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ON THE TOWN
March/April 2011
John John Santikos Blanca Blanca Aldaco Aldaco Luminaria Luminaria 2011 2011 Valero Valero Texas Texas Open Open Fiesta速 Fiesta速 San San Antonio Antonio Antonio Antonio Strad Strad Violin Violin Contemporary Contemporary Art Art Month Month Plus Plus 16 16 Additional Additional Articles Articles
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Features On Stage This Spring 10 John Santikos 16 A Royal Life in Pictures Two Decades Dedicated To San Antonio’s Music Future
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San Antonio Symphony Honors 22 Tchaikhovsky with a Festival David Rubin: The Brown Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art at SAMA
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2011 Marks 26 Years of Celebrating Contemporary Art in San Antonio
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Turn Your Intention of Eating Well Into Action
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Blanca Aldaco 68 The Hostess with the Mostest Texas de Brazil: The Newest 72 Addition to Houston Street
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Antonio Sanchez of Earl Abel’s 50 Years and 1 Million Pies
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Iliana de la Vega and Elizabeth Johnson-Kossick of CFA
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What’s New for Fiesta® 2011
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Bigger and Bolder Luminaria in 2011: A Showcase of Local, National and International Artists
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Third Annual Olives Olé The International Olive Festival of Texas™
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Culinaria, A Wine & Culinary Arts Festival
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30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio
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Caroline Kennedy Reading and Upcoming Free Lectures
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Imagine: Valero Texas Open and Fiesta® San Antonio Share Calendar Dates
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Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any adv appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the view mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to at
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Contributors
Departments March-April 2011 Events Calendar
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Book Talk: Leslie Winfield Williams – Author and Professor
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Artistic Destination: Trois Estate Is a Dream Come True
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Picture This: Newest Eats in Town
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Front Cover Photo: © Elena Vdovina / Dreamstime.com Performing Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison Events Calendar Cover Photo: West Side Story © Joan Marcus Visual Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison
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Mikel Allen, graphic designer Julie Catalano
Tracey Maurer Ginger McAnear Robinson
Cynthia Clark
Susan A. Merkner, copy editor
Lisa Cruz
Bonny Osterhage
Thomas Duhon
Hector Pacheco
Chris Dunn
Tony Piazzi
Ashley Festa
Angela Rabke
Dana Fossett
Missy Schultze
Greg Harrison, staff photographer
Sara Selango
June Hayes Anne Keever Cannon
Shannon Huntington Standley
Michele Krier
Juan Tejeda
Christian Lair
Tom Trevino
Kay Lair
Jasmina Wellinghoff
Claudia Maceo-Sharp
Culinary Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison Festivals & Celebrations Cover Photo: © Max Blaine / Dreamstime.com Literary Arts Cover Photo: © Saniphoto / Dreamstime.com Eclectics Cover Photo: Greg Harrison
On The Town Ezine.com is published by Lair Creative, LLC 14122 Red Maple San Antonio, Texas 78247 210-771-8486 210-490-7950 (fax)
vertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should ws or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perforttendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.
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Performing Arts 10-26
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On Stage This Spring By Sara Selango
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et set for great entertainment in and around San Antonio throughout March and April. Mark your calendar or make a list, because these months are super-stocked with superstars and super shows. I’m talking Itzhak, Yo-Yo, Wicked, Kenny, Liza, Bernadette, Harry, West Side Story, Arlo, Janet, Randy, Ricky, Ray, Cats, Cirque, Merce and more. Let me begin with one of my favorites. After a February start, Wicked spills over into March with eight performances at the Majestic (including a Thursday matinee) from Tuesday to Sunday, March 1-6. This monumental musical is not to be missed, so don’t. Shift your budget a bit and buy a ticket or two. You won’t be disappointed because the experience is worth every penny. Next up is the iconic West Side Story. With music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story brings its American musical legacy to the Majestic stage March 22-27. The following week, this incredible road show goes up the road to Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Finishing up this category, Ed Asner as FDR comes to Austin’s Paramount Theatre March 9, and Alfred Hitchcock’s
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The 39 Steps also makes a one-night-only stop at this historic venue on Congress Avenue April 12. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats plays Corpus Christi’s Selena Auditorium April 5-6, and another kind of theatrical production, Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, takes center stage at Cedar Park Center in Austin March 10-20, then in San Antonio at AT&T Center March 23-27. Living legends Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma highlight classical offerings in March and April. Presented by Antonio Strad Violin, Perlman comes to Lila Cockrell Theatre March 19. Yo-Yo Ma appears at the Majestic with the Silk Road Ensemble March 31 in a performance presented by Arts San Antonio. In recent months, we’ve been privileged to experience the arrival of Sebastian Lang-Lessing as music director of the San Antonio Symphony, followed by an incredible evening with Lang Lang. Now, we are treated to Perlman and Ma. In the classical sense, this is as good as it gets. Both artists are also making stops in Austin, starting with Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble March 28 at Bass Concert Hall, followed by Perlman with the Austin
Symphony Orchestra April 28 at Long Center.
University. Further north in Austin, Preservation Hall Jazz Band shares the stage with the Austin In other symphonic news, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra March 5, followed by the Symphony features five classical concerts and two guest appearance of pianist Benedetto Lupo with pops performances during March and April. Dmitry the ASO March 11-12. The orchestra also presents Sitkovetsky conducts Mozart’s Haffner Seranade Nexus April 1-2. All three of these concerts are at March 18-19, followed by The American Four Michael and Susan Dell Hall at the Long Center. Seasons with Jean-Marie Zeitouni as conductor April 1-2 (violinist Robert McDuffie is featured at Moving right along, here’s the deal on the this concert as well). Ilya Plays Mozart is next April remaining big names mentioned above, plus a few 8-9 featuring principal clarinetist Ilya Shterenberg more. Randy Travis gets things started March 6 at as soloist with Lang-Lessing conducting. The last Gruene Hall. Following him at the oldest dance two classical concerts during this time period hall in Texas is Arlo Guthie March 24. Lynyrd inaugurate the symphony’s Tchaikhovsky Festival Skynyrd fires things up at the Majestic March 10, with Festival 1 April 29 featuring pianist Freddy with Kenny Rogers playing the same venue March Kempf and Festival 2 the following evening. Lang- 20. Lady Gaga is set to fill up AT&T Center with Lessing takes the podium for these concerts. fans March 15, as is Bon Jovi March 17. Also not Pops offerings include Braswell on Broadway with to be missed is the Carver Community Cultural Donald Braswell March 25-26 and Fiesta Pops with Center’s offering of Tia Fuller March 19 and Regina Ken-David Masur conducting April 22-23. Carter April 23. Mid-Texas Symphony, based in Seguin, features an Area highlights include Liza Minnelli, Bowfire and appearance by the Romeros March 27 at Jackson Harry Connick Jr. at the Long Center in Austin Auditorium on the campus of Texas Lutheran March 3, 6 and 26, respectively. The venerable Ray
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Price performs at One World Theatre in the capital city March 4, and trumpeter Chris Botti appears in a One World Theatre presentation March 10 at Riverbend Centre. Texas Performing Arts brings Merce Cunningham Dance Company to Bass Concert Hall March 8 followed by James Taylor April 23. A Prairie Home Companion creator and host Garrison Keillor spends two evenings on stage at the Paramount March 2-3. Featured later in the month at this theater is Bernadette Peters March 25. The last of the Paramount shows to mention is Penn and Teller: 35 Years of Magic and B.S. April 7-8.
The night before, he’s scheduled at American Bank Center Arena in Corpus Christi. Down in the Valley, Janet Jackson appears at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo March 3. Ricky Martin does the same April 25 with an additional show in Laredo at Laredo Energy Arena the next evening. About a thousand words ago I said, “Mark your calendar or make a list, because these months are super-stocked with superstars and super shows.” Now you know why.
On a separate note, the Cadillac Broadway in San The new Moody Theater is home to the PBS Antonio Series has announced its 2011-12 season. show Austin City Limits. ACL shows there during Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Blue Man Group, March and April include Bill Maher, Devo, John La Cage Aux Folles and extended runs of Mary Mellenkamp, Janet Jackson, Heart, the Moody Poppins and Billy Elliot: The Musical compose the Blues and Tony Bennett. Check the events calendar base season with special shows still to come. The listings in this magazine for dates and times. San Antonio Symphony also has announced its 2011-12 season which includes a nine-concert Lady Gaga has Austin on her tour as well with Beethoven Festival and a special appearance by her show April 6 at the Frank Erwin Center. Tim soprano Renée Fleming. Get some tickets and go! McGraw plays this venue three days later, April 9.
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Photo Credits
Page 13 (L-R)
Page 15 (L-R)
Pages 10-11
Cats National Tour Photo by Joan Marcus
Billy Elliot: The Musical National Tour Lex Ishimoto as Billy Photo by Michael Brosilow
National Tour of West Side Story Photo by Joan Marcus
Merce Cunningham Dance Company Courtesy merce.org
Page 12 (L-R) National Tour of Wicked Anne Brummel and Natalie Daradich Photo by Joan Marcus Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble Photo by Todd Rosenberg Regina Carter Courtesy Carver Community Cultural Center
Itzhak Perlman Photo by Akira Kinoshita Page 14 (L-R)
Liza Minnelli Courtesy the Long Center Bernadette Peters Courtesy imdb.com
Kenny Rogers Courtesy Majestic Theatre RenĂŠe Fleming Photo by Andrew Eccles, Decca Bowfire Courtesy bowfire.com
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John Santikos: A Royal Life in Pictures By Julie Catalano Photography Greg Harrison
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ohn Santikos is looking quite dapper on this crisp winter morning in a three-piece, camel-colored suit and snappy red tie. When complimented, he opens up the jacket to show the label of the late French fashion designer Ted Lapidus. “I don’t remember where I got it,” Santikos said. “It’s vintage.” One could say the same about this local icon whose name is synonymous with moviegoing for the past century. This year, San Antoniobased Santikos Theatres celebrates its 100-year anniversary, based on the date John’s father, Louis Santikos, a Greek immigrant, bought his first theater in Waco in 1911.
successor to the throne.” It’s a crown he wears well now, but not one that he sought out. After graduation from St. Mary’s University with a business degree, the young Santikos dreamed of a career where he could indulge his passion for travel, particularly to Europe.
