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

Even though we’re entering the dog days of summer, there’s still some arts, culture and entertainment worth checking out in and around Houston. Rock bands from the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s will be doing concerts. A legendary Broadway show will be hitting Hobby Center. A new restaurant will be opening in Midtown, while a couple eateries in Missouri City will be giving away free food.

We also have a skateboard art show. And you have burlesque and drag shows happening on the same freakin’ night!

Read on for this weekend’s best bets.

Thursday, August 22

The Menil Collection and Inprint presents Hari Kunzru Book Reading and Conversation
Inprint and the Menil Collection will co-present a reading by author Hari Kunzru featuring his new book, Blue Ruin, followed by conversation with author Rosa Boshier González. Kunzru is the author of six novels, including Red Pill, White Tears, Gods Without Men, and The Impressionist. His novel masterfully weaves through time, painting an extraordinary portrait of an artist as he reconnects with his past and faces the world he once cherished but ultimately left behind. 7 pm.

Stone Temple Pilots and Live in concert
Get ready to take one helluva trip back to the ‘90s with this concert. Stone Temple Pilots and Live will co-headline the Jubilee Tour. Even though original frontman Scott Weiland passed away in 2015, STP still continues to rock on. They have released eight studio albums in their career, most recently Perdida in 2020. As for Live, they’ve released nine studio albums in their career, most recently The Turn in 2014. They will be joined by Soul Asylum and Our Lady Peace. 7 pm.

Memorial Hermann Broadway at Hobby Center presents Funny Girl
Funny Girl is a love letter to the theatre with one of the most celebrated musical scores of all time, including classic songs “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People.” The bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened — she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway. 8 pm (2 & 8 pm Saturday; 1:30 & 7 pm Sunday).

Friday, August 23

Doves Restaurant Grand Opening
Doves brings an upscale, boutique dining experience to Midtown, combining high-end glamour with surrealist décor and an opulent Southern cuisine menu infused with Asian influences. The restaurant will offer a distinctive culinary experience with premium modern dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and live entertainment from midday until late night. The eye-catching space seats 94 people and includes a stylish second-level dining terrace and a private outdoor patio. 4 pm.

Throughline Collective presents When You Invent the Ship, You Also Invent the Shipwreck opening reception
The artworks in When You Invent the Ship, You Also Invent the Shipwreck address threats humanity faces and the fear they engender. Garland Fielder works in painting, drawing, sculpture, architectural design, art writing and music. Inspired by metaphorical imagery from fables, media headlines, and other sources, Fielder’s work invites viewers to contemplate their own unique places in the universe, along with inevitable questions such positions pose. Through Saturday, September 21. 6 pm.

5th Annual Mariachi Festival
The Mariachi Festival is a celebration of Hispanic culture featuring some of the best mariachi musicians and ballet folklórico dancers from across Texas. These events are huge celebrations, each with durations of 180 minutes including intermission. Attendees are encouraged to wear business casual on Friday, formal wear on Saturday, and traditional Mexican dresses and guayaberas on Sunday. 7 pm (3 pm Sunday).

Insomnia Gallery presents BACKSIDE - A Skateboard Art Show
Insomnia Gallery is bringing back skateboard art to Hardy and Nance Studios. Dozens of Houston artists will design 100 skateboards. Wide variation in skateboard designs and styles, along with a very cool presentation and exceptional community support, makes this one of the best showcases of the year. Attendees will be offered complimentary beverages from City Orchard, Equal Parts, Bad Astronaut, and Eureka Heights, along with seasonal and themed cocktails. 7 pm.

Saturday, August 24

Pepsi Dig In Day
Pepsi Dig In, a platform designed to drive access and business for Black-owned restaurants, is expanding its Pepsi Dig In Day celebrations to more cities and establishments. Both Micheaux's Southern CuisineandSienna Wings in Missouri City will serve free food that includes Micheaux's slow-roasted, fall-off-the-bone oxtails with rice and choice of gravy and Sienna Wings’s the Sauce Boss Combo, which comes with 10 wings and two sides: garlic-parmesan Cajun blend french fries or three-cheese mac and cheese. 11 am (noon Sienna).

Chris Stapleton returns to Houston this weekend. Chris Stapleton/Facebook

Chris Stapleton in concert
Chris Stapleton has certainly become one of the more popular (and more progressive) outlaw-country artists to come along in some time. We’re quite certain many people have made “Tennessee Whiskey” their designated karaoke song (especially after they’ve had a couple of Tennessee whiskeys). Anyway, he’ll be in Houston this weekend, in support of his 2023 album Higher. He'll be joined by special guests Miranda Lambert and Grace Potter. 6 pm.

