Paper City Article

What We Love: Out of This World

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:19 GMT

Two years after the wildly successful international debut of The Planets %26ndash; An HD Odyssey, the Houston Symphony has done it again, orchestrating yet another a wild ride through the solar system, but this time closer to home. Orbit %26ndash; An HD Odyssey, created and commissioned by the Houston Symphony, comes to Jones Hall for its world premiere Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18. Orbit %26mdash; composed by new music champion Giancarlo Guerrero and set to the powerful strains of John Adams%26rsquo; Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Strauss%26rsquo; Also Sprach Zarathustra %26mdash; is produced and directed by British-based astronomer/filmmaker Duncan Copp, who samples NASA footage of planet Earth for this otherworldly, multimedia celestial experience. Tickets from $22, through houstonsymphony.org.

Image: China from %26ldquo;Orbit %26ndash; An HD Odyssey%26rdquo; at the Houston Symphony. Photo courtesy NASA%26rsquo;s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Drama in Gargantuan Proportions

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:42:49 GMT

When the Dallas Theater Center sent word of its latest thespian venture, it wasn%26rsquo;t kidding when it said that it would be, well, giant. Those DTC wunderkinds have been busy assembling and producing what will be the Center%26rsquo;s largest show to date: a musical spin on author Edna Ferber%26rsquo;s treasured, Texas-themed novel Giant, produced in conjunction with The Public Theater in New York City. For such a sizeable production, Dallas Theater Center and its artistic director, Kevin Moriarty, have pulled out all the stops, with an A-list cast that boasts Broadway regulars (star actor Aaron Lazar), Tony Award nominees (actress Kate Baldwin, director Michael Greif) and top-notch storytellers (music and lyrics guru Michael John LaChiusa, writer Sybille Pearson). To toast Giant%26rsquo;s Dallas run %26mdash; it%26rsquo;s at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre January 28 through February 19, before making its Public Theater opening in NYC %26mdash; a Giant-sized, PaperCity-sponsored gala celebration has been planned. Note these deets: Celebration chairmen Pilar Henry and Barbara Baker Page and campaign chairman Rebecca Fletcher have dreamt up an opening-night bash for January 28 that will include the first performance of Giant, followed by a glamorous whirl of dinner and dancing on Flora Street. Consider yourself free to break out in epic, Texas-centric song and dance. Event sponsorship and ticket information 214.252.3915; robin.pomelnikov@dallastheatercenter.org. Tickets 214.880.0202; dallastheatercenter.org.

Now Playing: Sundance Cinemas

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:19:46 GMT

Art-house fans, are you still mourning the abrupt closure of the Angelica Theatre downtown? Now you can take in an indie flick at Bayou Place again. Robert Redford%26rsquo;s own Sundance Cinemas has taken up residence in the former Angelica space, refurbishing the film center with no fewer than eight screens. Houston native Rob Arcos, alum of the Landmark River Oaks Theatre and owner of Movies! The Store, has been named manager of the revamped complex, which opens as we go to press. For more details, head to sundancecinemas.com.

Image: Robert Redford.

Cue the Ovation

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:46:17 GMT

Tomorrow evening, don%26rsquo;t be alarmed if you hear a certain operatic melody coming from the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center. In fact, you%26rsquo;ll want to get there post-haste. See, The Dallas Opera has prepped Sammons Park for its second-ever, live Simulcast @ the Center broadcasting its opening night performance of Lucia di Lammermoor at the Winspear Opera House. For those not gussying up in gowns and tuxes for the red-carpet entr%26eacute;e, debut performance and seated dinner (we%26rsquo;ll be there, of course, capturing all those glamorous party details), the Opera has ensured you won%26rsquo;t miss a beat%26nbsp;%26mdash; Italian arias and all. The outdoor, televised performance is gratis and will be transmitted on the big screen in Sammons Park (just outside the Winspear) before a crowd of picnicking attendees. Curtain call is 7:30 pm, so plan your own opening-night arrival %26mdash; with blanket and lawn chair in tow %26mdash; accordingly.

Photo: The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, photographed by Tim Hursley.

Information: click dallasopera.org or ring 214.443.1000

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Opera in Vogue

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:09:40 GMT

Come Friday, October 21, we%26rsquo;ll be on the ultimate red-carpet watch: The Dallas Opera has pulled out all the stops for its First Night of Tragic Obsessions gala %26mdash; a red-carpet-meets-opera-meets-fashion-show affair, with media sponsor PaperCity, celebrating the debut performance of the Opera%26rsquo;s 2011-2012 season. This won%26rsquo;t be your standard, buttoned-up opening night. Instead, the Opera%26rsquo;s general director and CEO Keith Cerny, First Night chairman Kaki Hopkins and Red Carpet chairs Rhonda Sargent Chambers and Marisa Huckin have combined their areas of expertise (from the stage to society to the runway) for a multifaceted evening that begins sharply at 6 pm outside the scarlet-hued Winspear Opera House, with a red-carpet entr%26eacute;e. Five local fashion designers (Geoffrey Henning, Nha Khanh, Abi Ferrin, Michael Faircloth and Nicolas Villalba) will each create a theatrical gown inspired by operas, to be worn by five social swells %26mdash;%26nbsp;think D%26rsquo;Andra Simmons, Liz Kimple, Tanya Foster, Shannon Skokos and Linda Ivy. After the flashbulbs have snapped, guests will continue inside for the opening-night performance of Lucia di Lammermoor, followed by a divine seated dinner by Wolfgang Puck Catering. It wouldn%26rsquo;t be a red-hot to-do without a flock of excited onlookers: During the First Night event, The Dallas Opera will debut its second-ever Plazacast @ the Center, with a red-carpet viewing and live video telecast of the performance open to the public outside the Winspear in Sammons Park. Indeed, music to our ears. Information and tickets 214.443.1063; dallasopera.org.