But the theater business bug bit, and it bit big. Santikos began to enjoy the industry he learned at his father ’s knee when he would accompany him to work, watching the projectionist and “listening to everything that was going on.” A shrewd businessman, Santikos started buying drive-ins, first the San Pedro in 1960, then more, eventually Publicity-shy and extremely private, John owning all of them in the city. “ They were a huge Santikos rarely grants interviews. But today he success. I was financially independent, and in a talks easily about the journey that took his father position to do whatever I wanted to do.” from Greece to Texas and back again, leaving son John in the mid-1950s to grow the family business He usually got what he wanted. When the into the empire it is today. Wonder Theater – then the only theatre in town that Santikos did not own – outbid him for the “After my dad left, I was on my own,” Santikos 1977 blockbuster Star Wars, it was a problem. said, “and I had a burning desire to progress.” “I got very uptight about that. It was a very big Motivated, no doubt, by the destiny he felt was picture.” The empire struck back: Santikos bought already in play. “It was instilled in me that I would the theater. Problem solved. continue the legacy. Every time I was introduced to my father’s friends, they all said I was the Santikos was unstoppable – almost. He described March-April 2011 | On The Town 17
an overzealous venture into real estate in the 1980s as his “downfall,” selling his theaters to a competitor to indulge in land acquisition only to watch the market crash late in the decade (“My idea of living on a boat on the French Riviera was gone”). As luck would have it, he was able to buy all of the theaters back about 10 years ago when the company involved filed for bankruptcy protection. The empire was rebuilt, now consisting of seven multiplex theaters in San Antonio and one in Houston. In a lifetime of memories, his most vivid one is also a recent one. “I never thought the Palladium would turn out to be as grand as it is.” Opened in 2006, the spectacular, state-of-the-art 19-screen complex (plus IMAX and 3-D) is a tribute to Santikos’ Greek roots, complete with columned lobby, VIP adults-only auditoriums, cafes, and mezzanine bar. “It is phenomenal,” he said simply. In a world where new movies can appear in your living room, Santikos isn’t particularly worried. “People are socially oriented,” he said. “ They like to go out of the house and be with other people. It’s human nature.” He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “ That’s good for us.” His travels these days are mostly back in time – not surprisingly to the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine. Any lessons learned? “ That nothing is permanent. Everything is ephemeral, and there’s always some higher authority, some God, that has the power to direct us.” For now, however, Santikos will continue to make his own destiny, thank you. As for new opportunities, all he will say is, “we are looking at some situations.” His father ’s lessons still ring in his ears: “ That everything runs absolutely right. That I don’t forget anything. To make sure all details are taken care of until they ’re per fected.” His mother, Toula, shaped his success as well. “She would say to me, ‘you gotta be somebody, you gotta leave a name.’” That he has, and in a grand, almost movielike way that San Antonians will never forget – at least not for the next hundred years.
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Two Decades Devoted to San Antonio’s Music Future By Michele Krier Photography Greg Harrison
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t’s easy to be transported to the age of Mozart when you’re seated in an elegant concert salon at Antonio Strad Violin. Musicians themselves, violinist Guolian Zhou and his wife, music professor Mary Zhang, are the owners of Antonio Strad. They reflect on the journey that took them from China to Texas where they have dedicated two decades to serving San Antonio. Mary personally understands the power of music. “As a young person, I had the opportunity to attend a concert featuring the finest pianist in China. It had a phenomenal affect on me. I couldn’t wait to get home and play the piece myself. I didn’t realize until years later that my life actually changed at that moment. My musical playing ability moved up two levels. Inspiration from that concert became the key to opening the door for me to go through,” she says passionately. “I wanted to share this experience with the community.”
where he worked in Houston to repair instruments at local schools and for area musicians. “I soon realized that this was a large market that needed fine musical instrument repair and restoration. We decided to come to San Antonio.” The couple will soon celebrate nearly 20 years in business as one of the largest violin shops in Texas. They also have a music store in McAllen and say they are always willing to consider additional markets. “The strength of San Antonio’s rising support for music is evident in the list of world-class performers appearing here recently,” says the company’s marketing director, Rene Sosa, who points to Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma and the Vienna Boys Choir, in addition to Itzhak Perlman and other notable artists whom Antonio Strad has sponsored in the past.
“Our commitment to the musical community is that we’re in business to share, to perform and to support musicians with our services -- lessons, Taking her desire to heart, Antonio Strad is bringing service, instrument repair, sales and rentals. But it’s living legend and violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman the music that we’re really selling,” says Rene, who to San Antonio on March 19 at the Lila Cockrell is an accomplished opera singer as well. Theatre. In the past, the couple helped the San Antonio Symphony and Texas Public Radio sponsor Also noteworthy is that Antonio Strad is music a special concert evening with Joshua Bell. They headquarters for many mariachi groups who serve also scored a coup in bringing Sarah Chang to up the flavor and traditions of Mexico throughout the Antonio Strad building to meet her musical the city. fans. In addition to bringing the finest musicians to the city, they have also purchased one of the “We’ve built our reputation on quality,” Guolian most-celebrated and rare musical instruments -- a says modestly. “We use only a French bridge and Stradivarius violin, one of possibly only 300 left in German fine tuners because Germany produces the world. the best steel. It’s equally important for beginning students as well as professionals to practice and “As a student, you may not have the imagination, perform on quality instruments. We hand-carve but when you see the masters, you experience and finish all of the instruments in our shop, testing the soul of the work . Music is truly the every single one of them.” international language,” Guolian says. I t also k nows no age barriers. Guolian points out that Guolian and Mary, who confesses a soft spot for the youngest student currently tak ing lessons Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, already have plans at Antonio Strad is 2 years old and the oldest on the horizon to bring in more exciting musical is 85. O ffering music lessons is par t of Antonio performers next year. As long-time members of the Strad’s mission, along with instrument sales, Violin Society of America, the couple and Antonio ser vice and specialized repair. Strad are committed to living up to and surpassing their reputation among the professional music Guolian’s own success is literally tied to his early community as a “hidden treasure of Texas.” years of coming to San Antonio from the shop March-April 2011 | On The Town 21
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San Antonio Symphony Honors Tchaikovsky With A Festival By LIsa Cruz
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hen audiences hear the name Tchaikovsky, immediately many are reminded of trips to see and hear The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. In addition to his exceptional ballets, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned some of the greatest symphonies, operas, piano concertos and chamber music of the 19th century. The San Antonio Symphony is immersing audiences in the brilliance of Tchaikovsky, performing six of his symphonies and both of his piano concertos in only nine days, from April 29- May 7, during the San Antonio Symphony Tchaikovsky Festival.
days,” Lang-Lessing said. “I think what I’m looking forward to most in the Tchaikovsky Festival is the opportunity to work so intensely with my new and wonderful orchestra,” he said. “It takes time for a conductor and an orchestra to get to work together at the greatest levels, and this festival will speed up that process of getting to know each other.”
Each of the six festival concerts will feature a variety of styles, beginning with the first concert April 29 Tchaikovsky has provided the world with some of the highlighting Symphony No. 3, Polish, and Piano Concerto most recognized classical music in history. However, as is No. 1 with pianist Freddy Kempf. April 30 brings Symphony typical with many artists, some pieces are better known No. 2, Little Russian, and Symphony No. 4. than others. May 1 showcases a completely new style with Camerata “It is great for the audience to learn the first three San Antonio presenting a special all-Tchaikovsky chamber (Tchaikovsky) symphonies, which are almost never music concert featuring Kempf at Travis Park United played, despite being gems. Hearing them all together Methodist Church. is a special experience,” said symphony music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing. “These pieces provide a nice “It will be very intimate,” Lang-Lessing said. “Chamber overview of his early, middle and late work.” music is wonderful, but in a completely different way from a symphony. You hear much more details but less Strongly influenced by Russian folk music, Tchaikovsky had volume of sound. Tchaikovsky didn’t write much chamber a very dramatic style. Lang-Lessing said the symphonies music, so this will be a very special treat.” also were very personal. “By putting a slow movement as a finale to his last symphony, he revolutionized the form. Just five days later, the symphony is back in the Mahler’s 9th and last symphony goes the same way.” Majestic Theatre with Symphony No. 1, Winter Daydreams, and Symphony No. 5 on May 6, followed Doubling the repertoire of a normal concert week, a by Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kempf and Symphony festival of this nature puts significant pressure on the No. 6, Pathétique, on May 7. conductor and the orchestra. That experience is exactly what Lang-Lessing, who is marking his first year as artistic In addition to the nine-day festival, the symphony is director with the symphony, is hoping will bring him even continuing the Tchaikovsky immersion with a special closer to the orchestra. Musical Bridges Around the World performance on May 8 at McAllister Auditorium. The concert will “It is great for the beginning of our relationship between highlight Tchaikovsky arias sung by singers from the music director and orchestra to have this intense Houston Grand Opera, followed by the Russian-trained experience of having to learn six symphonies in just nine folk group Ensemble Barynya. March-April 2011 | On The Town 23
The May 22 Future Stars and May 25, 26 and 31 Young People’s concerts will feature special tributes to Tchaikovsky. “There is a special intensity about this kind of festival experience,” Lang-Lessing said. “I hope the audience walks away wanting to come to more concerts and feeling like this was a very special opportunity. It is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to discover Tchaikovsky in this depth, and it will strengthen the bond of the community with the symphony.” The symphony is hoping audiences will find the festival a one-of-a-kind experience. The symphony is already planning the 2011-12 Beethoven Festival, presenting Beethoven’s nine symphonies along with his piano and cello sonatas, chamber music and more. “As both an artistic tool and an audience-development tool, these festivals will be part of my programming each season,” Lang-Lessing said. “Each festival will be quite different and unique. And next year, we are also going to explore many of the symphonic masterpieces that have not been played in San Antonio for a very long time.” Lang-Lessing, who has found a warm welcome, is getting settled in San Antonio and is looking forward to continuing to build his relationship with the orchestra and the San Antonio community. “We love it here,” he said. “I want to develop these kinds of festivals into big community events. We welcome everybody with a creative input and all art forms to participate. These festivals and the symphony offer a great forum to connect people.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 22 Sebastian Lang-Lessing Photo by Marks Moore Page 24 (Above) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikhovksy Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
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(Below) Freddy Kempf Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
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Events Calendar 28-50
