Rock of Ages opens this weekend and runs through March 6.
Photo courtesy of Woodlawn Theatre
From opening night shows to high-octane concerts, we’ve compiled the best San Antonio events of the weekend. Want more? For a full listing of happenings in the city, visit our events calendar.
Woodlawn Theatre presents Rock of Ages Get swept up in the good times of Rock of Ages, opening this weekend at Woodlawn Theatre. This rock 'n' roll musical will take you back to the glory days of the 1980s for a rad sing-along. Grab your tickets and prepare to rock.
Naughty by Nature in concert Grammy Award-winning Naughty by Nature touch down in San Antonio for one night only as a part of their 25th anniversary tour. Head to Paper Tiger on Friday night for a dope concert with all the hits. Tickets are available.
Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend Bring the kiddos to Freeman Coliseum and spend Saturday or Sunday with Big Bird, Elmo, and the rest of the gang. Sing along with your favorite Sesame Street friends to family-friendly tunes that everyone is sure to enjoy.
Dancing with the Stars:Live! An all new production featuring the all-star cast of Dancing with the Stars waltzes into Majestic Theatre on Saturday. The show's professional dancers will perform never-before-seen acts as well as some of the most memorable numbers.
San Antonio Brewery Tours presents Brews in the Burbs San Antonio Brewery Tours takes beer lovers to the suburbs this Saturday. Get a taste of Ranger Creek Brewing, Branchline Brewing, and Freetail Brewing Co., plus boozy swag on this exclusive tour.
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When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.
The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.
Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.
One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.
He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which - in a great joke - comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.
There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.
Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.
Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.