July/August 2012 Issue

July-August | On The Town 1

Patty OrtizAsia Ciaravino

Two Step RestaurantArts SA Season of Dance

SSA: All School ExhibitionNew Performing Arts Season

Blue Star’s Mosaic Art Program

Patty OrtizAsia Ciaravino

Two Step RestaurantArts SA Season of Dance

SSA: All School ExhibitionNew Performing Arts Season

Blue Star’s Mosaic Art ProgramPlus 7 Additional Stories

ON THE TOWN Ezin

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July/August 2012July/August 2012

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2 On The Town | July-August 2012

http://sasymphony.org


http://hstreetsa.com/


Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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Performing Arts Season 2012-13 Coming Soon! 8Mark Your Calendar, Get Tickets and Enjoy!

Asia Ciaravino Steers a New Course for The 14 Playhouse San Antonio

Ars San Antonio’s Season of Dance 18

Summertime in the Hill Country…..and Great 22Live Theater is an Easy Drive Away

Two Step Restaurant and Cantina 46

Culinaria: Restaurant Week 52 and More This Summer

Local Art Rising 56

Blue Star’s MOSAIC Program Creates 60 Handmade Tile Mural for H-E-B

Southwest School of Art: All School Exhibition 62

Patty Ortiz: Fulfilling Her Vision 74 for Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Kiddie Park: A Landmark Saved, Renewed 78And Going Strong

Front Cover Photo: Joffrey BalletCourtesy Arts San Antonio

Performing Arts Cover Photo: Sebastian Lang-LessingPhoto by Marks Moore

Events Calendar Cover Photo: Glen CampbellCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Culinary Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Visual Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Literary Arts Cover Photo: : BigstockPhoto © Galina Samoylovich

Eclectics Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Features Cover Credits


Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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July-August 2012 Events Calendar 28

Book Talk: Viki Ash 68Children’s Services Coordinator for the San Antonio Public Library

Artistic Destination: Elvis and the 82Special Places in His Life

Out and About with Greg Harrison 88

Departments ContributorsMikel Allen,creative director /graphic designer

Christa Brothers

Julie Catalano

Cynthia Clark

Lisa Cruz

Thomas Duhon

Dana Fossett

Rebecca Geibel

Greg Harrison,staff photographer

Anne Keever Cannon

Michele Krier

Christian Lair,operations manager

Kay Lair

Ginger McAneer-Robinson

Susan A. Merkner,copy editor

Angela Rabke

Dawn Robinette

Sara Selango

Jasmina Wellinghoff

Cassandra Yardeni

OnTheTownEzine.com is published byLair Creative, LLC14122 Red MapleSan Antonio, Texas 78247210-771-8486210-490-7950 (fax)




Performing Arts

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Performing Arts

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Performing Arts Season 2012-13 Coming Soon!Mark your calendar, get tickets and enjoy! By Sara Selango



I t’s not the holiday season, but it is time to make a list and check it twice. Many of the outstanding performing arts organizations in and around

San Antonio have announced their 2012-13 season schedules, so planning begins now. A good place to start is with the San Antonio Symphony as they celebrate their 73rd season, the third in the Sebastain Lang-Lessing era as music director. Featured are 12 classical concerts, performed on both Friday and Saturday nights, plus a Brahms Festival comprised of four concerts in February. Pops offerings for the season include Wicked Divas, The Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel, Live and Let Die, Pops Goes to the Movies, Fiesta Pops and Holiday Pops. In addition, the symphony will once again team with Ballet San Antonio for two weekends of The Nutcracker in late November and early December. Another highlight for the symphony this season is the return of Lang Lang in recital on Tuesday, October 16.

Staying in the classical genre, Musical Bridges Around The World has announced its 15th season

under the direction of Anya Grokhovski-Michaelson. Five performances at McAllister Auditorium on the campus of San Antonio College make up their main stage series, including a special appearance by renowned pianist Lilya Zilberstein. The Judy and Jefferson Crabb Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral series is also an integral part of the MBAW offering with free Sunday evening concerts presented in the oldest cathedral in the nation.

San Antonio Chamber Music Society is now in its 70th season of presenting world class performances. Chamber Orchestra Kremlin with pianist James Dick, Opus One Piano Quartet, David Finckel with Wu Han (cello/piano), Miro String Quartet and Ebene Quartet await your applause this season. Tuesday Music Club presents its 90th season of exceptional artistry. Their 2012-13 Artist Series includes Philippe Quint (violin), Paul Jacobs (organ), Joyce Yang (piano) and Darrett Adkins (cello). Also of super-note is the fact that the 2012 San Antonio International Piano Competion takes place from October 14-21. Please visit the SAIPC website for details.



Texas Performing Arts Society adds a trio of incredible performances to the season, starting with violinist Joshua Bell at the Scottish Rite Theatre on November 8. Opera icon Jessye Norman follows on December 15 at Lila Cockrell Theatre with violinist Hilary Hahn coming to San Antonio on February 14 for a Valentine’s evening performance at the Scottish Rite.

You would be remiss if you didn’t check out season schedules for Camerata San Antonio, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Musical Offerings, UTSA Guest Artist Series, San Antonio Brass, Olmos Ensemble, Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, Mid-Texas Symphony, Symphony of the Hills and Mary C. Rohe Classical Series in Kerrville. Fredericksburg Music Club is another presenter to watch. Their season of eight concerts begins with pianist Mariangela Vacatello in September and also includes violinist Nancy Zhou in the spring of 2013.

Rounding out the discussion of classical music is the inaugural per formance by Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio in October at Pearl

Stable. Carlos Izcaray guest conducts.

How’s your list coming along?

Moving on to live theater, The 2012-13 Cadillac Broadway Series at the Majestic Theatre brings six shows to the Alamo city. Catch Me If You Can leads off in October followed in December by Peter Pan with Kathy Rigby. Next up is Memphis: The Musical in February with Million Dollar Quartet featured in April. The Addams Family hits the Majestic stage in May and Flashdance: The Musical closes out the season in June.

In community theater, The Vex (Sheldon Vexler Theatre) gets their season started early with August: Osage County in late August. Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Glengarry Glen Ross and Little Shop of Horrors complete the season in October, February and May respectively. The Playhouse offers a five show lineup at their Russell Hill Rogers Theater including Greater Tuna, Annie, the world premiere of Roads Courageous, Spring Awakening and Ragtime. Cellar Theater at The Playhouse showcases five smaller shows, two of



which are David Mamet’s November and Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris and Joe Mantello. Red, Picnic and Have a Nice Day: A 70s Musical Flashback comprise the remainder of the bill.

Woodlawn Theatre rolls into next season with main stage presentations of 9 to 5 from late August to the middle of September followed by the ever-popular Rocky Horror Show throughout the entire month of October. Let’s do the time warp again! Holiday season at the Woodlawn brings with it The Best Christmas Pageant Ever starting in the latter part of November while the new year sees the coming of Mel Brooks’ The Producers in February, The brand-new Woodlawn Black Box, located right next door to The Woodlawn, has a full slate of shows scheduled through September 2013. Highlights include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and Frost / Nixon.

There is so much quality community theater available in and around San Antonio that it’s impossible to chronicle everything here. Incredible

on-stage moments are coming soon to The Cameo, Classic Theatre of San Antonio, The Renaissance Guild, Overtime Theater, Harlequin Dinner Theatre and many more theatrical organizations. To get a grasp on all happenings, rely on the San Antonio Theatre Coalition. It’s at www.satheatre.com and it’s a super service!

To put a cap on this discussion of performing arts season 2012-13, it must be mentioned that several presenting organizations have stellar seasons planned, starting with Arts San Antonio. Under the direction of John Toohey, Arts SA features dance performances by Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, Joffrey Ballet, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Bejart Ballet Lausanne. In addition, the organization will present The Nutcracker, Shaolin Warriors, Chucho Valdes and The Romeros.

Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre in New Braunfels offers a nine-show season at their newly remodeled theater in the downtown area just off the circle. Highlights include The International Tenors, Neil


http://www.satheatre.com


Berg’s 102 Years of Broadway, The Rat Pack Now and Let’s Hang On – a tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Boerne Performing Arts presents Drumline Live in January, followed in February by The Five Browns and Celtic Nights. All three performances are to be held at the state-of-the-art Boerne Champion HS Auditorium.

At the time of this writing, Carver Community Cultural Center has not announced their new season. Stay tuned for another great year at this wonderful organization.

Performing arts season 2012-13 is loaded. Mark your calendar, get tickets and enjoy!

Photo Credits

Pages 8-9

Flashdance Original Tour ProductionPhoto by Catherine Ashmore

Pages 10-11 (R-L)

Lang LangCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Karen GomyoPhoto by Minoru Kaburagi

Million Dollar QuartetPhoto by Joan Marcus

MemphisPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Flashdance Original Tour ProductionPhoto by Catherine Ashmore

Page 10-11 (L-R) Joyce YangPhoto by Larry Ford

Joshua BellCourtesy joshuabell.com

Drumline LiveCourtesy of Boerne Performing Arts

Celtic NightsCourtesy of Boerne Performing Arts

The Rat Pack NowCourtesy ratpacktributeshownow.com




Asia CiaravinoSteers a New Course for The Playhouse San AntonioBy Michele KrierPhotography Greg Harrison

A t the helm of The Playhouse San Antonio (formerly San Pedro Playhouse) since May, Asia Ciaravino is setting a new course for

the oldest theater in continuous operation in the United States.

Her lifelong love for theater and her passionate vision for the future of theater in San Antonio wowed and wooed the selection committee -- suddenly the new president and CEO found herself at the perfect place for a person armed with a love and commitment to theater and a master ’s degree in nonprofit management. She also manages to raise a family, participate in Leadership San Antonio, and works full-time. To say the least; she is adept at balancing life and work.

“You just do it,” Ciaravino said, “Don’t hold back. Follow your passion. I’ve always been very driven.”

She caught the acting bug early, but her trajectory was by way of producing. “I have a clear and strong vision of theater -- why it is relevant and why people should care,” she said. “I don’t choose shows randomly; I will choose what is relevant to our community. Defining emotional, physical and intellectual levels makes art alive.”