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March-April 2011 Events Calendar Music Notes Symphony of the Hills: For the Young at Heart 3/3, Thu @ 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville RockBox Theater in Fredericksburg 3/4-4/30, Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 4:30pm & 8pm Sun @ 1:30pm San Antonio Rose Live 3/4-4/30, Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 2pm & 7:30pm Sun & Mon @ 7:30pm Aztec Theatre
Cory Morrow 3/4, Fri @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio
Zack Walther Band 3/4, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store
Youth Orchestra of San Antonio & Hill Country Youth Orchestra: Side by Side Concert 3/5, Sat @ 5pm Terrance Frazor, conductor Patricia Lee, conductor Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville
Voci di Sorelle: Glory Bound 3/6, Sun @ 3pm The Union Church Building Kerrville 3/13 Sun @ 3pm Christ Episcopal Church Randy Travis 3/6, Sun @ 7pm Gruene Hall
Wade Bowen 3/5, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store
Cherish The Ladies 3/10, Thu @ 7:45pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels
Two Tons of Steel 3/5, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall
Lynyrd Skynyrd 3/10, Thu @ 8pm Majestic Theatre
San Antonio Brass: Knights and Castles 3/6, Sun @ 2pm Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church Quatuor Ysaye San Antonio Chamber Music Society Presentation 3/6, Sun @ 3:15pm Temple Beth-El
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Bleu Edmondson 3/11, Fri @ 8pm Gruene Hall Nick Lawrence 3/11, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Jim Witter: The Piano Man 3/12, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels
Reckless Kelly, Micky & The Motorcars and Muzzie Braun 3/12, Sat @ 8pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Jake Kellen Band 3/12, Sat @ 8pm Kendalia Halle Emory Quinn 3/12, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Brandon Rhyder 3/12, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Evening with Jon Anderson 3/14, Mon @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Virgin Mobile Presents the Monster Ball Tour starring Lady Gaga 3/15, Tue @ 8pm AT&T Center One Republic 3/15, Tue @ 8pm Majestic Theatre
Stryper 3/15, Tue @ 8:30pm Backstage Live Turnpike Troubadours KJ-97 Live Music Series Wed, 3/16 @ 6:30pm The County Line – IH10 10 Years with Digital Summer, A Cry Farewell and Electric Touch 3/17, Thu @ 5pm Backstage Live Bon Jovi 2011 Live Tour 3/17, Thu @ 7:30pm AT&T Center Mario Flores and the Soda Creek Band 3/18, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San AntonioSymphony: Mozart’s Haffner Seranade 3/18-19, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Dmitry Sitkovetsky, conductor & violin Majestic Theatre Roger Creager 3/18-19, Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall
Rickey Nelson Remembered: Gunnar and Mathew Nelson 3/19, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Itzhak Perlman Antonio Strad Violin Presentation 3/19, Sat @ 7:30pm Lila Cockrell Theatre Freddie Jackson 3/19, Sat @ 8pm Municipal Auditorium Tia Fuller Carver Community Cultural Center Presentation 3/19, Sat @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre Landon Dodd & Dancehall Drifters 3/19, Sat @ 8pm Anhalt Hall Bulverde Randy Rogers Band 3/19, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store The McKay Brothers 3/19, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall March-April 2011 | On The Town 29
Donald Braswell Fredericksburg Music Club Presentation 3/20, Sun @ 3pm Fredericksburg United Methodist Church Music from St. Mark’s 3/20, Sun @ 4pm Daniel Kobialka, violin Kristin Roach, piano St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral: Soloists from Houston Grand Opera Musical Bridges Around The World Presentation 3/20, Sun @ 6:30pm San Fernando Cathedral Kenny Rogers 3/20, Sun @ 7pm Majestic Theatre Tiesto 3/20, Sun @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio Lords of Acid 3/20, Sun @ 8:30pm Backstage Live Olmos Ensemble 3/22, Tue @ 7:30pm First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio Cody Johnson Band KJ-97 Live Music Series Wed, 3/23 @ 6:30pm The County Line – IH10
Arlo Guthrie: Journey On Tour with Abe Guthrie and The Burns Sisters 3/24, Thu @ 8pm Gruene Hall Juanes 3/25, Fri @ 8pm Freeman Coliseum The Almost Patsy Cline Band 3/25, Fri @ 8pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Scott Wiggins Band 3/25, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio Symphony: Braswell on Broadway 3/25-26, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Donald Braswell & Margaret Keys, vocalists Christophe Mongou, conductor Laurie Auditorium Trinity University Kalhalla 3/26, Sat @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio Casey Donahew Band 3/26, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Todd Snider 3/26, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall
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Charlie Robison 3/26, Sat @ 8pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Mid-Texas Symphony: The Romeros 3/27, Sun @ 4pm David Mairs, conductor Jackson Auditorium Texas Lutheran University Seguin Jerry Jeff Walker’s Texas Bash 3/27, Sun @ 7pm Gruene Hall Musical Offerings: Music on the MOve 3/28, Mon @ 6pm & 8pm San Antonio Museum of Art
The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma An Arts San Antonio Presentation 3/31, Thu @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre Copperleaf Quintet: Copperleaf at Southwest School of Art 4/1, Fri @ 7pm Coates Chapel at Southwest School of Art Radney Foster 4/1, Fri @ 8pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Bob Schneider 4/1, Fri @ 8pm Gruene Hall
K. Sridhar UTSA Guest Artist Series Presentation 3/28, Mon @ 7pm Recital Hall UTSA Main Campus
San Antonio Symphony: The American Four Seasons 4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor Robert McDuffie, violin Majestic Theatre
Jeanine De Bique Tuesday Musical Club Presentation 3/29, Tue @ 7:30pm Laurel Heights United Methodist Church
Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Annual Grit and Groove Festival 4/2, Sat @ 2pm Whitewater Amphitheater New Braunfels
Kyle Bennett Band KJ-97 Live Music Series Wed, 3/30 @ 6:30pm The County Line – IH10
The Bronx Wanderers 4/2, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels
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Bleu Edmondson 4/2, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Larry Joe Taylor 4/2, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Lafayette String Quartet San Antonio Chamber Music Society Presentation 4/3, Sun @ 3:15pm Temple Beth-El Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral: Fantasia for Organ with Svetlana Berejnaya Musical Bridges Around The World Presentation 4/4, Mon @ 6:30pm San Fernando Cathedral Jason Boland and the Stragglers KJ-97 Live Music Series Wed, 4/6 @ 6:30pm The County Line – IH10 Avalanche Tour!: Featuring: Stone Sour, Theory of a Dead Man & More 4/8, Fri @ 6pm Alamodome Dale Watson 4/8, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store
San Antonio Symphony: Ilya Plays Mozart 4/8-9, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Ilya Shterenberg, clarinet Majestic Theatre Billy Mata 4/9, Sat @ 8pm Kendalia Halle Sol y Canto with Sweet Plantain String Quartet Carver Community Cultural Center Presentation 4/9, Sat @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre Sean McConnell 4/9, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Paul Thorn 4/9, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Heart of Texas Concert Band 4/10, Sun @ 4pm Watkins Fine Arts Center St. Philips College Sunday Jazz at The Witte 4/10, Sun @ 4pm Witte Museum Bud Light Presents Siesta Fest 2011: Toadies - 4/15, Thu @ 7pm Dokken - 4/16, Fri @ 7pm HemisFair Park
32 On The Town | March-April 2011
Bobby Flores & Yellow Rose Band 4/16, Sat @ 8pm Anhalt Hall Bulverde Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives 4/16, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Charlie Montague 4/9, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall Minneapolis Guitar Quartet Fredericksburg Music Club Presentation 4/17, Sun @ 3pm Fredericksburg United Methodist Church Music from St. Mark’s: Fiesta Concert 4/17, Sun @ 4pm David Heller, organ Kristin Roach, piano St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Micky & The Motorcars 4/22, Fri @ 8pm Gruene Hall Gary P. Nunn 4/22, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio Symphony: Fiesta Pops 4/22-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Ken-David Masur, conductor Majestic Theatre
Regina Carter Carver Community Cultural Center Presentation 4/23, Sat @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre Kyle Park 4/23, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Cold 4/26, Tue @ 8pm Backstage Live Cory Morrow KJ-97 Live Music Series Wed, 4/27 @ 6:30pm The County Line – IH10 Symphony of the Hills: Celebrate America 4/28, Thu @ 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Zack Walther Band 4/29, Fri @ 8pm Gruene Hall The Almost Patsy Cline Band 4/29, Fri @ 8pm Luckenbach Dance Hall San Antonio Symphony: Tchaikovsky Festival 1 4/29, Fri @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Freddy Kempf, piano Majestic Theatre
San Antonio Symphony: Tchaikovsky Festival 2 4/30, Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Majestic Theatre Sepultura 4/30, Sat @ 8:30pm Backstage Live Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers 4/30, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall
Bobby Flores 4/30, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dance Hall
On Stage Wicked: A New Musical 3/1-6, Tue-Wed & Fri @ 8pm Thu & Sat @ 2pm & 8pm Sun @ 2pm Majestic Theatre
Marrying Terry 3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (dinner @ 6:30pm) Sun @ 3pm (lunch @ 1:30pm) S.T.A.G.E – Spotlight Theatre & Arts Group, etc. Bulverde
The Overtime Comedy Hour 3/3-26, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (no show on Fri 3/4 – one Sun matinee on 3/13 @ 3pm) The Overtime Theater at Blue Star
Little Women 3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Steve W. Shepard Theater Fredericksburg
The Secret Garden UTSA Lyric Theatre Presentation 3/4 & 6, Fri @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Buena Vista Theater UTSA Downtown Campus
March-April 2011 | On The Town 33
Vanities 3/4-3/6, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Cellar Theater San Pedro Playhouse Romantic Fools 3/4-13, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Cameo Theatre The Cure: A Rock Vampire Musical 3/4-3/13, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Woodlawn Theatre The Lion in Winter Classic Theatre Presentation 3/10-27, Thu-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Sterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star Boogie Back To Texas 3/10-4/23, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (Dinner @ 6:15pm) Harlequin Dinner Theatre Art 3/11-19, Thu @ 7:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Boerne Community Theatre The Dark Side of the Rainbow 3/11-26, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm The Rose Theatre Company
Murder Mysteries Dinner Theatre: The St. Marinara Massacre Cameo Theatre and Fools Productions Presentation 3/12 & 26, Sat @ 6:30pm 4/9 & 30, Sat @ 6:30pm Spaghetti Warehouse
Noises Off Playhouse 2000 Presentation 4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm 4/8-10, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm 4/14-16, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville
West Side Story 3/22-27, Tue-Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 2pm & 8pm Sun @ 2pm & 7:30pm Majestic Theatre
The Dixie Swim Club 4/1-16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre at Hill Country Arts Foundation Ingram
The Adventures of Captain Cortez and the Tri-Lambda Brigade: A Serial Space Comedy 3/25-26, 4/29-30, Fri-Sat @ 10:30pm The Overtime Theater at Blue Star A Light in the Piazza 3/25-4/23, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Russell Hill Rogers Theater San Pedro Playhouse
A Tribute to the Music of Rogers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber 4/1-17, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Steve W. Shepard Theater Fredericksburg Jesus Christ Superstar 4/1-5/1, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Woodlawn Theatre
All in the Timing 3/26-4/17, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Cameo Theatre
Mysteries 4/8-17, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2pm Coates Theatre University of the Incarnate Word
The Miracle Worker 3/31-4/23, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2pm Circle Arts Theatre New Braunfels
Frames 4/8-5/7, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (no show on Fri 5/7 –one Sun matinee on 4/24 @ 3pm) The Overtime Theater at Blue Star
34 On The Town | March-April 2011
The Shock Puppets Present Beer Pong: The Musical 4/15-30, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm The Rose Theatre Company Pride’s Crossing 4/15-17, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm 4/27-30, Wed-Thu @ 7pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm Stieren Theater Trinity University Wild Oats 4/15-5/15, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Cellar Theater San Pedro Playhouse The Barstool Poets Project: Last Call for Truth 4/21-30, Thu-Sat @ 8pm Sterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star Souvenir Opens 4/22 Cameo Theatre
The Dance Come Together 3/5-6, Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Jo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center Alma de Mujer 3/5-6, Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Guadalupe Theater