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Image: Photo by Steve Foxall.

Paper City is Music to Our Ears

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:08:18 GMT

First there was PaperCity the exhibition; next, we inspired a couture gown. Now when we insert our earbuds and unlock our iPads, we have our own album playing. We%26rsquo;re mad for Popular Talk by up-and-coming indie pop sensation Paper City, which coincidentally (or not?) shares our moniker %26mdash; and our sensibility. Smart, upbeat writing and clever turns of phrase are manifested in pitch-perfect lyrics backed by compelling chords, led by West Coast songwriter/vocalist Marisa Predisik, whose cross-country tour lands in Houston Saturday, September 10 at Super Happy Fun Land. myspace.com/papercityband.

The Music Box Theater

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:15:21 GMT

2623 Colquitt, 713.522.7722; themusicboxtheater.com

Keys to the Door: Co-owners and founders Brad Scarborough and Rebekah Dahl.

What%26rsquo;s in the Playbill: For years, Radio Music Theatre drew audiences to the edge of the Colquitt Corridor, near the corner of Kirby and Richmond. While the curtain has gone down on RMT, rising in its place is The Music Box Theater, a new concept by Brad Scarborough and Rebekah Dahl, along with company members Colton Berry, Cay Taylor and Luke Wrobel. (If those names look familiar, check your programs for recent performances by The Masquerade Theatre, among other local groups.) The company couldn%26rsquo;t have asked for a better space: Located near the West Ave development and a few blocks from Greenway Plaza, the intimate theater is already fitted with acoustics that would bless a recording studio. It%26rsquo;s the perfect setting for Music Box%26rsquo;s repertoire: original musical comedy works interwoven with popular songs spanning the decades, accompanied by live musicians and suitable for all audiences. The troupe performs on weekends only %26mdash; grab some friends, enjoy a glass of wine, a slice of cheesecake and some familiar tunes. %26ldquo;We%26rsquo;re tricking out some of the arrangements,%26rdquo; Dahl says, %26ldquo;but other songs we%26rsquo;ll keep pure.%26rdquo; Their inaugural production, fittingly called Opening the Box (through August 7), introduces the company %26mdash; through %26ldquo;broad versions of ourselves%26rdquo; for maximum entertainment, notes Scarborough %26mdash; then segues into characters gleaned from pop culture. The musical mix includes Aerosmith%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;Dream On%26rdquo;; Sinatra%26rsquo;s signature croon, %26ldquo;That%26rsquo;s Life%26rdquo;; %26ldquo;Defying Gravity%26rdquo; from Wicked; Irving Berlin%26rsquo;s infectious %26ldquo;Let Yourself Go%26rdquo;; and U2%26rsquo;s %26ldquo;I Still Haven%26rsquo;t Found What I%26rsquo;m Looking For.%26rdquo; The titles of upcoming performances, still in development, reveal a tongue pressed firmly in cheek: Damaged Divas of the Decades with guest performer John Gremillion (August 12 %26ndash; November 13) and Fruitcakes! A Very Special Holiday Special (November 18 %26ndash; January 17), Scarborough and Dahl promise that no performance will ever overstay its welcome by exceeding two hours %26mdash; and you%26rsquo;re pretty much guaranteed to know the score.

Image: The Music Box Theater company: Cay Taylor, Colton Berry, Luke Wrobel, Brad Scarborough and Rebekah Dahl

En Pointe

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 05:39:46 GMT

There%26rsquo;s front of the house and back of the house; the audience and the performers. And often the divide is great, with the artists relegated to cramped quarters, prosaic rehearsal halls or inconvenient arrangements as they rehearse for prime-time curtain calls. Not so for the Houston Ballet, whose international profile rose dramatically three weeks ago when the Ballet unfurled its handsome new Center for Dance (naming rights still available) at 601 Preston. Designed by global architectural firm Gensler (Jim Furr reigns over its South Central region) and built by general contractor W. S. Bellows, the structure emits an emphatic architectural statement at the gateway to downtown, catty-corner from the Wortham Theater Center, to which it connects. At nearly $47 million, six soaring floors, nine dance studios, a new Dance Lab (named after patroness Margaret Alkek Williams) and a breathtaking 115,000 square feet, the gleaming Center for Dance is the largest professional dance company facility of its kind in America. Unveiled April 9 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony presided over by Mayor Annise Parker, the Center%26rsquo;s granite-and-glass exterior houses sustainable elements, a cool contemporary on-site dormitory for the Ballet%26rsquo;s Ben Stevenson Academy, a towering porte coch%26egrave;re to welcome the 30,000 students it will serve by 2015, and wardrobe and costume facilities that will be the envy of any company worldwide. It also brings together artistic and administrative personnel, all of whom had previously been housed in the Ballet%26rsquo;s former HQ: a one-time garment factory on West Gray that was half this size and woefully inadequate. The Dance Center is the culmination of the vision of managing director C.C. Conner, artistic director Stanton Welch and the Ballet board of trustees, with a bold capital campaign co-chaired by John C. Bass, Jesse H. Jones II and the late Anita B. Stude. It literally and figuratively connects the dancers to their patrons and the Wortham stage via a 170-foot skybridge adorned with images of leaping performers.

Image: Dancers en studio at Houston Ballet%26rsquo;s Center for Dance. Image courtesy of Gensler, photo by Nic Lehoux.