Raising the bar at all times, Ciaravino is committed to expanding The Playhouse San Antonio’s youth programs and is taking a look at bringing in newer productions, as opposed on relying on sentimental shows from the past. By replacing South Pacific with Spring Awakening in the spring of next year, Ciaravino literally washed the old Broadway standby right out of her golden blonde hair. Spring Awakening, a 2007 musical about teens coming of age, is the show’s San Antonio premiere.

“I have a great team of 10 people, and we have new energy -- a new logo, new signage,” Ciaravino said, singling out tangible and artistic changes in preparation for the Centennial Gala in September. San Antonio’s oldest arts organization is celebrating 100 seasons of quality theater with the upcoming Centennial Season that will entertain 30,000 patrons.

Sarah Barton Bindley originated the acting troupe in 1912 with The Playhouse San Antonio structure in San Pedro Park becoming its home when it opened its doors Jan. 22, 1930, for a performance of Ferenc Molnar’s The Swan. Artistic director Frank Latson said several significant changes already have taken place in the 2012-13 season.



“I’m so excited that Asia’s here because I had thought for some time that there needs to be youth at the helm,” Latson said. “It ’s wonderful to have her vitality and her incredible energy. I’m loving the wonderful give and take working relationship that Asia and I have with each other right now. She’s coming into this theater which had a whole different agenda from where she was before. Since I came here 10 years ago, I’ve been trying to make changes slowly to keep the core audience happy and attract new audience members. We made a few changes together that really changed the feel of the whole season. I think we’re both thrilled about it and really excited about what we’ve ended up with for our 100th season. I think this is one of the most wonderful things to ever happen to The Playhouse.”

The Playhouse’s comprehensive youth program annually attracts more than 100 students ages 4 through 18 in classes, summer workshops and four annual youth productions. Advanced students perform in cellar and main stage productions alongside veteran actors throughout the regular season, exposing them to the theater arts or preparing them for a professional theater career.

This season kicks off in the fall with a “back to the future” moment for The Playhouse. Greater Tuna, which was performed in the Cellar Theater years ago and went on to enjoy international fame, once again will grace the stage of The Playhouse, but this time in their own production.

“It ’s the first time they’ve licensed that to this area,” Ciaravino said. “It ’s exciting for us. We’re doing something which highlights our history. We want to create the highest quality theater in San Antonio. Theater performances bring us some of the most powerful moments in all of our lives. When theater is done really well, even in silence, you find the good actors speak to you. I want The Playhouse San Antonio to do that in every aspect of the theater. Every time a guest is at the website, our box office or in our theater, I want them to have an amazing experience.”

For more information visit www.ThePlayhouseSA.org.


http://www.ThePlayhouseSA.org

http://www.ThePlayhouseSA.org


http://musicalbridges.org


ARTS SAN ANTONIO'S SEASON OF DANCEBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Courtesy Arts San Antonio


ARTS SAN ANTONIO'S SEASON OF DANCEBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Courtesy Arts San Antonio

For San Antonio dance lovers, the upcoming 2012-13 season of Arts San Antonio (ASA) is undoubtedly one of the most exciting in recent history, thanks to

five extraordinary companies onstage at the Lila Cockrell Theatre beginning in October.

“One of our mantras is that we present globally significant performers, bringing the most esteemed, artistically wonderful groups and performers from around the world to San Antonio,” said John Toohey, ASA president and executive director. “All of these companies have an important place, and there was a body of thought behind the engagement of every one.” Toohey expanded on what makes each special.

Ballet Folklórico México de Amalia HernándezOct. 20-21

“A culturally rich company, and one of the world’s great folkloric ensembles. Amalia Hernández distinguished herself as an ethnic dance historian, going out into the countryside of Mexico to bring examples of dance that people had not seen before on that scale, such as the hunt, pre-Colombian traditions, the Colonial period and the Revolution. It’s a history lesson in an evening interpreted by wonderful music, athletic men, beautiful woman, authentic costumes and true spectacle.” TIP: If you’ve only seen local folkloric groups, you may think you’ve been there, done that. But this is folklorico on a whole other level, featuring a touring program of mixed repertory that is athletically impressive and always a crowd pleaser.

Tchaikovsky’s The NutcrackerMejia Ballet InternationalSan Antonio Metropolitan BalletDec. 21-23

“The Nutcracker has been a tradition at ASA every year, and we have fun doing it. Mejia Ballet International was founded by Paul Mejia, who was a principal dancer at New York City Ballet under George Balanchine and former artistic director of Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, now Texas Ballet Theater. This is a beautiful production, incredibly well danced, starring Russian ballerina Olga Pavlova. Paul has a wonderful sense of humor and a great sense of style, and his interpretation goes back to its Balanchine roots, which helped to make the ballet so popular in this country in the first place.”

TIP: Look for local dancers from San Antonio Metropolitan

Ballet, who will coordinate with ASA and Mejia Ballet to recruit area students to share the stage with the pros.

The Joffrey Ballet March 8, 2013

“The Joffrey has not been in San Antonio since 1979. They will perform a full evening of works – Edwaard Laing’s ‘Age of Innocence,’ and William Forsythe’s ‘In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated’ – culminating in ‘The Rite of Spring/Le Sacre du Printemps’ which premiered in Paris in 1913 and almost caused a riot. In one work, ballet great Vaslav Nijinsky, composer Igor Stravinsky and Ballet Russes’ director Sergei Diaghilev created one of the most amazing orchestral works of Western civilization. It threw classical dance on its head. This touring production is a recreation of the original Nijinsky choreography, showing primal tribal emotions and interpreting that in a really unique way. It’s not ‘naked ballet’ or anything, and it’s not going to challenge people the same way it did 100 years ago, but it is a powerful work that most audiences will have never seen before and really demonstrates the flexibility of this company. Given that it’s the centennial of its debut, it’s something we had to do.” TIP: The Joffrey Ballet’s appearance here is so significant that ASA is creating a series of events around it, beginning with a fashion event at Neiman-Marcus on Feb. 13, a gala at the McNay on March 7 to welcome the company, and a cast party on performance night, March 8. Ticket info is at artssanantonio.org

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte CarloApril 11, 2013

“People ask me what are the Trockaderos? I say you start with some of the greatest classically trained male dancers in the world, a mixed rep program with male and female roles danced at a world-class level, all danced by men, and you sprinkle it with a good sense of humor. And it’s all done in a lively and entertaining way, with high production levels and talented performers. This would not work at an amateur level. They’re doing a mixed repertory program, and we probably won’t know the program until a month or so before, but whatever it is, it will be hilarious.” TIP: Performances by the “Trocks” are so witty and well done, even reluctant non-ballet fans will enjoy this technically impressive and irreverent send-up of some of ballet’s most sacred cows. Watch for a cast list of Margeaux Mundeyn, Ida Nevasayneva, Sonia Leftova and Mikhail Mypansarov. Now go back and read those again, out loud.

July-August | On The Town 19July-August | On The Town 19


Béjart Ballet Lausanne May 4, 2013

“They have never been to San Antonio before. In fact, they haven’t performed in the United States for 20 years. In addition to Maurice Béjart’s ‘Cantate 51,’ and ‘Là où sont les oiseaux (‘There Where the Birds Are’)’ by current artistic director Gil Roman, the company will perform their signature Ravel’s ‘Boléro.’ Maurice Béjart’s unique interpretation gives the Melody role first to a female and then to a male. Even with a company of 60 dancers, we have been asked to help recruit an additional 20 male dancers because the climax of the work has 80 dancers onstage. Like all good show biz productions, it ends big.” TIP: Controversial founder, choreographer and innovator Maurice Béjart passed away in 2007. His company is considered to be one of the most important in the world. This could very well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for San Antonio audiences.

For video clips, ticket info and discount packages, artssanantonio.org, (210) 226-2891.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits:

Page 18

Joffrey BalletRite of SpringPhoto by Herbert Migdoll

Page 20

(Above)

Bejart Ballet LausanneBoleroPhoto courtesy Arts San Antonio

(Below)

The NutcrackerPhoto by Marty Sohl





Many Texans head for the coast when the hot weather closes in. But others set their GPS for the Hill Country. Not only are the

temperatures a few degrees lower, but visitors and residents have plenty of opportunities to enjoy great summertime entertainment.

You can venture to a theater as close as Bulverde or make a day trip to Fredericksburg. Each of the playhouses below offers quality performances at very affordable prices. The shows range from comedy to full-scale musicals — something for every taste.

A n d e v e n w h e n s u m m e r ’s j u s t a m e m o r y, t h e s t a g e s r e m a i n l i t w i t h n e w p r o d u c t i o n s a l l y e a r l o n g.

All of the playhouses in this story are community theaters — once known as “little theaters.” Almost everyone involved, on stage, behind the scenes, in the box office or at the concession stand, is a volunteer. They donate hundreds of hours for your entertainment pleasure. Local critics and theater patrons give these folks high marks and keep coming back for more.

So if you love seeing live theater — where anything can happen! — and you appreciate the beautiful Texas Hill Country, get two for one with a summertime jaunt just a litte ways up the road.

Boerne Community Theatre, 907 E. Blanco Road, Boerne(830) 249-9166, boernetheatre.org, [email protected].• Summer show: Red Herring by Michael Hollinger, rated PG, July 13-28. Three love stories, a murder mystery and a nuclear espionage plot converge in this noir comedy about marriage and other explosive devices. • Next: Dearly Beloved, a gothic Texas comedy by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, Sept. 14-29.Tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for students, military and seniors. Group rates available.

S.T.A.G.E., 1300 Bulverde Road, Bulverde(830) 438-2339, stagebulverde.org. • Summer show: Last Precious Memories, a musical by Tim Hess, July 12-29. This moving production shows how music impacts our lives and how it can bring us together and heal, even if just for a moment.• Next: To be announced.Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. Cash or check only. Optional meals are available before performances.

Fredericksburg Theatre Company, 1668 Highway South, Fredericksburg(830) 997-3588 or (888) 669-7114, fredericksburgtheater.org, fbgtheaterco@austin.

Summertime in the Hill Country … and great live theater is an easy drive awayBy Anne Keever Cannon


http://stagebulverde.org


rr.com.The theater presents Season 15, an explosion of drama, musicals and way-off-Broadway excellence in the Texas Hill Country. • Summer show: Honk!, by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the award-winning musical comedy based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling,” June 29-July 15. • Next: Wait Until Dark, thriller by Frederick Knott, Oct. 12-28. A recently blinded housewife must outwit a gang of criminals who threaten her life.Tickets for most shows are $20 for adults and $5.50 for children under 18. Group rates are available.