March-April 2011 | On The Town 35
Lanka-An Epic on Stage 4/10, Sun @ 6pm Jo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center Dance Kaleidoscope San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet Presentation 4/15-16, Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 2pm Jo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center
Kristen Key 3/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Rodney Carrington 3/12, Sat @ 6:30pm & 9:30pm Majestic Theatre
Standup
Nick Griffin 3/16-20, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
Darren Carter 3/2-6, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
Kevin Downey, Jr. 3/16-20, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Bill Santiago 3/2-6, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Jeanne Robertson 3/19, Sat @ 8pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre
Lisa Lampanelli 3/5, Sat @ 8pm Lila Cockrell Theatre
Dan Gabriel 3/23-27, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Tom Simmons 3/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
Finesse Mitchell 3/25-27, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sun @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
36 On The Town | March-April July-August 2009 2011
Jim David 3/30-4/3, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
Adam Hunter 4/20-4/24, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Joey Medina 3/30-4/3, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Mark Viera 4/27-5/1, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club
Mike Yard 4/6-10, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Kelly Morton 4/6-4/10, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Chris Fonseca 4/13-17, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Tommy Blaze 4/20-24, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
JR Brow 4/28-5/1, Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club
For The Kids If You Give a Pig a Party 3/1-26, Tue-Fri @ 9:45am & 11:30am Fri @ 7pm, Sat @ 2pm Magik Theatre Room on the Broom Children’s Fine Arts Series Presentation 3/11, Fri @ 6:30pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Alphabet Soup 3/19-31, Wed-Thu @ 10am Sat @ 11am The Rose Theatre Company
Charlotte’s Web 4/6-5/7, Tue-Fri @ 9:45am & 11:30am Fri @ 7pm, Sat @ 2pm Magik Theatre
Wow Wow Weather! 4/16-28, Wed-Thu @ 10am Sat @ 11am The Rose Theatre Company
Disney On Ice: Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 3 4/20-24, Wed-Thu @ 7:30pm Fri @ 1:30pm & 7:30pm Sat @ 3pm & 7pm Sun @ 3:30pm Alamodome Leo Lionni Stories Children’s Fine Arts Series Presentation 4/29, Fri @ 6:30pm Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University
On Exhibit ARTPACE
International Artist-In-Residence New Works: 11.1 E.V. Day Devon Dikeou Kelly Richardson Heather Pesanti, curator 3/24-5/22
Hudson (Show)Room Gabriel Vormstein: The Teeth of the Wind and the Sea Thru 5/1 Window Works Joshua Bienko Thru 5/1 BIHL HAUS ARTS Remember El Alma 4/9-23 Suchil Coffman-Guerra 4/15-5/15
March-April 2011 | On The Town 37
BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER
Verses 3/2-31 At El Tropicano Hotel
Brian Jobe: Blank Tides 3/3-5/14
INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES
Cathy CunninghamLittle: Breathing Light 3/3-5/14
World Heritage Photo Panels From Japan: Two Thousand Years of Legacies Thru 3/13
Gregory Elliott: Dam the Torpedoes 3/3-5/14 Dirk Lange: Slow Gemini 3/3-5/14 Prime Cuts 3/3-4/28 In conjuction with Stone Metal Press Art From the Land of the Cougars 3/3-4/23 At Blue Star Lab CENTRO CULTURAL ATZLAN Tres Carolinas, Carolinas x3 Opens 3/5 GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER 100 Palabras Curated by Patty Ortiz Thru 3/19
Texans Head to Foot Thru 5/1 Leaving Home, Finding Home: Texan Families Remember the Revolution Thru 5/1 Texas Contemporary Artists Series: Luis M. Garza Thru 6/19 McNAY ART MUSEUM Artmatters 14: Sandy Skoglund: The Cocktail Party Thru 5/8
SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN Art In The Garden: George Schroeder Curated by Bill FitzGibbons Thru 3/30 Art In The Garden: Texas Uprising – Selections from The Texas Sculpture Group 3/18-5/1 SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART The Missing Piece 3/12-7/31 La Feria – Folk Art from Regional Fairs in Latin America 4/8- 8/11 SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART
WITTE MUSEUM Porfirio Salinas: Painting South Texas Thru 3/20 Amazon Voyage: Viscous Fishes and Other Riches Thru 9/5 Water in Motion: Past, Present and Future of the San Antonio River Thru 9/5 Miradas: Mexican Art from the Bank of America Collection 3/12-8/21
Miscellaneous First Friday Art Walk 3/4 & 4/1, Fri / 6-9pm Southtown / Blue Star / King William
New Image Sculpture Thru 5/8
Magnetic Fields 3/10-5/15
World Famous Lippizaner Stallions 3/12, Sat @ 2pm &7:30pm Freeman Coliseum
MUSEO ALAMEDA
Beatriz Fedele: Crossing Nature’s Threshold 3/10-5/15
Luminaria 2011 3/12, Sat / 6:30pm-12am HemisFair Park
Art from Architecture Villa Finale – Off Site Thru 4/19
Taste of CIA Cookbooks: CIA Favorites 3/12, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm
Revolution and Renaissance: Mexico and San Antonio 1910-2010 Thru 7/15
38 On The Town | March-April 2011
March-April 2011 | On The Town 39
One Dish Meal 3/26, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm Baking at Home The Desserts 4/9, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm Sharpening Your Knife Skills 4/30, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm Culinary Institute of America at Pearl Brewery Culinary Boot Camp: Basic Training 3/21-25, Mon-Tue / 7am1:30pm Culinary Institute of America at Pearl Brewery Cirque du Soleil: Dralion 3/23-27, Wed-Thu @ 7:30pm Fri @ 3:30pm & 7:30pm Sat @ 12pm, 4pm & 8pm Sun @ 1pm & 5pm AT&T Center NCAA Div. 1 Men’s Basketball Southwest Regional 3/25-27 Alamodome Third Annual Olives Ole 3/26, Sat / 10am-4pm San Antonio Botanical Garden Glenn Beck 3/26, Sat @ 8pm Lila Cockrell Theatre Taste of CIA Cookbooks:
Fiesta® San Antonio 4/7-17 www.fiesta-sa.org for events Cornyation 4/12-14, Tue-Thu @ 8pm & 10:30pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre The Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo 4/13, Wed @ 8pm Municipal Auditorium Valero Texas Open 4/14-17 TPC Championship Course JW Marriott Resort
Area Highlights Austin Colin Hay of Men at Work 3/1, Tue @ 7pm One World Theatre
Liza Minnelli 3/3, Thu @ 8pm Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center Man and Superman Austin Shakespeare Presentation 3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 7pm Rollins Studio Theatre at The Long Center Kim Cole Luevano Guest Artist Series at Butler School of Music 3/4, Fri @ 4pm Recital Studio University of Texas Austin City Limits Live: Funky Meters with Big Chief Goodman & the Funky Flaming Arrows 3/4, Fri @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater
Austin Symphony Orchestra with Preservation Jazz Band 3/5, Sat @ 8pm Peter Bay, conductor Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center Austin City Limits Live: Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame Show 3/6, Sun @ 5:30pm The Moody Theater R. Carlos Nakai, Eaton & Clipman 3/6, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pm One World Theatre Bowfire 3/6, Sun @ 7pm Michael and Susan Dell at The Long Center Merce Cunningham Dance Company Texas Performing Arts Presentation 3/8, Tue @ 8pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas
Red Hot Patriot 3/1-13, Tue-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm (additional performance 3/13 at 6pm) Kleberg Stage Zachary Scott Theatre
Lisa Lampanelli 3/4, Fri @ 7pm Paramount Theatre
Garrison Keillor 3/2-3, Wed-Thu @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
Ray Price Featuring Dale Watson 3/4, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pm One World Theatre
Nathan Gunn Texas Performing Arts Presentation 3/9, Wed @ 8pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas
Donell Jones 3/5, Sat @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
Ed Asner as FDR 3/9, Wed @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
Fiction 3/2-4/10, Wed-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Whisenhunt Stage Zachary Scott Theatre
40 On The Town | March-April 2011
Chris Botti One World Theatre Presentation 3/10, Thu @ 8pm Riverbend Centre Cirque du Soleil: Dralion 3/10-13, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 4pm & 8pm Sun @ 1pm & 5pm 3/15-20, Tue-Thu @ 7:30pm Fri @ 3:30pm & 7:30pm Sat @ 4pm & 8pm Sun @ 1pm & 5pm Cedar Park Center Austin Symphony Orchestra 3/11-12, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Peter Bay, conductor Benedetto Lupo, piano Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center SXSW Week, 2011 3/11-20 Interactive 3/11-15 Film 3/11-19 Music 3/11-15 www.sxsw.com for schedules The World Famous Lippazaner Stallions 3/13, Sun @ 2pm & 6pm Frank Erwin Center
Janina Fialkowska Guest Artist Recital Series at Butler School of Music 3/21, Mon @ 7:30pm Bates Recital Hall University of Texas Eight Blackbird: Slide with Rinde Eckert and Steve Mackey Texas Performing Arts Presentation 3/23, Wed @ 8pm McCullough Theatre University of Texas Raul Midon 3/24, Thu @ 7pm One World Theatre SF Jazz Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder 3/24, Thu @ 8pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas Austin City Limits Live: James Cotton and Shemikia Copeland 3/25, Fri @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater Bernadette Peters 3/25, Fri @ 8pm Paramount Theatre Ugly Duckling 3/26, Sat @ 12pm One World Theatre March-April July-August 2010 2011 | On The Town 41
Austin City Limits Live: Bill Maher 3/26, Sat @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater Austin Civic Orchestra: Pearl Amster Concerto Festival Concert 3/26, Sat @ 7:30pm Bethany Lutheran Church Harry Connick, Jr. 3/26, Sat @ 8pm Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center
August Osage County 3/31-5/22 Wed-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2:30pm Kleberg Stage Zachary Scott Theatre Christin Schillinger and Jed Moss Guest Artist Recital Series at Butler School of Music 4/1, Fri @ 4pm Jessen Auditorium University of Texas
Jerry Jeff Walker Texas Bash 3/26, Sat @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
Shawn Colvin 4/1, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pm One World Theatre
Austin City Limits Live: Devo with The Octopus Project 3/27, Sun @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater
Chris Cornell 4/1, Fri @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma Texas Performing Arts Presentation 3/28, Mon @ 8pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas West Side Story Texas Performing Arts / Broadway Across America Presentation 3/29-4/3, Tue-Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 2pm & 8pm Sun @ 2pm & 7:30pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas
Austin Symphony Orchestra Presents Nexus 4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Peter Bay, conductor Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center Austin City Limits Live: John Mellenkamp 4/2, Sat @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater Great Organ Series: Stephen Hamilton 4/3, Sun @ 4pm Bates Recital Hall University of Texas
42 On The Town | March-April 2011
Janet Jackson Austin City Limits Presentation 4/3, Sun @ 6:30pm Moody Theater Al Di Meola World Sinfonia Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody Tour 4/3, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pm One World Theatre Austin City Limits Live: Jeff Beck’s Rock & Roll Party with Amelda May 4/5, Tue @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater Virgin Mobile Presents the Monster Ball Tour starring Lady Gaga 4/6, Wed @ 8pm Frank Erwin Center
Flight Austin Lyric Opera Presentation 4/9, 13, 15 & 17 Sat, Wed & Fri @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center Wed @ 7:30 Leo Kotke with Amy Cook 4/9, Sat @ 8pm Paramount Theatre Festival of Children’s Voices featuring St. John’s College Choir Texas Performing Arts Presentation 4/10, Sun @ 5pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas Jesse Cook 4/10, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pm One World Theatre
Austin City Limits Live: Heart 4/7, Thu @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater
Austin City Limits Live: A Day To Remember 4/12, Tue @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater
Penn & Teller: 35 Years of Magic and B.S. 4/7-8, Thu-Fri @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash 4/12, Tue @ 7:30pm Bass Concert Hall University of Texas
Emotional Traffic Tour: Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and the Band Perry 4/9, Sat @ 7pm Frank Erwin Center
Starling Distinguished Violinist Series: Elmar Oliveira with Robert Koenig 4/12, Mon @ 7:30pm Bates Recital Hall University of Texas
March-April 2011 | On The Town 43
Kings of Leon with Band of Horses 4/12, Tue @ 8pm Frank Erwin Center Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps 4/12, Tue @ 8pm Paramount Theatre Sergio and Odair Assad Texas Performing Arts Presentation 4/13, Wed @ 8pm Hogg Memorial Auditorium University of Texas Bob Saget 4/13, Wed @ 8pm Paramount Theatre
UT Jazz Orchestra with Stefon Harris Texas Performing Arts Presentation 4/16, Sat @ 7:30pm Bates Recital Hall University of Texas Brian Regan 4/16, Sat @ 8pm Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center Austin City Limits Live: Jonny Lang & George Thorogood 4/21, Thu @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater
