Arts Alive San Antonio

The dance scene has been kind of low-key in recent months but dance will grace at least two San Antonio stages this weekend. Ballet San Antonio is presenting its season finale, “Don Quixote” at the Tobin Center, and the innovative, young company Ballet Neplanta is presenting its new work “Valentina” at the Carver Community Cultural Center.

The ballet “Don Quixote” is, of course, inspired by the famous Cervantes’ novel from the 17^th century, but the dance version was created in St. Petersburg, Russia, a couple of centuries later. BSA’s production is based on the choreography by San Fransisco ballet teacher/choreographer, Patrick Armand, that has been adapted for the present BSA company by artistic director Sofiane Sylve, ballet master Rafael Ferreras and Michele Dement. Expect, Spanish flare galore, castanets, and tambourines, and great dancing. (March 4 at 7:30 p.m., March 5 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and March 6 at 2 p.m.; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100, Auditorium Circle; Tickets at 210-223-8624 or tickets@tobincenter.org) To read more about it see story from March 1, on this site)

Ballet Nepantla was founded by Andrea Guajardo and Martin Rodriguez in 2017, to present dance productions that draw on two traditions: ballet – classical and contemporary – and Mexican folk dancing. The company is fairly well known in San Antonio, where it has both performed and worked on developing new dances. The New York-based Guajardo calls our city “a second home to us.” On the current tour, Neplanta will perform “Valentina,” a show inspired by the brave women of the Mexican Revolution who joined the men in their fight against Mexican government forces. Though the title is singular, Guajardo explained to us last time she visited San Antonio, that the ballet is not about a specific Valentina, but is dedicated to all the Valentinas in that historic struggle. (March 5 at 8 p.m., Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry; $75, 210-207-7211, www.thecarver.org)

Music will be alive and well this weekend as well.

The Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony will have the opportunity to play together for the first time since they went on strike back in September. But they will not be on the Tobin stage. The concerts will take place at the First Baptist Church of San Antonio and will be conducted by David Cho, the conductor of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra. The program looks exciting: “Vltava” from Bedrich Smetana’s “Ma Vlast” (My Country); Concerto No.5 in E-flat for piano and orchestra, known as “Emperor” by Beethoven, and Symphony No.4 in F minor by Tchaikovsky. The event is an offering of the recently founded First Fine Arts Series at the church, a project Associate Pastor of Worship, Aaron Huffy has championed. (March 3 & 4 at 7:30 p.m.; First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave.; tickets are $10 (students) – $20; parking $10; Fine Arts Message center 210-249-2519. You can purchase tickets through the church or through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/first-fine-arts-presents-the-musicians-of-the-san-antonio-symphony-tickets-262541006217

San Antonio’s award-winning chamber ensemble, Camerata San Antonio will present a duo of concerts this weekend in Kerrville and San Antonio, respectively. On the program: two turn-of-the-20^th century composers – the black British composer/conductor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and American Frank Bridge who was a contemporary of Coleridge-Taylor, and whose work later influenced Benjamin Britten, according to the concert announcement. His Piano Quintet in D Minor will be performed. The performing musicians include: Laura Scalzo (violin), Anastasia Parker (violin), Emily Freudigman (viola), Ken Freudigman (cello) and pianist Viltor Valkov. (Kerrville: March 4 at 4 p.m., Kerrville First Presbyterian Church; San Antonio: March 6 at 3 p.m., University of the Incarnate World; tickets $20 available online at www.cameratasa.org or by calling 210-492-9519)

Four San Antonio musicians/singers – Joe Reyes, Chris Maddin, Diego Navaira and his brother Emilio Navairs IV, will join YOSA, the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, for a very special concert on March 7:
“Sgt. Pepper’s Live!” Yes, the reference is to the Beatles’ “legendary” album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” They intend to play the whole thing “from start to finish.” The original album was highly praised when it was released in 1967 and it became the first rock album to win the Grammy for Album of the Tear. YOSA has found an interesting niche for itself by reimagining rock and pop albums with full orchestra accompaniment. (March 7 at 8 p.m.; Tobin Center; tickets $25; to buy go to tickets@tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624)

The Navaira brothers will also be part of another tribute show, this one focused on the hard rock group Van Halen. (March 6 at 9 p.m., 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks #138; free; 210-257-8125, www.502bar.com)

Unfortunately, the Classical Music Institute’s announced concert, “Don’t Forget (US) Americans” has been postponed to June. It will be part of CMI’s “Forbidden & Forgotten” season.

