News Roundup, Dec. 16, 2022
The festive holiday mood is everywhere, which also means great music, often performed in beautiful churches with excellent acoustics. We told you about many of those last week but there’s a new crop of events taking place in the coming days.
The most original concert must be the new choral version of “A Christmas Carol” to be performed by the San Antonio Choral Society at St. John’s Lutheran Church. For one thing, this is “A Christmas Carol” with actual songs – carols – and an original soundtrack by contemporary, GRAMMY-nominated composer, Benedict Sheehan. The San Antonio production is one among a few produced so far. The work was premiered by the Skylark Ensemble from Boston in 2021 but it was published only this past September.
Under the direction of conductor and artistic director Jennifer Seighman, the San Antonio Choral Society’s 80 vocalists – including five soloists – will render the entire story through choral music, assisted by a narrator, KLRN anchor Elizabeth Ruiz. (“A Christmas Carol” (choral version); Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.; St. John’s Lutheran Church, 502 Nueva St.; tickets $5-$18 at www.sachoralsociety.ticketbud.com/a-christmas-carol; to learn more, see our article from Dec.14 on this site)
But there’s more! Alamo City Arts and The Heart of Texas Concert Band will present “Christmas, Where It All Begins” at Trinity Baptist Church where they will be joined by the Dianne Brumley Chorale and the River City Ringers. (Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., 78212; free admission, no tickets necessary.)
Handel’s majestic oratorio “Messiah” will be performed by the St. Luke’s Choir and Soloists this Sunday. (Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.; St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 11 Saint Luke’s Lane, 78209; 210-828-6425; www.slecsa.org/music)
Also on Sunday, the Music from St. Mark’s is offering “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.” Featuring works by Boris Ord, Paul Manz and John Gardner, in addition to arrangements by John Scott, Philip Ledger and John Rutter, the program includes carols for all to sing and celebrate the season. (Dec. 18, starting at 4 p.m. and continuing throughout the afternoon and evening; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Pecan St., 78205, 210-226-2426; https://stmarks-sa.org)
The San Antonio Wind Symphony’s Holiday Concert will feature many favorites “with a twist.” Traditional tunes such as “Jingle Bells” and “Adeste Fideles” will be there along with a narrated version of the “It was the Night Before Christmas.” Also on the program: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
(Dec. 18 at 4 p.m., Luella Bennack Music Center, University of the Incarnate Word; 4301 Broadway; 210-829-3855, www.uiw.edu/music; To reach San Antonio Wind Symphony, visit www.sawinds.com)
The Prickly Pear Clarinet Ensemble will play holiday favorites in another part of town that needs a bigger arts presence. The musicians will be at the High School Music Service at Alamo Ranch, the busy shopping center at 1604 and Culebra Rd. (Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m.; 5535 W. Loop 1604, Ste 103, 78253; refreshments will be served)
The United States Air Force’s Band of the West will join the festivities with its “Holiday in Blue” at the Majestic Theater, in partnership with the San Antonio Choral Society. (Dec. 20-21 at 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theater, 224 E. Houston; free and open to the public)
And, for those who missed the big “Nutcracker” productions, here are two more.
Alamo City Arts and Eva’s Heroes have joined forces to bring us a sensory-friendly performance by the Alamo City Dance Company and Symphony Viva. Performed by a youth dance company, this is an abridged version of the beloved ballet with music volume and lighting adapted to accommodate sensory-sensitive people. (Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.; McAllister Auditorium, 1300 San Pedro Ave.; tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling 210-369-8311 or at the door. Questions: info@acpaainc.org)
Another youth company, the San Antonio Youth Ballet, will be accompanied by the South Texas Symphonic Orchestra at the Scottish Rite Temple. (Dec.16 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 17 at 5 p.m., and Dec. 18 at 2 p.m.; Scottish Rite Temple, 308 Avenue East, 78205; 210-802-7931)
For something different – and sure to amuse – see “Bah Humbug – Scrooge on the Riverwalk.” It’s a one-man play in which the very funny Damian Gillen plays all the parts, from Scrooge to Tiny Tim. Trust us: you’ll have fun! (Dec. 16-17; at 7:30 p.m.; Arneson River Theater, 418 Villita St., 78205; tickets are $5-$10, VIP $125 at www.eventbrite.com/e/bah-humbug-scrooge-on-the-riverwallk-tickets; for info call 210-646-4284)
This is the last weekend to see two other Christmas shows: “White Christmas” at the Woodlawn Theater and “A Christmas Carol, the Musical” at the Public Theater. (The Woodlawn, 210-267-8388, www.woodlawntheatre.org; The Public Theater 210-733-7258, https://thepublicsa.org)
There’s also another “A Christmas Carol” staged by the Classic Theater, featuring an adaptation of the story for a solo performance. The Classic has teamed up with Texas Public Radio to bring Christmas stories into people’s home via radio broadcasts, like a long time ago. Thus, your family can gather around the radio to listen to the company’s “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 22 at 12 noon and at 7 p.m. Actor Kurt Wilkinson will play Scrooge. Actor Ray Seams will read the classic poem T’was the Night Before Christmas. The Classic’s artistic director Jimmy Moore will be the narrator. It’s an interesting experiment. You can listen to it on KSTX 89.1 FM in San Antonio and South-Central Texas.
