The Tulsa Voice | Vol. 5 No. 24

THE FIGHT FOR A FREE INDIGENOUS PRESS P12

MEMBERS ONLY: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE P26 DEC. 5 – 18, 2018

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VOL. 5 NO. 24

PHASES THE NATIVE DANCERS WHO CHANGED AMERICAN BALLET P21

paradise never sounded So Good.

Tickets On Sale Now

jo koy dec 7 mannheim steamroller dec 8 little big town dec 13 Bad company dec 28 Ron white dec 31 sinbad jan 12 Boyz ii men jan 19 toni braxton jan 25

Live Music

Friday & Saturday Nights Starting at 9PM in 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar and at 10 PM in Margaritaville!

Visit margaritavilletulsa.com for a complete schedule.

81ST & RIVERSIDE 888-748-3731 RIVERSPIRITTULSA.COM

2 // CONTENTS

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Reserve a private party space or create the perfect holiday catering menu with the help of one of our wonderful restaurants.

Tavern Bond Event Center Elgin Park Dust Bowl

McNellie’s (Downtown & South City)

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El Guapo’s (Downtown & Harvard)

Dilly Diner Fassler Hall

F O R B O O K I N G I N F O A N D C AT E R I N G M E N U S , C O N TA C T T I F FA N Y AT T I F FA N Y@ M C N E L L I E S . C O M .

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

CONTENTS // 3

4 // CONTENTS

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

December 5 – 18, 2018 // Vol. 5, No. 24 ©2018. All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER Jim Langdon EDITOR Jezy J. Gray ASSISTANT EDITOR Blayklee Freed DIGITAL EDITOR John Langdon CREATIVE DIRECTOR Madeline Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Georgia Brooks, Morgan Welch PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Bollinger AD SALES MANAGER Josh Kampf CONTRIBUTORS Alicia Chesser Atkin, Russell Cobb, Charles Elmore, Angela Evans, Barry Friedman, Mitch Gilliam, Greg Horton, Eric Howerton, Jeff Huston, Fraser Kastner, Lyndsay Knecht, Gary Mason, Mary Noble, Michelle Pollard, Joseph Rushmore, Damion Shade, John Tranchina, Valerie Wei-Haas

The Tulsa Voice’s distribution is audited annually by

Member of

MOON PHASES P21

BY LYNDSAY KNECHT

How the ‘Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas’ gave the United States a regional tradition

The Tulsa Voice is published bi-monthly by

A tutu from the ballet Paquita hangs in the Tulsa Ballet costume archive. | JOSEPH RUSHMORE

1603 S. Boulder Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119 P: 918.585.9924 F: 918.585.9926 PUBLISHER Jim Langdon PRESIDENT Juley Roffers VP COMMUNICATIONS Susie Miller CONTROLLER Mary McKisick DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Amanda Hall RECEPTION Gloria Brooks

NEWS & COMMENTARY 7 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

B Y DAMION SHADE Reduced sentences mean less property crime in Oklahoma

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

8

G.T. BYNUM SETTLES IN

Send all letters, complaints, compliments & haikus to: voices@langdonpublishing.com

The continuing interview, part four

FOLLOW US @THETULSAVOICE ON:

BY BARRY FRIEDMAN

10 BUILDING POWER

BY MARY NOBLE New North Tulsa initiative focuses on ‘doing together for each other’

12 HARD NEWS

BY RUSSELL COBB Freedom of the press and the future of tribal sovereignty in Indian Country THE FIGHT FOR A FREE INDIGENOUS PRESS P12

MEMBERS ONLY: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE P26 DEC. 5 – 18, 2018

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FOOD & DRINK

VOL. 5 NO. 24

14 DISTILLED SEOUL

B Y ANGELA EVANS Chef Ben Alexander brings Korean cuisine to Tulsa’s newest tasting room

16 STORIES BY THE SIP

B Y GREG HORTON

PHASES THE NATIVE DANCERS WHO CHANGED AMERICAN BALLET P21

ON THE COVER ILLUSTRATIONS BY MORGAN WELCH “Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas” The Five Moons THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE 26 MEMBERS ONLY

B Y TTV STAFF Give the gift of membership this holiday season

30 WHITE HAT, BLACK HISTORY

B Y JEZY J. GRAY The Chisholm Kid colors the American West in new Gilcrease exhibit

32 ‘FLOW TOGETHER’

BY FRASER KASTNER Young Oklahoma artists bring vibrant abstraction to the Equality Center

34 LINEAGE AND LEGACY

B Y ALICIA CHESSER ATKIN

Three generations of ‘The Nutcracker’

36 EXPANDING THE FIELD

B Y JOHN TRANCHINA

In new league, Tulsa Rugby continues to grow

37 TINFOIL ON TRIAL: TULSA EDITION

B Y MITCH GILLIAM

Did the walk to the grassy knoll start in T-Town?

MUSIC 40 BLUE DOME’S NEWEST DEN

B Y BLAYKLEE FREED Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill offers local music and tasty food

TV & FILM 44 MELANCHOLIC MEMORIES

B Y JEFF HUSTON Alfonso Cuarón’s passion project gives Netflix an Oscar contender

45 THE ART OF SUFFERING

B Y CHARLES ELMORE Willem Dafoe delivers a heartbreaking performance in this messy Van Gogh biopic

ETC. 6 EDITOR’SLETTER 38 THEHAPS 42 MUSICLISTINGS 45 FULLCIRCLE 47 THEFUZZ + CROSSWORD

New craft distilleries offer alternatives to ‘mindless corporate booze’

17 MAR-AVILLOSO

B Y ERIC HOWERTON

Fabulosos serves quality marine cuisine CONTENTS // 5

editor’sletter

R

eading is the best part of my job. I get a sharp hit of dopamine when a writer’s story pings my inbox—not only because it means we’re one step closer to putting the next issue to bed, but because it means I get to spend time with yet another thoughtful piece of writing about the city I’m learning and the state I love. The job has its stresses—my colleagues are currently snickering at this understatement—but being the first to read these wonderful stories about our community is one of its deepest pleasures.

Another is sharing them with you, which I’m particularly thrilled to do this time around.

Our cover story by Lyndsay Knecht is an absolute stunner.

It’s a beautiful and rich piece of longform arts reporting, tracing the history of regional ballet in

the United States through five world-renowned Native American dancers from Oklahoma (pg. 21).

These 20th century ballerinas, known as The Five Moons, are depicted in Mike Larsen’s iconic “The Flight of the Spirit” painting in the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol. That’s them, too, sculpted in bronze on the west lawn of the Tulsa Historical Society. (Once you know these dancers, you’ll see them everywhere.) With Tulsa Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” right around the corner (pg. 34), now seemed like the perfect time to share this epic story about these incredible women and their contribution to our state and the country writ large.

In these pages you’ll also find a captivating chronicle by Russell Cobb about the uncertain future

of a free press for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation (pg. 12). His story explores the recent shakeup at Mvskoke Media—the Nation’s radio, television, and newspaper outlet—which was re-classified on Nov. 8 as an entity of the tribal Department of Commerce, rather than one overseen by an independent editorial board governed by the ethics of the Native American Journalists Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.

The move could have disastrous consequences for a free Indigenous press. Moreover, Russell’s excellent piece explores how this latest controversy comes at a crucial moment for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Indian Country more broadly, whose tribal sovereignty is quite literally on trial at the Supreme Court in Carpenter v. Murphy.

RECYCLE THIS Plastic Jugs and Bottles

I’m also excited to share a story I wrote about the Gilcrease Museum’s upcoming exhibit about The Chisholm Kid, the first black cowboy to ever be featured in a comic strip (pg. 30). We’ve also got a piece by Mary Noble about “building power” in North Tulsa (pg. 10); Barry Friedman’s latest interview with Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum (pg. 8); a guide to holiday gift memberships (pg. 26); plus tons of colorful and compelling stories about eating, drinking, and living together in this beautiful, complicated city. Happy reading! a

JEZY J. GRAY EDITOR

NOT THAT Plastic Toys

Donate toys or throw them away in the gray trash cart.

Plastic jugs and bottles are perfect for recycling, but plastic toys are NOT acceptable for the blue recycling cart.

6 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

LEARN MORE AT

TulsaRecycles.com December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

okpolicy

B

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Reduced sentences mean less property crime in Oklahoma

by DAMION SHADE for OKPOLICY.ORG

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

efore 2016, stealing a smartphone in Oklahoma could be charged as a felony with the possibility of prison time. The passage of SQ 780 raised the felony theft threshold in Oklahoma from $500 to $1,000, meaning a person has to steal something worth more than $1,000 to be charged with felony larceny.

These changes went into effect in July 2017, and the early returns are very encouraging: Statewide reports of theft fell in Oklahoma between 2016 and 2017. After SQ 780 reduced minor property crimes to misdemeanors, rates of theft continued to fall. Lower crime numbers, coupled with the sharp decline in felony fi lings, strongly support the idea that smart justice reform can lead to both less crime and less punishment. These positive trends should help to sustain justice reform efforts as Oklahoma works to reduce its world-leading incarceration rate.

Opponents of recent Oklahoma justice reforms argued that criminality and theft would rise if Oklahoma’s felony theft amount was lowered. The data shows that the opposite has occurred. There were 3,443 fewer reports of larceny in 2017 than 2016. Felony cases involving property crime this year are also down 29 percent from 2017. SQ 780 is only gradually beginning to alter prison admission rates, but these early results are promising.

It’s hard to argue that lowlevel thieves and shoplifters are a serious threat to public safety, but nonviolent property crime was a major driver of incarceration in this state prior to recent reforms. Between 2011 and 2015, the number of individuals entering the Oklahoma prison system for property offenses grew by 29 percent. Research shows that these harsh punishments do little

to deter crime, and a low-level offenders’ felony conviction carries lifelong consequences which can often lead to higher rates of recidivism.

On the other hand, the investments in substance abuse and mental health treatment envisioned by SQ 780 and SQ 781 are proven to reduce crime. A 10 percent increase in the substance abuse treatment rate reduces robbery and larceny theft rates by about 3 percent on average. Less punitive criminal penalties, economic development, education, and investments in mental health and substance abuse treatment all lead to better outcomes than so called “Tough on Crime” laws.

Reducing the criminal penalty for low-level theft has become a common part of justice reform efforts across the nation. Thirtynine states have raised their felony theft threshold since 2000, and whether a state sets its felony theft amount at $500, $1,000, or $2,000, there seems to be no significant effect on property crime and larceny rates.

Criminality seems to be driven by a lack of access to education, mental health services, and employment, and having a felony conviction makes each of these deficits more likely. The numbers tell a clear story. Reports of theft are falling as our system has grown less punitive. We should not ignore these facts. Evidencebased justice should force us to reject the harsh sentences and threat-based methods of the recent past. Theft is often driven by need, and a smart justice system should acknowledge these issues. It shouldn’t make them worse. a

Damion Shade is a policy analyst with Oklahoma Policy Institute (okpolicy.org).

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 7

G.T. Bynum settles in The continuing interview, part four

by BARRY FRIEDMAN

M

ayor G.T. Bynum, sitting at the conference table inside his office, looks as ebullient and relaxed as ever, if slightly thinner. He offers me a seat on the “Reagan” sofa1 because he knows it will make me laugh, and then asks me not to do to him in this interview what I “did” to State Representative Carol Bush2 because he knows it’ll make me laugh even harder.

This is part of our act. Michelle Brooks, his press secretary, once again joins us, but she doesn’t seem as worried this time.

It’s the day after the 2018 election—which saw, nationally, a Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives; statewide, a newly-elected Republican governor; and, locally, the election of four new Tulsa city councilors.

The mayor wants to talk about the councilors and the renewed interest in public service.

I don’t ask him about any of that.

“So,” I say. “Vice President Pence comes to Tulsa—” Bynum starts laughing. “I knew you were going to do this.”

“No, no. Mayors always go to the airport when vice presidents fly in—you get a pass from me.

It’s something Dewey Bartlett didn’t do when Biden came to town—remember?”

And this is when G.T. Bynum is at his best.

“I thought it was embarrassing for the state that President Obama came here a couple of years ago, and none of our statewide elected officials showed up to greet him at the airport. He toured El Reno, and no statewide

8 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Mayor G.T. Bynum | COURTESY CITY OF TULSA

officials accompanied him? The President of the United States spent an entire day here, and no one acknowledged that. Mick Cornett was the most senior elected official in the state, and he was the only one who showed up. So even though I wasn’t going to the rally afterwards, I did want to be at the airport when the vice

president landed to welcome him to Tulsa.”

“You mean the one at ORU with Pence, Stitt, and Lankford?

You didn’t go on purpose?”

“Correct. I told gubernatorial candidates for the last year that I wasn’t getting involved in the governor’s race, and I wasn’t going to ORU for the rally.”

“This is your problem,” I tell him. “There’s no place in the Republican Party, as presently constituted, for moderation for G.T. Bynum.”

“I’m not as moderate as you think.”

“Nevertheless, you’re smart about not advertising that fact when those conservative views have nothing to do with running Tulsa, which they rarely do.”

The mayor hates answering questions about his political future, which is why I ask every time we get together.

“Do you think about how you’d traverse such terrain if you ever did run for governor or congress?”

“I think about it, sure, but not in terms of ladder climbing …

We in Tulsa have an opportunity to lead on things that everybody should agree on. Whether that’s making Tulsa a place where all people have an opportunity, regardless of race, gender, or country they were born in. That’s the notion that caused America to thrive in its first 200 years. And I don’t feel we do enough talking about it right now.”

“Has the GOP done enough to articulate what you just said—that we are a welcoming nation?”

“No. But I think in any party you have leaders who can show a better path forward. Bill Clinton showed a more moderate path for Democrats; Ronald Reagan showed a more sunny, optimistic view of what we can be as a country. Granted, those were both presidential candidates, but if we in Tulsa can demonstrate that you can care about helping December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

your fellow man and make your city safer and more economically vibrant, then people will come around to those ideas. Look, I reject the notion that you can’t be a conservative and also care about immigrants and racial disparity.

And maybe conservatives are not doing a good job—” “They’re doing a terrible job,” I interrupt.

“I think of myself as a conservative, but I’m a conservative who cares about those things.”

“All right, let’s have it your way,” I say. “Who’s making that case nationally for the GOP?” “Well, your friend [1170KFAQ Morning Host] Pat Campbell is going to love this one: [Nebraska Senator] Ben Sasse.”

“My ‘friend’?’ I repeat. “Nice.

You’ve listened to those shows?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Ben Sasse, really?” I ask.

“His new book on the breakdown of civil discourse in America is the most important book I’ve read this year.”

This is the second interview in which the mayor has brought up Sasse—and, for that matter, former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels—the two most overrated GOP “moderates” this side of Jeff Flake and Susan Collins.

(I scribble myself a note to pursue this topic next time.)

“So what’s your problem with Campbell?”

“After the election, he said he’d give me a fair shake but then knifed me in the back two weeks later when he found out I hired Kathy Taylor.”

“This had to do with Kathy Taylor?”

“Yes. That I would hire Kathy Taylor chief of economic development—that was the original sin.”

I called my “friend” Pat Campbell—as regular readers here know, I have done his show a number of times—and he didn’t disagree.

“That’s water under the bridge,” Campbell told me. “G.T. has the one thing Taylor couldn’t buy: likability.” He adds, “Had my listeners known Bynum would bring Kathy Taylor back into city government, they never would have voted for him.”

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

Campbell insists Bynum needs these listeners3 to win re-election —but he doesn’t. Bynum beat Bartlett by 18 percent in the 2016 GOP primary, and it wasn’t the hard right that put him over the top. Bynum will be re-elected by cobbling together the same coalition of GOP moderates, independents, and Democrats. And it’s the smart move if you belong to those groups, because—in a state with Kevin Hern and Markwayne Mullin, not to mention Jim Inhofe, James Lankford, and now Kevin Stitt—G.T. Bynum is the least of your problems.

“Speaking of,” I ask. “Say you run for governor, and your opponent in the primary asks you about abortion, about school prayer?

What do you do?”

“I will get into those issues.

And I’m more conservative than you think I am, but I always think locally first. All four that won yesterday,” he says, talking of new city council members Crista Patrick, Kara Joy McKee, Cass Fahler, and Lori Decter Wright.

“I’m excited to work with them.

That’s what had me tap dancing yesterday.”

“Tap dancing? That’s the image you want people to picture?”

“Maybe leave that out.”

“No way. So, what’s your take about Gathering Place, generally, and the issue of guns at the park, specifically?”

“The land is public land operated by a private operator—that’s my understanding.”

“So why do you think the issue of guns resonated at this park when people are free to open carry at any other park? Why the fuss here?”