Pointe Theatre, 120 Point Theatre Road South, Ingram(830) 367-5121, www.hcaf.com/theatre/.• Summer show: Hank Williams: Lost Highway by Randal Myler and Mark Harelik, July 6-21.• Next: Shakespeare at Stonehenge: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Aug. 10, 11, 17, 18.Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under.

Playhouse 2000, Cailloux Theater, 910 Main St., Kerrville(830) 896-9393, caillouxtheater.com/category/events/playhouse-season/.• Summer show: The Wizard of Oz, July 27-Aug 12. Based almost entirely on the classic MGM musical film, this production brings to life all of the favorite characters from the wonderful world of Oz. Beloved by kids of all ages, this musical fantasy is sure to be a crowd pleaser.• Next: Crimes of the Heart, Sept 7-22. At the core of the tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe and Lenny, who reunite after Babe has “a really bad day.” This Pulitzer prize-winning play is an off-beat, funny and touching look at the true meaning of family and love.Tickets range from $5 to $20.

Circle Arts Theatre, Landa Park at 124 Elizabeth St., New Braunfels(830) 367-5121 or (800) 459-4223, www.circleartstheatre.org/.• Summer show: Fiddler on the Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein, July 5-29. The hit musical is set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It ’s based on a story by Sholem



Aleichem.• Next: The Odd Couple, comedy by Neil Simon, Sept. 13-Oct. 7. Felix and Oscar have difficulty (to put it mildly) learning to get along under the same roof.Tickets cost $14.20 to $16.15.To purchase tickets call (830) 837-6172 weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Remember, San Antonio has more than a dozen community theaters extending invitations to their productions, too. For details, go to satheatre.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits

Page 22

RumpelstiltskinCourtesy Playhouse 2000Kerrville

Page 24

(Above)

Smith-Ritch Point TheatreCourtesy Hill Country Arts Foundation

(Below)

NunsenseCourtesy Circle Arts Theatre

Page 25

(Above)

Kimberly AkimboBCT Theatre on the EdgeCourtesy Boerne Community Theatre

(Below)

Arsenic and Old LaceCourtesy Circle Arts Theatre



http://texaspasociety.com


Events Calendar

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Events Calendar

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Music NotesYear of Jazz: The King William Jazz Collective7/1, Sun @ 1pmSan Antonio Museum of Art

Rockbox Theater - Fredericksburg7/6-8/31, Fri @ 8pm,Sat @ 4:30 & 8pm,Sun @ 2pm

Two Ton Tuesdays7/3, 10, 17, 24, 318/7, 14 – Tue @ 8:30pmGruene Hall

Wilkins Family 4th of July: The Mystiqueros, Tejas Brothers, The Drakes and Live Free & Fly7/4, Wed @ 12pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Cody Canada and Friends7/5, Thu @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Fest Out West7/5-8, Thu-SunVarious venues and timeswww.festoutwest.com for detailsY.O. Ranch Hotel in Kerrville /Luckenbach

Cactus Pear Music Festival Program 1: Caffe Viennese7/5, Thu @ 7pmCoker United MethodistProgram 2: German Espresso7/7, Sat @ 7pmCoker United Methodist7/8, Sun @ 2pmFirst United MethodistBoerneProgram 3: Brazilian Breve7/8, Sun @ 7pmFirst United MethodistBoerneProgram 4: Coffee Cantata7/12, Thu @ 7pmCoker United Methodist 7/13, Fri @ 7pmNew Braunfels Presbyterian7/15, Sun @ 2pmFirst United Methodist-Boerne

Program 5: Cappuccino Suite7/14, Sat @ 7pmCoker United Methodist7/15, Sun @ 7pmFirst United Methodist-Boerne

Dream Theater7/6, Fri @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Jesus Adrian Romero with Special Guest IMAN7/6, Fri @ 8pmFreeman Auditorium

Aaron Watson7/6, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Rosie Flores7/6, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Corb Lund & the Hurtin Albertans7/6, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Fest Out West Day in Luckenbach with Robert Earl Keen, Reckless Kelly,Dale Watson & more7/7, Sat @ 12pmLuckenbach Hall

Willie Nelsonwith Jamey Johnson7/7, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Glen Campbell7/7, Sat @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Heybale Band7/7, Sat @ 8pmAnhalt Hall

Blacktop Gypsy7/7, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Rich O’Toole7/7, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Chris Knight7/7, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

July-August 2012 Events Calendar


www.festoutwest.com


http://www.theplayhousesa.org


Cameron Nelson and Guardrail Damage7/7, Sat @ 9pmTwin Sisters Dance Hall

Sunday Jazz: Mission City Hot Rhythm Cats7/8, Sun @ 4pmThe Witte Museum

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesWhiskey Meyers7/11, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

Slightly Stoopid with The Aggrolites7/13, Fri @ 7:15pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Dejando Huella Tour 2012:Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar and Shalia Durcal7/13, Fri @ 8pmFreeman Coliseum

Kelly Willis7/13, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Kick-A-Boot Band7/13, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

David Allen Coe7/13, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Josh Abbott Band with Whiskey Meyers7/14, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Jeff Woolsey & The Dance Hall Kings 7/14, Sat @ 8pmKendalia Halle

Cody Canada & The Departed7/14, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Jake Hooker7/14, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Gary P. Nunn7/14, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Cactus Pear Music Festival’s Young Artist Program7/15, Sun @ 3pmLeeper AuditoriumMcNay Art Museum

Skaggs7/18, Wed @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesBleu Edmondson7/18, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

Del Castillo7/20, Fri @ 8pmAT&T Center

Josh Peek7/20, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Dave Coz and Bebe Winans7/20, Fri @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

The Gourds7/20, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Ryan Beaver7/20, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

DCI: Drum Corps International7/21, Sat @ 1:30pmAlamodome

TJ Smith & Ben Beckendorf7/21, Sat @ 3pm & 7pmSteve W. Shepherd TheaterFredericksburg

Texas Hill Country Opera and ArtsBest of Broadway7/21, Sat @ 6:30pmThe Admiral Nimitz Hotel Ballroom

Ghostland Observatory7/21, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Mo Bandy7/21, Sat @ 8pmBluebonnet Palace

Billy Mata & Texas Tradition7/21, Sat @ 8pmAnhalt Hall

Brandon Rhyder7/21, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

James McMurtry7/21, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Beat Bash 77/22, Sun @ 6pmFreeman Coliseum

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesCurtis Grimes7/25, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

Roger Creager’s Birthday Show7/25-28, Wed-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Trespass America Festival with Five Finger Death Punch7/27, Fri @ 5pmFreeman Auditorium

Drew Womack7/27, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall


http://woodlawntheatre.com


http://woodlawntheatre.com


Jon Wolfe7/27, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Mid-Texas Symphony Chamber Players7/27, Fri @ 7:30pmPrice Center in San Marcos7/28, Sat @ 7pmWimberley Playhouse

The Avett Brothers7/28, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Reckless Kelly and Charlie Robison7/28, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Kyle Park and Cody Johnson Band7/28, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Year of Jazz: John Magaldi & the Primetime Jazz Orchestra7/29, Sun @ 12:30pmLeeper AuditoriumMcNay Art Museum

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesUncle Lucius8/1, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

Radney Foster8/2, Thu @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Dale Watson8/3, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Almost Patsy Cline Band8/3, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Bob Schneider8/3, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store Girl Talk8/4, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Honeybrowne8/4, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Dia del Gallo Festival with Turnpike Troubadours, Chris Knight, Dirty River Boys and Thieving Birds8/4, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Emmerson Biggins8/5, Sat @ 9pmTwin Sisters Dance Hall

Kiss & Motely Crue8/5, Sun @ 7pmAT&T Center

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesGary P. Nunn8/8, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

Max Stalling8/10, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Weldon Henson8/10, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

The Trishas8/10, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store Casey Donahew Band8/11, Sat @ 7pmCowboys San Antonio

Bobby Jordon & The Ridgecreek Band8/11, Sat @ 8pmKendalia Halle

Kevin Fowler with Cody Johnson Band & Emory Quinn8/11, Sat @ 8:30pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Brandon Rhyder8/11, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Larry Joe Taylor with John Slaughter8/11, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Sunday Jazz: Graham Reynolds and Golden Arm Trio8/12, Sun @ 4pmThe Witte Museum

Iron Maiden: Maiden England8/15, Wed @ 7:30pmAT&T Center

The Cavender Toyota Music SeriesCory Morrow8/15, Wed @ 8pmCounty Line BBQ - IH-10

The Spazmatics8/17, Fri @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Crosby, Stills & Nash8/17, Fri @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

The Derailers8/17, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Josh Peek8/17, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Chris Cagle8/17, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store Gary Allan and Kyle Park8/18, Sat @ 7:30pmWhitewater Amphitheater



FTC Special Events SeriesDavid Gashen / Broadway Phantom8/18-19, Sat- Sun @ 7:30pmSteve W. Shepherd TheaterFredericksburg

Band of Heathens8/18, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

B.B. King8/19, Sun @ 7pmMajestic Theatre

Enrique, JLO, Wisin & Yandel8/23, Thu @ 7:30pmAT&T Center

Jason Cassidy8/24, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Jason Eady8/24, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store Cooder Graw: UnfinishedBusiness Tour8/25, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit8/25, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Mario Flores & The SodaCreek Band8/25, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Year of Jazz: John Carroll and Footprints8/26, Sun @ 12:30pmLeeper AuditoriumMcNay Art Museum

Dia de los Toadies Festival8/31, Fri @ 7:30pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

Bart Crow Band8/31, Fri@ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

On StageCameo TheatreI Love You, You’re Perfect,Now Change7/1, Sun @ 3:30pm

What Do You Do7/1, Sun @ 7:30pmJo Long Theatre @ Carver Community Cultural Center

Jump Start Performance Co. Outside the Circle7/1 & 8, Sun @ 3pm7/7 Sat @ 8pmSterling Houston Theatre @ Blue Star

http://yosa.org


Woodlawn Black BoxThe Pillow Man7/5-7, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:15pm

Harlequin Dinner TheatreThe Secret Garden7/5-21, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner @ 6:15pm)

Circle Arts Theatre – New BraunfelsFiddler On The Roof7/5-29, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pm