The Dallas Opera Gala’s Creative License

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:49:06 GMT

There are three things you should know before attending the PaperCity-sponsored Dallas Opera Gala %26ldquo;Unveil%26rdquo; at the Winspear Opera House on Friday, April 8:
%26bull; First, with your minimum $1,000-per-ticket price, expect a sensory experience via chairman Jessica Jesse and Dreamfly Productions founder Lisa Jenkins. The duo %26mdash; both recent San Francisco transplants %26mdash;%26nbsp;have planned an array of multimedia moments: from a video produced about gala-goers%26rsquo; footwear (invitations ask guests to sport outlandish chaussures) to an abstract film that will reel on-screen during the on-stage dinner.
%26bull; Secondly, you must familiarize yourself with eight visual works on view at the Dallas Museum of Art. Composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Sheer will debut their latest song cycle, %26ldquo;A Question of Light,%26rdquo; inspired by paintings such as Gerald Murphy%26rsquo;s Watch and Piet Mondrian%26rsquo;s Place de la Concorde. Internationally lauded and handsome baritone Nathan Gunn will perform the cycle, with his pianist wife Julie Jordan Gunn.
%26bull; Thirdly, our own Brooke Hortenstine chairs the new Young Patrons Ensemble, launching the first-ever Young Patrons cocktail party held the eve of the gala. A $150 YPE ticket grants you entr%26eacute;e to a pre-dinner cocktail with the on-stage dinner guests, the %26ldquo;A Question of Light%26rdquo; performance
viewing, and quite the favor bag. Information 214.443.1063; morgan.vaughn@dallasopera.org.

Image: Gerald Murphy%26rsquo;s Watch, 1925, Dallas Museum of Art. Photo courtesy DMA Foundation for the arts collection, gift of the artist.

The Sound of Sculpture

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:24:50 GMT

Beethoven and Davies have a date with Calder and Rodin during the Nasher Sculpture Center%26#8217;s latest program, Soundings: New Music at the Nasher. Sprung from a collaboration between the Nasher%26#8217;s director Jeremy Strick and pianist Seth Knopp, the event marks the first time that internationally renowned musicians will perform concerts in the Nasher%26#8217;s sleek Renzo Piano%26#8211;designed galleries. Lend a cultured ear for Soundings%26#8217; debut on Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13, as The Juilliard String Quartet, classical group A Far Cry and chamber-music ensemble Yellow Barn tune up for a trio of shows. Friday night%26#8217;s concert ($20 for Nasher members, $25 for non-members) includes a champagne reception and lecture by Knopp and the members of the Juilliard String Quartet. Then, on Saturday, folk melodies and gypsy influences make for a vivacious program beginning at 11:30 am, with a harmonic compilation starring works by Don Carlo Gesualdo, Johann Sebastian Bach and more at 2:30 pm. We can think of few better-suited soundtracks for sculpture. For tickets and information, click nashersculpturecenter.org/soundings.

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Image: Juilliard String Quartet. Photo by Vanessa Brice%26#241;o-Scherzer.

Masquerade Prevails as “Chess” Grandmaster

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:39:31 GMT

In the opening scene of Chess, lyricist Tim Rice ponders, %26#8220;Each game of chess means there%26#8217;s one less variation left to be played.%26#8221; The Masquerade Theatre, however, has proved yet again that variation is the name of the game (pardon the ABBA pun) when it comes to this musical. It%26#8217;s the third time the company has performed this cult favorite by Rice and Benny Andersson and Bj%26#246;rn Ulvaeus (the Bs in the aforementioned ABBA), but director Phillip K. Duggins and his talented cast have breathed new life into the Cold War competition. %26nbsp;

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%26#8220;It%26#8217;s a more stylized production,%26#8221; Duggins says of the show currently running at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts%26#8217; Zilkha Hall (through October 9, 2010). %26#8220;We also went with a very specific color palate. All the costumes and sets are red, white, blue, black, gold and silver.%26#8221; The set is minimalist, with scattered cubes and columns supporting illuminated red squares that suggest both a chessboard in disarray and the intrusion of the media into the proceedings %26#8212; representatives of which frequent the stage to pry sound bites from the protagonists. Is there also an implied pun in this design? Red Square certainly figures into the proceedings, as Anatoly is haunted by the KGB and the specter of the Soviet Union. %26nbsp;

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Some European revivals of Chess have shifted the action back to the %26#8216;70s, but in keeping with the Broadway-revision script, Duggins is happy with the Gorbachev era. %26#8220;The show works best in the 1980s,%26#8221; he says. %26#8220;That was the Cold War era, and it just feels right in that decade. It is also fun to see costumes and hairstyles from that period.%26#8221; Of course, as the years pass, the audience becomes less and less familiar with the %26#8220;U.S. versus U.S.S.R.%26#8221; tensions. %26#8220;It is a challenge with younger audiences,%26#8221; Duggins concedes. %26#8220;Most are aware of our past history but did not live through it. So it is a learning tool. The show is good in that it gives direct lines that help the younger audience understand the time and the era.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

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As for the characters, chess rivals Freddie Trumper and Anatoly Sergievsky have traditionally been linked to real-life grandmasters Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer, with Freddie sometimes associated with tennis star John McEnroe as well. (In the original London script, Freddie goes so far as to brag, %26#8220;I%26#8217;m like that tennis player, what%26#8217;s his name?%26#8221;) Whereas modern pop culture is rife with examples of celebrity and paparazzi interplay, Duggins is more circumspect in his approach to the characters. %26#8220;I don%26#8217;t really have any specific inspirations for this production,%26#8221; he says. %26#8220;Characters are never black and white but many shades of gray. I remind my actors of this always. What is really great about this production is that there are not any real villains. Just a lot of interesting people caught up in the game of chess and the Cold War.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