Austin City Limits Live: Moody Blues 4/28, Thu @ 6:30pm The Moody Theater Austin Symphony Orchestra Presents Itzhak Perlman 4/28, Thu @ 8pm Michael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center King Crimson’s Pat Mastelotto And Trey Gunn Are TU 4/28, Thu @ 8:15pm One World Theatre
Disney On Ice: Princess Wishes Indian Classical Music featuring Ken Zuckerman 4/28-5/1, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 11am, 3pm & 7pm Guest Artist Recital Series Sun @ 2pm & 6pm Keb’ Mo at Butler School of Music Cedar Park Center 4/14, Thu @ 7pm & 9:30pm 4/22, Fri @ 7:30pm One World Theatre Bates Recital Hall Austin City Limits Live: University of Texas Blue October Adam Holzman 4/29, Fri @ 6:30pm Jessen Series Presentation James Taylor The Moody Theater 4/14, Thu @ 7:30pm Texas Performing Jessen Auditorium Arts Presentation Craig Ferguson University of Texas 4/23, Sat @ 8pm 4/29, Fri @ 7:30pm & 10pm Bass Concert Hall Paramount Theatre April In Paris: Lee Lessack University of Texas and Amanda McBroom Yosvany Terry: ye-de-gbe Austin Cabaret Theatre David Sedaris and the Afro-Carribean Presentation 4/25, Mon @ 8pm Legacy 4/15, Fri @ 7pm (dinner), Paramount Theatre Texas Performing 8pm (show) Arts Presentation Chez Zee – Balcones Drive 4/29, Fri @ 8pm Austin City Limits Live: Hogg Memorial Tony Bennett Doktor Kaboom Auditorium 4/27, Wed @ 6:30pm 4/16, Sat @ 12pm University of Texas The Moody Theater One World Theatre
44 On The Town | March-April 2011
Groupo Fantasma 4/30, Sat @ 8pm Paramount Theatre Corpus Christi Bart Crow Band 3/3, Thu @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Buddy Jewell Corpus Christi Live Presentation 3/4, Fri @ 7:30pm Performing Arts Center Texas A&M Corpus Christi The Spazmatics 3/4, Fri @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Reckless Kelly 3/5, Sat @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House The Ultimate Journey Tribute Band featuring Frontiers 3/6, Sun @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Aaron Watson 3/10, Thu @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Rodney Carrington 3/11, Fri @ 7pm Selena Auditorium at American Bank Center Rick Ross 3/12, Sat @ 7pm American Bank Center Arena
March-April 2011 | On The Town 45
Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: Subscription No. 5 - Hooray for Hollywood 3/12, Sat @ 8pm John Giordano, conductor Performing Arts Center Texas A&M Corpus Christi Snoop Dog 3/15, Tue @ 7pm Old Concrete Street Amphitheater 10 Years with Digital Summer, A Cry Farewell and Electric Touch 3/16, Wed @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Josh Abbott Band 3/17, Thu @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Randy Rogers Band with Eli Young Band 3/18, Fri @ 7pm Old Concrete Street Amphitheater Emerging Artist Series Sparkling City Light Opera Presentation 3/19, Sat @ 2pm Wolfe Recital Hall Del Mar College Cory Morrow 3/24, Thu @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House
The Little Mermaid Concert Ballet Presentation 3/26, Sat @ 7:30pm Selena Auditorium at American Bank Center House of Pain (original members) with Big B, Slaine & Sozay 3/27, Sun @ 9pm Brewster Street Ice House Furgason Bravo! Series presents Steinway Piano Artist Jeffrey Swann 4/1, Fri @ 7:30pm Performing Arts Center Texas A&M Corpus Christi Cats Broadway in Corpus Christi-Jam Theatricals Presentation 4/5-6, Tue-Wed @ 7:30pm Selena Auditorium at American Bank Center Emotional Traffic Tour: Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and the Band Perry 4/8, Fri @ 7pm American Bank Center Arena Avalanche Tour!: Featuring Stone Sour, Theory of a Dead Man & More 4/9, Sat @ 6pm Old Concrete Street Amphitheater
46 On The Town | March-April September-October 2011 2010
Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: Subscription No. 6 – 65th Season Finale 4/9, Sat @ 8pm John Giordano, conductor Haochen Zhang, piano Performing Arts Center Texas A&M Corpus Christi Sleeping Beauty Corpus Christi Ballet Presentation 4/9-10, Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Selena Auditorium at American Bank Center Rise Against with Bad Religion 4/20, Wed @ 6:30pm Old Concrete Street Amphitheater Legacy of Floyd Cramer Featuring Jason Coleman Corpus Christi Live! Presentation 4/20, Wed @ 7:30pm Performing Arts Center Texas A&M Corpus Christi Buc Days Pro Rodeo 4/20-23, Wed-Sat @ 7:30pm American Bank Center Arena Laredo Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam 3/18-20, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Laredo Energy Arena
Ricky Martin: Musica Almo Sexo World Tour 2011 4/26, Tue @ 8pm Laredo Energy Arena Rio Grande Valley Janet Jackson 3/3, Thu @ 7:30pm State Farm Arena Hidalgo Selena Gomez 3/5, Sat @ 7:30pm State Farm Arena Hidalgo South Texas Youth Symphony: Spring Concert 3/6, Sun @ 4pm UTPA Fine Arts Auditorium Edinburg Music as a Weapon Tour featuring Korn & Disturbed 3/6, Sun @ 8pm McAllen Civic Center Auditorium An Evening of Schubert at IMAS 3/8, Tue @ 8pm International Museum of Art and Science Platanito Show 3/12, Sat @ 8pm McAllen Civic Center Auditorium
The McAllen Symphonic Band: Water Music 3/22, Tue @ 7:30pm McAllen Civic Center Auditorium The Ramsey Lewis Trio The Arts Center Signature Series Presentation 3/31, Thu @ 7:30pm The Arts Center Brownsville Juanes 3/31, Thu @ 8pm State Farm Arena Hidalgo
Disney On Ice: DisneyPixar’s Toy Story 3 4/6-10, Wed-Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 11:30am, 3:30pm & 7:30pm Sun @ 1:30pm & 5:30pm State Farm Arena Hidalgo
Ricky Martin: Musica Almo Sexo World Tour 2011 4/25, Mon @ 8pm State Farm Arena Hidalgo
Cory Morrow Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Photo Credits
Valley Symphony Orchestra: Season Finale Concert 4/14, Thu @ 8pm Peter Dabrowski, conductor UTPA Fine Arts Auditorium Edinburg
Page 28 (L-R)
Page 29 (L-R) Troy Peters Courtesy yosa.com
Zack Walthers Band Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Dr. Jay Dunahoo Courtesy symphonyofthehills.org
Wade Bowen Courtesy liveatfloores.com
San Antonio Rose Live Band Courtesy saroselive.com
Page 30 (L-R) Two Tons of Steel Courtesy twotons.com
March-April 2011 | On The Town 47
San Antonio Brass Courtesy sanantoniobrass.com Voci di Sorrelle Courtesy bennisimomusic. com
Randy Rogers Band Courtesy randyrogersband.com
Robert McDuffie Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
Donald Braswell Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
Ray Wylie Hubbard Courtesy raywylie.com
Kenny Rogers Courtesy Majestic Theatre
Lafayette String Quartet Courtesy lafayettestringquartet.ca
Page 36 (L-R)
Page 40 (L-R)
Jim Witter Courtesy thepianomen.net
Mark Ackerman Olmos Ensemble Courtesy olmosensemble.org
Jason Boland and the Stragglers Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Reckless Kelly Courtesy recklesskelly.com
Scott Wiggins Band Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Dale Watson Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Casey Donahew Band Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Ilya Shterenberg Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
Lynyrd Skynyrd Courtesty Majestic Theatre Page 32 (L-R)
Brandon Rhyder Courtesy brandonrhyder.com OneRepublic Courtesy Majestic Theatre
Charlie Robison Courtesy liveatfloores.com Page 37 (L-R)
Page 33 (L-R) Mario Flores Courtesy liveatfloores.com Dmitry Sitkovetsky Courtesty San Antonio Symphony Roger Creager Courtesy rogercreager.com Itzhak Perlman Photo by Akira Kinoshita Page 34 (L-R) Tia Fuller Courtesy thecarver.org
Romero Guitar Quartet Courtesy romeroguitarquartet.com Jerry Jeff Walker Courtesy jerryjeff.com Joan Christenson Musical Offerings Courtesy musicalofferings. org Jeanine De Bique Courtesy yca.org
Billy Mata Courtesty billymata.com Page 41 (L-R) Sol y Canto Courtesy thecarver.org Minneapolis Guitar Quartet Courtesy minneapolisguitarquartet. com Page 42 (L-R) David Heller Courtesy web.trinity.edu
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Gary P. Nunn Courtesy liveatfloores.com
Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble Photo by Jennifer Taylor
Ken-David Masur Courtesy San Antonio Symphony
48 On The Town | March-April 2011
Regina Carter Courtesy thecarver.org Page 44 (L-R) Kyle Park Courtesy liveatfloores.com Sebastian Lang-Lessing Photo by Marks Moore Natalie Daradich Wicked Photo by Joan Marcus West Side Story National Tour Photo by Joan Marcus Page 46 (L-R) Jeanne Robertson Courtesy jeannerobertson. com Liza Minnelli Courtesy The Long Center Ray Price Courtesy cmt.com Preservation Hall Jazz Band Courtesy preservationhall. com Page 47 (L-R) Bowfire Courtesy bowfire.com Merce Cunningham Dance Company Courtesy Texas Performing Arts Chris Botti Courtesy oneworldtheatre.org Bernadette Peters Courtesy imbd.com
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Visual Arts 52-62
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52 On The Town | March-April 2011
David Rubin: The Brown Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art at SAMA By Angela Rabke Photography Dana Fossett
C
ontemporary Art Month is here, and what better place to begin your explorations than the contemporary art collection at the San Antonio Museum of Art? For the last five years, curator David Rubin has brought his expertise to the Brown Foundation contemporary art collection at SAMA, embracing the warm and colorful culture that drew him to San Antonio.
“In cities like LA and NYC, artists tend to be a bit competitive. Here, artists are happy to meet other artists, to collaborate with each other on projects and exhibitions and even art works. It reflects the general spirit of what makes San Antonio San Antonio,” Rubin said. “Within our creative class, we have such warm, friendly, people-oriented people that are willing to reinforce each others’ ideas and achievements. I have over 400 artists on my e-mail list for San Prior to living in San Antonio, Rubin was curator Antonio alone.” These artists and the organizations of visual arts for the Contemporary Arts Center in that support them work together to maximize the New Orleans. “I had been to San Antonio before impact of events related to the arts, exhibitions and and enjoyed the collaborative art community, but the venues that enhance and enable the arts in San it really exceeded my expectations after I moved,” Antonio—such as the new developments along the he said. “I’ve worked in many cities, and it’s a rare River Walk. thing that I have only encountered in San Antonio and New Orleans. Both cities are so rich in their Rubin said the Museum Reach of the River Walk has cultural heritage, with long traditions of celebrating been a real asset for SAMA. “The river development the arts—so the communities they work in value the has really helped create more accessibility with a artists…which is not the case across the U.S.” This back entrance along the river. And because of the spirit of collaboration is the defining element of installations along the walking paths, people are the art scene in San Antonio and helps draw the art now more aware of public art and the magic that it community forward in ways that are not possible in creates. It has helped integrate art in a physical way other markets. into everyday life.” Rubin was instrumental in picking March-April 2011 | On The Town 53
the artists that contributed to the public art along the river and particularly enjoys the F.I.S.H installation by Donald Lipski. Visitors and residents who may not have enjoyed Lipski’s and other installations along the river will have the chance to experience spring weather and great contemporary art during Contemporary Art Month. This month, SAMA will serve as the final destination for a major national exhibition called The Missing Peace, a collection of more than 80 artists’ interpretations of the Dali Lama’s vision for peace. Rubin has a passion for this important exhibition. “I am particularly excited to follow the psychedelic exhibit we did last year, which I curated myself. Attendance was way up, and we had so many young people in the museum. It was a meaty topic that had relevance, rather than an ‘art for art’s sake’ show,” he said. Rubin is particularly interested in exhibits and shows that raise awareness and have substantial topics. (In the past, Rubin curated meaningful shows covering rock ‘n’ roll, the American flag and the crucifix.) “This type of show attracts people who might not be interested in contemporary art and helps them realize it is something they are interested in,” he said. “Art gives people an opportunity to contemplate something they may not have thought of before. Contemporary art is another language—but once you understand the intent, you can’t hate or fear it, because you now understand it.” The Missing Peace was organized by the 100 Committee for Tibet and the Dalai Lama Foundation in 2005. The exhibition opens at SAMA with a members preview on March 11, and will be on view through July 31. The San Antonio presentation of the exhibition is presented with generous support from the Sue E. Denman Exhibition Endowment, the Helen and Everett H. Jones Exhibition Endowment, Claudia and David Ladensohn, SAMA Contemporaries, the Marcia and Otto Koehler Foundation, Dr. Jane Appleby, and the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation. A fully illustrated catalog will be available in the SAMA Store. To learn more about SAMA or Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio, visit samuseum.org.