“Because it’s the greatest park gift in the history of the country and is a huge focal point.”

“Do you just wish the issue would go away?”

“I guess the thing I thought was a shame about it is that the purpose of Gathering Place was to draw people together,” the mayor says. “So we get away from the things that divide us, so we can have this shared experience together, first and foremost as Tulsans and people. And this was

an example of politics and divisiveness intruding on that, especially right out of the gate.”

“The fringe always gets air time, drives the debate, right? This is good identity politics. Which side are you on?”

“Maybe I’ll just get my clock cleaned in two years, and find out I’m wrong,” he says, looking ahead to his re-election effort in 2020. “But I don’t agree with the labels. Before they’re Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals, people are people. I’ll give you a good example. When I announced we were going to reconvene a search for mass graves from the 1921 massacre, there were those on my staff [who] were concerned about this huge blowback from people, and it’s safe to say previous mayors were afraid of that, too. I put a post up on Facebook, explaining my rationale, talking about what it would be like to find out one of your relatives disappeared, [and you] don’t know what happened to him or her, and we have a responsibility to help people with that. I had 500 responses—and only five were negative. Ninety-nine percent were positive. And this social media, which is a bug light for negativity.”

“And they were all callers from Campbell’s show,” I say.

He laughs. “The problem is not enough elected officials do a good job of showing the human element of the things they’re talking about.”

“So what of the political divide, both nationally and locally?

What fuels it? And where are you in all that?” I ask.

“I think maybe there are folks who prefer a candidate or elected official who helps to voice anger, but for me, that’s not how I’m wired. I’m not angry all the time.” a

1) thetulsavoice.com: G.T. Bynum, mayoral ghosts, and the Reagan sofa 2) thetulsavoice.com: One of the good ones 3) 1170kfaq.com: 11.13.18 Pat Sets The Record Straight on Mayor G.T. Bynum

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NEWS & COMMENTARY // 9

community

M

ajority-black elementary schools within the Tulsa Public Schools district suspend students at a rate nearly seven times higher than their white counterparts. The disturbing numbers—18.2 percent to 2.6 percent—are laid out in a report released earlier this year by the Equality Indicators project.

Developed by the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governances, the project looks at areas like housing, education, and criminal justice to help cities gauge and understand equality and equity. In 2017, Tulsa was one of five U.S. cities selected by the 100 Resilient Cities initiative to participate.

The City of Tulsa partnered with Community Service Council (CSC) to gather information through community forums and online surveys regarding the various issues that contribute to inequality in Tulsa. The compiled information was then analyzed to identify the Tulsa Equality Indicators and construct a report on the findings.

Six major themes emerged from the report, with 54 indicators categorized into one of the six themes. Under the theme of education, indicators like Race & Suspensions and Income & Dropouts were identified. Each indicator includes information and data to help community members understand what inequality looks like in their city.

The Resilient Cities strategy was unveiled in June 2018 to address a variety of issues outlined within the Equality Indicators report. The mission is to transform Tulsa into a world-class city, guided by four long-term visions the city hopes to realize through goals and action plans outlined within the report.

For many black Tulsans, the Equality Indicators report quantifies issues their communities have been facing for a long time.

The METCares Foundation, an organization founded in 2014 with the mission to transform educational outcomes for black

10 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Greg Robinson, METCares Foundation director of family and community ownership | GREG BOLLINGER

Building power New North Tulsa initiative focuses on ‘doing together for each other’

by MARY NOBLE youth, believes that the vision of a more resilient Tulsa must include voices from the community. To help realize this vision, METCares organized an initiative called Resilience U, a series of eight workshops where North Tulsans are invited to engage with experts and decision makers on critical issues and identify areas in which families can get engaged.

“The way I think about this is: Anything you do for me without me, you do to me—so how do we create a situation in which we are doing together for each other?” That’s Greg Robinson, director of family and community ownership for the METCares Foundation. “We don’t even say ‘empower’ anymore, because if I can empower you that means that I can disempower you. We like to talk about building power in the families to be able to change [their] situation. Any way we can get you more educated and in front of more folks, talking and

building relationships, that’s what we want to do.”

Robinson, along with community activist Kristi Williams and METCares family coordinator Raynell Joseph, conducted house meetings throughout North Tulsa to gain insight from community members. Robinson’s team then cross referenced their findings with the Equality Indicators and identified topics they believe are impacting residents the most.

These became topics for the Resilience U sessions.

“For too long in the community, we felt like city officials and city leaders can just say words.

What we want to do is be able to hold leaders accountable to their words,” Robinson said. “We are so excited about [the resiliency plan] but that, to us, is an invitation to do work. This is us as a community saying, ‘Here are the indicators that most affect us. Let us be a part of the solutions to these things.’ We hope that Resilience U is the start of

a conversation for us to get to some solutions, so these indicators aren’t the same the next time they do this study.”

All the sessions will take place at Greenwood Leadership Academy and are designed around one or more of the Tulsa Equality Indicators. This first two sessions took place Nov. 29. The morning topic was social emotional learning, and the afternoon session focused on addressing trauma.

Each session is 90 minutes long and free to attend. Child care and dinner is provided.

Part of Joseph’s job as family coordinator is to advocate for the families she meets with daily, and to identify ways to reduce barriers that may prevent families from attending.

“Raynell pounds on us every day [about] how are we being empathetic to families, how are we addressing the needs?” Robinson said.

Community members, leaders, and organizers sat around tables, discussing various equality indicators impacting the community during the Nov. 29 the session on addressing trauma. After Deputy Superintendent Paula Shannon gave a talk on how TPS is working to better address trauma and inequitable suspension policies, attendees broke out into groups and shared personal experiences.

“We can look at these numbers all day, but these are symptoms of a problem. What is a root cause of a problem? For us, when you start talking about trauma, you start to dig into root causes. We believe that if we can figure out how to better [address trauma] a lot of this will come down—like suspensions. I can guarantee you [that] is related to trauma.”

The next Resilience U session will take place at 3:30 and 6 p.m. on Jan. 17. The topics for this session are “Families Building Better Readers,” and “Justice, Safety, & Community Policing,” where Sheriff Vic Regalado and Chief of Police Chuck Jordan will be presenting on their plans to address inequalities in policing. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

1 in 4 children need your help.

Thank you.

8

$1 = 4 MEALS Your donation this season could double thanks to a $150,000 grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation!

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To the Best in Tulsa’s Arts and Culture!

TULSA’S UNITED ARTS FUND WHERE ONE GIFT SUPPORTS THE MANY.

108 Contemporary • A Pocket Full of Hope • The bART Center for Music • Chamber Music Tulsa • Circle Cinema • Clark Youth Theatre • Fab Lab Tulsa • Gilcrease Museum • Greenwood Cultural Center • Harmony Project Tulsa • Heller Theatre Company • Latimer-Cooksey Arts & Cultural Foundation • Living Arts of Tulsa, Inc. • Midwest Harp Academy, Inc. • MUSED. • Northeastern Oklahoma Wood Turners Association • Oklahoma Performing Arts, Inc. • Philbrook Museum of Art • The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Inc. • South Asian Performance Arts Foundation • South Tulsa Children’s Ballet • Theatre North • Theatre Pops, Inc. • Theatre Tulsa • Tulsa Artists’ Coalition • Tulsa Ballet • Tulsa Botanic Garden • Tulsa Camerata, Inc. • Tulsa Children’s Museum Discovery Lab • Tulsa Girls Art School • Tulsa Glassblowing School • Tulsa Historical Society & Museum • Tulsa Opera • Tulsa Oratorio Chorus • Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust • Tulsa Project Theatre • Tulsa Symphony Orchestra • Tulsa Youth Symphony • WaterWorks Advisory Council • Woody Guthrie Center, Inc. Help support all these organizations with one gift!

Text “Tulsa” to 50555 and a one time charge of $10 is added to your phone bill. Or visit artstulsa.org!

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

NEWS & COMMENTARY // 11

statewide

Hard news

Freedom of the press and the future of tribal sovereignty in Indian Country

by RUSSELL COBB

W

hen Sterling Cosper started looking for a job in journalism about seven years ago, the media landscape was littered with the husks of formerly prestigious publications. The rise of social media and lingering effects of the Great Recession seemed to spell doom for budding journalists.

There was, however, one bright spot: the rise of Indigenous media. “The Creek Nation was my big break,” Cosper said.

The influx of revenue from gaming had led some tribes— including the Muscogee (Creek) Nation—to take a risk in establishing independent media outlets to tell in-depth stories from an Indigenous point of view. The move was a political gamble. Press independence from tribal government meant that the media would be accountable to the citizens of a nation and journalistic ethics, not to the government that funded the operation.

There are only five tribes nationwide with legal protections for press freedom, according to the Native American Journalists Association. NAJA executive director Rebecca Landsberry says that a free press represents a major step forward for tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Until recently, Mvskoke Media—the Creek Nation’s outfit of radio, television, and newspaper—looked to be a model for the hundreds of tribes without such freedom of the press protections.

With the passage of a Nov. 8 law reclassifying Mvskoke Media as an entity of the Department of Commerce, however, that model is in serious jeopardy.

When Sterling Cosper first landed at Mvskoke Media in 2012, the idea of a press free from polit-

12 // NEWS & COMMENTARY

Former Mvskoke Media manager, Sterling Cosper | GARY MASON

ical pressure was still a distant ideal. “You get in there and you realize [the media] is under the administration, but everything is being called ‘news,’” Cosper said.

Cosper bided his time, hoping that the Mvskoke Media could blossom into something more than a PR wing of the Creek Nation. It was a frustrating experience. “Controversies started popping up in the government and people started asking why we weren’t covering the issues in a timely manner, or at all,” Cosper said. Many Creeks “did not even realize we were seated under the Chief.”

A scandal involving former Chief George Tiger pushed the tribe to reconsider how it covered its own affairs. In March 2015, The Tulsa World reported that Tiger signed a secretive deal with the Kialegee Tribal Town to start a casino that would rival the Creek Nation’s casino and hotel.

The Creek Nation had invested heavily in transforming what had once been a boxy warehouse housing a bingo parlor on Riverside Drive into a Las Vegasstyle resort. Now the Chief was secretly working with another tribe to build a competing casino.

The Tulsa World story landed as a bombshell at the Creek National Council, where Tiger’s deal seemed like a betrayal.

In an emergency session following the story, the Council voted 12-0 in a no-confidence resolution. Council wanted Tiger out, but he stayed in office until he lost to current Chief James Floyd in November of the same year.

Back at Mvskoke Media in Okmulgee, Cosper sensed the timing was right to unshackle the media organization from the government. He yearned to report hard news about his nation, and he seemed to get his wish when, in the fallout from the Tiger scandal, the Creek National Council unanimously passed a law guaranteeing a free press by establishing an independent editorial board at arm’s length from political machinations.

Eli Grayson, a longtime activist within the tribe, watched with skepticism. “Anyone with any political sense knew the media was being used as a football in a game between Chief George Tiger and the National Council,” Grayson said.

Mvskoke Media used its newfound freedom to delve into thorny issues about tribal sovereignty, the status of Freedmen (descendants of slaves owned by the Five Tribes who were written out of tribal citizenship), and sexual harassment.

The media establishment took notice. In spring 2018, Mvskoke Media garnered five awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Association.

Rebecca Landsberry, the NAJA executive director (and a Creek citizen herself), told me that Mvskoke Media was becoming a beacon for an independent media in Indian Country.

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

With increased visibility outside the tribe, however, came increased scrutiny by powerful people within the tribe. National Council members grumbled about “negative” coverage. In my talks with Creek citizens, a few stories published in Muscogee Nation News stuck out as particularly damning. One involved a charge of sexual harassment against National Council representative Lucien Tiger. Another story reported on a charge of a DUI against Representative Mark Randolph. Other stories involved nepotism at HUD and an unreported deficit in the health department.

Cosper insisted that all this reporting was printed as unbiased news, not as a political takedown.

“I hate to call those stories negative, because anything that holds people accountable or makes the public more aware is not, in my opinion, negative.”

In any case, Cosper suspected that there would be blowback for the stories. He thought the National Council might find ways to pressure Mvskoke Media into softening its coverage or force the outlet to run more pieces with a positive spin. But the government took a much more drastic step.

On Nov. 8, the National Council convened an emergency session to repeal the law that had guaranteed press freedom to Mvskoke Media only three years prior. Under the new legislation, the media outfit would now be part of the Department of Commerce, directly underneath the Executive branch. Cosper got the news the same morning that the Council was set to vote on the law. He scrambled to prepare some sort of defense. “I knew that they would come after us, I just didn’t know they would do it all in one day,” Cosper said.

Assembled in its newly-renovated tribal council house in Okmulgee on a brisk, early fall evening, the National Council took up the issue. One council member asked Chief James Floyd why it was necessary to disband the editorial board and reform Mvskoke Media. Chief Floyd responded that the tribe needed to “coordinate the messages we have. We need to be good stewards of tribal money in everything that we do.”

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

In an email to me, the Secretary of the Nation and Commerce, Elijah McIntosh, emphasized the financial dimension of funding a multiplatform media operation under intense scrutiny. A review of expenditures revealed that “[m]ultiple departments are performing the same service, thereby unnecessarily increasing government expenditures,” McIntosh said. He said that the reclassification would have no impact on the freedom of the press.

Representative Travis Scott, however, was not convinced.

During the emergency session, he said that the proposed move “needs to be a little more thought out and addressed with the editorial board.”

If the issue was negativity, Scott said, then the Creek Nation had a bigger problem. “In my opinion, we see [negativity] everyday when we wake up and watch the news, regardless of whether that’s at the tribal level, the state level, the federal level. I mean, that’s all we see.”

Sterling Cosper took the floor.

“I know we’ve printed stuff that some of you may have found alarming,” he said to the National Council. “But at least I can come and account for what I’ve done.”

Votes among representatives resulted in a six-to-six tie. Chief Floyd then cast the tie-breaking vote to reclassify Mvskoke Media as an entity under the Department of Commerce.

That same evening, Sterling Cosper announced his resignation as manager of Mvskoke Media.

Despite the blow, Cosper, Landsberry, and other Creeks remain positive about the long-term goal of a free press in Indian Country.

Ultimately, they think a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the freedom of the press can be attained. Recent developments inside and outside the tribe may have actually strengthened their cause.

The controversy around press freedom in Indian Country comes at a pivotal moment for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the State of Oklahoma. For over a century, Native American affairs have been covered by the Oklahoma media establishment as

matters of secondary importance.

This is no accident: The foundation of the State of Oklahoma was inseparable from the dissolution of Native sovereignty.

In the years following 1907, the Five Tribes were forced to wind down all the functions of their governments in an era that historians call early 20th century “bureaucratic imperialism.” Under the Dawes Act, the Tribes’ national lands had been transferred to individual 160-acre lots to be bought and sold—with some important restrictions—on the open market.

The governments of the Five Tribes were on life support until the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936. From that point until the current day, the Five Tribes have been clawing back sovereignty from the State of Oklahoma.

Everything from Indian gaming to tribal licence plates to fights over taxation, mineral rights, and Native American language revitalization are all a part of this bigger picture of the fight for self-determination.

Oklahoma, of course, has not always acquiesced to the Tribes’ demands, and the confl ict between the state government and tribal sovereignty came to a head over a 1999 murder by Patrick Dwayne Murphy.

On the surface, there was little to debate. Murphy, a citizen of the Creek Nation, confessed to killing George Jacobs over a dispute involving an ex-girlfriend. The gruesome details of the case— Murphy slit Jacobs’ throat, severed his genitals, and left him to die by the side of rural road—led the State to pursue the death penalty, which Murphy received. Murphy’s defense, such as it was, revolved around his mental deficiencies.

On appeal, however, a new set of lawyers took a different tack. They pointed out that since Murphy was a citizen of the Creek Nation and the murder had actually taken place on Creek land, it was subject to federal, not state jurisdiction. Simply put: Murphy had been tried in the wrong court.

The U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, after a long consideration of legal history, found that, indeed, Congress had never disestablished the 1866 boundaries of the Creek Nation. Murphy should have been tried in a federal court.

The case, Murphy v. Royal

(now being considered before the Supreme Court as Carpenter v. Murphy), was of tremendous importance to Mvskoke Media.

Cosper and Jason Salsman, another editor still with the organization, realized that this trial had the potential to reshape not only their tribe but the entire state of Oklahoma. Indeed, if Murphy’s argument holds up in the U.S. Supreme Court, it is not an exaggeration to say that that the old Indian Territory portion of Oklahoma might at some future day be reclassified as one big reservation.

