Arts Alive San Antonio

Ballet San Antonio has a Christmas gift for you. In a wonderful gesture of holiday generosity, the company has made its 2020 production of “The Nutcracker” accessible to all via YouTube, free of charge. Different from all previous versions, this is a COVID-19-imposed reinvention of the classical staging, born out of need and ingenuity. It will be available for streaming through Jan.1 The dancers are wonderful and the staging imaginative. To watch go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5fV5IIHW14&feature=youtu.be.

We also want to remind you that the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio is wrapping up its 2020 “Nutcracker” run this weekend with three performances, Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 26 at 2 & 7 p.m. These are not free because the entire run also serves as a fundraiser for the youth company. All shows are virtual, with tickets starting at $50 per household. Many contemporary touches are included – dancers wear masks and family members connec via Zoom, not to mention a drone! For tickets:
https://www.childrensballetofsanantonio.org

Opera San Antonio has a gift for fans, as well: its collaborative productions of two short operas- the tweaked version of Mozart’s “The Impresario” and the humorous “Bon Appetit,” based on a TV episode featuring Julia Child – will be available for streaming until Dec. 26. It’s a short window of opportunity at this point but if you have the time, you’ll probably love it. Watch via Marquee TV.

For a very different style of music, watch the live-streamed concert featuring Azul Barrientos, Saturday, Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. She has a terrific voice and an engaging style of presenting her programas. The event is dedicated to traditional folk music from Spain and Latin America that celebrates La Virgen de Guadalupe, the birth of Jesus, and the end of the year. View on Facebook: www.facebook.com/azulbarrientosmusic or www.facebook.com/esperanzacenter.

Everyone’s favorite “little orchestra,” Pink Martini, will bring its own brand of holiday cheer to you via a virtual livestream event Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. thanks to the Tobin Center. Appropriately named “Good Riddance 2020!” the show includes holiday classics and the group’s best-known numbers, performed by lead singer China Forbes and guests. For tickets: www.tobincenter.org/box-office

The Classic Theatre of San Antonio wishes to remind you that the special filmed version of “A Christmas Carol” starring Jefferson Mays, is still available for streaming through Jan.3.  When you buy a ticket to this nationally distributed film, you are also helping the Classic Theatre, one of the best in the city. Tickets are $50 at www.classictheatre.org.

And if you missed last Sunday’s gallery talk at Bihl Haus Arts, they, too, have made the event available to watch virtually. It’s a discussion based on the Dia de los Muertos installation by David Zamora Casas that has just closed. To watch the gallery talk featuring art historian Ruben Cordova go to:
Bihl Haus Arts – Dia de los Muertos Gallery Talk with Curator and Art Historian Ruben Cordova | Facebook. Individual pieces from the large installation are on sale through the Bihl Haus online store.

The internationally known, Artpace, is marking its 25th anniversary with a new book titled “Artpace at 25.” According to press information, the volume contains never-before-published curatorial essays and full-color images of every exhibit created through its International Artist-in-Residence program, from 2008 to 2019. The book picks up where previous similar publications, reviewing earlier years, left off. Sounds like a must-read for lovers of contemporary art. You can buy it at the Shop at Artpace and pick-up curbside or have it delivered. Hardcover, &60; www.artpace.org

Here’s something for writers! Gemini Ink, San Antonio’s Writing Arts Center, is relaunching its Writing Mentorship Program after a two-year hiatus. The 2021 program is open to prose writers from all 50 states. Only two lucky writers will be chosen to work with author and writing coach Kurt Caswell for six months of one-on-one interaction. For details on how to apply see: https://geminiink.submittable.com/submit/179643/2021-gemini-ink-mentorship-program.

For something fun and educational to do with the family on this holiday weekend, you may want to visit (in-person) the Steves Homestead, in the KIng William District. The home-museum will be open Dec. 26-27, and Jan.2-3, 2021; 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.; www.saconservation.org.

Also, all the holiday light displays we told you about in previous ROUNDUPS are still open and welcoming visitors until early January. Two that come to mind: Lights Alive and Elf Acres. The former is located at the National Shooting Complex Grounds in far NW Bexar County, 5931 Roft Rd., admission $35 per car, www.seelightsalive.com.  The Elf Acres 1-mile display is at 1475 Grosenbacher Rd.; $30 per car; www.elfacres.com