The Playhouse San Antonio In The Next Room or The Vibrator Play7/6-8, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCellar Theater

Fredericksburg Theater CompanyHonk7/6-15, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm, Sun @ 2pmSteve W. Shepherd Theater

Hill Country Arts FoundationHank Williams: Lost Highway7/6-21, Fri-Sun @ 8:30pmSmith-Ritch Point TheatreIngram

Woodlawn TheatreNext to Normal7/6-29, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pm

The Overtime TheaterI-DJ7/6-29, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmGreg Barrios Theater @ The Overtime

Kill Me Tender: A Murder Mystery Musical Cameo Theatre Presentation 7/11 & 26, Sat @ 6:15pm8/11 & 25, Sat @ 6:15pm@ The Spaghetti Warehouse7/14 & 8/18, Sat @ 6:15pm@ Earl Abel’s Restaurant

Aleja Productions with Woodlawn TheatreTrue West7/12-14, Thu-Sat @ 8pm7/15, Sun @ 3pm7/19-21, Thu-Sat @ 8pmWoodlawn Black Box

S.T.A.G.E – BulverdeLast Precious Memories7/12-29, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner optional @ 6:30pm)Sun @ 4pmKraus Haus

Boerne Community TheatreRed Herring7/13-28, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pm



Jump Start Performance Co.Last Read of Charlotte Cushman7/20 & 27, Fri @ 8pm7/22, Sun @ 8pm7/25, Wed @ 8pm7/29, Sun @ 3pmSterling Houston Theatre@ Blue Star

The Playhouse San AntonioHello Dolly7/20-8/19, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmRussell Hill Rogers Theater

Jump Start Performance Co.O’Keefe!7/21 & 28, Sat @ 8pm7/22, Sun @ 3pm7/26, Thu @ 8pm7/29, Sun @ 8pmSterling Houston Theatre@ Blue Star

Cameo TheatreHairspray The Musical7/21-8/12, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3:30pm

Playhouse 2000The Wizard of Oz7/27-8/12, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm, Sun @ 2pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Harlequin Dinner Theatre Working8/2-25, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner @ 6:15pm)

Off-Broadway ProductionsThe Fantasticks8/3-19, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmJosephine Theatre

The Playhouse San AntonioThe Little Dog Laughed8/3-26, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCellar Theater

Woodlawn Black BoxThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee8/3-26, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pm

The Overtime TheaterA Hitman’s Guide to Surviving Life8/10-9/8, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmGreg Barrios Theater @ The Overtime

Radha-Madhava: The Epitome of Love and Spirituality8/15, Sat @ 6:30pmJo Long Theatre @ The Carver


March-April 2011 | On The Town 37

Sheldon Vexler TheatreAugust: Osage County8/23-9/16, Thu @ 7:30pmSat @ 8pm, Sun @ 2:30pm Sun 9/9 only, also @ 7:30pm(No shows on Fridays)

Woodlawn Theatre9 to 58/24-9/16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pm

OperaOpera Piccola of San AntonioThe Telephone & Face on the Barroom Floor7/13-15, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmJosephine Theatre

Texas Hill Country Opera and ArtsThe Telephone & Face on the Barroom Floor7/20, Fri @ 7:30pmThe Admiral Nimitz Hotel Ballroom

The Met Summer Encores: Les Contes d’Hoffmann7/11, Wed @ 6:30pmLucia Di Lammermoor7/18, Wed @ 6:30pmDer Rosenkavalier7/25, Wed @ 6:30pm@ Cielo Vista 18, Fiesta 16 and McCreeles Cinema

Santikos Opera Series:Tosca7/18, Wed @ 7pmEugene Onegin8/22, Wed @ 7pm@ Bijou Cinema Bistro

Children’sThe Magik TheaterSchoolhouse Rock Live!7/6, 13, 20 & 23, Fri @ 7pm7/7, 21 & 28, Sat @ 2pm7/11, 18 & 25, Wed @ 10:30am7/13 & 27, Fri @ 10:30am

The Magik TheaterDisney’s Aladdin8/15-9/22, Wed @ 10:30amFri@ 7pmSat @ 2pm

ComedyTommy Blaze7/1, Sun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jim McCue7/1, Sun @ 8:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Shane Mauss7/4-8, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club


Shayla Rivera7/4-8, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Willie Barcenia7/11-15, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Mike Burton7/11-15, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Adam Corolla7/13, Fri @ 8pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Chris Tucker: GuessWho’s Back Tour7/13, Fri @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Tanyalee Davis7/18-22, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club Anjelah Johnson7/19-22, Thu @ 8pmFri @ 8pm & 10:15pmSat @ 5:30pm, 7:45pm, 10pmSun @ 6:30pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Blair Thompson: On The Road to Vegas7/25, Wed @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Ali Saddiq7/25-29, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club Dov Davidoff7/26-29, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Tyler Christopher 7/28, Sat @ 3pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Joe Devito8/1-5, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Nicholas Anthony8/1-5, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Gemini8/8-12, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Lisa Landry8/10-12, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Scott White8/15-19, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Pablo Francisco8/17-19, Sat @ 8pm& 10:15pm Sun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Brian Regan8/18, Sat @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

JR Brow8/22-26, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Sara Contreras8/22-26, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Ralphie May8/24, Fri @ 7:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Cleto Rodriguez Comedy Fiesta8/22-26, Wed & Thu @ 7:30pm & 9:45pmFri @ 7:30pm, 9:45pm & 11:55pmSat @ 4pm, 7:30pm, 9:45pm & 11:55pmSun @ 5:30pm & 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Chris Mata8/29-9/2, Wed, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

On ExhibitARTPACE

Hudson (Show) Room:New Works NowAlex de Leon, KatrinaMoorhead, Katie Pell,Juan Miguel Ramos, Lordy RodriguezThru 9/9

Window WorksThomas CumminsThru 9/9

International Artist-In-ResidentNew Works: 12.2Leslie HewittJacco OlivierMike OsborneSarah Lewis, curatorOpens 7/12




BIHL HAUS ARTS

New Works by Kari Sackman-RobertsThru 9/1

BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER

San Antonio PaintersCurated by Barbara MacAdamThru 8/18

Texas Sculpture GroupInterior ExhibitionThru 8/18

Sky PattersonSolo ExhibitionThrough 8/18

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

Texas Trails & TailsThru 7/27

40 Years of Texas Folklife Festival MemoriesThru 8/26

Texas Contemporary Artists Series: Franco Mondini RuizThru 9/2

Timeless Texas ToysThru 12/31

Made in Texas7/2-9/29

McNAY ART MUSEUM

Rouault’s Miserere:Printed PrayersThru 7/29

A Century of CollageThru 9/2

Radcliffe Bailey:Memory as MedicineThru 9/2

MUSEO ALAMEDA

Guanajuato ThroughResendiz’ ArtThru 11/11

SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Art in the Garden 2012(In conjunction with Blue Star Contemporary Art Center)Thru 3/1/13

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

San Antonio Collects: ContemporaryThru 7/1

Imagenes del Pueblo: Spanish Popular Graphics from the Permanent CollectionThru 7/22

Sublime Light: A Survey of American Photographs from the Permanent CollectionThru 8/19

Rostros de Maria: The Virgin as Archetype and Inspiration8/18-2/20/13

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART

David Almaguer: ApotheosisThru 7/8

Joey Fauerso: DramaThru 7/8

Ovidio Giberga: Signal To NoiseThru 7/8

Helen Hiebert:String TheoryThru 7/8

All School Exhibition 20127/19-8/26

Teen Studio IntensiveProgram / Dada7/19-8/26

Certificate Student Exhibitions:Judy FreemanCaryl Gaubatz Margarite Guggolz7/19-26

Rainey / Populux:A Hyphenated Culture7/19-26

WITTE MUSEUM

Designed for Royalty:Staging the CoronationThru 8/26

Darwin: How One Man’s Theory Turned the World on its HeadThru 9/3

If The River Could Talk:12,000 Years of Life on the San Antonio RiverOngoing

Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Centerat The Witte MuseumNow Open

MiscellaneousFirst Friday Art Walk7/6, 8/3Southtown


http://childrensfineartseries.org


http://childrensfineartseries.org


Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Fully Charged7/4-8, Wed @ 4pm, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 3:30pm & 7:30pm, Sun @ 3pmAlamodome

Fiesta Noche del Rio7/6-8/11, Fri-Sat @ 8:30pmArneson River Theatre

Tejas Rodeo - Bulverde7/7-8/25, Sat @ 7:30pm

Tastes of CIA Cookbooks:Spain and the World Table8/4, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Tastes of CIA Cookbooks:One Dish Meals8/11, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Solo Boxeo Tecate8/11, Sat @ 7pmAlamodome

PBR: Built Ford Tough Series8/17-18, Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 7pmAT&T Center

Jazz at the Falls Series:Cindy Bradley8/18, Sat @ 6:30pm

Steve Oliver8/25, Sat @ 6:30pm

Vince Ingala9/1, Sat @ 6:30pmMain Street - The Shopsat La Cantera

Tastes of CIA Cookbooks:CIA Favorites 8/20, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Mexican Cuisine Boot Camp8/20-24, Mon-Fri / 7am-1:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Baking Boot Camp8/21-24, Tue-Fri / 7am-1:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Tastes of CIA Cookbooks:The Flavors of Asia 8/25, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Specialty and Hearth Bread Boot Camp8/27-30, Mon-Thu / 7am-1:30pmCulinary Institute of America

Photo CreditsPage 28 (L-R)

Rockbox TheaterCourtesy rockboxtheater.com

Two Tons of SteelCourtesy twotons.com

Brasil Guitar DuoCourtesy Cactus Pear Music Festival

Bella HristovaCourtesy Cactus Pear Music Festival

Page 30 (L-R)

Stephanie Sant’AmbrogioPhoto by Liz Garza Williams

Robert Earl KeenCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Reckless KellyCourtesy recklesskelly.com

Aloysia FriedmanCourtesy Cactus Pear Music Festival

Page 32 (L-R)

Dream TheaterCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Willie NelsonCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Glen CampbellCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Rich O’TooleCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 33 (L-R)

Chris KnightCourtesy cmt.com

Gary P. NunnCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 34 (L-R)