For activists, journalists, and legal minds, Mvskoke Media became the go-to source for the Murphy case. They covered it from every possible angle, interviewing legal scholars, historians, activists, and politicians. Cosper has appeared in the national media to talk about the implications of the Murphy case, setting the record straight for white media outlets suddenly curious about the blurry boundaries between Indian Country and Oklahoma.

The State of Oklahoma has sounded the alarm about the implications. A ruling in favor of Murphy, in the words of the state’s lawyers, “would immediately trigger a seismic shift in criminal and civil jurisdiction.” News outlets from The Atlantic to The New York Times have suddenly taken an intense interest involving a tribe of around 86,000 citizens, most of whom live in eastern Oklahoma.

The implications for the half of the state formerly known as Indian Territory are existential in nature, raising questions not only about legal jurisdictions, but also about cultural heritage, language, and identity. The media establishment of Oklahoma hasn’t always been up to the task of presenting the full picture of the state’s tumultuous relationship with Native people.

Native American media, then, has served as a vehicle not only for self-representation by tribes, but for others wanting to fi ll the gap left behind by the white media establishment. That gap may have grown wider since the Creek Nation revoked Mvskoke Media’s independence, but Cosper and others are fighting to see that it does not remain unbridgeable. a NEWS & COMMENTARY // 13

foodfile

Distilled Seoul Chef Ben Alexander brings Korean cuisine to Tulsa’s newest tasting room

by ANGELA EVANS K Distilling has spirited away local palates with straightforward yet pristine blends of vodka, whiskey, rum, and artisan coffee liqueur.

Now they have opened their tasting room, where they are pushing the envelope of alcohol production with custom concoctions like taco daiquiris and kimchi moonshine.

OK Distilling is located in the heart of what has become Tulsa’s booming brewery district, but you won’t find a centrifuge or a rotavap—equipment rarely seen outside of a laboratory—in the other tasting rooms.

Hunter Stone Gambill, distiller and cider maker at OK Distilling and Local Cider, has put together an expert team of mad scientists/ star-tenders who are creating an inimitable tasting experience.

“Our tasting room is different from a traditional tasting room,” said Gambill. “It includes our distributed spirits, but we also integrate a ton of custom distillations that we only make for the tasting room.”

Gambill is an alchemic dynamo, but he is informed by his time spent in culinary school and traveling the world. One of the main objectives of the tasting room is to not only showcase their line of spirits, but to form bonds with other like-minded culinary phenoms.

When Gambill began imagining OK Distilling’s first chef dinner, he was leaning toward Korean, a cuisine he experienced during his travels. So, he reached out to Chef Ben Alexander, who is known for adding bit of Asian flair to the dishes he creates for the McNellie’s Group restaurants.

“I didn’t even know Ben, but other than trying to fi nd a Korean mom, I knew he was

O

14 // FOOD & DRINK

Ben Alexander, vice president of culinary operations for McNellie’s Group; (Inset) Kimchi that will be included as a small plate at the dinner | GREG BOLLINGER

the best person to do a Korean dinner,” said Gambill. “I reached out and talked to him about some ridiculous things we are doing.

He took a tour, we talked, and he was on board.”

Chef Alexander, now the VP of culinary operations for McNellie’s Group, doesn’t spend as much time in a kitchen as he once did. And he certainly hasn’t gotten many opportunities to throw down on some Korean fare.

“I’m definitely going to have some fun with this. We are going to class up Spam as much as we can,” Alexander said. “We are making our own banchan [small Korean side dishes], including kimchi. I just started the batch downstairs, so the office smells like wet farts right now.”

When Alexander toured the distillery, he got to see how the rotavap worked. A rotavap is a type of pressurized still that can distill at a lower temperature,

which means that flavors and aromatics of infused ingredients remain intact.

“They rotate this beaker, then the distillate goes up and captures the essence of whatever that flavor is. It’s real science shit,” said Alexander. “One of the best ones I had was the habanero infusion.

You drink it and you get the fruitiness of the habanero, and you’re waiting for the spice to hit, but it never does.”

Alexander will be incorporating customized distillations in his six-course Korean Shotgun Dinner.

“For the Korean tartare, I’m going to use a wasabi distillate and turn it into a foam, so it encapsulates everything. Should be some real funky flavors,” said Alexander.

The galbi shortribs are more of a classic preparation, but the Spam course is getting some serious bling.

“I’m going to pan-sear the

chili-crusted Spam and then throw some foie gras on top,” said Alexander. “I can’t wait to take the trashiest food and put something fancy on it.”

Each course will have a specific drink pairing, like a kimchi Bloody Mary, a house-made soju (a Korean rice liquor), or a specially-produced cider from OK Distilling’s sister operation, Local Cidery.

“I bought a bunch of Asian pears, blended them with an apple base, and added ginger and green tea,” said Gambill. “We work with a restorative tea farm in China, so it is a direct source and we know exactly where it is coming from.”

The inaugural chef dinner at OK Distilling featuring Chef Ben Alexander will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9. Tickets are $80 for six courses with alcoholic pairings. Visit OK Distilling’s Facebook page to find the event link to purchase tickets.

“We will routinely have guest chefs out and already have a number of chefs both locally and in Oklahoma City who want to get involved,” said Gambill. “For us, we see our space as a collaborative space and opportunity for doing positive things amongst other creatives. We are excited to have them in our space to push us to the next level.”

The OK Distilling tasting room is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tours are $10 each and come with a choice of two complimentary tastings or one cocktail. Though the updated liquor laws still do not allow the sale of the distillery’s products onsite, their spirits can be purchased at liquor stores or many local restaurants and bars. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

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FOOD & DRINK // 15

downthehatch

Stories by the sip New craft distilleries offer alternatives to ‘mindless corporate booze’

by GREG HORTON

C

arey Bringle lost his right leg to bone cancer when he was 17 years old. The Nashville native grew up around barbecue culture, and after surviving cancer, he applied his newly-discovered optimistic (if morbid) sense of humor to his life’s work. His barbecue joint, Peg Leg Porker, has been in national publications, including Bon Appétit and Eater, and he’s been featured on Food Network, TLC, and major news networks.

In 2012, Bringle released his first batch of Peg Leg Porker Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The eight-year version is now widely available in Oklahoma, and there is a very limited amount of the 12-year available. Whiskey and barbecue are close cousins, and Bringle uses his skills as a pitmaster to enhance the flavor and finish of Peg Leg Porker by filtering the finished product through hickory chips after it leaves the barrel, a process that produces a clean, dry finish, with a touch of smoke as homage to his first love.

Bringle’s story is compelling, both for its tragedy and ultimate success—and a new crop of craft spirits that have arrived in Oklahoma over the past year bring with them their own unique stories.

“I think the story gives people a human connection to what they’re drinking,” said Clayton Bahr, brand manager for Tulsa-based Artisan Fine Wine & Spirits. “If you care about craft spirits, you care about the story behind the brand. Where did it come from? Why? Who makes it? Honestly, who wants to drink mindless corporate booze if you can drink craft spirits that are made with intention?”

Artisan is the Oklahoma representative for the Townshend’s Distillery lines of botanical spirits from Portland. Townshend is

16 // FOOD & DRINK

Biscuit is featuring in their take on a classic Horsefeathers cocktail: IN A COLLINS GLASS: 1 ½ oz Royal Gold Whiskey 4 oz housemade ginger beer 4 dashes of angostura bitters ¼ oz lemon juice Garnish with lemon wheel

Two James Boulevard Cocktail from Foolish Things Bar and Biscuit | GREG BOLLINGER

a second brand from Brew Dr. Kombucha Company, a line of the fermented drinks available in Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s nationwide. Alcohol is a byproduct of the kombucha-making process, and most kombucha producers sell it off as industrial alcohol, but Brew Dr. started distilling theirs and selling it under the counter— illegally, at the time.

“Ultimately, they bought a centrifugal still, and because they were a tea-factory to start with, they produced spirits with distinct tea flavors,” Bahr said.

To get the purest essence of what Townshend’s is doing, try the White Rose, a neutral spirit made with white tea and rose petals.

The alcohol is 40 percent, so it’s very easy to drink neat, or you can combine two ounces of White

Rose and 3/4 ounce of a blanc vermouth to make an aromatic martini.

Doc’s Wine & Food and Yokozuna both carry Townshend’s products, including the Bluebird Alpine Liqueur, which Bahr describes as Christmas in a bottle.

When the weather turns cold, just add the Bluebird to hot chocolate; it’s not a cocktail per se, but no one who tastes it will make fun of you for it.

From Kansas City comes Tom’s Town Distilling Company, an homage to Tom Pendergast, a bartender-turned-politician who kept producing booze during Prohibition. The line from Tom’s Town includes a botanical gin that’s made to drink neat, and Royal Gold Bourbon Whiskey, which Foolish Things Bar and

Finally, Two James is the first distillery in Detroit since Prohibition, and their Johnny Smoking Gun Whiskey is showing up on back bars all over Tulsa, including MixCo, Roosevelt’s, and Foolish Things. It’s a bartender favorite because of the smoky note it adds to a cocktail, the complexity from the three blended teas used in the process, and it’s a great story: Two guys are using locally sourced agricultural products to try to revitalize Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.

Roosevelt’s is using the Johnny Smoking Gun to add complexity to their take on a classic Manhattan, but Foolish Things went with the Grass Widow Whiskey to create the Two James Boulevard Cocktail. Owner Justin Carpenter adds the caveat to use good ice, because ice can dramatically alter the flavor of a cocktail: IN A COUPE GLASS: 2 oz Two James Grass Widow ½ oz Campari ¾ oz Barolo Chianti Stir and garnish with orange twist As for the good ice, Trevin Hoffman of Handcrafted-Dynamic Brands recommends trying the Peg Leg Porker at the Hotel Indigo bar because they use Vault Ice, an artisanal ice that doesn’t change the taste of booze. Peg Leg Porker eight-year is also available at Bull in the Alley—and no, you shouldn’t put it in a cocktail. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

citybites

W

hen a friend mentioned that Fabulosos Mariscos a la Antigua (2115 S. Garnett Rd.) was worth wading out to, I turned full-on Pavlov’s dog. Word of a quality Mexican seafood joint in a landlocked state—one that’s better known for steak and BBQ than barbacoa or cochinita pibil—was all the convincing J. and I needed to pull anchor and set sail.

While I can eat meat in tortillas for days, and would surely develop the gastro equivalent of phantom limb should I ever suffer the slings and arrows of a diet sans taco, Mexican seafood has enamored me since I first tasted ceviche de camaròn in my teens.

In the following years I’ve seen citrus-cured shrimp on the menu at sushi bars, American eateries, and even food trucks; but I’ve always found the best ceviches at authentic marisquerias.

And for good reason. No aspect of Mexican food deserves more recognition than the catch of the day. With 5,800 miles of coastline—four times the combined coastlines of California and Florida—Mexico has access to stunning seafood. If you can part ways with coldwater fish like halibut and cod for an evening and satisfy yourself with shrimp, octopus, and scallops, a restaurant like Fabulosos can both fi ll your gullet and broaden your understanding of Mexican cuisine’s vastness.

Despite its brick-and-mortar facade, Fabulosos’ interior is all beachfront, fashioned to look like a tropical haunt where snorkeling and sunbathing locals can seek refuge from sear and sand through beer and bivalve. A capacious, L-shaped room decked in wood, tile, and corrugated metal greets you upon entering, and a stage near the entrance regularly hosts live music. The vibe is relaxed, though this leisurely atmosphere had a tendency to cross over into pace of service during our visit. Once we placed our order, however, the food came swiftly.

Tostadas arrived with three THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

Pina rellena, empanadas de camaron, ceviche pescado, cantarito and a margarita at Fabulosos Mariscos.

GREG BOLLINGER

Mar-avilloso

Fabulosos serves quality marine cuisine

by ERIC HOWERTON salsas: a fish ceviche with cilantro, cucumber, and carrots; a green salsa that seemed little more than diced Serrano chiles, onions, and lime (deliciously minimalistic); and a hiccup-inducing orange salsa that seemed little more than habanero, onion, and lime (deliciously sadistic).

For starters, J. and I selected the tostada de ceviche de camaròn ($4), aguacate fabuloso ($10), and shrimp empanadas ($8 for four or $15 for eight).

The empanadas arrived with a sliver of avocado on top of the cheesy, shrimp-stuffed pastry. (I dare anyone who tells you seafood and cheese don’t belong together to try Fabulosos’ empanadas. And if they’re still not convinced? Throw ‘em overboard!) The pillowy masa sandwiched between the crisped exterior and the unctuous fi lling was light and airy without being air fi lled. Too often a plump

empanada—like a bag of potato chips—has more puff than stuff.

Not here.

When the aguacate fabuloso arrived, J. and I were somewhat confused. The menu description (“avocado stuffed with cooked shrimp”) conjured images of a peeled avocado, magically hollowed and stuffed with pinkish prawns. What arrived were two avocado half-shells, fi lled with a green mash and flanked by saltine crackers. Though not what we expected, the hybrid guacamole/ shrimp salad served as a cooling counterpart to the warm empanadas. A tad heavy on the mayonnaise, which helped keep the dish light and fluffy, I’d take aguacate fabuloso over a spinach artichoke dip any day of the week.

Unfortunately, the ceviche was a bit of a seesawing dish, which is to say it had its ups and downs. At first glance, the generous mound of chopped shrimp piled on top

of a tostada looked dressed to impress. Sadly, the “cook” of the shrimp was under—the shrimp interior was squishier than the exterior; ideally, the cure should be uniform throughout. I also noticed a distinct lack of lime flavor. I surmised that either the ceviche had not cured long enough, or it had not cured in a bath acidic enough to penetrate the shrimp’s interior. More bland than bad, the dish remained untouched until the following day, when the leftovers enriched a clam and crab chowder I was brewing.

Fortunately, the entrees ticked upward. Both were delicious and nutritionally balanced. The piña la hacienda ($23) was a glorious stew of seafood and fruit served with white rice, garlic bread, a hefty garden salad, and housemade chips that were a touch too brown. But the slight, burnt taste disappeared when you ran the chips through the signature Nayarit sauce, a mild, buttery, red pepper glaze hailing from Mexico’s Pacific coast. Served in a hollowed out pineapple and fi lled with shrimp, chopped octopus, mussels, snow crab legs, krab stick, and scallops, the dish was both an aesthetic and culinary triumph—sweet and mildly spicy.

The second entrée—fi letes de pescado ($16)—came with identical sides, only instead of a pineapple treasure chest, the focus was a breaded whitefish fi let topped with shrimp, onions, and Nayarit red sauce. The fish was clean-tasting, the breading light, and the shrimp supple and plentiful.

As the meal ended, the only thing leaving a sour taste in our mouths was the lack of a sour taste in our mouths. As luck would have it, Fabulosos ran out of original margaritas the night of our visit. The fruit margaritas J. and I selected as replacements were boozy and sweet, but—like the ceviche—they lacked the necessary punch of acid. Upon reflection, a pearl of wisdom revealed itself to me: Next time, we’ll skip the drinks altogether and order the oyster cocktail instead. a FOOD & DRINK // 17

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TULSA ARTS DISCTRICT GUIDE // 19

YVONNE CHOUTEAU

ROSELLA HIGHTOWER

MOSCELYNE LARKIN

MARIA TALLCHIEF

MARJORIE TALLCHIEF

How the ‘Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas’ gave the United states a regional tradition B y

L y n d s a y

K n e c h t

ARCHIVE PHOTOS COURTESY TULSA BALET

F

or all the public depictions of the world-famous Native American women who created regional ballet in the United States, the monumental dance they performed together in 1967 remains unseen by anyone who wasn’t there. Complete footage of “The Four Moons” does not exist. The work was a covenant between the ballerinas, the Russian-born art form they mastered, and the ritual dances of their ancestors. It was planned to crown the second Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival.

One can’t brush by the history of ballet without meeting the names of Maria Tallchief and her sister Marjorie, of Osage descent; Yvonne Chouteau, of the Shawnee tribe on the Cherokee Nation rolls; Rosella Hightower, whose heritage is Choctaw; and Moscelyne Larkin, of Eastern Shawnee-Peoria descent. Their stories glimmer through the most prestigious halls of dance. Hit after hit.

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

FEATURED // 21

THE SECOND OKLAHOMA INDIAN BALLERINA FESTIVAL IN 1967, FEATURING MOSCELYNE LARKIN, MARJORIE TALLCHIEF, ROSELLA HIGHTOWER, AND YVONNE CHOUTEAU IN “THE FOUR MOONS.” JOHN MCCORMACK

CHERYL FORREST SHOWS A COSTUME FROM THE BALLET THE FOUR MOONS, ORGINALLY CREATED IN 1967 BY THE OKLAHOMA INDIAN BALLERINAS FROM OKLAHOMA. JOSEPH RUSHMORE

22 // FEATURED

Once, when Alicia Markova got sick before a performance of “Giselle” in 1947, Hightower was called in to perform the lead role. She left a party with five hours to learn the choreography. The curtain rose; Hightower and Antol Dolin brought the audience to its feet. New York Times writer John Martin watched one more night and christened Hightower “the newest star on the ballet horizon” in his review.

