Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –

Named the Cultural Connections season, ARTS San Antonio’s 2019-20 lineup includes performers from around the globe, from the beloved Peking Acrobats and the Vienna Choir Boys to flamenco phenom Farruquito and the new tenor-power group, The Four Italian Tenors. Vocal and instrumental music, jazz and classical, theater, ballet, acrobatics and magic – it’s all there. And many of the performers have never appeared in San Antonio before.

Starting things off on a winning note are the tenors, four young men from Italy paying tribute to their famous predecessors, Enrico Caruso, Mario Lanza, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli (The Four Tenors, Sept. 7, Laurie Auditorium, Trinity U.) For this first U.S. tour, the quartet has chosen a program that mixes favorite operatic arias, such as Donizetti’s Una Furtiva Lagrima from L’Elisir d’Amore and the drinking son from La Traviata, with perennially seductive Italian songs like Torna a Surriento and Domenico Modugno’s enduring pop hit Volare.  Also on the program are gems such as Schubert’s Ave Maria, Cesare Bixio’s love song to mothers Mamma, arias from La Boheme and I Pagliacci, and more.

Another newcomer on the touring circuit is The Kingdom Choir, which shot to prominence in 2018 after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markel. The inspiring London-based gospel ensemble has been in demand ever since and even signed a record contract with Sony Music. (Oct.13, 2 p.m., Laurie Auditorium)

Flamenco superstar, Farruquito will follow the gospel singers on November 15 (Laurie Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.) The son and grandson of Gypsy artists who have cultivated the traditional improvisational style of dancing, he has been performing since childhood, sometimes with his famed grandfather El Farruco. In fact, when he was only 12, Farruquito – whose real name is Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya – came to the attention of flamenco fans around the world when he appeared with El Farruco in the film Flamenco by Carlos Saura. This is a must-see for flamenco aficionados in San Antonio, and we happen to know  there are many.

Also new to our stages is cellist, singer and songwriter Gabriel Royal who started his performing career by serenading commuters in New York City subway stations. He calls his softly delivered soulful songs “grown-up lullabies” but you are not likely to fall asleep. He’s an American original. (January 24, 2020, 7:30, Concert Hall, Univ. of the Incarnate World). Another music act that should attract attention is the oddly named Hot Sardines, an eight-member band that is bringing back the swingy brand of jazz and earning high praise from critics. “Simply phenomenal, crisp musicianship going hand in hand with immaculate and witty showmanship,” proclaimed The Times of London. Vocalist and co-founder, Elizabeth Bougerol, gets accolades as well. (March 5, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theater).

But there is a lot more. Familiar groups like the Vienna Choir Boys (Nov.19, 2019, 7:30 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theater) and the Peking Acrobats (Feb. 21, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theater) have lots of fans in San Antonio and for a good reason. And the Yamato Drummers from Japan are bringing their new show Passion to the Laurie Auditorium, March 20, 2020. The energetic, athletic drummers perform on the traditional Japanese Taiko drums which have been used for centuries in Shinto rituals and festivals, according to the group’s website. (Personal note: I’ve seen them and they are amazing.) You may be surprise to learn that a good number of them are women.

For piano lovers, Arts San Antonio has included two special treats: Piano Battle, featuring internationally known pianists Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis (Feb. 1, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Laurie Auditorium), and Yekwon Sunwoo, the Korean gold medal winner at the 15^th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (April 30, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Ruth Taylor Concert Hall at Trinity U.)

Remember, I mentioned magic at the beginning of this article? Here goes: Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders – Magic as Performance Art will showcase the unusual artistry of Vitaly Beckman who, according to reports, confounded even Penn & Teller on their hit TV show Fool Us.” (April 18, 2020, 7:30 p.m., Laurie Auditorium)

But for the holidays, ARTS San Antonio will once again let families enjoy their favorite spectacle, The Nutcracker, a cultural connection of sorts: a Russian import that has become an iconic American tradition (Dec. 19-22, multiple shows, Lila Cockrell Theater).

For tickets go to ticketmaster.com or www.artssa.org, or call 210-226-2891 for information