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2011 MARKS 26 OF CELEBRATIN CONTEMPORAR IN SAN ANTONIO By Shannon Huntington Standley 56 On The Town | March-April 2011
YEARS NG RY ART O March-April 2011 | On The Town 57
N
ow in the second year of Contemporary Art Month being held in March instead of July, the 26th annual celebration continues to promote and raise the national profile of San Antonio contemporary art and artists. This month-long salute to art of the here and now includes all artistic mediums hosted by an extensive range of venues. The McNay Art Museum presents New Image Sculpture: Extraordinary Sculptures of Ordinary Objects, on view through May 8. This assembly of works by emerging and mid-career artists transforms common materials into whimsical interpretations. Featured artists include Conrad Bakker, Libby Black, Tom Burckhardt, Margarita Cabrera, Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg, Dennis Harper, Kiel Johnson, Kevin Landers, Jean Lowe, Okay Mountain, Kaz Oshiro, Mark Schatz and Jade Townsend. Also on view through May 8 is Artmatters 14, Sandy Skoglund: The Cocktail Party. This surreal sculptural installation made of cheeseflavored snacks re-creates a typical suburban American cocktail party.
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UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures is joining the celebration with its Texas Contemporary Artists Series, featuring Luis M. Garza. This series of exhibitions showcase the talents of premier Texas artists. On view through June 19, Garza’s photography forms narratives, and his philosophy is that a photograph captures a moment in time. This installation features Garza’s vow to take one photograph a day for one year. The resulting 365 images offer the viewer an opportunity to discover subconscious themes linking the photos together, and to experience a year’s passage in a single viewing. The Witte Museum is examining and celebrating works by artists on both sides of the border, American and Mexican. Miradas: Mexican Art From the Bank of America Collection, on view March 12 through Aug. 21, reveals a variety of cultural aspects as they emerged in the years after the Mexican Revolution to the present day. This unique survey of more than 130 works takes a close look at paintings, prints and photographs created over the past 80 years. The featured works are by some of Mexico’s best-known artists, including Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo,
Gabriel Orozco, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Gunther Gerzso, as well as many wellknown American artists who worked in Mexico, such as Edward Weston, Paul Strand and Harry Callahan. Two exhibitions are opening March 10 at the Southwest School of Art. Magnetic Fields goes beyond spatial issues with a group showing of paintings by American artists Barbara Kreft, Richard Martinez and Kim Cadmus Owens. Beatriz Fedele: Solo Exhibition is a flowing exhibition of watercolor paintings created by this Southwest School of Art student during her certificate program studies. On March 12, an artist talk by Beth Cavener Stichter, The Artist’s Work, will focus on her work on human psychology articulated in animal forms. P.S., don’t miss the annual favorite, Fiesta Arts Fair, on April 9 and 10.
Riojas, integrated with a staged reading directed by last year’s Yale drama prize recipient, Virginia Grise. Opening March 25, I Was Born Here. Roses Are Yellow and the Alamo Is a Blood-tree, retraces the individual and collective memory of the Alamo from a child’s point of view. As at last year’s performance, this year’s multimedia multi-voice production that reclaims San Antonio’s most divisive icon is blazing with talent.
Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is boasting six exhibition openings and is the official site for the Contemporary Art Month kickoff party March 3. The galleries are full with Dam the Torpedoes, featuring Gregory Elliott; Blank Tides, featuring Brian Jobe; Visual Breath, featuring Cathy Cunningham-Little; Slow Gemini, featuring Dirk Lange; Prime Cuts at Stone Metal Press featuring Juan Flores, Alyssa Garcia, Stormy Gonzalez, Crystal Grant, Erica Guillen, Keith Bihl Haus Arts is commemorating five years with a Limon, Xavier Leal, John Martinez, Jerrel Moreno, multimedia montage that tributes last year’s on- Mikayla Robare, Samantha Ruiz, Kree Villegas and site Remember El Alma performance at Luminaria Rose Vogt, and introducing Mariel Bayona, Blue with a one-of-a-kind installation by visual artist Star MOSAIC intern. The wood-cut portrait of Chuck Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez and a film by Marisol Ramirez created by Alex Rubio and the MOSAIC
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students in collaboration with Stone Metal Press also will be on display, along with Art From the Land of the Cougars, a survey exhibition highlighting the strength and quality of the University of Houston’s renown School of Art. Other happenings include the world premier March 11 of Öndvegissúlur, Poem of Light, a short film documenting Blue Star president and executive director Bill Fitzgibbons’ work in Iceland. Art in the Garden: Texas Uprising -- Selections From Texas Sculpture Group ( TSG) at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, hosted by Blue Star, opens March 18.
Spend this spring supporting Contemporary Arts Month and the city’s museums and galleries. The art and culture opportunities provided by these local institutions offer a window to world.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits
Page 56 (L-R)
Page 54-55
Bill FitzGibbons Ondvegissulur, Poem of Light, 2010 Reykjavik, Iceland Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center
Dan Sutherland A five-year tour will be concluding at the San Mortal Elemental Antonio Museum of Art. The Missing Peace: Artists 2010 Consider the Dalai Lama, opening March 12, is the oil on aluminum result of a collaboration between the Committee 7 ft. x 9 ft. 8 in. of 100 for Tibet and the Dalai Lama Foundation. Courtesy Southwest Complementing SAMA’s collection of Himalayan School of Art Buddhist art, the exhibition features works by more than 80 artists and includes artists representing various countries who were asked to give their perspectives on the Dalai Lama and his endeavors.
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Kim Cadmus Owens Cheap, 2009 acrylic and oil on canvas 64 x 96 in. Courtesy Southwest School of Art
Page 57 (L-R)
Page 58 (L-R)
Page 59 (L-R)
Cathy Cunningham-Little Halo-Blue, 2011 Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center
Libby Black American, born 1976 You Never Call, You Never Write 2008 Paper, hot glue, and acrylic Courtesy of the artist and Artist Pension Trust, New York Courtesy McNay Art Museum
Margarita Cabrera Mexican American, born 1973 Arbol de la Vida (John Deere Model #790), 2007 Clay, slip paint, and metal hardware Courtesy of the artist and Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles
Javier Chavira (Mexican, born 1971 El guerrero (The Warrior) 2004 acrylic and crayon on paper Provided by Bank of America Art in our Communities ™ Program Courtesy The Witte Museum
Texas Head to Toe Exhibit Household Hints columnist Heloise’s boots Courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures
Chuck Close The Dalai Lama, 2005 digital pigment print 50 x 40 in. Courtesy San Antonio Musuem of Art
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62 On The Town | March-April 2011
Culinary Arts 64-84
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Turn your
Intention of eating well into
Action
64 On The Town | March-April 2011
By Tom Trevino
I
n January, the USDA released new dietary guidelines aimed to provide “... information and advice for choosing a healthy eating pattern -- namely, one that focuses on nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and that contributes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.”
you’re consuming. That means you need to go to the grocery store at least once a week, and ideally even more often, to ensure you have a rotating stock of fresh, healthy ingredients on hand. We’re already bombarded with opportunities and advertisements for unhealthy treats and eats, so make sure to bombard yourself with just as many positive opportunities. While eating well certainly is a noble endeavor, it’s Use the grocery store, farmers markets and gourmet unlikely that most people are going to take the time shops as your escape and to reinforce positive habits. to download and read the entire report (which you can find here). Further, everyone seems to already know the basics: Eat more fruits and vegetables, cut Look here back on processed foods, decrease saturated fats, etc. Your basic necessities in most grocery stores will be So the problem really isn’t with the message, it’s with located around the perimeter: fruits and vegetables, the application of the message. People know what meat, dairy, eggs, etc. Focus your time and attention eating better is supposed to look like (a piece of fruit in these areas. Most of the foods located in the aisles instead of a donut), but they don’t know how to do it, are processed and packaged, and are more likely to have less nutrient density and more excess calories. and how to turn the preaching into practice. How do you know if you’re doing well? At the end Well, friends, this is where the sprinkles hit the of your shopping run, very few things in your cart frosting. Here are eight things you can do right now should be in boxes or have packaging, other than a basic wrap to keep them fresh. to put the intention of eating well into action.
Shop more
Flip it over
If you really want to take charge of your diet and If you’re buying anything in a package, get accustomed your health, you need to have control over the foods to turning the product over and doing a quick read
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of the food label. What you’re looking for initially are the total calories per serving, and more importantly, what constitutes a serving size. This is where most people falter and end up consuming more calories than they need. For example, did you know a standard package of Oreos contains 15 servings? And that if you happened to eat an entire package (for research purposes only, of course) you’d be consuming 2,400 calories and 105 grams of fat? Now you do.
Cook
If you don’t know how to cook, learn. This is more than just a superfluous skill, it’s a basic component of survival and will ultimately distinguish those who want to eat well from those who actually do eat well. The really good news is, you don’t need to know much to prepare most healthy dishes. Salads are nothing more than cutting up a variety of fresh (ideally organic) vegetables, and most fresh fruit snacks are ready to go as is. And just about anyone can throw a chicken breast on a skillet or open a can of tuna, so don’t make the process or idea of cooking any harder than it is. Eating well is actually quite simple, and the more of your own foods you cook and prepare, the more successful you’ll be with having a healthy diet.
Plan ahead
All the fresh food and good intentions won’t mean a thing if you don’t set aside time today to put together what you’re going to eat tomorrow. Whether you’re an office monkey, stay-at-home mom or construction worker, you absolutely must know where your next meal is coming from. Set aside 30 minutes at the end of each day, to cook or prepare your meals and snacks for the following day. This will help keep you focused and less likely to stray toward the abundance of unhealthy choices we come across on a daily basis. As an added bonus, this strategy will also save you time and money you would have spent driving to and from restaurants, bakeries or all-you-can-eat chocolate buffets.
Read it and think
Peanut butter should contain only one ingredient: peanuts. If not, then what exactly are you eating? To find out, make sure to read the food label, which lists ingredients in order of priority (amount). What’s the first ingredient listed on a package of Oreos? Sugar. The next? Flour. Followed by canola, and/or palm, and/or soybean oil. By contrast, fresh wholesome 66 On The Town | March-April 2011
foods should have a minimum number of ingredients, the ingredients should be nutrient rich, and all of them should be fairly recognizable. If not, then you’re not really eating food, you’re eating ‘food.’