Maria Tallchief was the original superstar of the New York City Ballet under its founder George Balanchine, whom she later married. Yvonne Choteau became the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1943. She was 14 years old.

Almost a quarter century later, these dancers who made history at the likes of the Metropolitan Opera House met with coordinators at a McDonald’s in Stroud to prepare for their reunion in “The Four Moons.” Quapaw-Cherokee composer Louis Ballard would score the piece, and there would be a solo for each of the women’s tribes. Marjorie Tallchief would dance the Osage part for herself and her sister Maria, who had already retired.

Connections among the festival’s participants exist in family and art. It is possible Ballard and Larkin crossed paths unbeknownst when she was young. He was born in a Native American community called Devil’s Promenade near the town of Quapaw, which was where Larkin’s father took her for pow-wows on the Fourth of July. Choteau and Larkin found out they shared a great-grandmother: Maria Silverheels, of course.

How to begin: The Five Moons are dancers.

“The Four Moons” is a dance. The full moon, above everything, keeps time.

1

Professional ballet in Tulsa took root as a baby class.

The girls, as young as four and as old as six, wore pink leotards. Cheryl Forrest had taken just a few of these classes from Miss Eva Matlagova-Larkin when her teacher’s daughter took over.

“I had a beautiful young teacher today. Her name was Miss Moussie,” Forrest remembers coming home to report. “And my mother looked at me and said, ‘I didn’t know they were back from tour.’”

It was 1956. Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski, two of the most famous ballet dancers in the world, arrived with their toddler son to found what would become the Tulsa Ballet and adjacent school.

They joined forces with Moscelyne’s mother, Eva. For the first time, students could get top-tier professional training without leaving the city. Girls like Cheryl Forrest might grow up to dance in their hometown company, return to the board, and become president. She did that.

Only one other dancer hit all those marks in Tulsa: Georgia Snoke. The two women are now the matriarchs-apparent of Tulsa Ballet.

Forrest and Snoke lived briefly in other cities over the years for school and work. Like so many others who came through the Jasinskis’ ranks, their technique arrested teachers from the American Ballet Theatre to the San Francisco Ballet.

“When I was first pregnant and living out in Southern California, I decided to take a master December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

GEORGIA SNOKE AND CHERYL FORREST STAND FOR A PORTRAIT IN THE TULSA BALLET COSTUME ARCHIVE. | JOSEPH RUSHMORE

class,” Snoke says. “It happened to’ve been somebody who’d been with the Jasinskis in the Ballet Russes. I’m just at the barre, and [the teacher] comes over to me and says, ‘Where have you studied?’ She had immediately noticed the ‘Ballet Russe’ arms, the tilt of the head, the careful placement of the body. When I responded ‘the Jasinskis’ she exclaimed, ‘That explains it!'”

The story of Tulsa Ballet’s founding is a song these two know by heart. Forrest and Snoke perform banter over a carefully-assembled stack of archival photos and newspaper stories, in a small library toward the back of the Tulsa Ballet building.

Down the hall, timeline panels they made for the Tulsa Ballet’s 60th anniversary tower over dancers, their blocks of sacred historical text reflected in the studio mirror. Forrest gets up in her sneakers and blazer to flip through the mock-ups in the corner on foam boards. Masks from a stage production of “Paganini”—the only complete set of props and costumes from this ballet in existence, Forrest says—watch from a high shelf.

From this home base, the collaborators mapped the history of ballet at libraries and headquarters in London, Paris, and New York City. At an Embassy Suites back in Tulsa, Forrest and Snoke took art off the walls to make room for the notes. When versions of the stories Jasinski told didn’t agree, Forrest and Snoke wove them into a mostly first-person narrative with Snoke’s help, taking great care to honor their teacher’s poetry of mingled languages.

“Roman Jasinski: A Gypsy Prince from the Ballet THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

Russe” was published in 2008. The term “gypsy” was used widely in the ballet community in reference to dancers who traveled from company to company, working where they could.

Moscelyne survived Roman. She had her own stories to tell. Her Native American and Russian heritage framed her part in the canon as both supremely “American” and exquisitely built for ballet.

Those two were not mutually exclusive, her young students came to learn.

Snoke, a close friend of the couple, listened to Moscelyne’s adventures for long hours and bound her oral history in a limited run. When Moscelyne died in 2012, her friends scripted a memorial service like an elegant TV special with cues to archival video and photographs. Snoke, a trained journalist, sent me that program ahead of our meeting; when I mention to Forrest how comprehensive an introduction it is, her eyes well up.

Snoke excuses herself to help little Maries learn their parts for an upcoming performance of “The Nutcracker.” Forrest stays, still flush with stories after leading a two-hour tour. She tells me about the difficulty Jasinski found in teaching American dancers to emote in their roles onstage. They were not dancing for food the way he had in Poland.

They had not, like Moscelyne’s Russian mother and Forrest’s first ballet teacher, kept their feet warm in cow dung during the winter.

Roman Jasinski danced like his life depended on winning the audience, because it did. Wherever successful ballet dancers came from, they acquired

a pedigree of discipline and association. Their bodies carried a hard-won language descendant from need—if not a need for safety and survival, then a need to communicate. Every movement required the assurance of memory.

I ask Forrest to describe the routine arms for barre work that gave away Tulsa dancers as Ballet Russes exports. How do they look different on dancers trained under Moscylene Larkin and Roman Jasinski? The hand curves like what? The shoulder falls like how?

Forrest thinks for a moment. She moves her chair a little, making room to stand once more.

“I can’t tell you, but I can show you.”

2

Lift your cheek as though to be kissed. This is how Michel Fokine taught dancers to cock their heads in “Les Sylphides.” Moscelyne Larkin, one of his favorites, reminded Snoke for her oral history.

Legendary New York choreographer George Balanchine loved Moscylene and her husband, too.

Roman Jasinski was known as “Jasha” to his closest family and friends.

“We could have settled in bigger cities than Tulsa,” Larkin told Snoke. “Balanchine always wanted Jasha, but we started in Tulsa, building on what mother already had.”

The first generation of professional ballet dancers was retiring from the stage when Moscelyne Larkin came back to Oklahoma in 1956. For amFEATURED // 23

bitious ballerinas in the United States, the plan was still, essentially, New York City or nothing.

That’s the path Larkin had taken as a young teenager in the late 1930s. Her mother sent her to New York City to train under ballet masters like Mikhail Mordkin, once a director of the Bolshoi Ballet. There was nothing about Moscelyne—an outsider from Miami, Oklahoma—that did not draw attention: her spirited leaps and effervescent performances, an exacting memory for choreography, the dark hair and striking browline she shared with her Shawnee-Peoria father. Classmates teased her for being the smallest. Mordkin shut them up.

“She is like a little fish now, but she is going to grow up into a very big fish and she is going to eat all of you up,” he said.

Moscelyne was headed for the most prestigious appointment in ballet. She would spend the years of World War II traveling with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Moscelyne remembered a Brazilian critic suggesting that she lead the American troops.

If you put her at the head of the soldiers, he ventured, the war would come to an end.

3

Forrest and Snoke take me through the back rooms of their memory palace: a warehouse space at the Tulsa Ballet building, where piles of clues will submit to the archivists.

“Cheryl is going through all of the old photos,” Snoke explains. “Currently I’m on page 180 at 10-point font, putting down what was danced

when and by whom in 1958, in 1973. This why I’m anxious to get into those last 40 boxes.”

“Don’t say that in front of me,” Forrest laughs.

They’ll color code the productions according to who was artistic director when each ballet was performed. Some of the shows Tulsa Ballet staged would be otherwise lost to the world.

The company surprised critics and audiences when with a revival of “Mozart Violin Concerto”

in 1988. Balanchine choreographed the particularly dreamy ballet more than 40 years prior in Argentina. Like some of his other works, it had never been performed in the United States Roman Jasinski senior danced in the original production and was able to recreate it with assistance from an Argentine ballerina. Roman Larkin Jasinksi, son of Tulsa Ballet’s founders, danced in the revival—just one example of the full-circle tradition nurtured by his parents.

“We are a Ballet Russe company, and that means we do the classics. We perform the Ballet Russe warhorses like ‘Gaîté Parisienne,’ which is in our repertoire, and we do contemporary works,” Forrest explains.

“Which of course is what the Ballet Russe did,” Snoke says. “What was then contemporary is now an old warhorse.”

Institutional memory is how a ballet keeps its life. The advent of video has not changed that, Forrest insists. Footage does not convey the feelings one absorbs from seeing dance performed in person.

There’s a reason Forrest believes this with such conviction. Tulsa Ballet dancers and students under the direction of Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski were on the same stage with the most spectacular ballet dancers in the world, because of the couple’s connections.

“That was the biggest discussion when we would reconvene in September,” Forrest says. “‘Who’s coming this year?’”

“We grew up thinking this was normal,” Snoke says.

FIRST OKLAHOMA INDIAN BALLERINA FESTIVAL IN 1957 FEATURING MOSCELYNE LARKIN, YVONNE CHOUTEAU, MARIA TALLCHIEF, AND ROSELLA HIGHTOWER. JOHN MCCORMACK

24 // FEATURED

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

“Years later, I was the ballet mistress in a company in Virginia, and there was this girl. ‘Ms. Forrest,’ she said, ‘I saw Edward Vilella at the Kennedy Center this weekend.’ And I said, ‘You did?’ Now, she was from Washington D.C., and I was from Oklahoma. And she said, ‘Have you ever seen him dance?’ And I looked at her and I said, ‘Not from the front.’”

4

Just as the East Coast came to Tulsa Ballet, the company and the larger Oklahoma dance community has sent original productions to New York and D.C. Some of them call back directly to the Oklahoma Indian Ballerinas and their legacy.

“The Four Moons” itself has seen revivals and adaptations, but they are more homages to the dancers and the concept than restaged versions. The official attempt came in 1982. Tulsa Ballet Theater set out to channel the original choreography with four dancers as originally performed. They had the help of witnesses. And the four ballerinas who danced it—Marjorie Tallchief represented herself and Maria—were present to watch.

Encore Performing Society in Tahlequah brought a reimagined ensemble version of “The Four Moons” to the Smithsonian’s Cherokee Days in April. The majority of the dancers in Encore are members of the Cherokee Nation. Lena GladkovaHuffman choreographed and directs the production; she moved from Russia to the United States in 2007. Acquiring rights to the music from Ballard’s estate was important to her.

“Any kind of dancing is first and foremost about a dancer’s identity,” Gladkova-Huffman says. “So I want them to remember where they came from, what the history of their own people entails, be familiar with it, and then, what the history of the art they chose to be passionate about is—the history of ballet, in our case.”

The original part representing the Osage tribe was created by George Skibine, husband of Marjorie Tallchief, who danced it. The husbands of Larkin and Choteau choreographed their parts—the Shawnee and the Cherokee sections. Hightower choreographed the Choctaw solo for herself. It is often thought the sections are meant specifically to reference the tribes, although the moves were based also on each dancer’s particular abilities. (Larkin told Snoke for her oral history that Jasinski’s effusive homage to the dancer’s famous hops and leaps left her feet ravaged.)

Attention to each ballerina’s individuality can be seen, too, in the series of bronze sculptures called “The Five Moons” by Oklahoma artist Gary Henson. The depictions, unveiled on the west lawn of the Tulsa Historical Society in 2007, were based on photographs each Moon chose from her favorite work.

Other Oklahoma productions sprang from The Five Moons’ influence. A ballet called “Wazhazhe” was created by Randy Tinker Smith and his Osage Ballet. Elders Louis Burns, Leonard Maker and the late Harry Red Eagle Junior contributed to research, and Roman L. Jasinski served as artistic advisor. This production, meant specifically to tell the story of the Osage people, also appeared at the Smithsonian.

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

The Five Moons are dancers.

“The Four Moons” is a dance.

The full moon, above everything, keeps time.

BALLET SHOES SIGNED BY PAST PERFORMERS SIT ON A SHELF IN THE TULSA BALLET ARCHIVE. | JOSEPH RUSHMORE

“If it weren't for Maria and Marjorie Tallchief, I don't believe we would have been inspired to write that ballet,” Tinker says.

Likenesses of the five ballerinas, too, grace the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol in Mike Larsen’s mural, “Flight of Spirit.” With the Trail of Tears imaged in the background and the dancers under a spotlight’s haze in the fore, it is a sober witness for the state’s relationship to these artists who brought Oklahoma, and the United States, so much renown. Here in the capitol building The Five Moons watch over the machinations of power that shape life in Oklahoma.

There appear tiny ballerinas between these two eras depicted in the painting, at the corners of what looks like a stage. They could be The Five Moons training when they are small, in a linear read. Or they could represent their countless students, the legacy of education and training left by Chouteau and her husband, who founded what’s now known as the Oklahoma City Ballet and established the first fully-accredited dance department in the United States at the University of Oklahoma.

Hightower mothered a dance school in Cannes.

The Tallchief sisters opened the Chicago City Ballet. And, of course, Moscelyne Larkin Jasinksi, with her husband and lifetime dance partner Roman Jasinski, founded what is now the Tulsa Ballet, a force of preservation and new work.

5

It’s crowded at Brookside Diner before “Nutcracker” rehearsals begin at Tulsa Ballet around the corner. A teenaged server chats with regulars at the bar while she rolls silverware without looking down at the napkins and forks, something she’s learned to do after six months’ practice. The spot hides Tulsa Ballet from the street. There’s a sign with an arrow to point people behind the restaurant.

Visitors know they’ve arrived when they see the logo on the facade of the building. “Tulsa Ballet” is in rounded, lowercase script, the words ensconced in what looks like a thin crescent moon, or the silhouette of an eclipse. I’m told later the white shape is meant to look like the halo of a spotlight. There are those who will always look at the entrance and see both. a FEATURED // 25

CLIMB TULSA

TULSA ZOO

SAFARI JOE’S H20

M E M B E R S O N LY GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Holiday shopping is in full swing, and everyone has that hard-to-buy-for person on their list. Giving the gift of membership to one of Tulsa’s museums, recreation destinations, or subscription services has the benefit of being both convenient and meaningful. Check out some spots around town where you can give the gift that keeps on giving all year.

26 // ARTS & CULTURE

Museums & Galleries

Know someone who could use a little culture in their lives? Individual memberships to Tulsa’s world-class art museums and galleries are a great gift for any art lover in the city. Pricing levels for Philbrook Museum start at $60 for individuals and $85 for a dual pass, and $50 / $65 for Gilcrease Museum. All include complimentary admission throughout the year, discounts in museum shops, restaurants, classes, and programs, and access to members-only events. Gilcrease also offers gift memberships, which include a matted 8x10 print of Albert Bierstadt’s “Sierra Nevada Morning.” philbrook.org | gilcrease.org In addition to unlimited admission and gift shop and class discounts, ahha memberships for individuals ($50) and families ($75) include an Open Studios pass to use the space’s studios and creative labs. ahhatulsa.org

108 Contemporary offers Individual ($50), Family ($75), and Student ($30) memberships, as well as Artist memberships ($45), which offers discounts on submission fees and an invitation to submit to the gallery’s members exhibition. 108contemporary.org Music lovers will enjoy Woody Guthrie Center’s “Rambler” memberships, which start at $50 and include admission, discounts, invitations to special exhibit openings, programs, and workshops, and early bird ticket purchasing for concerts. woodyguthriecenter.org For those with their sights on the skies, memberships at Tulsa Air and Space Museum start at $65 and include admission, unlimited planetarium shows, discounts on gifts, camps, birthday parties and facility rentals, and members-only events. tulsamuseum.org

Flora & Fauna

Tulsa Botanic Garden’s Individual ($50) and Family ($75) memberships include admission, program and class discounts, members-only events, and free admission and/or benefits at nearly 300 gardens around the country as part of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program. tulsabotanic.org A pass to the Tulsa Zoo is the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life. Benefits include unlimited membership during regular hours, free entry to Mohawk Park, discounts on all zoo purchases and special events, and discounted admission to hundreds of zoos and aquariums around the country. Individual memberships start at $69, and family memberships start at $89. tulsazoo.org

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

TULSA ZOO: COURTESY; CLIMB TULSA, SAFARI JOE’S: VALERIE WEI-HAAS

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THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE // 27

If the recipient of your holiday giving longs to be under the sea, Oklahoma Aquarium memberships for individuals ($65) and families ($135) include admission, special event and gift shop discounts, and members-only sneak previews. okaquarium.org

Stage & Screen

Most performing arts companies are halfway through their current seasons, but several offer mid-season deals and holiday packages perfect for theatregoers.