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These people include chessboard rivals Anatoly (Luther Chakurian) and%26nbsp; Freddy (Brad Scarborough); Florence Vassy (Rebekah Dahl), love interest to the Russian and second to the American; Svetlana (Kristina Sullivan), Anatoly%26#8217;s estranged wife; their handlers, KGB man Molokov (Luke Wrobel) and Walter Anderson (Evan Tessier), ostensibly Freddy%26#8217;s manager but obviously a CIA operative; and the Arbiter (Allison Sumrall), a commanding role usually portrayed by a man. %26#8220;I think playing the Arbiter as a woman adds a unique touch to the show,%26#8221; Duggins says. %26#8220;Plus, the women of the %26#8216;80s were so strong and coming of age. I wanted to reflect that even more in the production.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

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Many of the performers are very familiar with the material, having appeared in Masquerade%26#8217;s previous productions of Chess. Sumrall, for example, played lovelorn Svetlana in Masquerade%26#8217;s first cast in 2000. And Chakurian has won Florence%26#8217;s heart as Anatoly in all three productions now. %26#8220;Of course, the actors have also grown so much over the years, and the depth of the performances is nothing short of commanding,%26#8221; Duggins says. Of Chakurian%26#8217;s current interpretation of Anatoly, he adds, %26#8220;I don%26#8217;t know that he is approaching the role differently, but obviously being older makes him wiser and gives him more life experiences to draw from. Of course, just being a more seasoned actor %26#8230; you can expect an even stronger performance from him.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

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As for the characters%26#8230; Charles Dickens once wrote, %26#8220;Love that has a game of chess in it can checkmate any man and solve the problem of life.%26#8221; The leads in this musical might take exception to this view, however, and find more empathy with author Irving Chernev, who proclaimed that %26#8220;there is no room for gallantry in chess%26#8221; or even with H.G. Wells, who once referred to the game as %26#8220;a curse upon a man. There is no happiness in chess.%26#8221; Chakurian%26#8217;s Anatoly certainly embodies the latter in the first and final scenes, as he battles outside forces determined to turn his passion for chess (and for Florence) into international politics. Chakurian wears the exhaustion on his face, making his brief respite with Florence all the more poignant. As Florence, Dahl reveals all in the opening scene when she gazes with unabashed adoration at Anatoly, then with betrayed pain at Freddie. As Trumper, Scarborough balances the abusive ego and vulnerability of his scarred character, with a voice that soars through the rock-opera high notes. The entire cast handles the score with authority and passion, from Chakurian%26#8217;s wistful/driving %26#8220;Where I Want to Be%26#8221; and Dahl%26#8217;s frustrated %26#8220;Someone Else%26#8217;s Story%26#8221; (a ballad heralded by Tim Rice as %26#8220;the greatest benefit of the short-lived Broadway production of 1988%26#8221; in the foreword to the British libretto) in the first act to Sumrall%26#8217;s defiant %26#8220;Arbiter%26#8217;s Song,%26#8221; Scarborough%26#8217;s soul-revealing %26#8220;Pity the Child%26#8221; and Sullivan%26#8217;s soul-wrenching duet with Dahl, %26#8220;I Know Him So Well,%26#8221; in the second. Another highlight of Act II is Wrobel and Tessler%26#8217;s witty, well-sung %26#8220;Let%26#8217;s Work Together%26#8221; as the agents plot %26#8220;to mix our laissez with our savoir faires%26#8221; for their nations%26#8217; mutual good %26#8212; if not for the lead characters%26#8217;. %26nbsp;

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Anyone who watched the recent PBS concert of Chess at the Royal Albert Hall starring Josh Groban, Adam Pascal and Idina Menzel may be startled by changes not only in the music but in the plot of Masquerade%26#8217;s production. This is part of the phenomenon of Chess: The PBS concert evolved from the concept album and the original West End production, whereas American companies can only perform the 1988 Broadway version. After the first weekend of performances, Duggins had not noticed any audience confusion, although %26#8220;the really hardcore Chess fans called in advance to find out which version we were producing.%26#8221; Is there any hope that American fans might someday see productions based on the British script, now that PBS has given it such broad U.S. exposure? %26#8220;I would love for the British version to become available,%26#8221; Duggins says. %26#8220;I have not heard anything to date. But rest assured, if it does, The Masquerade Theatre will definitely produce that version.%26#8221; %26nbsp;

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For tickets to the final weekend of Chess, visit masqueradetheatre.com or call the Hobby Center Box Office at 713.315.2525. Tickets start at $30.

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Image: Luther Chakurian as Anatoly, Rebekah Dahl as Florence and Brad Scarborough as Freddie in The Masquerade Theatre's 2010 production of Chess. Photo courtesy of The Masquerade Theatre.%26nbsp;

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The Box Office, Refined

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:40:27 GMT

For Fellini-loving, Coppola-craving sophisticates, a mundane date to the movies just won%26#8217;t do. Instead, one must pencil in these far-from-average summer film events.%26nbsp;

%26#8226; Stop, Look, Listen: Every third Friday through mid-October, the Nasher Sculpture Center hosts %26#8217;til Midnight at the Nasher, where perfect concert and film pairings %26#8212; the band Petty Theft playing before To Catch a Thief, or the group Havana NRG rocking out before West Side Story %26#8212; take place outside among the center%26#8217;s sculptural masterpieces. 2001 Flora St., 214.242.5100; nashersculpturecenter.org/tilmidnight.

%26#8226; Documentary Date: Cinematic art comes by way of Samuel Lynne Galleries as the contemporary art space opens its on-site, high-definition theater for summer showings of art documentaries. Add these to your calendar: Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene 1940%26#8211;1970, on July 8; then Herb %26amp; Dorothy, about two unlikely art collectors, on August 12. What%26#8217;s more? Tickets are a cool $10, the proceeds benefit Hunger Busters and there%26#8217;s even a wine/espresso bar %26#8212; meaning you can substitute pinot grigio for popcorn. 1105 Dragon St., 214.965.9027; samuellynne.com.

