Arts Alive San Antonio

As summer approaches, performing arts organizations are wrapping up their 2022-23 seasons, and so is the San Antonio Philharmonic. For the final concert of its inaugural season, the orchestra has something special for music lovers, promising to end “with a bang.”

And for this special occasion, SA Phil has brought to town conductor Akiko Fujimoto who once served as associate conductor for the old San Antonio Symphony. She’s an old friend for many in the orchestra, and
a conductor with a growing international reputation. Also appearing with the orchestra this weekend is well-known pianist, Jon Kimura. On the program: “Fate Now Conquers” by contemporary composer, Carlos Simon; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3, and the finale – Brahms’ magnificent Symphony No. 2.

Simon’s piece was inspired by an 1815 entry in Beethoven’s journal, itself inspired by Homer’s Iliad. According to the press release, the work captures the essence of this mysterious journal entry using the harmonic structure of the second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No.7. So clever! (May 26 & 27 at 7:30 p.m.; First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., 78215; tickets are $30-$65; for tickets call 210-201-6006 or sales@saphil.org)

In honor of Memorial Day, the Allegro Stage Co. has a special show, “Proud to be an American” that promises to rekindle everyone’s patriotism. Four terrific performers – Anna Gangai, Mary Morrow, Beth Erwin and DuWayne Green, will perform songs associated with four major wars: WWI, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.  The show will open with a” Patriotic Medley” that includes “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “America the Beautiful,” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” before getting into songs from each period. To give you the flavor of these, here are some titles, and maybe you can figure out which conflict they are linked to. Here are a few titles: “Take the A Train,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Aquarius” and “That Old Black Magic.” Tim Hedgepeth wrote the script and directed the show, with Tom Masinter serving as music director. The two are co-founders of the Allegro Stage Company.

The concert will end with – what else? – “God Bless America” with the audience joining in. (May 27 at 7:30 p.m., Cave Without A Name, 325 Kreutzberg Rd., Boerne, 78006; 830-537-4212; tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. To buy: https://www,cavewithoutaname.com)

The Kerrville Folk Festival opens May 25 and runs through June 11 at Quiet Valley Ranch, just south of Kerrville proper. Musical highlights from the first seven days include: Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper & Brennan Leigh, Anais Mitchell, Mary Gautier, Boy George and Jimmy Buffet, Scott Cook and other well-known names. More than 70 artists and acts are set to perform over 18 days. Performances are scheduled throughout the day and evening. The festival is produced by the KFF Foundation, a nonprofit organization. (For more info, go to www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org)

If you like Country Music, there’s a big event for you, too. Legends of Country Music will sing their hearts out Saturday, in honor of Memorial Day. They are: Moe Bandy, Janie Fricke, Johnny Lee; T.G. Sheppard, Joe Stampley and the duo Moore & Moore. (May 27 at 6 p.m.; Real Life Amphitheater in Selma; tickets are $30 – $65; www.stubwire.com or call 877-990-7882)

The Summer Night City Series kicks off June 1 and continues on Thursday nights through the end of July, at Legacy Park downtown. Hosted by Texas Public Radio, the first installment will feature Joaquin and Eddie & the Valiants. Each show will begin with “dog-friendly Yappy Hour from 5-6 p.m., with live music starting at 7:30 p.m. (Legacy Park, 103 West Houston St., 78205; http://westonurban.com/)

Jazz lovers will like to hear about “Jazz in the Garden” supported by the San Antonio Park Foundation and KRTU. Performances take place near the gazebo. The featured performers are Three Swings & A Miss, led by vocalist Noelle Goforth. She combines the songs and stylings of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday.(May 26 at 6:30 to 9 p.m.; Japanese Tea Garden, 3853 N. St. Mary’s St.; $5 donations expected.; www.saparks.org)

Jay Wheeler’s “Emociones World Tour” stops at the Freeman Coliseum on June 1. (June 1 at 8 p.m.; 3201 E. Houston St., 78219; tickets through Ticketmaster)

Two concerts with famed performers are on the schedule at the Majestic Theater this weekend:
“An Evening with Brian McKnight” and “Kool & the Gang.” Singer/songwriter McKnight received 16 Grammy Award nominations and recorded numerous chart-topping songs. In addition, he’s also a multi-instrumentalist who plays more instruments than most people could even name. (May 26 at 8 p.m.; tickets are $75 at Ticketmaster) Kool & the Gang is a top-rated R&B band with ten R&B hits and a pile of gold and platinum albums. (May 27 at 8 p.m.; tickets are $29.50 at Ticketmaster) The Majestic is at 224 E. Houston; 210-226-5700; 210-226-3333)

Now, let’s see what is playing on our theatrical stages!