Teatro Audaz is opening “La Pastorela Audaz” written and directed by AnaLisa Leos-Garcia. The show is a Mexican Christmas story, told from the shepherds’ perspective. The press release promises “fun and bold new twists” to the story. The company describes its purpose in this way: Teatro Audaz is dedicated to exploring the varied experiences and cultures of Latinx people through producing and showcasing the creative talents of our artists.” (Dec. 19-23 at 7 p.m.; ASL Night Dec. 20; Woodlawn Pointe Auditorium, 702 Donaldson Ave., 78201; tickets $20-$50 at box office 361-444-3931, boxoffice@teatroaudaz.com)
The Guadalupe Dance Academy and dancers from the adult Guadalupe Dance Co. present the annual “La Pastorela Folklorica,” that tells the story of the shepherds’ journey to find the baby Jesus. The dancing mixes folkloric dance with flamenco touches. (Dec. 16-17 at 6:30 p.m.; Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., 78207; $12, box 0ffice 210-271-3151, www.guadalupeculturalarts.org)
StoryCorps Listening Party is hosted by Texas Public Radio at the Malu & Carlos Alvarez Theater at NPR offices downtown. A number of people submitted stories on the same theme, if we understand correctly, though we don’t know what the theme was. Some were selected for the reading. (Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.; free; 210-614-8977; reception@tpr.org; ; https://tpr.org. Maybe you can find out what the stories are about.)
URBAN-15 will once again illuminate the Lila Cockrell Theater with its Holiday Laser Show. The spectacle blends high-tech projections, animations and beam work, all choreographed to holiday music. Clearly not for the sensory sensitive folks! (Dec. 20 at 3 and 7 p.m..; Lila Cockrell Theater, 900 E. Market St., 78201; 210-207- 8500; free but you must have downloaded reserved tickets in hand or on the phone 210-736-1500 or events@urban15.org)
And speaking of URBAN-15, we should mention The Josiah Media Festival that shows films by young filmmakers from around the world. You can watch free of charge through January 27th, 2023. Go to www.Urban15.org to view the full festival program.
While URBAN-15 creates magic with laser beams, The Illusionists create magic with “the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage.” Terms like “mind-blowing” are used to describe what they do. (Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, 78205; tickets@tobincenter.org)
Just one day later, the Tobin will be presenting a very different act, Blue October, at the Tech Port Arena. The San Marcos-based band has had quite a successful career in rock and alt-rock, with 17 Top 40 singles on the alternative rock chart. Their most popular songs are “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean,”from the 2006 platinum album “Foiled.” Their newest album “Spinning the Truth Around” will be released in three parts with the first released in October. (Dec. 17 at 8 p.m.; Tech Port Center & Arena, 3331 General Hudnell, 78226; 210-600-3699)
Other local news:
Art Gallery Prudencia is once again having a “Small Works Show” at this time of the year, to make it easier for people to buy original art as Christmas gifts. A range of media is represented, from watercolors to acrylic painting and collages. Artists include Andrea Almond, Tim McMeans, Stefani Job Spears, Kim Collins, Sheila Swanson, Finis Collins, and others. (Through Dec. 31; Gallery Prudencia, 2518 N. Main Ave.,78212; 210-422-8681; https://prudenciagallery.com)
The San Antonio Art League & Museum has announced its call for entries for the 93rd Annual Juried Exhibition, scheduled to open on April 2, 2023. All artists residing in Texas can enter. More than $10,000 in monetary awards and recognition will be available. Artists working in all media – except jewelry and video – are encouraged to enter their work. The submissions should be made online via the EntryThingy platform. The juror is Catherine Walworth, Ph.D., who is the Curator of Drawings at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Prior to that, she was curator at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina where she organized a number of exhibitions, including “Jackson Pollock: Mural” in 2019 and “The Ironic Curtain: Art from, the Soviet Underground” in 2021. Entry fees are $45 for nonmembers and $35 for SAALM members. For complete info visit: https://www.saalm.org/93.html
The McNay Art Museum has a new director. He is Matthew McLendon, Ph.D., the fourth director in the museum’s 68-year history. He comes here from the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia where he served as the J. Sanford Miller Family Director and the chief curator since 2017. He is known for his emphasis on community engagement, education and advocacy of cross-disciplinary programming.
AORN, the nonprofit association for perioperative nurses is hosting its national conference in San Antonio in April 2023. The organization has issued an open call for SA artists to submit original artwork for a contest. The winning art will be incorporated into commemorative gifts or merchandise for attendees. AORN will award $4,500 to the contest winner. Visit https://info.aorn.org/Expo-2023–San-Antonio-Art-Contest.html for more information. Deadline is Jan. 9, 2023.
And just for fun, visit one or two holiday markets that seem to be popping up everywhere. One to check out: Art For All/Arte Para Todos POP-Up Market, organized by the city’s Art & Culture Department at the city-owned Centro de Artes in Market Square. Vendors will be selling limited edition prints, ceramics, hand-crafted products, and other gift items. (Dec. 17, 11a.m -5 p.m.; free)