Let’s start with theater.At the San Pedro Playhouse, you can see the new version of “Hairspray,” the vibrant and energetic musical set in the 1960s, that follows Tracy Turnblad, a plucky teenager with big dreams and even bigger hair. Despite her plus-sized figure, she wins a spot on a popular local TV program, becoming an overnight sensation. The musical deals …

“Grand Finales: The Creative Longevity of Women Artists” by Susan Gubar Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman Some artists – Jean-Michel Basquiat, Emily Brontë, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Sylvia Plath, Arthur Rimbaud – flash across the firmament before abruptly flaming out. No less spectacular are those who manage to be productive into their eighties or nineties. Beyond tips about diet, exercise, …

Summer is time for festivals, and the The 29th Cactus Pear Music Festival is about to start, under the name 29 and Counting. “The name is a nod to our longevity and to the milestone just ahead – but also to the heartbeat of camber music itself… “Sustained by years of unforgettable performances, meaningful connections and a community that keeps …

Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman             The symptoms of a panic attack are often indistinguishable from what an artist experiences in the throes of creation – heightened sensitivity, the feeling that everything is strange, and the dissolution of time and space. Fifteen-year-old Nicholas suffers from an anxiety disorder that causes him to hyperventilate, feel separated from his own body, and …

Let’s start with film! The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has announced its 46th Cinefestival SAN ANTONIO full program line up. The fest will take place July 9-13, 2025, showing Chicanx, Latinx and international Latin American cinema, with a strong focus on regional and local filmmaking.  It will showcase San Antonio premieres of new feature films: the Mesquite Award nominees for Best …

Reviewed by STEVEN G. KELLMAN                          On August 8, 1998, sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein disappeared. A troubled soul, he had left his home in Newton, Massachusetts to spend the summer with his uncle, Bob Alexander, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He passes his days in Texas working as an assistant at a nursing home …

Reviewed by STEVEN G. KELLMAN The Slip by Lucas Schaefer   Reviewed by Steven G. Kellman                          On August 8, 1998, sixteen-year-old Nathaniel Rothstein disappeared. A troubled soul, he had left his home in Newton, Massachusetts to spend the summer with his uncle, Bob Alexander, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He passes his days in …

Let’s start with Summer Night City which brings free weekly music series to Texas Public Radio Headquarters (321 W. Commerce St.) The announcement says: “Every Thursday in June, we are kicking off at 6 p.m. with the vibrant Last Chance Market, featuring DJs, food, amazing artists and cool vendors. Then, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. attendees will enjoy two hours …

The Playbook: A Story of Theater, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War by James ShapiroReviewed by Steven G. Kellman             For four heady, embattled years, 1935-1939, the United States indulged in an audacious artistic experiment – a government-sponsored network of cutting-edge theatrical productions in cities and towns throughout the country. Conceived during the Depression, as part of the …

NEWS ROUNDUP 6,20, 2025 This week’s Roundup will be short. Let’s start with visual arts events. The summer exhibition at the McNay Museum is a comprehensive survey of Jody Folwell’s career. The press release says: “Encounter the merging of tradition and innovation through iconic pottery in “O’ Powa O’ Meng: The Art and Legacy of Jody Folwell.” A contemporary potter …