CIRCLE CINEMA

Tulsa Symphony will perform music by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Rachmaninoff in its next Classics performances.

Package tickets for all three are available for as low as $41. Subscribers also receive discounts and early access to special events like “Hanson: String Theory.” tulsasymphony.org Chamber Music Tulsa’s Holiday Special includes tickets to the group’s three spring Sunday afternoon concerts for $50. chambermusictulsa.org With Tulsa Ballet’s “Pick 3” package, get tickets for “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Tchaikovsky,” and “Signature Series” for as low as $81. tulsaballet.org See “Beauty & The Beast,” “My Fair Lady,” and “The Wedding Singer” for $99 with Theatre Tulsa’s three-show Flex Plan. theatretulsa.org

THIS MACHINE

Subscriptions to the Tulsa Town Hall Speaker Series—whose next guests include foreign affairs journalist Lara Logan, photographer Platon, and Egyptologist and space archaeologist Sarah Parcak—cost $100. tulsatownhall.com Circle Cinema membership starts at $50 for individuals, $90 for a pair, or just $35 for individuals age 35 and under. Benefits include discounted admission, concession specials including free popcorn on Mondays, member appreciation events, advance purchase opportunities and special program discounts. circlecinema.com

TULSA DRILLERS

History

Oklahoma Historical Society membership (starting at $35 for individuals and $50 for families) includes admission to all 14 OHS museums, five military sites, and seven historic homes, as well as shop discounts and subscriptions to The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Mistletoe Leaves, and the OHS Extra! newsletter. okhistory.org Tulsa Historical Society & Museum are also $35 for individuals and $50 for families. Providing many of the same benefits—like free admission, shop discounts, and more—membership to THSM also allows individuals to submit a nomination for the annual slate of Tulsa Hall of Fame inductees. tulsahistory.org

28 // ARTS & CULTURE

Tulsa Foundation for Architecture celebrates Tulsa’s built environment and advocates for its preservation and thoughtful development. Members receive complimentary tickets to Second Saturday Tours, advanced ticket access for special events, and admission to members-only events. Prices start at $40 for individuals, $25 for students, and $60 for families. tulsaarchitecture.org

Fitness & Fun

Climb Tulsa’s Unlimited Membership ($70/ month) includes unlimited access to the gym during all open hours and members-only hours, access to all yoga classes, guest passes, and discounts on gear purchases and rentals and private coaching.

Climb Tulsa also offers Climbing Only ($55/month) and Yoga Only ($40/month) memberships, as well as several other packages. climbtulsa.com For those who just can’t get enough of Tulsa’s bike-share program, This Machine offers unlimited rides in monthly ($20) or annual (starting at $100) memberships. thismachine.bcycle.com Give the gift of year-round family fun with a Discovery Lab membership, which includes unlimited admission, express entry, members-only events, discounts on camps, classes, and party rentals, and admission at participating Association of Science – Technology Centers Passport Program museums. Memberships start at $43.41 for one child and one adult and $81.39 for a family of four. discoverylab.org It’s not too early to warm up the holiday season with a season pass to Safari Joe’s H2O. You can prepare for a full summer of fun for $100 or $40 for those under 4 ft. tall. safarijoesh2o.com

Spectator Sports

With more than four months left in the Tulsa Oilers’ season, there’s plenty of time to enjoy season tickets, thanks in particular to the Oilers’ monthly pricing.

Hockey fans can enjoy every home game, special events, a voucher for a road game in Wichita, and presale opportunities for other BOK Center events for as low as $17/ month. tulsaoilers.com The Tulsa Drillers offer a variety of membership plans to suit any baseball fan’s needs and budget, from seven-game plans to half- and full-season plans, and even a package for just games followed by fireworks shows. tulsadrillers.com Roughnecks FC season tickets are in early bird pricing through Dec. 31, with tickets to every home game as low as $170. roughnecksfc.com a

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

GILCREASE, CIRCLE CINEMA: COURTESY; THIS MACHINE: VALERIE VALERIE WEI-HAAS; TULSA DRILLERS: MICHELLE POLLARD

GILCREASE MUSEUM

T U L S AW I N T E R F E S T. C O M

www.guthriegreen.com

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE // 29

artspot

White hat, black history

The Chisholm Kid colors the American West in new Gilcrease exhibit

by JEZY J. GRAY

D

uring his 1965 debate with William F. Buckley, author and cultural critic James Baldwin offered a bruising observation about representation and the American western genre.

“It comes as a great shock to see Gary Cooper killing off the Indians,” he said of watching white heroes in fi lms like “High Noon” as a young black kid. “And although you are rooting for Gary Cooper, that the Indians are you.”

Baldwin’s critique can help visitors understand the value of the Gilcrease Museum’s latest exhibit, “The Chisholm Kid: Lone Fighter for Justice for All.” Curated by the Museum of UnCut Funk, it explores the legacy of the trailblazing Chisholm Kid comic strip—featuring a black cowboy as its eponymous hero—which ran during the early 1950s as a color insert in The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the country’s pre-eminent African American newspapers.

The exhibit, at Gilcrease from Dec. 14 through March 17 of 2019, will introduce Tulsa to the first black cowboy ever featured in a comic strip—an illuminating cultural artifact, nearly lost to time, revealing the American West as a more diverse place than its most iconic portrayals would suggest.

The show features 43 panels from UnCut Funk’s archives, the estate of the publisher, and the University of Michigan Special Collections Library. While objects from the collection have toured before, including a stint at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the Gilcrease show represents the most complete collection in existence.

“The exhibition is literally what has survived,” said Mark Dolph, curator of history at the Gilcrease Museum.

30 // ARTS & CULTURE

From The Chisholm Kid color comic insert in The Pittsburgh Courier.

COURTESY THE MUSEUM OF UNCUT FUNK

The strip ran from 1950 through 1954, the year Brown v.

Board of Education paved the way for integration in the United States.

Ending a whole decade before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Chisholm Kid thrilled black audiences during a time when many were denied equal access to the basic institutions of American life.

Given this placement in history, what may seem a piece of pop culture marginalia is arguably one of the most paradigm-shifting milestones in the history of African American representation—a monumental discovery that started with a phone call.

FROM THE ATTIC TO THE GALLERY Loreen Williamson, co-founder and co-curator of the Museum of UnCut Funk, launched the digital archive with her partner Pamela Thomas to preserve black pop

culture ephemera from the 1970s.

Aside from archiving blaxploitation film posters and interviews with funk icons like Isaac Hayes and James Brown, the online museum also boasts one of the world’s most extensive collections of original animation cels and drawings from Saturday morning cartoons featuring black characters like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

But their focus began to expand in 2014 after they received a call about an unusual collection.

It was Alan Messmann, son of one of the publishers of the Pittsburgh Courier’s color insert. “He said something like, ‘Hey—I’ve got these really interesting comics. I found them in the attic in a suitcase. Would you be interested?’”

Williamson and Thomas were, in fact, interested—but they didn’t know it would lead to such a major discovery in the history

of black popular culture. “You get your hands on something you think is cool—and then you sit down to research and you’re, like, ‘Oh my god. I didn’t realize these were the first black heroes to ever appear in a comic strip!’”

The Chisholm Kid was one in a squad of black male heroes who appeared in the Courier’s color insert. He thrilled readers alongside characters like Guy Fortune, Mark Hunt, and Neil Knight— the comic world’s first black U.S. secret agent, private investigator, and space adventurer, respectively.

“These strips pre-dated civil rights,” Williamson said. “They pre-dated positive depictions of black people in media by 20-something years. So they’re significant because they’re the first within their own genre—the first positive black characters to appear in a comic strip—but they really pre-date our first positive black characters more broadly by two decades.”

COLORING THE WEST Depictions of the American West in popular culture are overwhelmingly white, but it’s estimated that nearly a quarter of cowboys who drove longhorns across Indian Territory on the Chisholm Trail were cowboys of color, according to Mark Dolph at the Gilcrease Museum.

Much like the non-white innovators written out of histories of American art, industry, and space exploration, these hidden figures—numbering somewhere between 5,000 and 9,000 by some estimates—have been largely wiped from our collective memory.

“The cattle down in Texas had been managed in many cases by slaves,” Dolph said. “As the result of the Civil War and 13th amendment, those slaves are now December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Frederic Remington, “The Stampede” (1908). Oil on canvas (26 1/2 × 39 3/8 in).

COURTESY GILCREASE MUSEUM

Freedmen and they can turn the skills they acquired as slaves working cattle into a paid job as a cowboy. The same thing in Indian Territory. The Five Republics— many of those Indians owned slaves. These newly-freed men could get a job working cattle.

They had been working cattle for the Indians. So you have a large labor force that’s comprised of people of color.”

While most depictions of the West are colored by romance, the job of cowboy was far from glamorous. “His life was miserable,” Dolph said. “It was a hard, hard way to earn a living. It was dangerous. Most of these men—if they lasted more than one drive, they’re broken down physically by the time they’re in their late 20s.

So it was a job that people at the lowest economic strata could get.

There is some speculation that the word ‘cowboy’ is actually a pejorative because so many of them were African Americans,” Dolph continued. “How were African American men referred to, even well into the 20th century? ‘Boy.’ It was a way to demean them, to remind them of their place.”

Like “Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo,” which ended its run in the same gallery space on Nov. 25, The Chisholm Kid exhibit enlarges the frame to include a broader and more complete view of the West.

To contextualize The Chisholm Kid’s place in this history, the exhibit includes objects from the museum’s permanent collection. One such work is Frederic Remington’s “The Stampede,” a Western oil painting THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

from 1908. It depicts a cowboy of color, herding a stampede of longhorn during an electrical storm. “[Remington] was in our area, in Indian Territory, in the 1880s,” Dolph said. “He could have seen this. The artist did not denote who this person was, but I look at it and he’s definitely a cowboy of color.

Is he African American? That would be my guess. But he could be Vaquero. He could be Native American. We had all those groups working as cowboys in this area.”

EVERYBODY’S HERO The Chisholm Kid didn’t do much cattle driving in the funny pages. He mostly solved mysteries and moral dilemmas, seeking justice for the downtrodden and dispossessed.

The glass doors welcoming visitors to the Sherman E. Smith Family Gallery, home The Chisholm Kid exhibition, are emblazoned with blown-up renderings of the first strip in the series. In this very first week’s panel, The Chisholm Kid solves the mystery of a murdered newspaper editor in his fictional western town of High Rock. It was all in a day’s work for “the lone fighter for justice for all.”

Back at the Museum of UnCut Funk, Loreen Williamson waxes on The Chisholm Kid’s role in breaking down Western stereotypes, seeing a special value in his potential to reach young people.

“For kids to see there actually was a black cowboy way back then— and to see that, yes, he was heroic; and, yes, he did fight the bad guys, and he believed in justice for all— for black people and white people ... I do think that’s important.” a

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ARTS & CULTURE // 31

artspot

T

wo artists who once shared a college studio will be sharing gallery space in December at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center as part of Oklahomans for Equality’s First Thursday art series.

Each October, the OKEQ art committee calls on artists from around the state to submit their work for a chance to be a part of the monthly show. Guests can expect food, wine, and captivating work by Oklahoma visual artists.

The upcoming event on Thursday, Dec. 6, will feature works

by Okahoma City-based artists Virginia Sitzes and Mycah Higley at the Equality Center, which provides services to the LGBTQ+ community in Tulsa.

Sitzes, who graduated with a BFA in painting and printmaking in 2017, co-founded the art collective called, simply, Art Group.

Higley, whose BFA is in painting and drawing, is also a member of the collective. Since their days sharing a studio at the University of Oklahoma, the pair have sharpened their skills and refined their art, which caught the attention of the OKEQ committee.

“As to why these particular artists were chosen, it’s because of their outstanding work,” said Jose Vega, Pride Director at OKEQ. Sitzes will display work examining the use of color and its impact on the viewer. “We were thinking a lot about how color affects how we perceive things, how color changes our mood or our attitude about something,” Sitzes said. “You hear a lot of [things] like, even the color of your plate can make you want more food, so color really has a big hold on people.”

One of Sitzes’ pieces, “Pep in Your Step,” evokes an ephemeral feeling. Red, yellow, and white brushstrokes creep across the page while blue squiggles and red lines dance on the edges, all before a pink canvas. “I was thinking of a light, springy day and how it’s carefree,” she said. “For me at least, I picture bare [feet] in flowers or grass, and you’ve got this nice little breeze.”

32 // ARTS & CULTURE

“A Pep in Your Step” – Acrylic, pastel, and serigraphy on wooden panel (10 x 10 in) | VIRGINIA SITZES “In-between” – Acrylic on panel (24 x 48 in) | MYCAH HIGLEY

‘FLOW TOGETHER’ Young Oklahoma artists bring vibrant abstraction to the Equality Center

by FRASER KASTNER Sitzes described her creative process as experimental. She will start with a blank slate and gradually add to it. A screenprint, some paint—various elements as Sitzes’ intuition dictates. Sometimes she doesn’t need more than a day to complete a piece. Others may take months or even years.

This process of intuitive creation allows her inner world to make its way into the work.

“Looking back, I can see the

feelings and thoughts I was having that day emerge in them, so it’s kind of a history of what’s going on inside my brain.”

Sitzes explained how this process unfolded in “The Weight,” another piece to be featured in the OKEQ show. The painting came together earlier this year during the chaos and excitement of the first Art Group show. A dense conglomeration of broad brushstrokes fight for dominance at the

center of the canvas while smaller figures and shapes sprout along the margins.

“I was just thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a lot of pressure.

These are a lot of deadlines. This is a lot of stress. But totally not in the bad way,” she said of that first group show. “It’s this fun, exciting kind of stress and weight on the back of my shoulders.”

Higley will be displaying some works from her series, “Crumbles.” “I use these rock-shaped forms to make certain spaces on the canvas look really crowded or stressful, or to make all the forms look like they’re floating in an open, not-heavy environment,” she said. “I use color as well, but color is more of an afterthought to me, whereas form is in the foreground.”

Higley’s process is also based in her intuition. “I’ll try to cover the whole surface of the canvas with brushstrokes just trying to get myself comfortable with painting again. Once that’s done I pick and choose what I like from that and resolve the painting from there.”

Sometimes she surprises herself with the choices she makes.

“It’s normally just colors I would never think would end up on this certain piece, or this piece ends up completely different than what I expected it to be. But that ends up being the most true reflection of what I was thinking about in the first place.”

In one of her pieces, “Inbetween,” short, heavy brushstrokes mass together, swirl and spread across the canvas, straining toward points of contact between warm and cool tones. “It definitely stems from experiences of being outside, and feeling like being in certain places outside makes you feel so full,” Higley said. “Those places are so busy with everything but they’re all cohesive, they all go together and they all flow together.”

After the First Thursday opening on Dec. 6, the artists’ work will continue to be on display at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center for the remainder of the month. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

A

Little Princess

A DA PT ED BY V ER A M O R R I S

Dec 7 @ 7:30pm • Dec 8, 9 @ 2pm

E V E N T S @ T PA C

PRESENTS

Tulsa Festival Ringers PAC Trust Brown Bag It Series Dec. 5 Les Misérables (School Edition) Theatre Tulsa Dec. 7-16 A Christmas Carol American Theatre Company Dec. 7-23 The Nutcracker Tulsa Ballet Dec. 8-23 Theatre Tulsa Academy’s Showstopper Showcase Theatre Tulsa Dec. 13 Sheridan Road’s Christmas Cabaret Finale Sheridan Road Dec. 13 & 14 Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet Tulsa Symphony Jan. 5 The Book of Mormon Welcomed by Tulsa PAC Trust Presented by Celebrity Attractions Jan. 8-13

Spotlight Theatre • 1381 Riverside Dr

Tickets available by calling 918-587-5030 or visiting www.spotlighttheatre.org.

TICKETS @ TULSAPAC.COM 918.596.7111

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE // 33

onstage

Lineage and legacy Three generations of ‘The Nutcracker’

by ALICIA CHESSER ATKIN

W

hen Marcello Angelini created his new “Nutcracker” in 2003, he brought Tulsa Ballet a new approach to a timeless piece of art. It’s a story about momentary transformation, about launching for a moment into a different plane, where things that shouldn’t be possible miraculously are.

In other words, it’s a story about dancing: its terrors, its wonders, and most of all its lineage of knowledge and possibility.

