Arts Alive San Antonio

NEWS ROUNDUP, Nov. 19, 2023

A big event for the San Antonio thespian community is taking place this Sunday: The 32nd ATAC Globe Awards. ATAC stands for Alamo Theater Arts Council, which was founded in 1990 as a nonprofit, all volunteer organization, to produce the award show, which recognizes and celebrates the work of San Antonio’s theater artists and stimulates the pursuit of excellence in artistic and production standards.

Awards are given in 25 categories, including direction, acting, musical direction, choreography, design (Scene, Costumes, Lighting and Sound.) And an additional Globe Award, the Jasmina Wellinghoff Award is presented by the board of directors “For Special Contribution to the San Antonio Theater.” Our editor, Jasmina Wellinghoff, was the founder of ATAC.

The award show is also a great deal of fun, as actors, singers and dancers perform live for the audience throughout the evening. A reception follows the show. (Nov. 12, 6-8 p.m.; Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, 78202; tickets are $32 at the Carver box office in person, by phone 210-207-2234 or 210-207-7211, and also at Ticketmaster.)

URBAN-15 has a unique musical offering this weekend. It is hosting three concerts by Morton Subotnick,
“the greatest electronic music composer of the 20^th century.” The 90-year-old composer/musician is on his final tour that includes the following cities: Venice, Berlin, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Antonio. Subotnick has been here before and is well acquainted with URBAN-15.

The work that made Subotnick famous was “Silver Apples on the Moon,” a composition commissioned by Nonesuch Records back in 1966-7. According to the press release, it became a modern classic and was entered into the National Register of Recorded Works at the Library of Congress.

In addition to a performance, attendees will see a free screening of “Subotnick-Portrait of an Electronic Pioneer” and will have the opportunity to talk with the composer. He is calling his series of performances “As I Live and Breathe.” Accompanying Subotnick will be German video projectionist Lillevan, who will project “stunning video” behind the composer, turning the event into a multisensory experience.
(Nov. 10 & Nov. 11 at 8 p.m., Nov. 12 at 3 p.m.; URBAN-15, 2500 S. Presa; tickets are $40 at
www.urban15.org, to contact the presenter, you may call 210-736-1500)

And there’s lots more music coming up.

Pairing a symphonic orchestra with Mariachi bands has become kind of popular lately. San Antonio’s Symphony Viva has partnered with the famed Mariachi Campanas De America for a concert at Our Lady of the Lake University, titled simply “Viva Mariachi.” The concert will celebrate the life and legacy of master educator and musical legend Belle Ortiz, a graduate of the college and a well- known musician and music teacher, who co-led the Mariachi Campanas with her husband, Juan Ortiz. The Campanas have performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center and in many other prestigious halls. (Nov. 12 at 4 p.m.; Thiry Auditorium, OLLU; 411 SW 24^th St; Tickets are $10-$25; for more info call Alamo City Arts 210-369-8311; Thiry Auditorium 210-434-6711)

A Veterans’ Day Concert will be performed at the Tobin Center featuring Fort Sam Houston’s 323D Army band and the UTSA Wind Ensemble. The concert pays tribute to the men and women who have served our nation with honor. Includes “patriotic anthems and soulful melodies.” (Nov. 12 at 2 p.m., free)

But the TOBIN will also present the star of country music, Wynonna Judd in its annual Benefit Concert. (Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. but pre-concert festivities start at 5:30 p.m.; tickets start at $69.50, tickets@tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624)

And there’s more. You don’t need a concert ticket to take part in the 2023 Raffle & Auction. “It’s the cornerstone of our non-profit arts center’s annual fundraising effort,” says the announcement.  To see all the things you can bid on, and register for the Raffle & Auction, go to www.tobincenter.org/wynonna.

Another Veterans Day Concert, A Singing Salute! is being presented by Opera San Antonio. It will feature patriotic favorites, operatic classics, jazz standards and more, performed by OSA’s singers and musicians from the Bradley Middle School Jazz Band. (Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 6917 Wurzbach Rd., 78240; for more info call 210-673-7270; https://www.operasa.org)

For chamber music lovers, the San Antonio Chamber Music Society has a treat: harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and flutist Brandon Patrick George, who will make music together this weekend. Esfahani is considered a superstar who has won multiple awards and praise from critics, while George is labelled the “flutist with the golden sound.” He was here in San Antonio once before in 2022. Together, they will be exploring “the rich culture of music by the two Bachs – father and son.” (Nov.12 at 3:15 p.m.; Shepherd King Lutheran Church, 303 West Ramsey Rd. 78216; For tickets and more info contact the Chamber Music Society at 210-408-1558 or email@sacms.org)

And here’s more mariachi music, this time performed by women who call themselves Mariachi Damas de Jalisco. The event is supported by the King Willaim Association’s Concert in the Park Series. (Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. at Beautify San Antonio Park, 801 S. Main Ave., 78204; free; blankets are folding chairs encouraged.)

