READY FOR HIS CLOSEUP: One of the best shorts at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival was made by Fort Worth director David Lowery. Pioneer is a simple but affecting film in which a father tells his son an epic bedtime story. The son is played by 5-year-old Frisco newcomer Miles Brooks, a.k.a. The Cutest Kid On Earth. He gets the video profile treatment from nbcdfw.com.

SINGIN’ AND DANCIN’: The touring production of A Chorus Line is in residence at Bass Hall in Fort Worth. So is it worth checking out? “There are too many outstanding performances to mention them all,” Punch Shaw writes on dfw.com. “Ryan Steer is appropriately self-assured and overbearing as the director-choreographer Zack. Rylyn Juliano is well-cast as Cassie, the most experienced performer at the audition and something of a misfit.” Meanwhile, theaterjones.com calls the production so-so. “This particular touring production is serviceable but ultimately lacks that feel of desperation these actors have no doubt felt in their own lives,” Kris Noteboom writes. “From Paul’s (Gaspare Diblasi) opening solo to Cassie’s (Rylyn Juliano) reckoning with the poor state of her career and romantic past with Zach, the production lacks in passion.” Judge for yourself through Sunday.

MS. JACKSON: On Saturday, Janet Jackson takes her tour to the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. And with as many hits as she’s had, you could fill out a complete set list without hitting them all. In case she needs a little help figuring out what to pick, the music writers over at quickdfw.com have come up with the list of songs that they most hope to hear.