%26#8226; Time-Travel Revel: For an unexpected destination in the Panamera, make a 40-minute trek down I-45 to the Galaxy Drive-In Theatre in Ennis. The vibe here is very 1950s: Blockbusters are shown under the stars, movie-watching accessories include vintage red window speakers, and movie fare can be ordered via an old-school snack stand. 5301 N. Interstate Hwy. 45, 972.875.5505; galaxydriveintheatre.com.

%26#8226; Silver-Screen Splash: A hotel%26#8217;s rooftop pool, outdoor screenings and no end to freshly shaken cocktails make for anything but your standard-issue cinema at The Fairmont Dallas%26#8217; Dive-In Movie Theater. Every Friday at 8:30 pm, glam ones will stake out lounge chairs and pool floats to catch the evening%26#8217;s featured film. Each month has a theme, such as %26#8220;dining%26#8221; for July, %26#8220;arts%26#8221; for August and %26#8220;pets%26#8221; for September. Let the aquatic amusement begin. 1717 N. Akard St., 214.720.2020; fairmont.com.

The Dallas Opera Casts a New Character

Wed, 26 May 2010 11:45:36 GMT

After a search chaired by opera patron Harvey Mitchell and a glowing confirmation from The Dallas Opera%26#8217;s president, Kern Wildenthal, a resounding bravo is in order for Keith Cerny, TDO%26#8217;s newly appointed general director. Cerny (pronounced sur-nee) packs a strong business background %26#8212; he is the CEO of Sheet Music Plus and boasts an MBA from Harvard %26#8212; and a keen musical sense, having spent four years in London conducting opera and studying piano, plus three years serving as executive director and CFO of the San Francisco Opera. Indeed, music to our ears.

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Image: The Dallas Opera%26#8217;s new general director, Keith Cerny. Photo courtesy Karen Almond, The Dallas Opera.

Symphony Announces New Director

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:38:46 GMT

On May 1, the Houston Symphony welcomes Mark Hanson as its new executive director and CEO. Hanson takes the reins from Matthew VanBesien, who has gone down under to become managing director of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Hanson is no newcomer to the Houston music scene. Under the League of American Orchestras%26#8217; Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, the Boston native trained with the Houston Symphony in the %26#8217;90s, and his wife, Christina, is a graduate of Rice University and The Shepherd School of Music. He comes to Houston direct from his post as president and executive director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. During his time with the MSO, the orchestra more than doubled its annual contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations, as well as the number of full-orchestra performances staged outside its primary hall. Hanson also knows the value of new technologies for the arts: He negotiated a revolutionary Local Internet agreement that established the MSO as the first U.S. orchestra to release live recordings on iTunes. Under his guidance, the MSO explored a variety of ambitious, artistic projects %26#8212; we%26#8217;re most intrigued by the marriage of Bartok%26#8217;s Bluebeard%26#8217;s Castle with sets designed by Dale Chihuly. Previously, Hanson served as exec director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, for which the League of American Orchestras honored him with the Helen M. Thompson Award for Exceptional Leadership in 2003. For more background about his achievements and details about the Houston Symphony%26#8217;s 2010%26#8211;2011 season, visit houstonsymphony.org.

Image: Mark Hanson; photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Cirque du Soleil's "Alegría" Soars

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:59:17 GMT

The Grammy-nominated score of Cirque du Soleil%26#8217;s Alegr%26#237;a soars as high as the aerialists %26#8212; which is perhaps why it%26#8217;s the best-selling Cirque du Soleil album to date. The music accompanies gorgeous visuals and dazzling acrobatics in the arena version of this renowned production, creating the perfect marriage of art, abstraction and skill. Experience the magic for yourself at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco Wednesday through Sunday, February 24 to 28, as Alegr%26#237;a settles in for %26#8220;a joyful rendezvous with the beauty and power of the human body,%26#8221; to quote the official site. Look closer, and you%26#8217;ll discover a theme: the transfer of power from an old regime to the new. Or, just sit back and enjoy the show. Either way, the music is guaranteed to haunt you %26#8212; and probably find its way onto your iPod as well. Tickets and information www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/alegria/default.aspx.

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Alegr%26#237;a trivia: Not only was this show captured on video while it was resident in Sydney, Australia, but it inspired a film: Alegr%26#237;a: An Enchanting Fable, starring Frank Langella as Fleur, the sceptor-carrying ringmaster/jester character who guides us through the show on stage. You can find both films, as well as the CD, through Amazon.com (or its associated sellers). The live show and CD can also be purchased through eboutique.cirquedusoleil.com.

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Images: Courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Design Destination

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:29:24 GMT

Just in: Houston gets its first museum devoted to design when The Anza Falco Museum of Design opens in Midtown this October in an eye-catching transitional building. For more on the story and the international talents behind it %26#8212; the founders are architect Mauricio Rodriguez Anza (who is designing both the transitional and permanent structures for the contemporary showcase) and his wife, musician-turned-private-dealer Vivianne Falco %26#8212; tune in to our March Art issue.

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Image: The Anza Falco Museum of Design. Photo Mauricio Rodriguez Anza.
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HGO brings drama to the New Year

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:42:40 GMT

The Houston Grand Opera welcomes the New Year with two thrilling %26#8212;%26nbsp;and chilling %26#8212; works in its ongoing 2010%26#8211;2011 season.