Playing at the Classic Theater is Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” and there are only a couple of performances left. This Friday and Saturday, you can choose to pay what you can. Tickets are available by calling 210-589-8450 or at www.ClassicTheatre.org (Radius Center, 106 Auditorium Circle, 2^nd floor, 78205; the pre-show performance is by singer Nerryl Willians  with Darrin Newhardt on piano.)

The Harlequin Theater is presenting the local premiere of “Head Over Heels,” described as a “jukebox musical” that features the music of the Go-Gos. (Opens Friday, May 26, and continues Fridays and Saturdays through June 17; Fort Sam Houston Theater, 2472 Stanley Rd, inside the base; $$10-$22; call 210-222-9694 for more information about access.)

The relatively new Teatro Audaz is starting its summer season 2023 with “Luchadora,” a story of a girl who takes her frail father’s spot in a wrestling championship. (June 1-11, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (McCreless Theater, 799 W. Dewey Place; tickets are $25 with discounts for seniors, military and students; www.onthestage.tickets/show/teatro-audaz-san-antonio/)

This year’s UTSA Asian Festival will be the first of an annual celebration of the contributions of Asian Americans to all aspects of Texas cultures. The event includes authentic foods, multicultural performances, music, art, fashion and crafts. The organizers moved the event to May to honor Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. (May 27, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; UTSA Downtown Campus – Bill Miller Plaza; 501 E. Cesar Chavez Blvd., 78207; for info call the Institute of Texas Cultures at 210-458-2300 or visit its website https://texancultures.utsa.edu)

The visual arts scene in San Antonio tends to be lively year-round.

The big upcoming event is “Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch” at the Briscoe Museum of Western Art. Horwitch was one of the most powerful and influential art dealers in Arizona and New Mexico art history. She helped launch the careers of hundreds of artists from the Southwest and around the nation, becoming a leader in fostering “New Western Art,” also called “Southwest pop.” The Briscoe exhibit features 45 works from the best-known artists whose work was featured in her galleries. Included artists are: Tom Palmore, Billy Schenk, John Fincher, Fritz Scholder, Ann Coe, Marilyn Levine, Earl Biss, Woody Gwyn, Bob Wade, and Lynn Taber.

The presented works come from the Tucson Museum of Art and private loans from New Mexico, Oklahoma and San Antonio. They include paintings, sculptures, and works on paper that, collectively, reveal the range of innovation that occurred in the Southwest at that time of change.

“The exhibition is a unique glimpse into a formative period in contemporary Western art” said the Briscoe’s president and CEO, Michael Duchemin. (Opens May 26 and will be on view through September 4) A number of related events will take place during the run, including one this Saturday, May 27. It’s a conversation between exhibit curator, Julie Sasse, art writer Lisa Sherman Wade and artist Brian Blount. (May 27 at 1-2 p.m., included in museum admission.)

An unusual exhibit is currently on view at Bihl Haus Arts where artist Mary Helwick is showing her painted portraits of construction workers she worked with as the city’s construction project manager. All are true-to-life portraits, that the men portrayed loved. Definitely worth a visit. (Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Rd., inside an apartment complex property, but accessible. (For more, see our article on the subject on this site: https://artsalivesa.com)

The charming and welcoming Gallery Prudencia is getting ready for its new exhibit, “Setting the Scene,” a group landscape exhibition. New work by three artists will be featured: Margie Hildreth, Sheila Swanson, and Barbara Rallo. The show will highlight each artist’s approach to the subject matter. Nature has provided inspiration for artists for centuries, endlessly challenging them to capture its many changing faces.  (Opening reception June 3, 2-4 p.m.; “artists talk” at 3 p.m.; on view through July 8; 2518 N. Main Ave., 78212; 210-422-8681; www.prudenciagallery.com)

The Carver Community Cultural Center will be installing a new exhibit in a few days. The featured artist
is Mona Helmy, a local industrial designer and plastics manufacturer CEO. Her art work includes “vivid abstracts, contemporary and fluid paintings, and multimedia pieces. According to the announcement, “her desire is to awaken feelings and inspire others to dream their own vision as they view her art.”
(opens June 1, and will be on view through July 12; Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, 78202; open during the center’s regular hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; free)

Film buffs will probably enjoy checking out new films presented by the Hill Country Film Festival in Fredericksburg. Fifty-six films will be screened in two locations, including movies with a link to the Texas Hill Country. They are: “Cowboy Bourbon” – The Full Proof Tale of Garrison Brothers”; “The Lady Bird Diaries,” a documentary that’s based on the book “Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight” by Julia Sweig; and “Chocolate Lizards,” a dramedy adventure that involves outwitting the bank, the sheriff, and a corrupt oil company. And there’s a lot more, of course. (For more info, see our article from Monday, May 22; https://artsalivesa.com)