Like everything analog, dance is painfully subject to the whims of time. It has to be learned again every day, in grueling hours of practice, mastering what is before it passes out of reach. Dances themselves get forgotten, misplaced, misremembered. Even when a dance is captured on video, its real life is graspable only by a body, in real time.

Dances are handed down to dancers, by dancers. The audience shows up only at the end of a long chain of granular inside information and mind-bending repetition. “The Nutcracker” only exists on the day you go to see it because of an assiduous personal transfer of experience and wisdom that’s been going on for years.

Experience and wisdom—and the common ground of basically dying on a regular basis in rehearsal and backstage.

I spoke to three generations of “Nutcracker” performers about the process of learning and doing this ballet, and they all agreed: It’s a killer, behind whose illusion of dream-like flow lie a thousand daily rituals of patience and fortitude.

“The music starts, and you’re like—there is no way back!”

Soloist Jonnathan Ramirez’s eyes went wide as he described how it feels to get ready to take the 34 // ARTS & CULTURE

Rehearsals for an upcoming production of Tulsa Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” | JOSEPH RUSHMORE

stage as Charles, the male protagonist. He’s been dancing this part for seven years, but it’s still like this, every time. Laughing in agreement were Tulsa Ballet II artistic manager and ballet master Alfonso Martin, who originated the role in 2003, along with demi-soloist Chandler Proctor, who will be dancing it for the first time this season.

“And what about the stairs?”

Martin exclaimed. “The solo starts at the top of this huge flight of stairs and you have to run down. Every time I was terrified of falling down those stairs. I think if I ever did, I would just

roll all the way to the bottom, take a bow, and run offstage.”

Ramirez and Proctor are nearly crying with laughter. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

Ballet is a tradition-based art that renews itself with every new generation. The same is true on the women’s side. The part of Marie was originated by Assistant Artistic Director Daniela Buson, who six years ago taught it to principal dancer Madalina Stoica, and is passing it on this year to Na Eun Kim, a Korean ballerina who joined the company in July.

“It was very hard in the beginning, lots of on and off balance

positions, lots of abandon,” Buson said. “I couldn’t even get through it at first. But eventually it started to feel very organic. When I teach the choreography I can give little hints and suggestions about how to do it. It’s still in my body.”

Stoica agreed. “I’m used to the classical version, so this was a shock to me. It made it easier to have Daniela teach me because I could watch how she did it. And it helped that I danced it with Alfonso the first time.”

For Kim, as for Proctor, stepping into this “Nutcracker” for the first time is a challenge. Far from the relative ease of more traditional versions, this one demands massive stamina. “Daniela has been very kind to teach me from A to Z,” Kim said. “The first day was so hard. But now, it’s getting easier.”

Buson emphasized that passing on a role isn’t about downloading cookie-cutter information into someone else. The coaching and even some of the choreography is personalized for each dancer, each with her particular strengths and intuitions. It lets her inhabit the tradition in her own way.

“I don’t know how she does it,” Stoica said. “Now, after doing it so long, I know what’s easy, what’s harder. But she has to teach it every year to someone new. She knows it will be easy for them eventually, but she still has to take them through the process.”

“That’s the best part,” Buson said.

This version of “The Nutcracker,” running Dec. 8-23 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, is due to be retired in a few years, to make space for a new production.

While it lives, these three generations of dancers hold its history in their hands. For a moment, they’re Charles and Marie, transforming memory into magic. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE // 35

sportsreport

Expanding the field In new league, Tulsa Rugby continues to grow

by JOHN TRANCHINA

T

he Tulsa Rugby Football Club, celebrating its 45th anniversary, is going through a bit of a transition year, with the men’s team joining a new division and the women’s team opting for an independent, at-large season.

Still, rugby is the fastest-growing team sport in the U.S., and despite the minor upheaval, Tulsa RFC continues to expand its footprint in the area, drawing in both men and women, boys and girls, and even placing alumni on U.S. national teams.

Both men’s and women’s teams have a different schedule this season after opting to leave the mainly Texas-based Red River Rugby Union. In recent years, the games started in late November or early December, then took a brief hiatus over the holidays before resuming in January, with the season continuing through May. This year, the men joined the Mid-America Rugby Football Union (MARFU), with opponents in Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas, Kansas City, St. Louis and Wichita, while the women will compete in tournaments and friendlies, although their schedule still mainly mirrors the men’s. Both squads have already played several matches in September and October, and, while they’ve already begun practicing again, will not resume playing actual games until traveling to New Orleans in February for a Mardi Gras Tournament.

The move, which will help cut down on travel, was made in conjunction with the clubs in Oklahoma City and Arkansas.

The women will officially join MARFU next season.

“What was once almost purely a spring competitive schedule is now split, fall and spring. It’s a little difficult for those of us

36 // ARTS & CULTURE

Tulsa Rugby Club plays Wichita Valkyries | COURTESY

in the middle of the country to play during ice storms or snow,” said Luke Turner, Tulsa RFC’s president. He’s still a player on the men’s squad at age 37. “The decision was mainly one of closer competition and trying to focus on our region, rather than trying to cast our net all the way to Houston. It’s a more attractive league for travel purposes.”

And while there may not be as many kids playing rugby as say, soccer or football, there is a growing youth framework that the Tulsa RFC has put in place, including a high school league they formed in 1999 featuring teams from Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Norman, Edmond, Bartlesville and Yukon. In fact, the Broken Arrow girls’ team, which won its third straight state title, also won the high school national championship last spring, a fi rst for a team from Oklahoma.

“We have a long history of coaching, supporting and devel-

oping youth rugby,” Turner said.

“Of course, we also actively recruit new athletes that have never played rugby—anybody that’s interested in learning more and wanting to play.”

The physical nature of the sport has been an obstacle when recruiting girls and women to play, but Tulsa RFC started its women’s team in 2011 and female participation at all levels continues to grow.

“There’s some hurdles with contact sports, there are some stereotypes that you have to crush,” Turner said. “I really think that once you are able to get over some initial hesitations, it’s a great sport for everyone.”

“I think that a lot of women are under the misconception that you have to be physically imposing to be able to play,” added Casie Whitney, the women’s team captain. “People are worried that they are too small, or even that they’re too big sometimes, [or] not athletic enough—but what is

really wonderful about rugby is that there is a position for everyone on the field.

“What we find is that the more people get involved and the more they see people like them playing, the more willing they are to give it a shot as well,” Whitney continued. “Rugby’s supposed to be about camaraderie and building community and having a network of women who are strong and supporting each other and helping build each other up.”

Perhaps another reason rugby participation numbers continue to increase at all age levels is because of its inclusion in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where the U.S. competed in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

“Rugby’s been the fastest-growing team sport in the United States for most of this decade, and we especially saw a big bump after the 2016 Olympics when rugby was re-introduced,” Turner said. “There’s a pathway to the podium for all these athletes now, and we want to help facilitate opportunities for all these young people to realize those Olympic dreams.”

And with four Tulsa players seeing action with U.S. national teams, it seems more possible than ever. The local stars include three recent teammates from Union’s high school boys’ squad—Chance Wenglewski, Malon Al-Jiboori, and Lorenzo Thomas. Also, Neariah Persinger, who graduated from Broken Arrow in 2014, has also played with the women’s national team.

The Tulsa RFC plays its home games at its own field at 37th Street and Riverside Drive, just south of the Gathering Place, and admission is free. There are usually concessions available, including food, and the atmosphere is very family-friendly. a December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

hearsay These are strange times for tinfoilers, folks.

Our game show host president’s myriad imbroglios with intelligence agencies have thrust conspiracy culture into the mainstream. Inversely, a deluge of Trumpsters has descended upon conspiracy forums and drained their own swamp into formerly non-partisan channels.

Knocking red-faced conspiracy toad Alex Jones off his platform only fueled their outrage and heightened the profi le of alt-right conspiracy1. This identity crisis couldn’t come at a more unfortunate time.

Mainstream figures like Elon Musk, Post Malone, and Kanye West are discussing simulation theory, “heart attack guns,” and manifestation magick—publicly.

The dude from Blink 182 is disclosing classified UFO footage.

And yeah, Trump also wants to get to the “truth” behind 9/11.

If the 90s were the golden age of conspiracy culture, we’re currently living through the platinum age. (The X-Files’ “smoking man” should be up to three packs a day by now.) For every funky Pizzagate, QAnon, and young flat earth dome concept there are more grounded theories that turn conspiracy theory into conspirafact.

To find such cases, one needs not even leave Tulsa County.

Our former Tulsa County sheriff falsified training records for a golfing buddy who murdered a man while playing cop. Whitey Bulger dropped a body at a country club2. Our mayor is currently shoring up the search for mass graves from the 1921 race massacre, whose potential existence had been successfully covered up until only recently.

And if you are among the majority of Americans who doubt the Warren Commission narrative, you may say the seeds of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination were planted right here in Tulsa.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy can be viewed as the Big Bang of American conspiracy culture. Lee Harvey THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

MORGAN WELCH

TINFOIL ON TRIAL: TULSA EDITION Did the walk to the grassy knoll start in T-Town?

by MITCH GILLIAM Oswald wasn’t even in the ground before theories of multiple shooters, the mafia, and LBJ’s involvement circulated. Theories run the gamut from gunmen in manholes to the event being a grand occult ritual—but for many, all roads lead back to the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1976, long before he was president, the recently-departed George H.W. Bush was Director of the CIA3. He began his ascent to that position in 1953, when he started Zapata Petroleum with a group that included brothers Bill and Hugh Liedtke from Tulsa.

Another member was Thomas J. Devine.

An internal CIA memo from 1975 reveals that Bush began Zapata in conjunction with Devine, a retired CIA officer who continued working under com-

mercial cover. Funding for the company was gathered in part by former Federal Reserve chairman, and Washington Post publisher, Eugene Mayer, a connection that should raise a brow on even casual conspiracists.4 Zapata rose to prominence as a successful wild-catting operation, utilizing experimental drilling rigs made by inventor R.G Letourneau. After establishing successful oil fields, the group started Zapata Offshore, and their board was quickly staffed with intelligence agents, along with Bush’s Skull and Bones frat brothers. Apart from the mystique surrounding Skull and Bones—and the alphabet agency ties—the story is business as usual for the anti-Communist world of American industry in the 1950s.

The weirdness started when

Zapata Offshore began selling their rigs at a loss to a newly-formed Mexican company named Permargo. With the Zapata Offshore board staffed by G-Men and the Good Ol’ Bones Boys, the Leidtke brothers found their hands tied and watched their wealth incinerate.

Zapata Petroleum’s early success for the Tulsans went belly up under the direction of Bush, but the brothers would go on to found Penzoil. Bush would become director of the CIA. The oil rigs sold to Permargo were used as listening stations into Cuba, and training grounds for anti-Castro militants who would die in the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

So what does this have to do with the Kennedy assassination?

Kennedy was publicly suspicious of the CIA during his time in office. After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, he planned to vastly reduce the agency’s budget, and reportedly said he wanted to “splinter [the CIA] into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.”

Would this public presidential decree of disbanding push the CIA to murder Kennedy?

Post Malone would probably say so. At the very least, Tulsa is linked to one of the most notorious CIA scandals in history. At most, if the single-shooter theory doesn’t hold water, you could say the long walk to Grassy Knoll started here in Tulsey Town. a

1)

It is the author’s opinion that Jones is a useful idiot at best and limited hangout at worst.

The author believes he might actually be Bill Hicks though, and that is tight.

2) Certain Lebanese steakhouses have been rumored to harbor mob ties, but I won’t go near that one, lest my cabbage get rolled.

3) GHWB died as the author was revising his second draft of this article. (RIP) Put that in your synchromystic pipe and smoke it.

4) Extra tinfoil points here as current WaPo (and Amazon) owner Jeff Bezos has a highly scrutinized contract with the CIA. ARTS & CULTURE // 37

FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL

Openings and events include: “The Breached Macrocosm”—works by Tulsa Artist Fellow Jave Yoshimoto at TAC Gallery and Nocturnal Imitations: An Evening For Tom Waits (and You) at Mainline. Dec. 7, 6–9 p.m., thetulsaartsdistrict.org FUN

Peter Bedgood’s CRAP Show (Calendar Release After Party) is a night of cartoons and comedy featuring Bedgood, Ethan Sandoval, and Yasamin Bayatfar. Dec. 7, 8 p.m., $8, Rabbit Hole Improv, rabbitholeimprov.com

HOLIDAYS

Each weekend in December, Gathering Place transforms into a Winter Wonderland Holiday Market with festive food, performances, and shopping.

Fridays–Sundays, 5–8 p.m., gatheringplace.org

The Italian Inn | COURTESY

“LOST RESTAURANTS OF TULSA” BOOK LAUNCH Saturday, December 8, tulsahistory.org Tulsa Historical Society & Museum will host the launch of Rhys Martin's “Lost Restaurants of Tulsa,” which brings to life restaurants of yore such as Molly Murphy's House of Fine Repute, Casa Bonita, and Metro Diner. Martin will take part in two discussions and Q&A sessions, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

ON STAGE

American Theatre Company’s musical production of A Christmas Carol is a holiday tradition of more than 40 years. Dec. 7–23, $16.50–$33, Tulsa Performing Arts Center – John H. Williams Theatre, americantheatrecompany.org

PARADE

The Tulsa Christmas Parade will wind its way through the heart of downtown before concluding with a Block Party at 8th Street & Boston Avenue.

Dec. 8, 1–4:30 p.m., tulsachristmasparade.org

EDUCATION

TOYS FOR TOTS

Tulsa Education Expo gives parents an opportunity to explore educational options for their children and talk directly to representatives from schools all over town. Dec. 6, 6–8 p.m., Greenwood Cultural Center, edchoicematters.org

Hundreds of motorcycles bearing gifts for Toys for Tots will ride through Tulsa from Expo Square to Guthrie Green on the 39th annual ABATE of Tulsa Toy Run. Dec. 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., abateoftulsa.com

WINE

SOMETHING TASTY

BA Wine Walk is a viticultural tour through Broken Arrow’s Rose District with eight locations serving wine and light bites. Dec. 6, 6:30–9 p.m., $35, rosedistrict.com

Oklahoma Distilling Co.’s Shotgun Korean Dinner will feature Korean fare by Chef Ben Alexander and one-off distillations made just for the meal. Read more on pg. 14. Dec. 9, 6:30, $80, okdistilling.com

38 // ARTS & CULTURE

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

BEST OF THE REST EVENTS Tulsa Farm Show // 12/6-8, River

Spirit Expo, tulsafarmshow.com 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow // 12/7-8,

Expo Square Exchange Center, 2hipchicksroadshow.com The Alliday Show // 12/7-8, Retro

Den, theallidayshow.com Wild at Art // 12/7, Tulsa Garden

Center, wingintulsa.org Junior League of Tulsa Holiday Market

// 12/9, Blue Dome District, bluedomedistrict.com Pirate Women: Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers // 12/12, Magic City

Books, magiccitybooks.com Social Justice Story Hour with Arjun Sing Sethi // 12/13, The Khalid

Jabara ‘Tikkun Olam’ Memorial Library, kjtolibrary.com Tokyo in Tulsa Christmas Party //

12/15, Central Library, tokyointulsa.com Chimera Winter Market // 12/15,

Chimera, chimeratulsa.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Celebrate Five Years of The Tulsa Voice with us at Studio 75, where we’ll hang an installation of every cover we’ve published. Dec. 13, 7–9 p.m., Studio 75, thetulsavoice.com

Santa Fly-In // 12/15,

Tulsa Air and Space Museum, tulsamuseum.org Footprints in the Dew // 12/15, Tulsa

The 5th Gift Raps will feature music from Jabee, Steph Simon, Tea Rush, Keeng Cut, and more, art by Black Moon Collective, and a donation drive for The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma. Dec. 16, 9 p.m., Soundpony, facebook.com/jabeemusic THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

Tulsa Night Live // 12/8, Rabbit Hole

Improv, rabbitholeimprov.com Whose Line Rip-Off Show //

12/9, Rabbit Hole Improv, rabbitholeimprov.com A Gospel Sunday Brunch Live Nativity // 12/9, The ReVue,

therevuetulsa.com Open Mic Comedy // 12/10,

The Fur Shop, facebook.com/ TheFurShopTulsa JR Brow // 12/12-15, The Loony Bin,

tulsa.loonybincomedy.com Open Mic Comedy // 12/13,

Renaissance Brewing Company, renaissancebeer.com Laughing Matter Improv - There’s No Time Like the “Presents” // 12/15, pH Com-

munity House, facebook.com/ laughingmatterimprov ‘Tis the Season for Laughs // 12/15, Rabbit Hole Improv, rabbitholeimprov.com

Open Mic Comedy // 12/17,

PERFORMING ARTS Sesame Street Live // 12/5-6, Expo Square Pavilion, sesamestreetlive.com A Winter Rose Christmas // 12/7-16,

Les Misérables (School Edition) // 12/7-

The Fur Shop, facebook.com/ TheFurShopTulsa

SPORTS ORU Men’s Basketball vs FGCU // 12/5,

Mabee Center, oruathletics.com TU Men’s Basketball vs OSU //

12/5, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com ORU Women’s Basketball vs UT Arlington // 12/6, Mabee Center,

16, Tulsa PAC - Liddy Doenges Theatre, tulsapac.com

oruathletics.com

Second Sunday Serials //

Jingle Bell Run // 12/8, BOK Center,

12/9, Agora Event Center, hellertheatreco.com

MUSIC FOR GOOD

riverspirittulsa.com

Poetic Justice Book Vol. 4 Release // 12/15,

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse, bacptheatre.com

The OU Sooner Men’s Basketball Team will take on the USC Trojans at BOK Center. Dec. 15, 8 p.m., $10-$99, bokcenter.com

Open Mic Comedy // 12/6,

Ass Water // 12/15, Rabbit Hole Improv, rabbitholeimprov.com

COMIC COLLECTION

B BALL

12/5-8, The Loony Bin, tulsa. loonybincomedy.com

Historical Society & Museum, tulsahistory.org Whitty Books, poeticjustice.org

Gilcrease Museum’s exhibition The Chisholm Kid: Lone Fighter for Justice for All is a collection of art from the comic strip whose titular cowboy was one of the earliest black heroes of popular culture. See pg. 30 for more. Opens Dec. 14, gilcrease.org

Collin Moulton, Brent Terhune //

Jo Koy // 12/7, River Spirit Casino,

Blue Dome Sunday Funday Pub Crawl

Tulsa Ballet has announced that Marcello Angelini’s production of The Nutcracker—which the company debuted in 2003—will be retired in a few years. See it while it lasts.