Dave KozCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Mo BandyCourtesy mobandy.com

Page 36 (L-R)

Brandon RhyderCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Roger CreagerCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 37 (L-R)

Randy Rogers BandCourtesy liveatfloores.com

David MairsCourtesy Mid-Texas Symphony



Page 38 (L-R)

Charlie RobisonCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Radney FosterCourtesy radneyfoster.com

HoneybrowneCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Kevin FowlerCourtesy kevinfowler.com

Page 40 (L-R)

The SpazmaticsCourtesy thespazmatics.net

David CrosbyCourtesy crosbystillsnash.com

Chris CagleCourtesy liveatfloores.com

B.B. KingCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Page 42 (L-R)

Mario FloresCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Fiesta Noche del RioPhoto by Paul Garcia

Shayla RiveraCourtesy shaylarivera.com

Adam CorollaCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Page 43 (L-R)

Anjelah JohnsonCourtesy angelahjohnson.com

Brian Regan Photo by Brian Friedman

Sara ContrerasCourtesy saracontreras.com

Ralphie MayCourtesy ralphiemay.com


http://cappysrestaurant.com/

http://cappyccinos.com/

http://lafondaonmain.com/


Culinary Arts 46-54

Culinary Arts 46-54



Two Step Restaurant and Cantina: A tasty restoration delivers history and flavor By Dawn Robinette Photography Greg Harrison

Everything old is new again, at least that’s how it feels at Two Step Restaurant and Cantina, a new spot that perfectly combines old with new to offer

a treat on the Northwest Side. Located at the corner of Braun Road and Loop 1604, Two Step is easy to find: Look for the historic farm buildings with a modern twist and terrific music and true Texas barbeque smoke filling the air.

Two Step’s food has a quality flare, but never loses sight of its down-home, Texas roots. Executive chef/co-owner Steve Warner designed the menu around dishes he loves, many of which come from his background and his experiences. Menu items such as the Loaded Beef Rib and Parmesan-crusted Pork Chop were influenced by his family, while Nana’s Award-winning Borracho-style Pinto Beans truly are Nana’s — the recipe originated with Warner’s mother-in-law. The Gulf Shrimp Firecrackers are a twist on a dish Warner created in California, as is the Crispy Sautéed Chicken Breast with sweet corn butter. And the pecan pie? “That’s my mom’s, of course!”

Family doesn’t just play a role on Two Step’s menu: Warner’s wife, Adrienne Muñoz-Warner, a San Antonio native, serves as Two Step’s director of marketing and events. Celebrating their seventh anniversary this summer, the two met working at Eddie V’s in Austin and have a new daughter, born just a month before the restaurant opened its doors last fall.

A Churchill High School graduate, Warner returned to San Antonio in 2008 as executive chef at Wildfish Seafood Grille after an impressive career that took him across the country opening restaurants for well-known names such as Morton’s – The Steakhouse, Macaroni Grill and Eddie V’s. Throughout his career, Warner has helped open more than 25 restaurants, an honor reserved for chefs with proven track records of getting off to great starts and sustaining strong performances.

That’s certainly the case with Two Step, recognized by San Antonio Magazine as one of the city’s best new restaurants.

“Of course, we can’t rest on our laurels,” Warner said. “We have to prove ourselves every day. With a true dedication to quality and taste, we’ll make sure that things are just right as we keep our menu fresh and maintain the quality our customers expect.”

Warner had been exploring the option of opening his own place for some time, but the opportunity to work with a dilapidated homestead originally built in the 1860s provided the spark to move forward.

“The feel of the house and barn, the opportunity to create something new while honoring the history of this location — this is the perfect home for a true Texas restaurant, true Texas cuisine, a true Texas feel. You can’t get more authentic than the roots of this homestead,” he said.



The homestead had fallen into disrepair, but developer Steve Braha, who also is one of the restaurant’s co-owners, kept the structures while looking for the right way to use the buildings. Once it was decided to use the buildings for the restaurant, the challenge became how to work with the structures.

A visit to Two Step confirms that the space is well-used. The design incorporates the footprint of the historic buildings, while accommodating the equipment needed for a modern restaurant. The combination is seamless, and the restoration so well done that no one would ever guess that the structures were once crumbling away.

During the renovation, the design team repurposed any materials that had to be removed, making decorative shelving out of floor joists and lighting fixtures from rusted tin roofing. The counter in the restaurant’s entrance is made from salvaged limestone, as are the planter beds and the walls encompassing the patio, a terrific outdoor space with shade trees and an amazing sunset view. The large patio feels intimate, enabling families to relax, enjoy themselves and watch their children play.

The commitment to quality and keeping Two Step’s look and feel authentic is something that’s important to Warner and Braha.

“We’re determined to only use the best ingredients in our food and in the restaurant itself. Now that we’re ready to enjoy our first summer on the patio, Steve Braha is looking for the perfect fans and misters to blend in with our design,” Warner said. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner to keep Two Step top-notch and authentic.”

With such a true Texas feel and Texas cuisine, there must be a deep history to the name, right?

“I’d love to say there’s significance to the name or that we did market research, and it’s what fit a place that’s iconic Texas, but the true story is that I saw a billboard advertising the Texas Lottery and the phrase stuck: We became Two Step Restaurant and Cantina,” Warner said. “The story isn’t great, but the name is perfect: It’s true Texas, just like what we’re doing here.”

48 On The Town | March-April 201148 On The Town | July-August 2012

Steve Warner and Adrienne Muñoz-Warner



http://zoccariverwalk.com/


http://zoccariverwalk.com/


Culinaria: Restaurant Week and more this summer By Ginger McAneer-Robinson


I t can be daunting at times to filter through the endless choices of restaurants available to find something that is truly exquisite. Luckily, there is

an organization dedicated to bringing these culinary superstars into the limelight for everyone to enjoy.

Culinaria, a nonprofit organization that strives to promote San Antonio as a premier destination for wine and food, has many wonderful opportunities lined up this summer and fall for those who have a love of fine wine and dining.

New to the organization this year is Cinema Culinaria, taking place Thursday evenings until Aug. 16. Located at EZ’s Brick Oven and Grill’s Sunset Ridge Shopping Center location, this event is the perfect way to spend a relaxing evening enjoying dinner and a show -- think drive-in movie experience -- without the driving in. Attendees will have a fun and unique experience watching a movie starring various culinary themes while they savor their food in a casual, patio-style outdoor setting.

Summer fun continues with the Rambling Rosé event Aug. 11 a short drive away at Becker Vineyards. For $25 a person, guests can enjoy a tranquil afternoon at the gorgeous and scenic Becker Vineyards while sampling and savoring a variety of rosé wines in a blind tasting guided by a panel of experts. It’s also a chance for guests to ask the panel any wine-related questions. Capping off the event, chef John Brand of Las Canarias at the Omni La Mansion del Rio Hotel and Ostra at Mokara will delight guests with various culinary creations.

Then, it’s back! Get ready for another week of culinary adventure and exploration that will tantalize the taste buds during Restaurant Week, Aug. 18-25. Locals and visitors can find tantalizing three-course meals at some of San Antonio’s hottest restaurants for incredibly low prices. Lunch menus will be available for $15, and dinner for $35. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience some of the best cuisine in the city without breaking the bank.

Although participating restaurants still are under

wraps, check in with Culinaria at www.culinariasa.org frequently to examine the ever-growing list of participating locations. With a wide array of the best restaurants in San Antonio anticipated to join in the festivities, there is sure to be something to please every palate. Reservations may not be required by individual participating restaurants, but at prices like these, the venues are sure to be packed, so plan accordingly. Contact the restaurants directly if you would like to make reservations.

Coinciding with Restaurant Week, The Shops at La Cantera will continue its summer jazz series Aug. 18 and 25 and Sept. 1. Take the family and lawn chairs, and enjoy the soothing sounds of some of jazz’s great artists. The nightly events are at 7:30 p.m. in the area known as The Falls at The Shops at La Cantera. Culinaria receives proceeds from beverage sales those evenings.

If you are looking for something a little more exclusive and prestigious, consider the Chefs and Cellars event in September. In a night of pampering and delight, this intimate event allows guests to join the best local chefs in the kitchen at the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio. The multi-course menus are paired with rare and fine wines from private cellars. If ever there was a night of culinary opulence, this is it.

In November, enjoy the beautiful San Antonio weather at the Hole in Wine Golf Classic. Individual participants and corporate teams will enjoy a day of golf with food, beverages, some light competition and plenty of fun. Players will be provided a gourmet box lunch to enjoy at their leisure. After a day of fun in the sun, attendees spend the evening unwinding during a world-class reception complete with fine wine, delectable cuisine and live music.

There are several additional events for 2012 still in the works by Culinaria, so stay tuned! For more information and specific details such as ticket information, times and locations, visit www.culinariasa.org or call the Culinaria office at (210) 822-9555.


www.culinariasa.org

www.culinariasa.org

http://www.culinariasa.org

http://www.culinariasa.org


http://cpmf.us


Visual Arts56-66

Visual Arts56-66


Local Art RisingBy Cassandra Yardeni


The temperature isn’t the only thing heating up the Alamo City this summer. From art aglow to tall Texas tales, local museums and galleries offer a welcome

escape from the heat, and an opportunity to explore time, places and people a world away.

See how the west was fun at the Witte Museum’s Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center. Boasting 20,000 square-feet and serving as a permanent home for the Witte’s South Texas collections, exhibitions and public programs, the center offers a chance to adults and children alike to trace the legendary history of South Texas. Artifacts include saddles, spurs, basketry, branding irons, art, firearms and more. Live reinactors, cutting-edge museum technology and even a talking Tejano Freighter round out this stunning South Texas treasure.

The Witte Museum has partnered with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) to present a unique exhibit highlights many remarkable archeological finds discovered as part of the San Antonio River Improvements Project. If the River Could Talk: 12,000 Years of Life on the San Antonio River will be on vi≠≠ew through August 12 and features rare artifacts including fossils, stone tools and even a 122 year-old preserved message in a bottle. The exhibit includes interactive and enlightening displays of river tools, chronicling the thousands of years that hunters and gatherers lived and worked along the river.

tSee the light at the San Antonio Museum of Art! Sublime Light: A Survey of American Photographs from the Permannt Collection is on display and highlights more than fifty masterful and iconic images from SAMA’s holdings of photography and strives to illustrate the breadth and vitality of the medium over the last one and one half centuries. Although the first fixed image was recorded in 1826, artists were exploring the possibilities of recording light-generated images as early as the Renaissance using an optical device called the camera obscura. A selection of historic photographic images emerge from SAMA’s vault for the exhibition, dating from the mid to late 19th century by largely unknown photographers or studios, and offers a rare glimpse into the early years of fixing image to plate or paper. Sublime Light will be on view until August 19.