Do the math
Nothing makes food more sexy and appealing than math. And here’s all you need to know: there are 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories in a gram of protein, 9 calories in a gram of fat and 7 calories in a gram of alcohol. Armed with this information, you can discern quickly whether a particular food is protein rich, or primarily a carbohydrate, fat, or a figment of your imagination. A large egg, for example, has about 75 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. While on the surface it may seem like a protein-rich food, once you do the appropriate math, you realize that 45 of those 75 calories come from fat, making the egg 60 percent fat and only 35 percent protein.
Dig deep
But don’t put the eggs back on the shelf just yet, because if ever there is a food rule to follow, it’s this: never judge a food by any one nutrient (like carbs, for example), or any one ingredient (unless, of course, that ingredient is poison). You want to investigate and know the complete and total profile of a food, including all of its ingredients, not just its numbers. Our humble egg, for example, has 5 grams of fat, but only 1.5 of those grams are saturated. The rest are positive mono- and polyunsaturated fats -- the good guys. So, delve a little further and get to know everything you can about a food before you make a final decision.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 64-65 Photo by © R. Gino Santa Maria / Dreamstime.com Page 66 Photo by © jdazuelos / Dreamstime.com
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68 On The Town | March-April 2011
Blanca Aldaco: The Hostess with the Mostest By Chris Dunn Photography Greg Harrison
D
o you remember Elsa, the lioness from ‘Born Free’? You know, the lioness from two worlds? I was from two worlds,” says Blanca Aldaco, describing how it felt to be torn between the large metropolitan city of Guadalajara, Mexico, where she was born, and the small town of Eagle Pass, Texas, where she moved at the age of 13 after her parents divorced. “It was a very defining moment in my life,” she says.
a moment to autograph a copy of her new cookbook, one can’t help but think these are still amazing times for this seemingly tireless impresario, ably running the show from the eye of a culinary hurricane. “There is no down time anymore,” she says, pointing to her iPhone.
Running a restaurant, teaching cooking classes, developing new food and drink recipes, being the The big city had given her a window on a lifestyle she wife of successful beverage executive Charles Garza, wanted; the little town taught her how much effort and the mother of two teenage daughters, Adriana, it would take to attain it. “If I wanted Jordache jeans,” 17, and Marisol, 15, requires great organizational she says, recalling her sophomore year of high school, skills and boundless energy. Luckily, Aldaco has both. “I had to work for them. It gave me that sense of living graciously, living really good in a different way, more She recalls the “long days, long nights” at Aldaco’s in a fulfilling way.” first location on Commerce Street, which opened in 1989. “I learned so much downtown. Downtown is After high school graduation, she returned to Mexico such an energetic place,” she says. to study at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. There, at that time, she says, most women “were She moved Aldaco’s to historic Sunset Station in 1999. grooming to get married.” Instead, Aldaco took There, Aldaco learned how to work with “very large courses in how to “manage and administrate hotels, crowds and groups that would come in on buses…we manage and administrate a travel agency, and how to started having to think like event planners,” she says. manage and administrate food and beverage.” She credits The RK Group for sharing their catering expertise with her. “They invited me to see how they An externship at Thomas Cook travel agency put an did it; they were very embracing,” she says. end to her studies. “I could get the discounts already,” she says, laughing, describing the many trips she In designing Aldaco’s Stone Oak, she followed the took. “They were amazing times.” advice of her well-known architect father, Marco Aldaco, taking maximum advantage of the hilltop Today, seeing her greet customers at Aldaco’s Stone breezes and spectacular views. She describes Oak, pause to give some instructions to an employee, the restaurant as having “a big-city feel…clean, answer a phone call about an upcoming event, or take cosmopolitan.” The sleek styling and dramatic setting January-February March-April 2011 | On The Town 69
are not what you would expect to find at a typical Mexican food restaurant, but it’s what you’d expect from Blanca Aldaco. The self-taught restaurateur has won numerous awards for her food and drink recipes, such as her legendary tres leches cake, which she introduced to San Antonio in 1989. She says it came about because, “I don’t like dry cakes.” This inspired her to develop an incredibly moist version of the dessert, a favorite with critics and public alike. She describes the cake as “classic, modified...I was very proud,” she says. When asked what inspired her award-winning avocado margarita, she laughs, and admits, “That was a fluke,” explaining that when asked to contribute an avocado recipe to the 2005 Avocados of Mexico U.S. National Contest, she answered off the top of her head, “an avocado margarita.” Unfortunately, she hadn’t invented it yet. When it came time to take a promotional photo of her entry, she still hadn’t come up with a recipe, so, she bought a little time by substituting a chile-rimmed glass filled with avocado salsa for the picture. The photo was beautiful, but Aldaco was thinking, “What am I gonna do?” Then, with time running out, inspiration struck while she was taking a walk (“as it often does,” she says). Envisioning “the picture we had taken,” she says, she was able to concoct the drink in only two tries -- “Half an avocado, sweet and sour, and the blend from the margarita machine.” The recipe won a third-place national award. She has received many other accolades over the years, including the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for Innovation from the National Association of Women Business Owners and the 2010 Latina Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year. Aldaco, however, is not one to rest on her laurels, but is energized by them. “We never stop,” she says. She continues to be an innovative leader in San Antonio’s culinary scene, from offering liquid nitrogen margaritas to a gluten-free celiac menu. She lives by the same advice she gives her daughters: “Only make good choices. Do it once, do it right, and you’re done.” 70 On The Town | January-February March-April 2011 2011
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Texas de Brazil The Newest Addition to Houston Street By Ashley Festa
A
fter sitting vacant for years, the Kress building in The gauchos not only serve the meat; they’re also the downtown San Antonio is again full of life since chefs, said Evandro Caregnato, culinary director at Texas Texas de Brazil moved in last December. de Brazil for the past 13 years. Unlike cooks at most restaurants, gauchos grill and serve the meats as a matter Inside the churrascaria, or “steakhouse” in Port-uguese, of pride and taking ownership in their creations. an aerialist flips and dives to retrieve selections from a wall of wine, and hungry guests flip over green cards at “The gaucho that comes to your table to cut your leg of their seats to signal the gauchos, or tableside servers, to lamb is the same one that was cooking the leg of lamb,” shave off another helping of roasted meat. And those Caregnato said. “They feel proud of serving that meat. If patrons had better be hungry, because the meat just someone says, ‘That leg of lamb was great,’ that gaucho keeps coming. serving it feels very good” because he was also the one March-April 2011 | On The Town 73
to cook it. “I’m a gaucho myself,” he said, explaining that gauchos are South American cowboys who herd cattle and roast meat. As culinary director, Caregnato ensures the restaurant’s Brazilian authenticity, and he keeps a careful eye on the company’s 17 locations, including four in Texas and one in Aruba. “As much as possible, I visit all locations to make sure everybody is cooking the right meat the right way, using the right seasonings, the right marinades, the proper way of carving the meat,” he said. “I work very closely with the chef at each location.” Caregnato earned his credentials in his native South Brazil where he owned a restaurant. One evening, he happened to serve an American family from Dallas looking to learn more about the concept of the gaucho style of cooking meat. He seemed to be the right person to lead the U.S. version and ended up becoming one of the first employees of Texas de Brazil. “Everything that we do as far as preparation is … the same style that we do in South Brazil,” Caregnato said. All the cuts of meat stay true to that culture and tradition. On the menu, guests will find 16 cuts of beef, chicken, pork, sausage and lamb. Patrons also can enjoy the salad area, which offers a more international flavor with food selections from all over the world. The meats, though, are entirely Brazilian, slow-roasted rotisserie-style over charcoal grills, which makes a big difference in taste, Caregnato said. Though cooking with gas is easier, cheaper and cleaner, it simply doesn’t produce the same flavor as charcoal. In fact, one of the cuts of beef is seasoned only with salt, but because of the marbling and the charcoal, it has a delectable flavor that prompts customers to inquire about buying the seasoning mix. Caregnato actually had little formal culinary training; he learned most of his talent from his family, especially from his father. “It’s a macho thing. When you’re a little boy in South Brazil, you learn that from your father, you learn from 74 On The Town | March-April 2011
your grandfather. It’s a lot of tradition,” he said. “I can’t wait for my boy to get a little older to start showing him the grill, how to skewer the meat and cook the meat. That’s something we’re very proud of.” Another point of pride for the restaurant is its downtown location. When searching for a home for the planned Texas de Brazil in San Antonio, one of the owners fell in love with the historical Kress building. “He could visualize what he could do inside, and it could be really, really beautiful. And that’s exactly what happened in the end,” Caregnato said. The San Antonio location is one of only two Texas de Brazil restaurants to send an aerialist up 20 feet in the air to retrieve each bottle of wine. Because of the size of the Kress building, the owners were able to use the entire back wall of the restaurant for its wine cellar. The aerialist’s performance behind the glass wall entertains guests as they dine. “It’s a wonderful addition to Houston Street,” said Jackie Mallette of REATA Property Management Inc., property manager for the Kress building. “And the Kress building, of course, is a historic building. We just completed remodeling the façade of the building, which really lends to its beauty.” “Because it’s a historic building, we had to make sure we were within the guidelines of completely redoing the façade, keeping it as close to its original structure as possible,” she said. It “was quite a challenge. But it’s just beautiful the way it turned out.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 72 Front dining room Page 73 Wine Room and aerialist Page 74 (Above) Picanha skewer
Page 75 (Above) Evandro Caregnato Texas de Brazil culinary director (Below) Mojito
(Below) Beef ribs March-April 2011 | On The Town 75
76 On The Town | March-April 2011
Antonio Sanchez of Earl Abel’s:
50 Years and 1 Million Pies By Bonny Osterhage Photography courtesy Earl Abel’s
W
.hen you enter Earl Abel’s Restaurant, one of the first things you notice is the showcase bakery filled with tempting treats. It is a great entry to a great meal—and some of the best pies in town! Whether it’s an ooey-gooey, rich chocolate pie topped with mountains of luscious meringue, or a tart, tangy fresh fruit pie with a flaky crust, served up with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, all Earl Abel’s pies have one thing in common: they all begin with an empty shell, just waiting to be filled with the right combination of ingredients. Earl Abel’s head baker, Antonio Sanchez, started out much the same way. With no experience in the
baking industry, Sanchez was like that empty pie shell when he first arrived in the kitchen of Earl Abel’s at the tender age of 15. Now, 50 years later, he is filled with the perfect combination of skill and knowledge to produce the more than 1 million pies that have defined his career and helped make Earl Abel’s a San Antonio institution for more than 77 years. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a baker,” says the quiet, unassuming Sanchez. “I made my career the same way that I make the pies—from scratch.” San Antonio native Sanchez married the love of his life in November 1960. One month later, the 15-yearold went to the popular Earl Abel’s restaurant to apply for a job. Just shy of his 16th birthday, and short on
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cash, the newlywed lied about his age and was hired as a dishwasher and busboy. When his supervisor sent him to the bakery one day, Sanchez assumed he would be washing pots and pans. Instead, he found himself helping the bakers make dough for the popular Earl Abel’s pies. For a young man who had never even held a measuring spoon, the move came as quite a shock. “I thought they only wanted me to help out in the bakery for one day but, 50 years later, here I am,” he says with a chuckle. “I had no skills, but I followed instructions and paid attention.” As the low man on the totem pole, the father of two worked the noon to 8 p.m. bakery shift, performing whatever tasks were asked of him, from kneading dough to making pie shells and fillings. He worked hard, perfecting his skills, and was promoted to head baker 10 years ago. “I never really considered myself the head baker,” he says modestly. “I just continued to work.” Today, Sanchez works from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily, preparing all of the pies, cakes, biscuits, sweet rolls, Danish and other baked goods from scratch. Not much has changed in 50 years. The recipes and techniques are still the same, and Sanchez says that he and his team still do almost everything by hand, including making the tender, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pie crusts. The only modern conveniences are a machine that presses the pie shells into the pans, and a giant Hobart mixer for mixing the heavy dough for the famous dinner rolls. “When the dough is ready, it weighs about 300 pounds,” he says. “On the weekends and holidays, that number doubles.” Apple, cherry, chocolate meringue, lemon meringue, pecan, coconut meringue and even sugar-free options are just some of the pies that make up the menu at Earl Abel’s—and don’t forget the a la mode! Although he may not have created any of the recipes himself, Sanchez is an expert at producing perfect pies. Each day finds him creating at least four of Earl Abel’s 11 daily pie varieties, as well as at least six of the daily special pies and a few made to order as well—including the most-requested coconut meringue. “Nothing is difficult for me,” he says with pride. “I was taught from the bottom up.” 78 On The Town | January-February March-April 2011 2011
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Iliana de la Vega and Elizabeth Johnson-Kossick of CFA by Chris Dunn Photography by Dana Fossett
80 On The Town | March-April 2011
S
.an Antonio is now home to one of only three campuses of the Culinary Institute of America in the United States. The school’s new stateof-the-art facility, standing at the heart of the Pearl Brewery complex on Broadway, is already a familiar landmark, drawing both local and national attention to the burgeoning culinary scene in the Alamo City.
