Arts Alive San Antonio

NEWS ROUNDUP

Yes, the Battle of the Alamo hero is back among us thanks to a wonderful play, The Confessions of Davy Crockett, currently playing at the Josephine Theater. Only three performance are left, two today and one tomorrow, so get your tickets promptly if you want to see it. Written by Austin playwright Steve Warren, with original songs by San Antonio composer Tom Masinter, the play-with-songs features Roy Bumgarner in the title role. Bumgarner is just about perfect for the part both as actor and vocalist.

The play is set in a Memphis tavern the night before Crockett is set to depart for Texas. Surrounded by friends and admirers who are buying him drinks, he shares stories from his incredible life. (See feature story on this site) March 7 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and March 8 at 2 p.m.; Josephine Theater, 339 Josephine St.; $30 at TheConfessionsOfDavyCrockett.com

This weekend books and book fairs dominate the downtown scene. At the Blue Star Contemporary, you’ll find the Novel Ideas Art Book Fair, the first such fair in San Antonio and the entire region, featuring more than thirty exhibitors and hundreds of items, from traditional monographs to artist-made books, unconventionally shaped books, prints, and other printed materials. Fair-related special programs are scheduled for the entire day today, including artist talks, book launches, book giveaways, a vinyl record listening session, and a keynote lecture by Julie Ault which will take place at3 p.m. at the nearby SAY Si facility. Admission to the lecture is included in the fair ticket price.

As a bonus, you get to see the current spring exhibits in the Blue Star galleries. (See feature story on this site)

The day concludes with a party at Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St Maty’s St., 78212. Saturday all-day pass $20 at www.bluestarcontemporary.org. For info call 210-227-6960.

Another much bigger book fair is also taking place today at the Convention Center. This one is associated with the national Conference of Writers and Writing Programs, known as AWP, which started on Wednesday. Due to corona virus-induced fear, about 40 percent of pre-announced participants dropped out but that still leaves about 6,000 people who are enjoying the conference and the fair. The latter is open to the public and definitely worth visiting. The complete schedule of events can be found www.awpwriter.org You can buy a day pass for only $5 in the Convention Center’s lobby.

And there’s always great music in San Antonio. Today, the Agarita Chamber Players, a group that’s always looking for collaborations with other artists and artistic disciplines, will perform at the UIW Concert Hall in connection with sculptor Danville Chadbourne’s exhibit of his recent work at the gallery in the same building. Called Synergy: Music and Sculpture, the event will start with a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m., with the concert following at 7:30. The quartet will be joined by guest violinist Eric Gratz for Berg’s Lyric Suite and Webern’sPiano Quintet. Other represented composers are Bela Bartok, and the great Slavic composers: Leos Janacek, Dmitri Shostakovich, Karol Szymanowski and Krzysztof Penderecki. (University of the Incarnate Work Concert Hall, 4301 Broadway; free; reception to follow in the gallery.)

On March 8, another gallery, Bihl Haus Arts, is hosting a jazz concert: Fred Sings: Women’s History Month Concert, at 4 p.m. “Fred” refers to the annual On and Off Fredericksburg Rd. Studio Tour which took place a couple of weekends earlier. Well-known jazz artists, Joan Carroll and Matthew Dunne will perform. Carroll has appeared at many festivals, including Jazz’SAlive, the Fiesta Jazz Festival, the Texas Jazz Festival and the Texas Lutheran University Jazz Festival, in addition to playing with the Musical Offerings ensemble in its Jazz Meets Classical series. Dunne, who is a professor emeritus of music at UTSA, is a seasoned guitarist and composer, who has performed throughout the U.S., Cuba and Mexico, as well as recorded four CDs, including an award-winning disc of Latin-American music and a collection of his own compositions for jazz quintet. What a great opportunity to see these very talented musicians, and it’s free! (Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Rd., 78201, 210-383-9723, www.bihlhausarts.org)

And on Monday, March 9, the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio – YOSA – will present a concert that’s bound to be a sold-out hit: Viva Selena, which will honor the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla, the beloved Tejano star who was killed at the young age of 23. Singing Selena’s songs will be a rising young singer, Isabel Marie Sanchez, who is getting used to singing with a philharmonic orchestra behind her.  After she first appeared with the Houston Symphony last summer, the word spread quickly and calls from other cities started coming.  Of course, Selena’s big hits will be included, such as Como la Flor, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, and Dreaming of You, but Sanchez will also perform some of her own numbers. (More about this concert on Monday.) 8 p.m. Monday, March 9, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle,; tickets $25-$65 at box office, 210-223-8624 or www.tobincenter.org

And here’s something for the whole family: Arte Family Day at AnArte Gallery on Broadway.

“The Anarte team decided to incorporate a monthly family day to embrace families (and have them) experience artworks created by local and international artists AnArte represents, encounter live art performances and enjoy live music by local musicians,” said gallery owner Ana Montoya. “We hope to stimulate an artistic conversation as a family.”

Family Day will coincide with the closing of the Eric Breish’s exhbit “Pure Abstraction.” (AnArte Gallery, 7959 Broadway, Suite 202, 78209; 210-826-5674, www.anartegallery09.com