Arts Alive San Antonio

Let’s start with theater news. Live, in-person performances are back but they may not last long. With new virus variants threatening again our collective health, venues may start closing again. It’s such an unpredictable time!

We already told you about the premiere of “Carmen from Mexico,” an original new work written and performed by actress/playwright Anna De Luna. As far as we know, the performances will indeed be live before an actual audience at the Guadalupe Theater. (Aug. 13 & 14 at 8 p.m.; $10 general admission; Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 1301 Guadalupe St., 78207; 210-271-3151; tickets at www.guadalupeculturalarts.org) To read more about it, read story from Aug.10 on this site.

The Jump-Start Performance Co. is presenting “Regeneracion,” another original play by a San Antonio playwright, in this case, Marisela barrera, with music by Jaime Ramirez. Inspired by the life of Ricardo Flores Magon, a journalist and activist from the time of the Mexican Revolution, the play focuses on Ricardo and his brother Enrique, who were forced into exile by the Mexican government because of their revolutionary ideas and writing. Consequently, they spent some time in San Antonio where they published, “Regeneracion,” a revolutionary newspaper.

According to the press release, Barrera used a variety of research materials, including Eduardo Galeano’s “Memory of Fire” “to tell stories that are historically inspired but not 100% historically accurate.”  A film project is also in the works. Barrera will portray Ricardo Flores Magon (Aug. 13, 8:30 p.m.; Jump-Start Theater, 710 Fredericksburg Rd. 78201; admission free to $15 in advance (you can choose what you pay); 210-227-5867, info@jump-start.org)

The Carver Community Cultural Center is seeking artists/performers and other community members who may be interested in participating in “Eleven Reflections: San Antonio,” a theatrical presentation exploring the impact of the 9/11 tragedy and its aftermath. The show will be the first city event in the broader “Eleven Reflections on the Nation,” (To learn more and find out how to apply, see the article from Aug.11 on this site.)

On a lighter note: Consider attending the Friday Night Improv Comedy at the Overtime Theater.  The laugh troupe is called The Denials, and according to the announcement, it has been in existence for 12 years and has built a solid local following. They entertain with improv comedy games, and longer improv forms that take on classic movies, books, TV shows and other pop culture developments. (Fridays at 10:30 p.m.; $5 at the door; no reservations so show up at least 15 minutes early; Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Rd. #205; 78238; www.theovertimetheater.org)

And speaking of comedy, there’s quite a bit going on this weekend and next week. Comedy heavy weight, Andrew Dice Clay, will launch the first comedy series at the AT&T Center’s new Terrace Club with two shows, tonight and tomorrow. He was the first stand-up comedian to sell out Madison Square Garden two nights in a row. Eleonor Kerrigan is the opening act. (8 p.m.; tickets $92-$135 at Ticketmaster; AT&T center is located at 1 AT&T Center Parkway, 210-244-5140)

Also Friday, you can see comedienne Iliza Shlesinger at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. She was the winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2008, and she currently has five specials streaming on Netflix. She is also the author of the book “Girl Logic.” Her tour is named “Back in Action,” meaning “Goodbye Corona” or at least we hope that is the meaning she had in mind. (7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13; $49.50 – $65; Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle; tickets at tickets@tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624)

The Maks & Val: Stripped Down Tour will stop at the Tobin for a single show, Tuesday, Aug. 17.The two stars of the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show, are bringing to us a family-friendly, intimate evening “packed with breathtaking dancing, storytelling and showmanship” says the announcement and we are ready to believe it. (Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m.; $39.50 – $75; for ticket info see above.)

Since we are talking about the Tobin, there is also this news: Tobin Entertainment LLC is taking over the management and booking for the former Verizon Amphitheater in Selma which has been renamed the Real Life Amphitheater. The 20,000-seat outdoor venue will host big events that other venues in town could not accommodate. Expect to see shows there in the spring of 2022.

In the meantime, you can enjoy the Pop 2000 Tour hosted by Lance Bass, with O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO, at the Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels. Bass is best known as a former singer for NSYNC but you may not know that he also aspired to be a cosmonaut. In fact, he went through training and was certified by both NASA and the Russian Space program, but he never made into space though he traveled to Russia in the hope of getting a seat on the Soyuz Space Capsule.

We also want to let you know about the San Antonio Museum of Art’s recent public mural project, funded by the Art Bridges Foundation. Murals have become the big San Antonio thing – they are popping up everywhere in and around downtown and beyond. SAMA recruited three local artists, Suzy Gonzalez, Victor Zarazua and Sandra Gonzalez, to paint new murals on the SAMA campus and, respectively, on the east and west side of the city. Now they are ready for viewing. A “blessing ceremony” will be conducted Aug. 14 at 10 a.m., followed by an American Indian dance performance. The other two murals are located at Tony G’s Soul Food on Hackberry St., and at the Wicho’s Mexican Deli on the West Side. An online conversation with the muralists is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. (200 W. Jones Ave., 78215; info@samuseum.org.)