For a different musical experience, catch the heartwarming musical classic “Annie” which will be at the Majestic Theater through Nov. 12. The show “has reminded generations of theatergoers that sunshine is always around the corner,” says the announcement. It is certainly a show that children love thanks to a story they understand and the lively score. (Nov. 10 ay 8 p.m.; Nov. 11 at 2 and 8 p.m., and Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Majestic Theater, 224 East Houston St.; tickets are $55-$150 at
www.majesticempire.com/events/ or call 210-226-3333)

The Majestic is also bringing to town a big star – Rita Moreno – for “An Evening with Rita Moreno” next week. (Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $29-$86; to buy tickets, see the information above.)

You can also find professionally staged theater at our local, San Antonio companies, and the prices are much easier on the pocketbook. The Classic Theater of San Antonio’s performancesof “On Golden Pond are still going strong in the Cellar Theater of the San Pedro Playhouse, featuring two very strong San Antonio actors, Allan Ross and Terri Pena Ross. The show runs through Nov. 19.

Let us remind you that both the Public Theater of San Antonio and the Classic Theater of San Antonio are housed in the same building and share resources. So, the Public is getting ready to open “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story,” which will open Dec. 1. It’s an adaptation of the familiar tale written by two very capable thespians: Tim Hedgepeth and Anthony Ciaravino. Musical arrangements are by Jaime Ramirez. This version “is a truly unique and enchanting way with spoken word and American sign language (ASL) shadow performances. Characters come to life through “the graceful movements of ASL interpreters, casting stunning shadows that capture the essence of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation.” 
(Opens Dec. 1 and runs through Dec.17.; for tickets call 210-733-7258 or email boxoffice@thepublicsa.org

The always lively Magik Theatre will be opening a new production of “The Velveteen Rabbit” on Nov. 18, but more about that next week.

No dance news at present except this: On Nov. 16, Mayor Nirenberg will proclaim November 16 as the International Day of Flamenco in San Antonio. The proclamation ceremony will take place on that day at 12:30 p.m. at the Main Plaza, 115 N. Main Ave. Tamara Adira’s company Arte y Pasion will perform. Adira will be joined by Stephanie Pedraza and Alejando Herrera III. According to the press release, flamenco was inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Here in San Antonio, we have We Flamenco Fest, a month-long celebration of our own vibrant flamenco community. The proclamation event is free to the public. The event is sponsored by Heritage Festivals of San Antonio and the city.

On the visual arts front, there are some interesting developments. The McNay Art Museum has opened
“Eye of a Collector: The John M. Parker Jr. Bequest,” an exhibit of art collected by Parker, a native San Antonian. He was one of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art in Texas. We are not too fond of “conceptual art” but we are curious about this exhibit. It will be on view through March 3, 2024. The other big exhibit, Dreamland/Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas” is still in the main gallery. In fact, you can kick off your holiday season early by joining Scott Blackshire, curator of the Theater Arts Collection at the McNay for a members-only tour of that large exhibition.  Maybe a motivation to become a member?

We also want to remind you of the wonderful San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries-sponsored event known as “Empty Bowls.” Hosted in partnership with the San Antonio Potters Guild, the San Antonio Glass Art Guild and the Alamo Woodturners Association, Empty Bowls kicks off Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week in our city. The idea behind Empty Bowls is to sell artist-made bowls and contribute to San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries to help with their work with the homeless. (Nov. 12, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.; SAMMinistries Transitional Living and Learning Center, 5922 Blanco Rd., 78216; for more info visit www.samm.org)

Let’s close with this fun and educational event at the Briscoe Western Art Museum: The Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival. The event is free and includes admission to the museum, making it a perfect way to celebrate the important role Native Americans played in shaping the West. The festival includes live performances, storytelling, artist demonstrations, pottery and carving, as well as Indian-inspired cuisine. It will start with a spiritual blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle. (Nov. 11, 10.a.m. – 4 p.m.; free admission; Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210-W. Market St., 78205; 210-299-4499;
https://www.briscoemuseum.org)

A new mural was unveiled recently downtown by the city’s Department of Arts and Culture. Created by artist Christopher Montoya, it pays homage to the history of Plaza de Armas. More about the mural in an upcoming feature.