Through August 18, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center will showcase work from ten local artists, whose works have been juried and curated by Barbara MacAdam, Deputy Editor of ARTnews magazine. Of the collection, MacAdam says, “A lot of talent went into the work submitted for this show, and it was difficult to narrow down the selection. What I principally aimed for, and found, was originality. Beyond that, diversity was important, in style, medium, and genre. There are examples of abstract work, narrative art, still life, graphic styles, folklore, and more. There were no rules in the choosing. This is the work that


58 On The Town | July-August 201258 On The Town | May-June 2012

grabbed my attention, both for (or despite) its quality or even its imperfections.” Featured artists include Andrew Anderson, Roberta Buckles, Angelica Esteban, Marcus Garza, Carmen Cartiness Johnson, Elizabeth McDonald, Lee Michael Peterson, Sammy Velasquez, Sandy Whitby and Rachel Ziegler.

Brace yourself for an electrifying experience as Bihl Haus Arts presents GLOW: The Nuclear Show, a collection of artists responding to all things nuclear: nuclear power, nuclear weapons, nuclear waste, nuclear energy, nuclear medicine, nuclear radiation. These themes have resurfaced with a vengeance since the March 11, 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Each artist struggles with exigent questions, such as: Is nuclear power dangerous? Is it dirty? Is it hazardous to health? Is it deadly? And, what other risks does nuclear power pose for humanity both now and in the future? GLOW, organized by lead artist David Zamora Casas, aka Nuclear Meltdown, with Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez and Eric Lane, visually challenges the viewer to contemplate all of these issues and more. As Glow closes July 14, make a trip to Bihl Haus Arts a part of your upcoming weekend plans.

A celebration both of the greater African American story and the artist’s personal discoveries about his family origins, the McNay Museum presents Radcliffe Bailey: Memory as Medicine, an exhibition that takes its title from sets of “medicine cabinet” sculptures, such as Procession, one of the museum’s newest acquisitions. These containers, along with other objects significant to the culture of the South, allude to Bailey’s ancestors and function as medicine as he reaches for memory to restore himself.

fBorn in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, Radcliffe Bailey possesses a great sense of history and is deeply rooted in his family and community. Ranging from a miniscule drawing of a traditional African mask to a nearly 24-foot collage, Memory as Medicine focuses on three central, overlapping themes: water, blues, and blood. As always, the Southwest School of Art offers some of the most thought-provoking contemporary works in San Antonio free of charge. Through August 26, treat yourself to student exhibitions by artists Judy Freeman, Caryl Gaubatz and Margarite Guggolz and a stunning celebration of popular culture, Populux: A Hyphenated Culture by Rainey. Certainly, no summer art sampling would be complete without a visit to the Insitute of Texan Cultures’ 40 Years



of Texas Folklife Festival Memories. Until August 26, the Texas-sized exhibit showcases the stories, images, sounds and artifacts from the Texas Folklife Festival’s most memorable moments.

Make the most of your weekends, long weekends and days off this season and indulge in the beauty all around the city. Local galleries and museums offer a refreshing escape from the summer heat and promise a transformative experience each and every time you visit! No passport needed.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits:

Page 56Entwinedoil on canvas36” x 36” Roberta Buckles

Page 57Vulnerablewood and metal hardware6” x 13” x3” Linda Kim

Page 58

(Above)

Hiroshima2011Mixed media on canvas10” x 8”David Zamora Casas

(Below)

Bluemixed media on canvas66” x 60” Sandy Whitby

Page 59

(Above)

Water Polo Playersacrylic on canvas 60” x 72” Sky Patterson

(Below)Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage CenterPhoto courtesy Witte Museum


Blue Star’s MOSAIC Program Creates Handmade Tile Mural for H-E-BBy Rebecca GeibelPhotography Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center

S tanding at an impressive forty feet wide by eleven feet tall, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center ’s MOSAIC (Mosaic of Student

Artists in the Community) program students and renowned San Antonio artist Alex Rubio have created and installed the largest completely handmade ti le mural in the city of San Antonio, to date. The mosaic was commissioned by H-E-B for

its East Houston Street store and was designed by Rubio and the MOSAIC students.

I t features images of various landmarks of the East Side, including the Cameo Theater, Carver Community Cultural Center, Carver Academy, Ella Austin Community Center, and Watson Fine Arts Center.



The completed mural was unveiled on Saturday, June 23, 2012 with celebratory confetti cannons and a drum roll. Special guests during the dedication ceremony included Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, Office of Cultural Affairs Director Felix Padrón, Executive Director of the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center Bil l FitzGibbons, Blue Star Chairman of the Board Edward Valdespino, H-E-B representatives and East Side community leaders.

Blue Star Contemporary Art Center ’s MOSAIC program essentially provides a hands-on approach to education that fosters creative development. MOSAIC also emphasizes the need for exemplary academics to ultimately pursue a career in the arts. All MOSAIC students to date have graduated high school and are pursuing their higher education degree. Many of these exceptional students are the first in their families to apply for and attend college.MOSAIC students, under the supervision and direction of Alex Rubio, have been working on

this extensive project since July of 2011. Rubio is a native of San Antonio’s West Side and a nationally exhibited artist with decades of experience in both studio and public ar t. When Rubio and the MOSAIC students first envisioned the piece, they wanted to highlight architecture within driving distance of the mural, helping to accentuate the vibrant culture and rich community of San Antonio’s East Side. After surveying both old and new architecture, they chose to include specific structures that house organizations dedicated to supporting the arts within the San Antonio community.

“ The MOSAIC program has helped me grow into the young artist I am today, with a clearer idea of my own individuality and self-expression,” asserts Juan Flores, a MOSAIC student from Brackenridge High School. “I feel l ike I have been enlightened to knowing who I am as a person and what I must do throughout my life to achieve happiness by pursuing an art career.”




Southwest School of Art: All School Exhibition By Christa BrothersPhotos courtesy of Southwest School of Art

The doors to a much-anticipated annual event, the All School Exhibition at the Southwest School of Art (SSA), will swing open July 19.

The almost 50-year-old art institution – 47, to be correct -- has been a reliable and respected constant in San Antonio’s art scene. Known for its high quality art classes with instructors who are well established and accomplished artists in their own fields and also for the wide variety of studio arts from which to choose, the SSA is a San Antonio treasure.

“Our school is recognized in the region and even nationally for its comprehensive study opportunities,”

said SSA director Paula Owen.

“The sheer number of art forms to choose from, like the expected disciplines of drawing, painting and print making, to the less-anticipated instructions in paper making, digital mediums, metals or stone carving, makes the school one of a kind,” Owen said. “We are proud of our institution and what we have to offer to the city of San Antonio.” With high-quality instructors, an almost endless array of classes, and all the facilities and equipment needed, the SSA is considered a highly regarded art institution.

Beginning with the fall 2013 semester, the school will have another feather in its cap: offering a bachelor of arts



degree program through the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Kathy Armstrong, director of exhibits and associate curator for SSA since 2001, said exhibitors for the all-school show are determined by a juror panel of the school’s six department chairs along with herself.

“Some faculty members who have been creating a new body of work during the past semesters are invited to show their art in the exhibit as well,” Armstrong said.

“We get about 300 to 400 entries each year, and we have to narrow it down to about 60 artists -- quite a challenge,” she said.

“Not only do we want to showcase the best art work but there also needs to be a coherent show,” Armstrong said.

“For example, the art pieces have to work together visually, and size or installation requirements have to be considered,” she said.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits

Page 62

Untitled, 2012oil on panel, 24” x 18”

Page 63Burned Out Store, 2011Caryl Gaubatz, size variableThermal screen on silk noil, over-dyed

Page 64

(Above)

I’m Fine, Really - copper, sterling silver, fine silver, brass, polymer clay, owl and peacock feather. 7.5” x 7.5’ .25.Margarite Guggolz

(Below)Across The Table, 2012Sarah Pagona, Giclee print, 20” x 30”




http://www.santikos.com/


Literary Arts68-72

Literary Arts 68-72


VIKI ASHChildren’s Services Coordinatorfor the San Antonio Public LibraryStory and photo by Jasmina Wellinghoff

Book Talk:


Viki Ash believes in the transformative power of literature and the importance of introducing children to books at an early age. As a librarian, she

has devoted her entire career to that goal.

Currently the children’s services coordinator for the San Antonio Public Library (SAPL), Ash holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree in library science and worked as librarian, department manager or youth services coordinator in several cities before returning to her hometown to assume her current position in 2005. Her 1996 doctoral dissertation focused on delivering library services to youngsters in childcare settings.

Ash also has served on selection committees for children’s book awards, including the Newbery, Caldecott and Laura Ingalls Wilder awards and is the recipient of the 2008 Siddie Joe Johnson Award presented by the Children’s Roundtable of the Texas Library Association for outstanding achievement in children’s librarianship.

We talked to her in her sunny office at the Central Library.

JW: Since summer is here, many parents will be interested in SAPL’s 2012 Summer Reading Club. Could you describe the program?

VA: Our summer reading program is for all ages. We have listening and reading components. Children who are being read to -- the listening group -- are expected to listen to 15 titles, and at the end they get a free book to keep and a certificate signed by the mayor. The kids who can read independently need to read eight books to finish (the program). Then, they too get a free book and a certificate. We certainly don’t insist that all books be library books; we just want them to read over the summer. Studies tell us that children who read over the summer maintain their reading skills. It only takes six books to keep your skills up and 10 books can actually increase the child’s reading skills. We also know that kids who listen to books before they can read independently have greater literacy skills when they enter school.

JW: How do you monitor their reading? Is it strictly an honor system?

VA: The children register for the program and they can do so at any library or, for the first time this summer, they can do it totally online. They receive a paper log to keep track of the books they read but if they are electronically savvy they can keep their whole log online as well. And, yes, it

is an honor system. When they say they read it or listened to it, we believe them. The online component also allows them to write reviews that we publish on our site. That seems to be a big draw with the older kids, third grade and up. I review their reviews but I don’t really edit them. I just make sure they are reasonable for publication.

