News Roundup, 4/3/2025
The San Antonio Philharmonic’s Classics VIII concert will be conducted by Anthony Parnther, one of the best- known film conductors in the country. He helms recording sessions for many
top feature films and television series, working in collaboration with some of the most prominent media composers in the industry. The concerts will also feature a guitarist identified only as JIJI. On the program: Weber: Overture to Euryanthe; Hilary Purrington’s
Harp of Nerves and Brahms’s Symphony No.3, described as “a reflective masterpiece that explores the depths of human emotion and musical expression.” (April 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m.
(doors open at 6:30 p.m.; Scottish Rite Hall, 308 Ave E, 78205; tickets start at $25 at
www.majesticempire.com)
The AGARITA Chamber Players will be offering several events this month, and one of them is already behind us. Upcoming: “Beethoven’s Departure,” described as a portrait of Beethoven during his pivotal middle period, culminating in a performance of his epic Violin Sonata no.9 “Kreutzer.” (April 16 at 6:30 p.m.; Agarita Loft, 724 S. Alamo St., second floor, 78205. For details go to www.agarita.org/loftevents)
Do you remember the Bee Gees? Here comes a show, Staying Alive – One Night of the Bee Gees – with all the familiar songs, like “Night Fever,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “Staying Alive”
and others. There will be a big screen video clips. The show is referred to as the quintessential tribute to the Bee Gees. (April 5 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $45 – $86 at tickets@tobincenter.org)
At the Majestic Theater, catch the smash hit musical “Mamma Mia” based on ABBA songs.
(April 4 at 7:30 p.m.; April 5 at 2p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and April 6 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
tickets are $73.50 – $252.00 at www.majesticempire.com/events/mamma-mia)
Also at the Majestic, you can attend a very different event – The Joci Awards – presented by the Majestic-Empire Foundation. This one-night spectacle will transform the Majestic into a celebration of youth, talent and the transformative power of the performing arts. All performances will be part of a competition for scholarships in the performing arts.
(April 13, at 6 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.; tickets are $42.70 – $122.00 at www.majesticempiretickets/the-joci-awards/)
And here’s a chance to enjoy some Celtic music. The San Antonio Highland Games & Celtic Music Festival will take place in Helotes, Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6. The event is sponsored by San Antonio Highland Games Association. (April 5, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Helotes Festival Grounds, 12210 Leslie Rd.,Helotes, Texas 78023; April 6 at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more info email info@sahga.org)
The San Antonio College drama department is staging Peter/Wendy by Jeremy Bloom, an inventive adaptation of the classic story of Peter Pan. Directed by Abe Ramirez, the story is stripped down to its emotional essence. Peter lures Wendy away from her nursery to the magical world of Neverland, where she joins his adventures with Tinker Bell, Tiger Lilly and the menacing Captain Hook. This adaptation that pays homage to the darker themes of J.M. Barrie’s original story, “Peter/Wendy” is expected to appeal to all ages. (Friday, Saturday and Sunday through April 13, McCreless Theater, 799 W. Dewey Pl, 782212. Check dates and times by calling the theatre at 210-486-9497 or write to sac-pr@alamo.edu)
Another stage production is “In the Clearing” at Trinity University’s Stieren Theatre. It is written and directed by Octavio Solis, currently in residence as a guest artist at the school. In the show, Astrid’s husband, Carlos, has gone deep undercover into Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula on assignment. But Astrid grows concerned and, without help, determines to find her husband. (Performances through April 12; For more go to www.events.trinity.edu/event/in-the-clearing-4774)
A public event to celebrate the posthumous publication of the Complete Poems of Wendy Barker will take place April 4 at 6 p.m., on the main UTSA campus, at the Business Building 2.06.04, 78249; for info call 210-458-4374 or write to steven.kellman@utsa.edu
On the visual arts front, the good news is that the Bihl Haus Arts gallery is back in business and presenting “Landscape in Flux,” an exhibition of ten new, large-scale drawings by artist Stacy
Berlfein. Her work highlights some of the world’s most magnificent glaciers. (Opening reception
is scheduled for April 11, 6-9 p.m. (Bihl Haus Arts is at 2803 Fredericksburg Rd. inside the Sorrento Apartments gates. The exhibition will be on view through May 3.
And, the 95th Annual Juried Exhibition at the San Antonio Art League and Museum opened March 30th. This year’s juror, Marc Mitchell, an art professor at the University of Arkansas, said: “I always enjoy the challenge of curating a large group exhibit – not only to create context for an audience but to experience a region through the eyes of hundreds of artists.” The exhibit will be on view through June 3, 2025. (San Antonio Art League and Museum is located at 130 King William Street; access is free.)
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