Poppy Tart Productions presents Poppy's Secret: A Burlesque Affair
Poppy Tart Productions presents a burlesque affair where secrets are not told but revealed. The show captures the essence of burlesque while leaving room for surprises. Poppy Tart will celebrate her birthday with her most seductive show to date. She’s been dropping hints and clues like crazy about who will be performing over on her Instagram page. Even on social media, the lady knows how to tease. 6:30 & 9:30 pm.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Live
There’s gonna be a whole lotta fierceness and slayage going down in H-Town this weekend. Step into the Werk Room and get ready to experience this season unfolding live on stage. Be captivated by the return of fan favorites Angeria, Jorgeous, Plastique Tiara, Roxxxy Andrews, Shannel, and Vanessa Vanjie as they perform in this show-within-a-show highlighting the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent it takes for a Queen to be an All Star. 8 pm.

Sunday, August 25

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Green Border
Along the treacherous forests (“green border”) between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the Middle East and Africa are lured by government propaganda promising easy passage to the European Union. Instead, they find themselves trapped in an escalating geopolitical standoff. Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland captures the migrant crisis in stark black-and-white, from multiple perspectives: a Syrian family fleeing ISIS; young guards instructed to brutalize and reject the migrants; and activists who aid the refugees at great personal risk. 2 pm.

Train and REO Speedwagon in concert
Well, this is a very interesting two-fer. 2000s pop-rock favorite Train and ‘80s pop-rock favorite REO Speedwagon will co-headline the Summer Road Trip tour. Train has released 11 albums in their career, most recently AM Gold in 2022. REO Speedwagon has released 16 albums in their career, most recently Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon in 2009. Don’t be surprised if you see middle-aged parents and their parents rocking out during this show. 6:25 pm.

FNO Event Culture presents Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson’s exceptional range, from stand-up comedy and acting to versatile music accomplishments, have earned him a reputation as an extraordinary performer. Best known as one of the stars of the hit television show In Living Color, his visibility has allowed him to become a household name known for his innovative talent. You may have even caught him on TikTok collaborating with hometown fave Call Me Choko. 7 pm.

$RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars 9th Season$

Photo courtesy of Voss Events

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Live

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Movie Review

Houston native Wes Anderson shows off comedic side in The Phoenician Scheme

Photo courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features

Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme.

If you were to do a poll of the best comedy filmmakers of the 21st century, writer/director Wes Anderson is not the obvious choice to come out on top, but there’s an argument to be made for him. His quirky style doesn’t yield the guffaws that more broad comedies do, but the absurd situations he creates in his films are often more consistently funny than anything else.

Anderson’s inimitable approach is once again on full display in The Phoenician Scheme. At its center is Zsa-Zsa Gorda (Benicio Del Toro), a much-hated businessman who’s looking to complete a number of big projects in the fictional country of Phoenicia. As he seems to be the target of multiple assassination attempts, he appoints his daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as his heir to try to ensure his legacy.

Both she and his new assistant, Bjorn (Michael Cera), accompany him around the country as he tries to enact a scheme to have others cover the bulk of the cost for the various projects. Those he attempts to convince include Phoenician Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), brothers Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston), fellow businessman Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric), ship captain Marty (Jeffrey Wright), his Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), and Uncle Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Put in Andersonian terms, the film is a mix between the madcap antics from The Grand Budapest Hotel and the impenetrable storytelling of Asteroid City. If you were to try to understand every detail of what’s going on in the story of The Phoenician Scheme, it might take three or more viewings to do so. But the film is still highly entertaining because Anderson fills its frames with his typical visual delights, great wordplay, and his particular version of slapstick.

Much of the comedy of the film derives from Anderson inserting moments that initially come as a surprise and then utilizing them as running jokes. The film features more blood than usual for the filmmaker, but each time a character gets wounded (or worse), it gets funnier. The assassination attempts get broader as the film goes along, and the matter-of-fact way in which they’re treated by Gorda and others is also hilarious.

Of course, Anderson is the cinephile’s comedy director, so the film is also full of high-brow things like allusions to paintings, tributes to other filmmakers, and classical music. Each time Gorda has an attempt on his life, he briefly finds himself in a version of limbo, depicted in black-and-white by Anderson. The cast of characters Gorda finds there - including Bill Murray as God - could come straight out of a 1950s Ingmar Bergman movie.

Del Toro has delivered some great performances over the years, but this one is near the top for him. This is his second Anderson film (following The French Dispatch) and he nails the deadpan method. Also great is Cera, who uses a ridiculous accent to make a big impression. Threapleton, the daughter of Kate Winslet, makes the most of her first big film role. The list of supporting actors is too deep to properly laud everyone, but they all fit in seamlessly.

Opinions will differ, but for this critic’s money, Anderson is at his best when he fully leans into the comedy of his films. He does just that in The Phoenician Scheme, to the point that it doesn’t matter that the story is overly complex. The combination of his eye for visual detail, a witty script, and committed performances make it a success.

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The Phoenician Scheme is now playing in theaters.

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