JW: How many kids do you expect to enroll?

VA: We already have 3,000 children signed up (in early June), and we’ve just started. Last summer we had 20,000. Not all of them finished. We are hoping to have more this year because of the electronic opportunity. We are also partnering with the parks and recreation department, Girls Inc., and other community groups to get kids who are already in some sort of organized program to participate. In fact, I just talked to the leaders of YMCA summer camps last week, so that they all know how to register and help the kids do it.

JW: Who chooses the books? Do you compile a recommended list?

VA: No, we don’t. We feel that summer is the time for children to be self-directed. We want them to follow their own curiosity. But we are happy to suggest titles if they ask, and we provide access to the recommended lists from the various school districts.

JW: So how many youngsters get to the finish line?

VA: We’ve been very conscious of the need to monitor the completion rate and it varies between 32 and 38 percent, which we think is pretty good. (These percentages) reflect only the kids who actually come back to tell us that they completed the job. Participation seems to be the greatest in the kindergarten through second-grade group.

JW: You must have seen a lot of changes in children’s literature in the last 20 to 25 years, both in terms of ethnic and thematic diversity.

VA: Oh, yes! The first big movement toward a multicultural literature was probably in the late ’80s. The Coretta King Award was established not only to acknowledge black authors and illustrators but to encourage them as well. And then the Pura Belpré Award was created (in 1996) which everyone hoped will do the same for Latino authors and illustrators. But the truth is, we still don’t have that many books by and about the Latino experience. Here in San Antonio we are fortunate to have Carmen Tafolla (San



Antonio’s first poet laureate) whose children’s books have been well received nationally.

As for subject matter, children’s books don’t exist in a vacuum. As our society has become more willing to talk about more and more topics, more books are written about these topics. We have seen books that deal with death, with nontraditional families, books that have characters with some sort of disability … Often in the past such books were written purposefully, to convey a message – “Now I am going to write you a book about the boy in the wheelchair” or “Now I am going to write you a book about the little girl whose parents are divorced.” So, they were not always fine literature. But increasingly writers are just writing a good story and the disabled child – or divorce or whatever -- just happens to be part of it. I applaud them for it. No one likes a book that’s banging you over the head with the message.

I think every child has the right to see themselves in a book. It doesn’t have to be every book but if you are never in a book, that might make you feel like there’s something wrong with you. By the way, some of the best literature written today is written for young people and plenty of grownups read it, too.

JW: Do boys and girls gravitate toward different reading matter?

VA: Boys prefer non-fiction, so it’s important that we not forget the non-fiction section. They like to read about technical subjects but also about animals and lately about mythology, thanks to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. They like books about drawing, too.

JW: Who is in charge of choosing and ordering books for the SAPL?

VA: We have a selector for children’s and young adult literature, Nohemi Lopez Rosedahl. All the children’s librarians have input but she is responsible for buying and collection development.

JW: It seems like a daunting job; there are so many books out there.

VA: (laughs) Yes, lots of books! But there are also a lot of review journals that we keep track of. You read the reviews and make a decision based on the quality of the book, on your perceived understanding of the local demand for a particular book, and with an eye toward the larger

collection that we already have (to keep the collection as diversified as possible). It’s a very exciting and energizing kind of job.

You know, libraries used to be kind of snooty, like, “We buy only quality literature.” I remember when I was a girl here in San Antonio you couldn’t get Nancy Drew novels at the library because “they were not good enough.” Our attitude about those sorts of things has changed pretty dramatically. We want to have a collection that people want to use as well as a collection that reflects the best in children’s literature. Probably the biggest change we made recently is to make graphic novels available. This is something kids ask for. They are very popular.

JW: Are there book clubs for youngsters?

VA: Yes. I run two book clubs at the Bonham Academy downtown, one for fourth graders and one for fifth graders. I bring the books to them since the school library is not likely to have 12 copies of the same book. We meet once a month at lunch time and talk about what they read. They are always eager to know what we will be reading next. It’s fun.

As a library, we are expanding our effort to reach children in schools and childcare settings. Mothers are working nowadays and are not available to bring their kids to the library. We are especially concerned about early (pre-school) literacy. Those formative years are incredibly important. So, I’ve been thinking of new ways to serve these very young kids. Sharing the information about early literacy with care providers and parents and grandparents is also important to us. So we serve the adults, too, on behalf of children.

JW: Do you have suggestions for parents who are trying to get their reluctant child to read?

VA: I would say find something that the child is interested in. Adults need to be open to all kinds of reading material. There are two kinds of reading, efferent and aesthetic. The former is reading to take away information, while in aesthetic reading we read because we get caught up in it, we experience what’s happening in the book. Some people believe that the latter can only happen with a novel but I think it’s a fallacy. For some individuals, reading baseball statistics is as involving as getting all caught up in Charlotte’s Web is for me. So you have to accept and value that.

Also, reading together is a powerful tool. Sit down and read to them. By doing that you are saying to your child, “You are



important to me and reading is important.” It helps if you start when they are three rather than in the third grade. Finally, because a child can read independently doesn’t mean that he/she doesn’t want to be read to. Sharing a book gives you something to talk about. It’s a special bond.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Ash’s comments have been edited slightly for reasons of space and clarity.

To help guide a child’s summer reading, Ash recommends the following titles:

Recommended Children’s Classics

Picture BooksGoodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement HurdHarry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskeyWhere the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Beginning ReadersFrog and Toad are Friends by Arnold LobelLittle Bear by Else Holmerund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Chapter BooksThe Cay by Theodore TaylorCharlotte’s Web by E.B. WhiteLittle House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls WilderThe Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Recommended Contemporary Titles

Picture BooksGrandpa Green by Lane SmithKitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin HenkesTrashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan YaccarinoWhat Can You Do With a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Magaly Morales

Beginning ReadersHi! Fly Guy! by Tedd ArnoldThere is a Bird on Your Head (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

Chapter BooksHeart of a Shepherd by Roseanne ParryInside Out and Back Again by Thanhha LaiLightning Thief by Rick RiordanPiper Reed, Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt


http://cynthiaclarkphotos.com


Eclectics74-95

Eclectics74-95

74 On The Town | July-August 201274 On The Town | July-August 2012


Patty Ortiz: Fulfilling Her Vision for Guadalupe Cultural Arts CenterBy Lisa CruzPhotography Dana Fossett

Patty Ortiz returned to San Antonio with one mission, to revive the cultural heart of a community. A little more than three years ago,

Ortiz was serving as deputy director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, Colorado when the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center came calling. Her charge…rebuild the prominence of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and the trust of the San Antonio community in the organization.

Since her first day as executive director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Ortiz knew the challenges ahead lied in providing quality programming with cultural significance, convincing the community of real change and demonstrating fiscal responsibility.

“The Guadalupe was struggling and in need of a new vision,” Ortiz said. “I saw many opportunities in it. The staff structure was not very efficient, and there was very minimal marketing and fundraising staff, so only the local, West-side community really knew the great things that were being done here. I focused first on building a good team.”

Ortiz has spent the past three years “building trust, getting everything ready, building programs and showing the change to the community,” she explained.

Refining the programming included a strong focus on education. Programs like Camp Guadalupe and The Teen

Arts Puentes Project encourage young people in the community to engage and appreciate the history of the community through art.

She also concentrated on building effective fundraising festivals that have since tripled the organization’s net revenues.

Events like the Tejano Conjunto Festival, which celebrated its 31st year in May, the CineFestival and the Puro Conjunto Pesado now bring in thousands of dollars for the Center and provide a forum for Chicano artists to display their talents for all of San Antonio.

“Through our revitalization efforts, we are welcoming people from all parts of San Antonio,” Ortiz said. “We are bringing in artists from across the city and showcasing their art in a quality environment, where people know they are in a professional museum.”

Many artists felt disenfranchised, according to Ortiz, so encouraging the art community to give the Center another chance was a significant part of her plan.

“I keep the standards so high that when people come in, they say, Wow,” Ortiz explained. “When you bring in amazing programming, people hear about it.”

With her background as an artist, a manager and a curator, Ortiz curated exhibits with artists from Colombia


76 On The Town | July-August 201276 On The Town | July-August 2012

and Mexico, incorporating local artists and connecting with the community.

The Guadalupe has always focused on preserving and presenting the best of Latino art and culture to the public, but to capture the attention of broader audiences has required new paradigms in marketing and outreach for the Center. “In addition to regaining the trust of the artists, I knew the local, neighborhood community supported us, but we had to reach out to all of San Antonio, so we began partnerships with other organizations like KRTU and the Symphony,” Ortiz explained. “Cross-marketing has become critical to our success.”

Additionally, Ortiz knows that the strength of her organization relies on the success of the area in which it lives.

“We’ve been renovating our spaces slowly, as we were part of the 2007 bond,” Ortiz said. “We were able to secure more dollars for renovation, which helped us create our ‘backyard’ area, and we were able to purchase space next to our gallery where later this year, we will open a store and eventually a restaurant or café in which we can infuse our programming with discussions of food in our culture.”

The revitalization of the Center has trickled to the neighborhood, as physical improvements are being made to streets and sidewalks with wider walkways and public art, and even homeowners are cleaning up their individual properties. Faith in an organization can be demonstrated at the voter booth. With the approval of the 2012 bond, the Center is receiving funds to continue its renovations and create an historical exhibition area to showcase how San Antonio has managed to maintain its tradition and culture. This is a big win for the Center with respect to community confidence.

“Culture doesn’t necessarily happen on stage,” Ortiz said. “It happens in kitchens, backyards, parks, etc. So our goal for the coming years is to build programming that goes beyond the museum walls. It’s not just about products and artifacts but intangible stories, and it is our duty to talk about and share these cultural nuances through artistic expression.”


http://fiestanochedelrio.com

July-August | On The Town 77May-June 2012 | On The Town 77

http://fiestanochedelrio.com


July-August | On The Town 79May-June 2012 | On The Town 79

W..hat was your favorite? Mine was the boat ride, where I happily trailed my fingers through the water. My husband loved the planes with their

machine guns and the sensation of flying he had while suspended in the air. My 65-year old mother loved the handcars, and so does my 5-year-old son. If you were ever a little kid in San Antonio, you probably know the place: Kiddie Park.