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Puccini%26#8217;s Tosca finds vibrant new life in a production created especially for the HGO by renowned director John Caird. This time, the tragic love triangle pits Raymond Aceto%26#8217;s Baron Scarpia against Patricia Racette%26#8217;s Floria Tosca and Alexey Dolgov%26#8217;s Mario Cavaradossi. Bunny Christie designed the sets and costumes in the style of 19th-century Rome. Times and dates: 7:30 pm January 22 and 30, February 3 and 5; 2 pm February 7. (Performed in Italian with Italian supertitles.)

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Henry James%26#8217; classic novel is explored in Britten%26#8217;s The Turn of the Screw %26#8212; the third production in the HGO%26#8217;s Benjamin Britten series. In this darkly woven tale, two children are haunted by the ghosts of their late governess and her lover. Soprano Amanda Roocroft is the new governess, who fights to protect her charges with only the help of the housekeeper (mezzo-soprano Judith Forst). Victorian sets capture the ambiance of the original novel, under the direction of Neil Armfield. Times and dates: 7:30 pm January 29 and February 6, 10 and 13; 2 pm January 31. (Performed in English with English supertitles.)

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Both productions share the Wortham Theater Center%26#8217;s Brown Theater. Information and tickets www.houstongrandopera.org.

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Images:

Above: Britten's The Turn of the Screw. Photo by Rob Maccoll courtesy of Opera Australia.

Below:%26nbsp; Set Model for Act 1 of HGO's new production of Tosca (set and costumes by Bunny Christie).

Planetary Plethora

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:11:02 GMT

Science meets art %26#8212; astronomy collides with symphonic sound, to be precise %26#8212; when the world premiere of The Planets %26#8211; An HD Odyssey is performed at Jones Hall later this month. The Houston Symphony does the honors while maestro Hans Graf conducts, reviving the orchestral classic composed by Gustav Holst and first performed in 1918. And after its Houston debut, The Planets orbits around New York's cultural galaxy, when our Houston Symphony takes this piece to the venerable stage of Carnegie Hall (January 28), then on to %26#8212; where else? %26#8212;%26nbsp;Florida where it will be performed at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach (January 30), concluding at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center (January 31). The timing, mere months after the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, couldn't be more favorable as interest in extraterrestrial exploration is sky-high. To add to the excitement, the visual effects may outdo even a George Lucas production. A mammoth, 24-foot screen will beam an immersive multimedia projection starring actual NASA footage from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, garnered on deep-space missions by the Cassini-Huygens, Galileo, Magellan, Mariner, Messenger and Voyager spacecraft, the Mars rovers and the Hubble Space Telescope. The symphony taps British filmmaker Duncan Copp to direct and produce this accompanying high-definition experience; Graf first had the idea to add NASA footage in 2003, then the concept expanded exponentially after commissioning Copp, who clearly is the idea candidate for this endeavor. He captured the Sundance Film Festival's Best International Film award for In the Shadow of the Moon and also happens to hold a doctorate in astronomy. (His PhD topic researched volcanic activity on Venus.) Audiences had a chance to preview Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity at the symphony's opening night this September; the performance was literally out of this world. Now see the solar system's seven planets via seven movements (sans Earth) plus illuminating commentary by top planetary scientists. The reviews are expected to be galactic. The Planets %26#8211; An HD Odyssey performed by the Houston Symphony, January 21, 23, and 24 at Jones Hall, tickets 713.224.7575; houstonsymphony.org.

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Image:%26nbsp; Neptune will be one of the latest exploration images to be unveiled when the Houston Symphony performs Gustav Holst%26#8217;s The Planets %26#8211; An HD Odyssey. Credit: %26#169; JPL and NASA

Performing Arts Events for the Holidays

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:22:23 GMT

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The holidays began last month at the%26nbsp;Alley Theatre, via a reprise of the holiday hits%26nbsp;A Christmas Carol %26#8212; A Ghost Story of Christmas%26nbsp;(upstairs) and David Sedaris%26#8217;%26nbsp;The Santaland Diaries%26nbsp;(downstairs). Only a Scrooge can resist the Alley%26#8217;s annual performance of%26nbsp;A Christmas Carol, as adapted by Michael Wilson and directed here by company member James Black (who does double duty as Scrooge%26#8217;s housekeeper and Jacob Marley%26#8217;s ghost). Book your passage back to Charles Dickens%26#8217; London through December 27 on the Hubbard Stage. Then head downstairs to Macy%26#8217;s in Manhattan for%26nbsp;The Santaland Diaries. Actor Todd Waite once again plays Crumpet the Elf, lamenting the lot of a worker in Macy%26#8217;s SantaLand exhibit during the holidays. The one-man, one-act play, adapted by Joe Mantello, won acclaim in its Houston debut at the Alley last year. Catch it on the Neuhaus Stage through December 27. (Ask Santa for Sedaris%26#8217; book,%26nbsp;Holidays on Ice, which includes the essay behind this play. The elves will find it easily at Borders Books %26amp; Music this season. And don%26#8217;t forget a Dickens Christmas anthology while you%26#8217;re there! Isn%26#8217;t it about time you read the original story that%26#8217;s evolved into films starring everyone from Alistair Sims to Kelsey Grammer and Jim Carrey?) Information%26nbsp;www.alleytheatre.org. Note: The festivities begin in the lobby, compliments of the Alley%26#8217;s%26nbsp;Deck the Trees Celebration%26nbsp;%26#8212; a forest of firs decorated by Houston%26#8217;s top designers and nonprofits. On display through December 28.

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No holiday season is complete without treating the kids to a performance of%26nbsp;The Nutcracker%26nbsp;by the%26nbsp;Houston Ballet. All ages are transported by the fantastical journey of Clara, on the arm of her dashing Nutcracker escort, into the dream-realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and the thrilling Spanish, Arab, Chinese and Russian dancers. Houston Ballet%26#8217;s vaunted rendition features choreography by Ben Stevenson, sets and costumes by Tony Award winner Desmond Heeley and lighting by Duane Schuler. Performances run through December 27 at the Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center. Information%26nbsp;www.houstonballet.org.

