risky, it was dangerous, even subversive. Which of them toed the line safely, and which landed on the wrong side of scrutiny – and survival? The Axiom Quartet will piece together that history through music at this concert. 6 pm.

Photo by Lynn Lane

The Alley Theatre presents Noises Off beginning this weekend.

art exhibit disney jr drunk shakespeare event-planner food festival greek festival train stop whiskey tasting

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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