 Kory Cook and the Whale, a San Antonio free jazz trio, with Cook (drums), Eddie Vasquez (saxophone) and Justin Carney (bass). They play jazz of the 90s “with a modern twist.”
(Match 4 at 8 p.m., Little Carver (behind the big theater) 226 N. Hackberry; Tickets $25; 210-207-2234 or
www.thecarver.org)

The Woodlawn Theater is opening its 2022 season somewhat late this time, due to COVID-19 and its variants. First out of the gate is “Hairspray” which opens Friday, March 4. Many will remember the eponymous movie revolving around a chubby teenager girl, Tracy, who badly wants to dance on a popular TV show, but she is convinced that she will not be accepted because of her weight. Long story short, Tracy is eventually transformed from social outcast into a star and uses her newfound power to help others who are discriminated against by society. The Woodlawn production is directed by Chris Rodriguez and choreographed by Alonzo Corona, with musical direction by Janes Haas. Tracy is played by Chandler Osella. Needless to say, there is a lot of dancing. (Opens March 4 and runs through March 27; Friday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.; Woodlawn Theater, 1920 Fredericksburg Rd., tickets $18-$32; 210-267-8388, info@woodlawntheatre.org)

The Classic Theater of San Antonio has produced its first show since the arrival of its new artistic/executive director, Jimmy Moore. It’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” which premiered in 2017, first in Costa Mesa, CA, and later on Broadway, where it was well received. As theatergoers will remember, Henrik Ibsen’s original play, written in 1879, ends with Nora’s famous exit from the life that limited her. In this contemporary sequel, Nora returns to obtain an official divorce from Torvald, but is confronted by the ones she left behind 15 years earlier. (March 10-27, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston; tickets $25-$39 at www.classictheatre.org; bring your own folding chairs)

Teatro Audaz will present “Mariachi Girl,” in a bilingual production with live mariachi music. This is the company’s first mainstage musical. Written by Roxanne Schroeder-Arce, the show follows 10-year-old Carmencita who dreams of becoming a mariachi singer and join her father when he performs. But Dad is old-fashioned and believes that only males should be mariachi. After she reads a book about a female mariachi, she is encouraged to pursue her dream and, hopefully influence her father’s views. Original mariachi music & lyrics are by Hector Martinez Morales, and performing it will be San Antonio well-known Mariachi Azteca. (Performances will take place at the San Pedro Playhouse, the home of the Public Theater of San Antonio, March 4-13, Friday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.; tickets $20-$30, to buy go to www.teatroaudaz.com)

San Antonio has a lively visual arts scene and Ruby City has made a huge contribution to it. Though it had to close before it even had a chance to have a grand opening, it is now open to the public, and it has just installed a new exhibit in its older Studio Gallery in Chris Park. The exhibit features artworks of Venezuelan-born artist Arturo Herrera, who is currently a Berlin resident. The exhibited art is drawn from Ruby City’s own collection, originally purchased by founder Linda Pace plus recent acquisitions. Titled “Arturo Herrera: Constructed Collage,” the exhibition was curated by the center’s director, Elyse Gonzales. (More about the exhibit in an upcoming article) (Ruby City, 150 Camp St, 78204; The Studio Gallery is located inside Chris Park, 111 Camp St.; A public reception is scheduled for March 19, 1-5 p.m. but you can view the show right now; free access; www.rubycity.org)

“Drawn to Nature,” an exhibit of Anna Lisa Leal’s art at the Prudencia Gallery has received such a good response from visitors that the gallery decided to have another Artist Demonstration for the public March 5, from 1-3 p.m. The exhibit will be on view through March 19. (Art Gallery Prudencia, 2518 N. Main Ave., 210-422-8681, www.prudenciagallery.com)

Also this Saturday, March 5, Gemini Ink will host a much anticipated workshop, “So, You Want to Go Places with Your Art!” for all art disciplines, from poets to musicians, dancers, visual artists and others. The workshop is designed to help artists gain more attention and get the public more aware of their work. (March 5, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.; $75, $35 for students; to register https://geminiink.org/events/so-you-want-to-go-places-with-your-art/)

The Tobin Center has selected ten Bexar County non-profit arts organizations to receive 2022 Arts Internship Grants. The grants provide paid summer internships for undergraduate college students from Bexar County who will be assigned to local organizations to help – and learn -how to handle a variety of projects. Among the organizations listed are Blue Star Contemporary, Classic Theater of San Antonio, Texas Public Radio, YOSA, and others.

And here’s something special for you, our readers. We received this video from Musical Bridges Around the World. It’s mostly about a special genre of Ukrainian folk music and some regional musical instruments but it is a glimpse into the Ukrainian country side. To watch: https://youtu.be/RM6v9fxKRm4.