COMEDY

The Artist Is In: Narciso Argüelles // 12/8-1/20/19, ahha,

Kendall Whittier District, tulsaarchitecture.org

Dec. 8–23, $30-$105, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Chapman Music Hall, tulsaballet.org

12/15, Living Arts, livingarts.org

Renaissance Brewing Company, renaissancebeer.com

2nd Saturday - Art + Architecture in Kendall Whittier // 12/8,

THE NUTCRACKER

Taboo: A Night of Unspoken Truths //

// 12/7-9, UMAC, jltulsa.org

ahhatulsa.org

The Nutcracker | ANDREW FASSBENDER/COURTESY TULSA BALLET

Songs for a New World // 12/14-23, Studio 308, americantheatrecompany.org

Theatre Tulsa Academy’s Showstopper Showcase // 12/13, Tulsa PAC

- Liddy Doenges Theatre, tulsapac.com Sheridan Road’s Christmas Cabaret Finale // 12/13-14, Tulsa PAC -

Westby Pavilion, tulsapac.com

arthritis.org TU Men’s Basketball vs Kansas State //

12/8, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com TU Men’s Basketball vs New Orleans //

12/13, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com TU Women’s Basketball vs Little Rock //

12/17, Reynolds Center, tulsahurricane.com ARTS & CULTURE // 39

musicnotes

Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill, 116 S. Elgin Ave. | GREG BOLLINGER

Blue Dome’s newest den Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill offers local music and tasty food

by BLAYKLEE FREED

I

n his eulogy for the beloved, defunct bar and music venue The Yeti, TTV contributor Damion Shade called it the kind of place “where drunk hippies, ex-emo kids, gauge-laden hipsters, and potheads created a music scene together.”

Ask other local music lovers around town, and you’ll hear a similar story. The Yeti provided Tulsa with a one-of-a-kind space for creativity, experimentation, and more than a little lighthearted debauchery. It was the sort of place where everyone felt at home. When the bar closed its doors in July of 2018, it seemed like a crucial piece of Tulsa’s contemporary musical identity—and a larger piece of its winning DIY spirit—was gone forever.

But Jonathan Robinson and Jeff Hague, two of the four partners behind The Yeti, couldn’t let that be the end of it. Last month, the ambitious music lovers opened

40 // MUSIC

a brand new concept, The Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill, to help fi ll the void that opened with the closing of that local institution.

Instead of bemoaning the loss of what was lost, they’re launching a new venue with an eye toward serving Tulsa’s local music community with the same welcoming spirit that made The Yeti a defining feature of the local scene.

And this one has food.

Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill (116 S. Elgin Ave.), nestled between The Max Retropub and Reds Bar in the Blue Dome District, opened in November and has already had several local shows.

Now, in conjunction with Tulsa’s punk rock online merch store and booking company Boulevard Trash—another former venue— Rabbit Hole is bringing in Killer Hearts, a Houston-based punk band. Killer Hearts will join locals The Stiffies and Søaker on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Brandon Barger, lead guitarist for Killer Hearts, said this is the band’s fifth time to return to Tulsa. They played at the Fuck You We Rule OK! festival at the Vanguard and at Fur Shop in 2016 while they were on tour, which is where they met Tony Cozzaglio, who with his wife Michelle, founded FYWROK and Boulevard Trash, as well as Tulsa Punk Rock Flea Market and the Oddities & Curiosities Expo.

Barger said he and the band are glad to return to Tulsa. “We try to come through twice a year,” he said. “Tulsa’s really fun, and the scene is good. We’ve made a lot of friends and fans out there.”

Cozzaglio said he was excited for the chance to bring Killer Hearts to town in a place with familiar faces. “We always liked working with Jonathan, and it’s fun to continue with the same people we knew in a new place,” Cozzaglio said.

For Robinson, the new place is key to building something different than what they had at Yeti.

Some of the staff is the same, and a lot of the patrons are too, but Robinson and Hague are looking to evolve. “We loved what we did at the Yeti, but we do want to grow and branch out. Hit some new audiences and make a more approachable space,” he said.

Mondays are piano nights at Rabbit Hole, featuring Chris Foster of The Grits. Wednesdays are for karaoke. Tuesdays are the nights to see a wide variety of local artists play. “[Comedian] Evan Hughes is booking for us—so he’s doing three different artists for a Tuesday night showcase,” Robinson said.

Rabbit Hole’s food also plays a pivotal role in the approachability of the new venue. “Jeff (Hague) has experience with food in a couple of his other locations [which include Marley’s Chicago December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Style Pizzeria and Crawpappy’s], and we found the White Flag space and fell in love with it,” Robinson said. “It already had a kitchen built out, so we figured why not.”

Hague and Robinson worked with chef Jacob Vaughn—known as Chef JV—to create the menu.

“We just want approachable bar food that’s well done with quality ingredients,” Robinson said.

Popular dishes so far include chicken fried chicken ($12), shells and cheese ($9.50), and the Tulsa cheese steak ($12).

That’s what I had for dinner Monday night: A concoction of sliced prime rib, sautéed onions and peppers, and their cheese sauce (made in house). The bun was soft and contrasted with the chewy prime rib. The sautéed vegetables were fresh and balanced the meat perfectly.

The flavors lingered in my mouth until I washed it down with a beer Robinson recommended for me: Rahr & Sons Paleta de Mango ($6). The beer was something he carried on tap at Yeti and continues to now at Rabbit Hole. The french fries are your fairly typical pub fries, but they were cooked to perfection.

I ordered the chicken fried chicken for my wife. She said the potatoes stood out with flavor from green onions and a texture that was delightful. The chicken is also served with “psychedelic carrots” which are different colors (it’s natural).

Be on the lookout for their cocktail menu, which they’re stirring up now. “One (cocktail) is called the Killer Bunny. It’s a carrot-based cocktail with vodka and carrot juice and a few other things in it,” Robinson said.

“We’re making our own simple syrups in house.”

So far, things have been going well. Robinson said they already have a group of regulars that come in, and they’ve been at capacity every Friday night they’ve been open. They’ve been seeing some new faces—a crowd different than the Yeti’s. People that work in the restaurants and bars surrounding Rabbit Hole will drop by after their shift.

Robinson said he has a feeling their weekend crowds might be THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

too big for food service inside the restaurant after 9 p.m. For that, he’s planning on putting in a walk-up window.

Above all, Robinson said he wants to keep the local music acts front and center. “I just really want to keep our focus on live music and live instrumentation.

We’re going to do a couple of dance parties here and there … but most everything we have is going to be live instrumentation

and local music.”

As for the space formerly occupied by The Yeti, rumors swirled that the location would itself turn into a restaurant shortly after the bar and venue closed.

So far, that space between Cain’s Ballroom and Soundpony has remained empty.

Can The Rabbit Hole fi ll the void left behind in the wake of The Yeti’s closing? Most people will tell you that lightning doesn’t

strike twice. But in a city with a hunger for local music—and chicken-fried chicken—it’s clear that this new venue, bar, and restaurant has the wind at its back and a healthy music scene at its disposal. a

KILLER HEARTS W/ THE STIFFIES AND SØAKER Sat., Dec. 8, 9 p.m.

The Rabbit Hole

MUSIC // 41

musiclistings Wed // Dec 5 The Cellar Dweller – Grazz Trio Chimera – Pickwick Commons, Gadgets Sons ($7-$10) Coffee House on Cherry Street – Open Mic Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – James Muns & Mark McClurg Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler Mercury Lounge – Tom Skinner Science Project w/ Steve Liddell Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Shelby and Nathan Eicher ($10) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Travis Fite Soul City – Don & Stephen White The Vanguard – Ubi, The Palmer Squares, Joey Cool, G-Smooth, No Name Bones, Chiefy, Timmy Turner ($10-$35)

Thurs // Dec 6 BOK Center – The Roadshow Christmas w/ Matthew West, Matt Maher, Building 429, Plumb, Josh Wilson, Leanna Crawford ($23) Dead Armadillo Brewery – Josh Morningstar Duet – Steve Merrick ($5) Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Scott Eastman, Rocket Science Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – DJ 2Legit Soul City – The Begonias The Colony – Jacob Tovar The Colony – Robert Hoefling - Happy Hour The Hunt Club – Songswappers w/ Jimmy Ray Taylor and Bill Crain The Vanguard – The Wrecks, Deal Casino, Guys On A Bus, The Beaten Daylights ($15-$35)

Fri // Dec 7 American Legion Post 308 – Round Up Boys Duet – Branjae ($7) Gathering Place – M-Pact Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Daniel Jordan Mercury Lounge – Admirals Rabbit Hole – Proglahoma Pre-Game w/ Lucid Awakening, Just a Dream River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Ayngel & John Soul City – The Hitmen ($10) Soul City – Susan Herndon - Happy Hour Soundpony – Soft Leather w/ Cherrie Blossom Corinne Deville, Darku J, Foxy, Kudos, Nomads, Noms The Colony – Mountebank, Dane Arnold & The Soup ($5) The Fur Shop – Billy Joe Winghead and Friends The Hunt Club – The Taylor Machine The Vanguard – Embracer, The Backward Few, Spotless Mind ($10) The Venue Shrine – Opal Agafia & The Sweet Nothings ($10)

Sat // Dec 8 Bad Ass Renee’s – Hoodstock w/ Polo the Thrill, DiscFunkTion DjzGHB, Chiefy, P.Thang Crazy P., Cherokuleas, QBrown, Evan Hughes, & more Blackbird On Pearl – Dixie Wrecked, Perseus, Enslaved by Fear, From the Grave ($10) BOK Center – Cody Johnson, Easton Corbin, Jon Wolfe, Jacob Bryant ($23)

42 // MUSIC

Bound for Glory Books – Books, Bands, and Baked Goods! w/ W/O Adjectives, Emily Eldridge, Blurt, Chance Siribandan, Apt-Get, Imgonnadie Cain’s Ballroom – Koe Wetzel, Read Southall Band (SOLD OUT) Chimera – The Lukewarm, Zunis ($5) Duet – Raul Midón ($30) Fassler Hall – Count Tutu Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Empire Hard Rock Hotel - The Joint – Chris Isaak ($29.50-$49.50) Lennie’s Club & Grill – Gear Dogz Mabee Center – Bill Gaither Christmas Homecoming ($23-$72) Mercury Lounge – Chance Anderson Rabbit Hole – Killer Hearts, The Stiffies, Søaker River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Stars River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Manheim Steamroller Christmas ($40-$55) River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Lenny Carr Soul City – Crow ($10) Soundpony – Pony Disco Club The Colony – Bodeen, Chris Lee Becker ($5) The Fur Shop – Electric Billy Club, Murderous Mary The Hunt Club – Hosty The Starlite – Majda & Lynn K The Vanguard – Proglahoma w/ Lucid Awakening, Machine In The Mountain, Galaxia, Being Without, Oberon, Let Slip The Dogs, Out Mother’s Martyr ($10) The Venue Shrine – George Porter Jr. and the Runnin Pardners ($20-$25) Woody Guthrie Center – John Smith ($15-$20)

Sun // Dec 9 East Village Bohemian Pizza – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Jennifer Marriott Band ($5-$20) Rabbit Hole – Selected Sundays w/ Skanka River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soul City – Dustin Pittsley Blues Brunch Soundpony – The Triple H - Happy Hour Show The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Colony – Singer Songwriter Open Mic Matinee w/ David Hernandez The Hunt Club – Preslar Monthly Music Showcase The Vanguard – The Black Dahlia Murder, Havok Ghoul, GosT, Skeletal Remains ($25-$60)

Mon // Dec 10 Blackbird On Pearl – Open Mic Brady Theater – In This Moment ($29.50) Chimera – Lung, Sun Vow, Bonemagic ($5) Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins Rabbit Hole – Chris Foster River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Travis Kidd The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Colony – Ryan Browning - Happy Hour

Tues // Dec 11 Blackbird On Pearl – Community Sound Cain’s Ballroom – Tyler Childers, Town Mountain (SOLD OUT) Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham and Jacob Tovar Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams

Rabbit Hole – Evan Hughes Presents…

River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Faye Moffett Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday The Colony – Dane Arnold & The Soup The Colony – Deerpaw - Happy Hour The Vanguard – Orthodox, Give Way, OTM ($10)

Wed // Dec 12 Coffee House on Cherry Street – Open Mic Colorfeed A/V – Silhouette of Nude, Plastic Psalms, Tom Boil, BLURT ($5) Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Moonshine Devils Mercury Lounge – Jared Tyler Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Modern Oklahoma Jazz Orchestra ft. the Geoffrey Keezer Trio ($10) River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Travis Fite Soul City – Don & Stephen White Soundpony – The Mules, From Parts Unknown The Cellar Dweller – Grazz Trio The Colony – Tom Skinner Science Project The Venue Shrine – Ian Moore ($10-$15)

Thurs // Dec 13 Cain’s Ballroom – WHITECHAPEL, Chelsea Grin, Oceano, Slaughter to Prevail ($22-$37) Duet – Stephen Schultz ($5) Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Travis Kidd Hard Rock Hotel - The Joint – The Temptations ($25.50) Mercury Lounge – Paul Benjaman River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – DJ 2Legit River Spirit Casino - Paradise Cove – Little Big Town, Devin Dawson ($95-$125) Soul City – The Begonias – Soundpony – Blind Oath The Colony – Jacob Tovar The Colony – Robert Hoefling - Happy Hour The Venue Shrine – Afton Music Series ($12-$15)

Fri // Dec 14 American Legion Post 308 – Joe Harris Blackbird On Pearl – Curtis Roper Band, RPM Cain’s Ballroom – William Clark Green, Dalton Domino ($15-$30) Duet – Jeremy Thomas Quartet ($7) Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Miracle Max, 90lb Wrench Mercury Lounge – BC and the Big Rig River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Jason Young Band River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Jacob Dement & Co. Soul City – Susan Herndon - Happy Hour Soundpony – No Parking Playoff Run The Colony – Smoochie Wallus album release w/ Snobug, The Dull Drums ($5) The Hunt Club – Dante and the Hawks The Vanguard – Cannabis Corpse, Constant Peril, Disparity Gospel, Obscure Sanity ($12) Van Trease PACE – Cherish the Ladies w/ Signature Chorale ($40-$80)

Sat // Dec 15 Bad Ass Renee’s – Murderous Mary, Southern Heretics, Wild Salee Barkingham Palace – Barkingham Christmas Show w/ Shoog Night, Penny Mob, The Big News Blackbird On Pearl – Ayilla, Tmase, Tha Vets Band, Keezy Kuts, Ninetyone ($5-$10) Broken Arrow PAC – David Phelps ($25-$65)