Located on the northwest corner of Broadway and Mulberry, Kiddie Park has long been a cherished part of childhood in San Antonio — it is safe to say that almost anyone born in the Alamo City between 1920 and today has spent time there.

For a time, just a few years ago, the future of Kiddie Park was threatened. After years of falling into disrepair as

Kiddie Park: A Landmark Saved, Renewed and Going StrongBy Angela RabkePhotography Greg Harrison



the neighborhood around it stagnated, the historic amusement park eventually closed down. Enter Rad and Ashley Weaver, along with their partner Brett Conger.

“The whole thing was Rad’s vision,” Conger said. “He drove by every day [on his way to work] and always thought it would be a fun project to restore the park … he had grown up going to Kiddie Park as a child. I agreed to it because I knew San Antonio and also came to Kiddie Park as a kid.”

The partners closed the deal, and then were challenged with the restoration of an amusement park that first opened its gates in 1925. The partners are only the third owners of the park since it opened 87 years ago, and they began the process with a long list of repairs and improvements.

Despite the challenges, “we never felt it was a risk because we knew we could fix it and make it nice again,” Conger said. “We knew how many people loved going to Kiddie Park. It’s a San Antonio tradition passed down from generation to generation, so we knew if it was cleaned up, people would come back,” so clean it up they did.

It took the new owners about two years to finish the repairs and improvements, and today the park is presented in largely the same delightful manner as it was back in 1925: anchored by a hand-carved carousel that was built in 1918, the park features sweet and colorful rides that move at a nice pace for younger kids, while the loudspeakers play happy children’s tunes quietly in the background.

All of the rides are the same, with only one absence —the Little Dipper roller coaster, which was in too bad a shape to save. The handcars returned, and clean new restrooms, landscaping and fencing were added, along with a new entrance and flagstone walk. The owners also added some offices and updated the snack bar. Finally, they built 25 new picnic tables, added several tons of gravel, painted everything, and opened the gates for business.

Since that day, business has been steady, as if the park never closed. On the weekends, the corner of this once halfway-depressing intersection bustles with happy activity. It’s once again a favorite spot for birthday parties, as adults mingle around the picnic tables or under the new awnings while kids run freely from ride to ride.“Watching the kids have so much fun, and listening to



every parent talk about how they came here as a child and rode the same rides” is the most rewarding part of the project, Conger said.

Kiddie Park is perhaps the heart of an area of San Antonio that is rapidly becoming the premier location for child-focused venues — arguably the “Children’s Reach” of the San Antonio River Walk. Within a few blocks are the San Antonio Zoo, Walden Pond, Lions Park, the Witte Museum, the Acorn School and Brackenridge Park, which will be adding a stop at Kiddie Park for San Antonio’s beloved miniature train, the Brackenridge Eagle. The San Antonio Children’s Museum is currently in the design process and will open across the street in 2015.

“We have always wanted this section of Broadway to get back to what it was back in the day,” Conger said. “Having the Children’s Museum move in right across the street is going to be amazing, and we are thrilled to have so many places up and down Broadway being renovated. We wanted to clean up Kiddie Park to help make this a great place for families and kids. Having [these venues] together in the same area will be amazing.” All of this fits into the larger plan for the re-urbanization of the Broadway corridor, known as the Broadway Midtown master plan.

The children’s area of Broadway certainly will be magical, but the owners of Kiddie Park envision spreading the Kiddie Park brand to other areas in San Antonio, as well. “We are opening up another location on the south side of San Antonio called Kiddie Park Pica Pica,” Conger said. The new location will have an indoor play area inside the Pica Pica Plaza that will open in September.

It’s fitting that the oldest park of its type in the nation is ushering in a new era for this once-overlooked neighborhood that is less than a mile from the Pearl Brewery, as well as creating a space for precious early childhood memories in another part of San Antonio. No generation will miss the nostalgia of 4-year-old parties at Kiddie Park, and for those kids, that party will look very much the same as it did for their great-great-great-great-grandmothers.

“This park has been pretty much the same thing for 87 years,” Conger said, “so I wouldn’t be surprised if 20 years from now you were looking at the same place you see today.”



Artistic Destination:

Elvis and the Special Places in His LifeBy Julie Catalano



E lvis Presley was a true son of the south – Tennessee’s golden boy in every sense of the word. Although regularly on tour or under the

bright lights of Hollywood or Las Vegas, the King of Rock and Roll never left home for too long. During this 35th anniversary year of his death, you can trace some – these are by no means all -- of the King’s most notable Southern landmarks. He was shaped by all of them, and in return he changed them forever.

Elvis Aaron Presley took his first breath – and presumably let out his first wail – in a tiny, two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, the only living son of Vernon and Gladys Presley. His twin, Jesse Garon, was stillborn; his remains are buried in an unmarked grave in Priceville Cemetery in East Tupelo.

In 1977, the original house was restored and decorated in the style of the 1930s. “Everybody wants to see exactly where Elvis was born,” says Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace. According to the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, in 2011 about 40,000 visitors paid to see the modest home along with a 15-acre park, a museum, and a memorial chapel.

This year, a $4.3 million completion of the first phase of expansion is expected to draw even more fans, who will enjoy a new 120-seat theater, an amphitheater for 75, and new space for artifacts. “They’ve been in storage for about ten years,” says Guyton.

The Presley family moved from place to place in Tupelo until finally setting out for Memphis and a better life in 1948 when Elvis was 13 and already performing in a school talent show. After graduation in 1953, he worked at various odd jobs, secretly harboring dreams of much more.

“Everybody knows the story,” says Cory Fletcher, guide at Sun Studio in Memphis (sunstudio.com). “Elvis walked in to make a record for his mother’s birthday. Very sweet story. But it’s not true.” Gladys’ birthday had been months earlier; a painfully shy and very nervous Elvis just wanted to sing. For the kingly sum of $4, Elvis got “one take, one song, and one copy of a song called My Happiness,’” says Fletcher.

Now, studio tour visitors can stand where Elvis stood and “sing” into the same microphone Elvis did while recording his first hit, That’s All Right, Mama. Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation to Sun Records founder



Sam Phillips) played it 17 times in a row while the phones rang off the hook. The next day Elvis had a two-year contract with Sun Records.

The tour also includes the amazing story behind what became known as The Million Dollar Quartet, an impromptu jam session among Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash on December 4, 1956, when Elvis (who was by then with RCA and already a phenomenon) dropped in for a visit during Perkins’ – with pianist Lewis – recording session. Elvis popped into the studio himself, followed by Cash, a savvy Sam Phillips left the mic open and the tapes running, and the rest is goose bump-inducing history. (One reviewer compares it to “finding the Dead Sea Scrolls of music.”)

RCA Victor bought out Elvis’ Sun contract and he recorded Heartbreak Hotel, his first gold record, in their Nashville Studio B – a must-see for any Elvis fan. His spirit permeates this unassuming but magical space that looks much like it did when Elvis and so many other music legends sang into its mikes and played its instruments, some still lining the walls. It still serves as a working studio for today’s artists.

“Elvis recorded more than 250 songs here at Studio B,” says Keith Wright, national tourism sales manager for the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. “One of the great American love songs of all-time was sung in the dark because Elvis decided it should be done that way.” He then turns off the lights and Are You Lonesome Tonight? begins in the dark, just as Elvis recorded it.

Few days were darker than August 16, 1977, when Elvis’ journey ended at Graceland, the 18-room mansion that he had gifted to his parents in happier days at age 22. About 10 miles from downtown Memphis, Graceland had always been a haven from the glare of the spotlight, and he increasingly retreated to it in later years, as career frustrations, health problems and suspected prescription drug dependence began to overshadow his once-golden life. Here he would play with young daughter Lisa Marie (from his marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu), ride his horses (later purchasing the 163-acre Circle G Ranch in Horn Lake, Mississippi to house his ever-growing herd), and occasionally greet his fans at the famous guitar-themed gates. While preparing for a tour, Elvis collapsed and died, alone, upstairs, leaving behind millions of devastated fans the world over. In 1982, Graceland – with its



mansion, grounds, special exhibits, automobile museum, and private jets Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II – opened to the public. Every year, about 600,000 make the pilgrimage. For the 35th anniversary, Lisa Marie announced Elvis: Through His Daughter’s Eyes,” an exhibit on display for the next two years.

Graceland’s annual Elvis Week – this year from August 10-18, 2012 – will feature concerts, conferences, film screenings, a songwriters showcase, and an Elvis Tribute contest (i.e, the ubiquitous impersonators), to name a few. The opening ceremony takes place on August 15, at 8:30p near the front gates of the mansion, culminating in a candlelight procession up the drive to the gravesite. The 35th anniversary will draw the inevitable thousands, but no one will be left out. “The procession,” according to elvis.com, “will last as long as we have guests.”

In the end, for true Elvis fans it will always be about the music. From the first guitar his beloved mama bought at the Tupelo Hardware Store to his gospel roots to the glittering gold records that adorn the walls at Graceland, Elvis was, in his own way, singing the song of the south – a place he loved as dearly as his home, his family, and his faith. “For all his fame and fortune, says Dick Guyton, “Elvis never forgot where he came from.”

For more information, welovetupelo.com, memphistravel.com, visitmusiccity.com

A version of this article by the author, entitled “Livin’ in Elvis Country,” appeared in DeSoto Magazine, August 10, 2010.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:

Pages 82-83

Elvis Statue on Beale Street Photo by Vasha Hunt © Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau 2011 All Rights Reserved

Page 84

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Elvis Presley BirthplacePhoto courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau86 On The Town | July-August 2012


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Statue of young Elvis at Elvis Presley BirthplacePhoto courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

Page 85

(Above)

Tupelo Hardware Company(Where Gladys Presley bought Elvis’ first guitar)Photo courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

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Memorial Chapel at Elvis Presley BirthplacePhoto courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

Page 86

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Sun Studio recording studioPhoto by Dan Ball© Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau 2011 All Rights Reserved.

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Fans at Gate of GracelandPhoto by Justin Fox Burks© Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau 2011 All Rights Reserved.

Page 87

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Graceland MansionPhoto by Julie Catalano

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Historic RCA Studio BPhoto by Donn JonesCourtesy Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum





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July/August 2012 Issue