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The Houston Symphony%26nbsp;welcomes the season with several holiday-themed performances. On Wednesday, December 9,%26nbsp;Garrison Keillor%26nbsp;joins the Symphony for a one-night-only Christmas concert packed with improvisational storytelling and songs,%26nbsp;Garrison Keillor%26#8217;s Christmas. Philip Brunelle conducts %26#8230; Mid-month, the%26nbsp;Houston Symphony Chorus%26nbsp;joins the Symphony to welcome pop pianist William Joseph for the annual%26nbsp;Very Merry Pops, conducted by Michael Krajewski and attended by none other than Santa himself. (Joseph opened for Josh Groban on his recent world tour and appeared on the PBS special Foster and Friends alongside Groban, Michael Bubl%26#233;, Barbra Streisand and others.) Performances run Friday through Sunday, December 11 through 13 %26#8230; Remember the reason for the season with a stirring performance of%26nbsp;Handel%26#8217;s Messiah, conducted by Christopher Warren-Green and starring Kendra Colton, soprano; Charlotte Daw Paulsen, mezzo-soprano; Michael Slattery, tenor; and Douglas Williams, bass-baritone. They%26#8217;re joined by the%26nbsp;Houston Symphony Chorus, directed by Charles Hausmann. Performances run Friday through Sunday, December 18 through 20. All performances take place at Jones Hall. Information%26nbsp;www.houstonsymphony.org.

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The%26nbsp;Houston Chamber Choir%26nbsp;is celebrating%26nbsp;Christmas at the Villa%26nbsp;at the Chapel of the Villa de Matel with special guests: classical guitarist Marc Garvin and the Treble Choir of Houston, under the direction of Marianna Pamas Simpson. Join the festivities Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13. Information%26nbsp;www.houstonchamberchoir.org.

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Houston Boychoir%26nbsp;presents its 47th annual%26nbsp;Winter Concert%26nbsp;at 7 pm Wednesday, December 20, at First Presbyterian Church (across the street from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston). The program will showcase works by Mozart, Praetorius, Viadana and Bernstein. Practice your scales beforehand for a sing-along of traditional carols, too. Information%26nbsp;www.houstonboychoir.com.

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Stages Repertory Theatre%26nbsp;reawakens a British, Australian and Canadian holiday tradition with%26nbsp;Panto Sleeping Beauty, the playwriting debut of producing artistic director Kenn McLaughlin. This world premiere is the company%26#8217;s second foray into the world of pantomime, with music by David Nehls and orchestrations by Steven Jones. Expect dancing tree sprites, feminist fairies, lots of local humor and %26#8230; a chipmunk striptease. Performances run through January 3. Information%26nbsp;www.stagestheatre.com.

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Theatre Under The Stars%26nbsp;brings a new dimension to%26nbsp;The Sound of Music%26nbsp;with a special%26nbsp;Tea with Jam %26amp; BreadVIP experience before the December 13 performance. The package includes a holiday marionette performance, desserts, coffee, tea, decadent hot chocolate, a%26nbsp;Sound of Music%26nbsp;T-shirt, and one VIP ticket to the show that night. Information%26nbsp;www.tuts.com.

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The Ensemble Theatre%26nbsp;stages%26nbsp;Christmas with Great Aunt%26nbsp;by Thomas Meloncon, a contemporary gospel play with musical direction by Carlton Leake and choreography by Patdro Harris, through December 27. Information%26nbsp;www.ensemblehouston.com.

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A.D. Players%26nbsp;is cooking up%26nbsp;O Little Town of Bagels, Teacakes and Hamburger Buns, a tasty comedy by A.D. founder Jeannette Clift George through December 31 on the Mainstage Theater on West Alabama. Meanwhile, A.D.%26#8217;s Children%26#8217;s Theater is performing%26nbsp;Do You Hear What I Hear, a comedy about a lamb and a shepherd boy penned by Will Ledesma, at its performance space down the street at St. Luke%26#8217;s United Methodist Church (3471 Westheimer) Wednesdays through Saturdays through December 19. Information%26nbsp;www.adplayers.org.

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Don%26#8217;t miss%26nbsp;The Best Christmas Pageant Ever%26nbsp;at%26nbsp;Main Street Theatre%26nbsp;(4617 Montrose Boulevard), based on the book by Barbara Robinson and directed by Rebecca Greene Udden. This uplifting holiday tale is recommended for kindergarten-aged children and up. The final weekend family performances are December 5 and 12, while school matinees for public, private or home schools run through December 17. Information%26nbsp;www.mainstreettheater.com.

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Looking for something a little more unusual this holiday season? Travel back in time for%26nbsp;The Christmas Revels: A Medieval Celebration of the Winter Solstice, Saturdays and Sundays, December 12, 13, 19 and 20, at the Wortham Theater Center. It%26#8217;s the 19th annual trip back to medieval England for the%26nbsp;Revels Houston%26nbsp;troupe (directed by Beth Sanford, with music director Rebecca Vaughn) and transports the audience to an ancient castle where a king %26#8212; with the help of his resourceful jester %26#8212; must defend his throne against a Dark Knight. Expect music, wit and %26#8230; weapons! Who can resist a little swordplay for the holidays? Tickets start at $25 for adults, $12.50 for children under 12. Information%26nbsp;www.revelshouston.org.

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Texas Repertory Theatre%26nbsp;brings a beloved Christmas classic to life with its stage performance of%26nbsp;Miracle on 34th Street%26nbsp;through December 23. Information%26nbsp;www.texreptheatre.org.