Duet – Mike Cameron’s Swunky Face Big Band ($10) Dusty Dog Pub – The Hitmen Hard Rock Hotel - Riffs – Weston Horn, Saucy Jack Mercury Lounge – Vandoliers Rabbit Hole – DJ Kylie River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Zodiac River Spirit Casino - Volcano Stage – Chris Hyde Soundpony – Darku J The Colony – Dan Martin, Tanner Miller & The Contraband The Hunt Club – Straight Shot The Starlite – Afistaface The Vanguard – SteelyFace, Future Tapes, The Odyssey, My Heart & Liver Are The Best Of Friends, The Noise Estate ($10) The Venue Shrine – Chris Duarte Group, Mike Zito ($20-$25) Van Trease PACE – Cherish the Ladies w/ Signature Chorale ($40-$80)

Sun // Dec 16 Chimera – Outlier, Blood Between Us, Tell Lies, Undervalued, Fester ($10) East Village Bohemian Pizza – Mike Cameron Collective Fassler Hall – Hip Hop Brunch w/ ECOG Mercury Lounge – Brandon Clark Rabbit Hole – Selected Sundays w/ Skanka River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Brent Giddens Soul City – Bruner & Eicher Soul City – Dustin Pittsley Blues Brunch Soundpony – Gift Raps w/ Jabee, Steph Simon, Bambi, IamDes, Tea Rush, Keeng Cut, Trip G, Krisheena Suarez The Colony – Paul Benjaman’s Sunday Nite Thing The Colony – Singer Songwriter Open Mic Matinee w/ David Hernandez

Mon // Dec 17 Blackbird On Pearl – Open Mic Hodges Bend – Mike Cameron Collective Mercury Lounge – Chris Blevins Rabbit Hole – Chris Foster River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Travis Kidd The Colony – Seth Lee Jones The Colony – Ryan Browning - Happy Hour The Vanguard – Eyes Set To Kill, Rest, Repose, AVOID, Lights of Alora ($10)

Tues // Dec 18 Blackbird On Pearl – Community Sound Mercury Lounge – Wink Burcham and Jacob Tovar Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame – Depot Jazz and Blues Jams Rabbit Hole – Evan Hughes Presents…

River Spirit Casino - 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar – Faye Moffett Soul City – Tuesday Bluesday The Colony – Dane Arnold & The Soup The Colony – Deerpaw - Happy Hour The Fur Shop – Jake Golden, Mudd Flux, Had Enough The Hunt Club – The March Divide The Vanguard – Catbamboo, Petty Gox, Kinda Collective ($10)

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

MUSIC // 43

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44 // FILM & TV

“Roma” | COURTESY

MELANCHOLIC MEMORIES Alfonso Cuarón’s passion project gives Netflix an Oscar contender EXPERIENCING “ROMA” IS LIKE WATCHING a life through the eyes of God. With an elegant, ethereal omniscience, Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón (“Gravity”) tells an intimate story on an ambitious scale. It’s semi-autobiographical—set in the Mexico City of Cuarón’s early-1970s childhood, in a family like his—but it’s not about a boy like him. It’s a paean to the young woman he would come to see as his other mother.

Placing his camera on the periphery of scenes rather than in their midst, Cuarón’s subject is Cleo (played by acting novice Yalitza Aparicio, in a humble, heart-wrenching debut), the young housekeeper of a doctor, his wife, and their four children.

Cleo is the focus of “Roma” (a word that refers to lower-caste workers but is also an idiom for a shy, reticent woman with internal, soulful beauty), but not because the camera frames her as its subject. Rather, she’s the one the camera follows, lingers with, and is drawn to as it pans, floats, and glides through its surveilling yet mesmerized remove.

In wide, deep-focus shots of pristine black-and-white digital polish, washed in a subtle beatific glow, we see Cleo’s daily life through simple, innocuous episodes that slowly give way to more defining ones.

Then, set against the backdrop of political unrest, these small moments build to ones of profound impact.

Though rich in period detail, “Roma” doesn’t wax nostalgic; it’s a transport to a time and place, where the location and spaces are as vital as the people in them.

Working as his own cameraman for the first time, Cuarón choreographs a stunning degree of staging, story, and emotion into deceptively long, single takes.

The film yearns for a closed, theatrical experience, despite playing exclusively on Netflix starting Dec. 14. Well, create your own theater. Turn off the lights, the cell phone, and all domestic distractions. This film wants to take you somewhere, and through something. Let it.

“Roma” is told, you could say, from a guardian angel’s POV, akin to that of Clarence from “It’s A Wonderful Life,” an angel who sees formative events both mundane and crucial for Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey. But here, for us, there is no expository debrief from the voice of God. Instead, the most critical season of Cleo’s life is observed through a neorealist’s austere, artful eye and an empathy-gushing heart, turning Cuarón into an art house Capra. It’s as if Cuarón himself is reaching back through time, with cinema as his supernatural conduit, so that he can watch over his other mother when she needs him most.

Cuarón doesn’t protect Cleo from every struggle or save her from every tragedy.

That may be within his sovereignty but that’s not his sacred purpose, nor her mortal one. He’s there to see her through her pain, and whatever life may bring.

The divine power Cuarón extends is grace, love, and healing, and the hope that on the other side of every tribulation is an ascent. I hope my guardian angel is watching over me in the same way.

— JEFF HUSTON December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

Emma Stone in “The Favourite” | COURTESY

Willem Dafoe in “At Eternity’s Gate” | COURTESY CBS FILMS

The art of suffering

A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CIRCLE CINEMA

WILLEM DAFOE DELIVERS A HEARTBREAKING PERFORMANCE IN THIS MESSY VAN GOGH BIOPIC IN HIS FINAL YEARS, VINCENT VAN GOGH suffered from frequent psychotic episodes and psychiatric hospital stays. He also endured a tumultuous—often antagonistic—relationship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, all while creating some of his most iconic works of art. It’s ripe material for what could’ve been an engaging exploration of one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. And yet, director Julian Schnabel’s Van Gogh biopic “At Eternity’s Gate” does little to shed new light on the poster child of the Tortured Artist, delivering instead a murky, raggedy, surface-level exploitation of the artist’s final days.

“At Eternity’s Gate” immerses us in the world as Van Gogh sees it. Through a fractured, oftentimes glaucomic point of view as we see the landscapes, still life, and denizens who would become the subjects of many of his most enduring works. Opting for shaky, hand-held closeups of Van Gogh staring agog at the beautiful landscapes, berating those around him, and sulking around psychiatric hospitals, the film is a tedious slog of Schnabel’s pretentious visual gimmickry.

This film really wants you to know how unappreciated in his time Van Gogh was. The central conceit of “At Eternity’s Gate” is the story of an artist born before his time, exercising his God-given talent in a time that never fully recognizes his brilliance and may never. “Maybe God made me a painter for people who aren’t born yet.” This line from the film lands with the sincerity of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Van Gogh is frequently pilloried as being unrefined and sloppy. He’s pitied by his benefactor-brother Theo, who practically subsidizes his friendship with Gauguin—a relationship the film does little to fully explore. It is this relationship, THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

after all, that led to Van Gogh’s most notorious and iconic outburst: taking a razor to his left ear and insisting a prostitute make sure Gauguin receives it.

Historical biopics can be challenging to pull off, yet they seem irresistible for self-aggrandizing filmmakers. Writer/ director Julian Schnabel (“Before Night Falls,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”) suffers from such an affliction. Himself an artist, Schnabel’s debut film was the loosely-told biopic of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, which was as much about Basquiat as it was Schnabel’s own self-important view of his role in the art world at that time. Schnabel can’t ever quite resist the urge to equate himself with more talented artists, this time applying his erratic, slapdash approach to filmmaking onto late-period life of Vincent Van Gogh.

It’s all very disappointing as Willem Dafoe as Van Gogh delivers a beautifully raw and sobering portrayal of the tortured soul with a paintbrush in what is certainly one of his career best. His frantic, often manic quest for inspiration and expressionistic color is mismatched by the naturalistic, frequently intrusive camerawork of cinematographer Benoit Delhomme.

Schnabel squanders Dafoe’s masterful performance. His embodiment of Van Gogh is nothing short of astonishing, portraying the artist like a feral cat, suffering from delusional bouts of mania and joyful inspiration with the innocence of a child who can’t quite take responsibility for his actions. The filmmaker misses opportunities to explore the depths of Van Gogh’s life and struggles—opting instead for prolonged, meandering musical interludes of Dafoe pondering French countrysides at sunset, wallowing in the dirt, and his own selfpity—to make this film anything close to a work of art.— CHARLES ELMORE

OPENING DECEMBER 7 MARIA BY CALLAS An intimate documentary of Greek-American opera legend Maria Callas, about her life and work, as told in her own words.

Rated PG.

OPENING DECEMBER 14 THE FAVOURITE An acclaimed female cast stars in this dark satire about Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), who ruled England in the early 18th century. The Queen’s closest confidante is Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), but their friendship is tested by the charms of a new servant (Emma Stone). Directed

by Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster”), the three female leads are garnering Oscar buzz. Rated R. AT ETERNITY’S GATE Willem Dafoe stars in this searing biopic of painter Vincent van Gogh’s final years.

Dircected by Julian Schnabel (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”), Dafoe won the Best Actor prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Rated PG-13.

WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) The beloved holiday musical classic starring Bing Crosby returns for its popular annual week-long run. Christmas music played on the Circle’s 1928 pipe organ will play before and after special sing-a-long screenings (check with Circle or their website for times and details).

SPECIAL EVENTS L’DOR V’DOR A documentary that tells the story of Tulsa’s Jewish community.

(Wed., Dec. 5, 2:10 p.m. & 6 p.m; Thurs., Dec. 6, 11:40 a.m. & 6 p.m.)

NT LIVE: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA A new theatrical production of Shakespeare’s classic drama of the ill-fated couple, in this tragedy of politics, passion, and power. It stars Oscar-nominees Ralph Fiennes (“Schindler’s List”) and Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda”).

(Thurs., Dec. 6, 6 p.m) COMING TO AMERICA (1988) A 30th Anniversary presentation of the Eddie Murphy comedy classic where he and Arsenio Hall play multiple roles.

(Fri. & Sat., Dec. 7 & 8, 10 p.m.)

OLIVER TWIST (1928) Second Saturday Silents presents this silent era depiction of the Dickens classic about the trials of a young London orphan.

Accompaniment by Bill Rowland on the Circle’s original 90-year-old theatre pipe organ. Tickets $5; 16 and under $2. (Sat., Dec. 8, 11 a.m.)

THE ROOM (2003) The “worst movie ever made” cult hit returns for one late night event. “The Room” is the infamous low budget movie made by the eccentric Tommy Wiseau. It has become popular for its “audience participation” experience. The making of the “The Room” was depicted in the Oscar-nominated biopic “The Disaster Artist” directed by James Franco, who also starred as Wiseau. (Sat., Dec. 15, 10 p.m.)

FILM & TV // 45

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46 // ETC.

December 5 – 18, 2018 // THE TULSA VOICE

THE FUZZ THE TULSA VOICE SPOTLIGHTS: ANIMAL AID

Animal Aid is a non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving sick, injured, and abused stray dogs and cats. They help pets find loving homes, and encourage respect and awareness for the rights of companion animals. Animal Aid Tulsa has been helping animals in our area since 1961. Learn about volunteering, fostering, upcoming events, and adoptions at animalaid.org.

918.794.6688 | www.animalaid.org

Meet the amazing and inspiring GABRIEL. His back legs don’t work, but that doesn’t stop him from playing! In fact, when the therapist put his wheelchair on for the first time, he just took off as though it was second nature. He can move around on his own without the wheelchair too and loves to scoot around and play with his toys. He loves dogs and is good around cats.

ACROSS 1 Proof of age, often 7 Degrading one 13 Resort of a sort 16 Prepare to burn rubber 19 Jellystone Park sidekick 20 Cuban political name 21 Seat-by-thewindow cost 23 Lost but not found (Pt. 1) 26 One way to be heard 27 Willow for wicker weaving 28 Frost with rhyme?

29 Start of a great invention 30 License prerequisite, often 32 Sore joint for some 34 Gas bill information 36 Tire gauge no.

39 Type of processing 41 “Star Trek” phaser setting 43 Caribbean tourist city 47 Rip asunder 49 Babe and Baby 52 Debate team participant 55 Frying utensil 56 Lost but not found (Pt. 2) 60 South Beach locale 61 Guinness the knight 62 Pearl mussel 63 Cameo, e.g.

64 Ancient, anciently 65 By order of 66 Its business is hair 68 “Is that clear?”

69 Cobra in Cairo 71 Wakens

74 ___ in kangaroo (grade school lesson) 75 Compassion, initially 78 Purple shade 80 Sweethearts 82 Sympathetic sort 84 Spanish home 87 Sandy shade 89 Inadequate, as an excuse 90 Bufferin alternative 91 Lost but not found (Pt. 3) 96 Abbr. on a tube 97 In the habit of 98 Receiving department gadget 99 Director Preminger 100 Put money on 102 Incalculable amount of time 104 Saudi Arabia neighbor 106 “Most assuredly” 107 Mature lady 110 Knot in a tree 113 Move like an elephant 115 Soothing plant 118 Rice-sized pasta 120 Window with a bracket 122 Lava before surfacing 126 Lost but not found (Pt. 4) 130 Fawn-colored silk 131 More slimelike 132 All curlicued up 133 Promise before a toast 134 Say 133-Across 135 Dastardly looks 136 Cleared, as pay DOWN 1 Egyptian wader 2 “The lady ___ protest too much” 3 West Coast salmon 4 Approximately 5 Overwhelmingly defeated

Sweet ROSIE will cuddle with you and your family for the rest of her life. Rosie is about 2.5 years old.

She is in training and would make someone a nice emotional support animal (ESA) or service animal.

6 Mexican hairless is one 7 Play parts 8 Tie-dye alternative 9 Having just seen a ghost 10 Accidents may draw them 11 It makes Rob more formal?

12 Crazy-easy win 13 Gem keepers 14 Michelangelo masterpiece 15 “These ___ the times that ...”

16 This causes bets to cease 17 Ocean flyer 18 Chevy no more 22 Speculative venture 24 Jacuzzi 25 Country kids?

31 Dress in India 33 Travel guesses, briefly 35 Attire 36 Main parts in duets 37 Doddering 38 Enter forcibly, as a country 40 It’s all mapped out 42 Pakistani language 44 “What’ve you been ___?”

45 Fee to be free 46 Poker contribution 48 Easy-to-lose coin 50 Is a contributor 51 Like taffy 53 Inuit boats 54 Horrific virus 57 Biblical high point?

58 In a sour-tasting way 59 Ornamental container 65 Geronimo was one 67 Filmdom statuette 70 Turns sharply

72 Check your arithmetic 73 Pago Pago setting 75 NATO’s T 76 Ancient Hebrew like Moses 77 Sets of beliefs 78 Felon’s flight 79 Executive cabinet?

81 U-turn from verso 83 “But wait, there’s more” 84 Big gob o’ tobaccy 85 Famous opera slave 86 Adult male deer 88 Golden-rule preposition 92 Dollar replacement for some 93 Monastery inmate 94 Philadelphia university 95 Unwritten, as a contract 101 Large-mouthed jugs 103 Take a nap 105 “Never again” 108 Wavelike design 109 Followed a curved path 111 “The Sopranos” restaurateur Bucco 112 Chorus stand 114 Cause to lose heart 115 Piedmont wine center 116 Booming 117 Approximation words 119 Yoko’s family 121 Plural suffix with auction 123 Insect in a swarm 124 Dust speck 125 Overwhelmingly impressed 127 Cry of pain 128 “Oui ou ___?”

129 Out in the distance, quaintly

Find the answers to this issue’s crossword puzzle at thetulsavoice.com/puzzle-solutions.

THE TULSA VOICE // December 5 – 18, 2018

Meet EGLANTINE, a sweet lady that loves to eat and cuddle. She had to have all of her teeth removed, but that doesn’t stop her from chowing down. Eglantine also loves to cuddle around your shoulder and nestle her face in your neck—she purrs and purrs! She is just a doll.

UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD WHERE AM I?

By Timothy E. Parker

© 2018 Andrews McMeel Syndication

12/23 ETC. // 47

SATURDAY

12.08

CHRIS ISAAK

FRIDAY

12.20

THIRD EYE BLIND

8PM

THE FOUR TOPS

8PM

FRIDAY

12.28

01.04

THURSDAY

8PM

SATURDAY

12.29

SATURDAY

01.19

MICHAEL MCDONALD

8PM

JON PARDI

8PM

DAVID SPADE

8PM

LIGHTING IT UP SCAN TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Schedule subject to change.

CNENT_61040_HR_Dec_Ent_TulsaVoice_PrintAd_1823445.indd 1

Pleas e re cycle this issue.

11/27/18 12:37 PM