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NOTE: If your performing arts group is staging a holiday-themed performance that%26#8217;s not mentioned here, please send an e-mail to sharon@papercitymag.com with all the basics, and we%26#8217;ll see what we can do. Thanks!

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IMAGE: Jeffrey Bean as Scrooge in the Alley Theatre's A Christmas Carol %26#8212; A Ghost Story of Christmas. Photo by Jann Whaley.

Performing Arts Events for the Holidays

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:32:45 GMT

While there%26#8217;s something to be said for nesting %26#8220;all snug in our beds%26#8221; during the holidays, no celebration is complete without indulging in some of the season%26#8217;s best yuletide traditions with our resident performing arts companies. Listed here in no particular order:

The new AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center welcomes Santa in a big way this year, with several holiday-themed events on-site and beyond %26#8230;

What%26#8217;s December without a few high-kicking Rockettes? Once you attend the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie (presented by the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center), however, you%26#8217;ll realize that these ladies can do a whole lot more than kick. Their intricate choreography in numbers such as %26#8220;The Twelve Days of Christmas%26#8221; and %26#8220;The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers%26#8221; will astound you. Join the chorus line December 10 through 30 %26#8212; that%26#8217;s 42 amazing performances in all for this talented troupe. Information www.attpac.org.

On December 11, catch The Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison Holiday Show at the Wyly Theatre at the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center. These renowned singer/songwriters will blend holiday favorites with numbers from their popular recordings. (For more about the stars, visit%26nbsp;www.brucerobison.com %26nbsp;and www.kellywilllis.com.)

On December 11 through 13, The Winspear Opera House at the AT%26amp;T Performing Arts Center hosts A Very Special Holiday Special featuring the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Metropolitan Winds, Dallas PUMP! and guest performers as diverse as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Chipmunks, Santa Claus and the cast of %26#8220;The Wizard of Oz.%26#8221; Curious? So are we!

On December 22, the Dallas Wind Symphony brings Christmas at the Meyerson to %26#8230; you guessed it, the Meyerland Symphony Center. Jerry Junkin conducts the festive romp, including Richard Strauss%26#8217; %26#8220;Donner und Blitzen Polka,%26#8221; John Wassen%26#8217;s %26#8220;Jingle Bells Fantasy%26#8221; and Alfred Reed%26#8217;s %26#8220;Russian Christmas Music.%26#8221; Practice some scales beforehand so you%26#8217;ll be ready for the sing-along!

Information about all four events www.attpac.org.

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No holiday season is complete without treating the kids to a performance of The Nutcracker by Texas Ballet Theater, to be danced at the Winspear Opera House through December 6, then from December 11 through 24 at the Bass Performance Hall. All ages are transported by the fantastical journey of Clara, on the arm of her dashing Nutcracker escort, into the dream-realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and the thrilling Spanish, Arab, Chinese and Russian dancers. And don%26#8217;t miss the Dallas premiere of The Nutty Nutcracker at Bass Performance Hall on Sunday, December 20 %26#8212; a parody of the classic ballet that%26#8217;s been selling out for years in Houston. Information%26nbsp;www.texasballettheater.org .

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The Dallas Symphony Orchestra welcomes the season with several holiday-themed performances, starting with Christmas Pops Thursday through Saturday, December 3 through 5. Special guest soloists join the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for a holiday treat that transforms the Meyerson Symphony Center into a winter wonderland. Expect all your beloved standards and a sing-along %26#8230; Cheer! A Christmas Celebration %26#8212; praised as one of the %26#8220;Top 10 Holiday Concerts in America%26#8221; by MSNBC.com %26#8212; unites the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Chorus and a children%26#8217;s choir for holiday classics and pop standards, December 10 through 20. But buy your tickets now: At least one performance (December 15) was already sold out when I checked the site a few days ago %26#8230; On December 26 and 27, New Age sensation Mannheim Steamroller brings its modern renditions of Christmas favorites to the Meyerson. Information www.dallassymphony.org.

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Who can imagine Christmas without a %26#8220;Bah, humbug!%26#8221; or two? Dallas Theater Center stages A Christmas Carol at the Kalita Humphreys Theater through December 27. This is Richard Hellesen%26#8217;s adaptation of the beloved Dickens tale, directed by Joel Ferrell, with music by David de Berry. The cast includes Chamblee Ferguson, Matthew Gray, Sean Hennigan and Christina Vela. Information www.dallastheatercenter.org. (Why not ask Santa for a Dickens Christmas anthology this year, too? After all, isn%26#8217;t it about time you read the original story that%26#8217;s evolved into films starring everyone from Alistair Sims to Kelsey Grammer and Jim Carrey?)

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Learn to believe in miracles again with Theatre Three%26#8217;s staging of Another Night Before Christmas, a musical tale by Sean Grennan and Leah Okimoto, at the Quadrangle through December 20. Information www.theatre3dallas.com.

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Finally, dodge those %26#8220;When is Santa coming?%26#8221; questions by treating the family to the national tour of 101 Dalmations The Musical, starring Broadway talent Rachel York (%26#8220;Les Mis%26#233;rables,%26#8221; %26#8220;City of Angels,%26#8221; %26#8220;Victor/Victoria%26#8221;) as the fur-ocious Cruella de Vil. Dallas Summer Musicals brings the production to the Music Hall at Fair Park, through December 20. (In case you were wondering, real Dalmations and costumed performers share the stage. See for yourself via the official videos posted on YouTube.) Tickets www.dallassummermusicals.org. Show information%26nbsp;www.the101dalmationsmusical.com.

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NOTE: If your performing arts group is staging a holiday-themed performance that%26#8217;s not mentioned here, please send an e-mail to sharon@papercitymag.com with all the basics, and we%26#8217;ll see what we can do. Thanks!