But few people know that the San Antonio campus also houses the Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), which the CIA describes as a “multifaceted research center dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Latin American cuisine.” The CFA wants to shine a spotlight on the cuisines of March-April 2011 | On The Town 81
the New World, in hopes that one day they will be as The sheer mass of information can be daunting. “It respected as the cuisines of the Old. is a challenge,” says de la Vega, adding that the task is made more difficult because regional names for One of the driving forces behind this effort is noted dishes vary, or conversely, totally different dishes instructor, chef and award-winning restaurant owner share the same name. Johnson-Kossick points out Iliana de la Vega, who dedicates much of her time that Mexican cuisine is particularly complex, made at the school to researching the cuisines of Latin up of “indigenous techniques and ingredients mixed America—identifying and cataloging indigenous with Spanish and French and Asian influences.” ingredients, documenting techniques and cooking methods, tracing historical origins and the For example, empanadas may have come from the evolution of recipes and dishes, and studying their Middle East and through Spain, de la Vega says. “In anthropological impact on cultures and societies. “It Mexico City and in other places, they are made with is a great effort, a unique effort of the CIA to put this wheat flour. But if you go to Oaxaca, to the market, an together,” she says. empanada will be like a quesadilla in another place. So it can be confusing.” Working with her is Latin cuisines specialist Elizabeth Johnson-Kossick, who was born in Central America, Chiles, which are essential to Latin cuisines, also studied at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma can be difficult to categorize. De la Vega says, “Take de México and is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu the pasilla chile. In Mexico City, it is called pasilla, in Mexico City. “My compass has always pointed period. In Oaxaca, that same chile will be called south,” she says. pasilla mexicano, because it’s from Mexico City. In Michoacán, it will be called a chile Negro. And it’s the Johnson-Kossick conducts research, teaches exact same chile.” classes at the CIA that focus on the cuisines of Latin American countries, such as Peru and Brazil, and uses Johnson-Kossick hopes to bring rare and difficult-toher multimedia and photography skills to develop obtain Latin American chiles and vegetables to San educational tools for the CFA and CIA. Antonio through the pilot seed program, which she is developing with Bob Brackman, garden director She and de la Vega travel to remote places in Central for the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Seeds from and South America to document and preserve age- selected plants will be cultivated at the botanical old techniques in preparing Latin American cuisine. gardens in an effort to determine their viability and “They are dying arts,” Johnson-Kossick says. marketability in the United States. On these trips, Johnson-Kossick photographs and videotapes artisans at work, from stretching Oaxacan cheese by hand to grinding corn on a stone metate for tortillas. “The heart of my role as an ethnographic anthropologist is to present things as they are,” Kossick says. “It is my job to be as objective as I possibly can be to document, capture, translate, or present that information in the way that it is.”
De la Vega says the CFA is also developing a curriculum for a 30-week certificate program for professionals focusing on the cuisines of Latin America. JohnsonKossick says the launch of this Latin Certificate Program is slated for fall 2011. The curriculum includes bringing together food historians, anthropologists, chefs and educators to assist with the effort. Johnson-Kossick says, “We are, by virtue of creating the curriculum, doing what Escoffier did for French cuisine, and that In addition to documenting how Latin American is our mandate.” cuisine is prepared, Johnson-Kossick and de la Vega spend a great deal of time researching ingredients. De la Vega says the CFA wants to dispel the For example, de la Vega says she compared several misconception most Americans have about Latin hundred versions of salsa verde to develop one American food—that it’s lard- and cheese-laden. “It’s recipe that best exhibits the fundamental flavor a very natural and healthy cuisine…corn from Mexico, elements of the dish. “That is the key thing,” de la potatoes from Peru, yucca or cassava from Brazil...It Vega says, “to get the true flavor profile, the flavors is not about meat, it is about vegetables, it is about that make that dish great.” grains, being healthy.” 82 On The Town | March-April 2011
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Festivals & Celebrations 86-100
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What’s new for ® Fiesta 2011? By Anne Keever Cannon Photography Greg Harrison
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id you get the word yet that the Alamo City’s biggest, best festival just can’t wait? It’s starting about a week early—April 7-17. The city and the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission realized about five years ago that with the traditional dating, Fiesta® and Holy Week would have coincided. No one wanted the Battle of Flowers Parade to take place on Good Friday. (Fiesta® 2012 goes back to the regular scheduling— Fiesta® will run April 19-29.)
traditionally been in February. The Fiesta Store® started selling 2011 merchandise in October, too—another first. The store, at 2611 Broadway, offers lots of official Fiesta® souvenirs. Among the biggest sellers are pins and medals commissioned by many of the nonprofit organizations that produce official Fiesta® events. Those sales are one of the ways the groups raise funds.
Remember that Fiesta is the Party With a Purpose. Every official event is produced by a local nonprofit or Changes for Fiesta® 2011 started back in 2010. The military organization. Most events are fundraisers, and Fiesta® Commission revealed its official poster in the proceeds go right back into the community every October—a big move because the unveiling had day of the year. March-April 2011 | On The Town 87
Fiesta® San Antonio includes one new event in 2011— Fiesta de los Veteranos. It’s set for April 9 at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, 7400 Merton Minter Blvd. Join the veterans for an afternoon of live music, food, games and family fun. All proceeds will benefit the VA Fisher House. Fisher Houses provide a home away from home so military families can be close to a loved one during hospitalization. Fiesta® started going Green last year, and the program continues in 2011. Look for more opportunities to recycle your beverage cups or cans this April. The city’s Solid Waste Department also plans to put more trash receptacles along the 2.6-mile route of the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta® Flambeau parades. The word for those parades this year is “pack it in; pack it out.” If you take coolers or picnic baskets to your seats, use those containers to collect your trash and dispose of it once you’re back home. The Fiesta® Commission is again working with the city to encourage folks to take the bus to Fiesta®. VIA’s Park and Ride will be available for some of the biggest events—including the Fiesta Oyster Bake and the two big parades. Additional information is available at viainfo.net. The commission will also publicize the nearest regular bus stops to many event locations. For those who really want to go Green, The Fiesta Store® has Fiesta Verde t-shirts and medals on sale. Another new feature for 2011 is Fit Fiesta. Mayor Julian Castro asked the Fiesta® Commission to help get the message out about making some healthy choices during the 11-day celebration. Fiesta® includes some terrific athletic competitions: soccer, lacrosse and rugby tournaments. Those are team events. But individuals have opportunities to work off some calories, too. April 9 has lots to choose from: • The Fiesta Mission 10k & Kids’ Runs at Mission County Park II. • The Zeta Fiesta Track Meet at Blossom Athletic Center. This one’s for kids age 6 to 13. • 10K Walk: Caminada de Fiesta at Fort Sam Houston’s Army Medical Museum. • Viva Botánica! at the San Antonio Botanical Society. • The All American Canteen at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, featuring dancing to Big Band music. 88 On The Town | March-April 2011
Then there’s the popular Pooch Parade April 16. Local pups take their families for a three-mile walk through the neighborhoods of Alamo Heights. Folks hungry from all that exercising can look for some healthier food choices at many Fiesta® events, including the Fiesta Oyster Bake and A Night in Old San Antonio. More information will be posted on Fiesta-sa. org and on event websites as the details are firmed up. The 11 days of Fiesta® aren’t enough to hold every official event. A few, like the Queen of Soul Pageant, take place before the April 7 start. And two, the San Antonio Symphony’s Fiesta Pops at the Majestic Theater and the Miss San Antonio Scholarship Pageant, are scheduled after April 17. Again, for details go to Fiesta-sa.org. Looking farther into the future, the Fiesta® Commission already has two events set to premier as official activities during Fiesta® 2012. Our Lady of the Lake University will sponsor a tamale festival on its campus. And the Lutheran Coronation, with its 50-year tradition of crowning a queen and court, is moving from its long-time November date to April. So have a great time at Fiesta® 2011. And consider spending a little extra when you attend your favorite event—or try out a new one. Remember that your dollars will help local nonprofits to help their neighbors all year long.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 86 Urban 15 dancer Page 87 Battle of Flowers Parade Page 88 (Above) Native-American dancer
Page 89 (Above) Spanish dancer (Below) Glass Cascarone by Gini Garcia
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Bigger and Bolder Luminaria in 2011 A showcase of local, national and international artists By Missy Schultze
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uminaria 2011 will take place from 6:30 p.m. to midnight March 12 on the grounds of HemisFair Park with never before seen artistic creations. Plans are for a bigger and bolder Luminaria this year, with an unprecedented larger footprint. The event is free and open to the public.
from artists in San Antonio, as well as across the nation and the world. In its fourth year, Luminaria also features a participatory art area for children, open between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“Our goal is to reimagine HemisFair Park as a canvas for enlightened, innovative and interactive contemporary “We are anticipating San Antonio’s Luminaria 2011 to creations from all artistic disciplines,” said Richard be a destination event for our local community and Rosen, Luminaria 2011 co-chair. “This year we asked visitors from across the country,” said Mayor Julián artists to create works of art based on the general Castro. “This year’s Luminaria will be a manifestation theme of light. We encouraged collaboration and of the city’s cultural riches, with a more contemporary multidisciplinary site-specific work.” look and feel. We are proud to showcase the talented artists that will be involved in the project and how they Cooper and Rosen lead a steering committee which inspire people of all ages.” oversees seven areas: dance, Kausi Subramaniam and Gabe Zertuche; literary, Marian Aitches, Anel Flores Patterned after similar festivals in Paris, Madrid and and Micaela Perez; media arts/film, Erik Bosse and Toronto, Luminaria offers a free, family-friendly Victor Payan; theater, Melissa Marlowe and Victor Toro; atmosphere in downtown San Antonio featuring visual, Patty Ortiz and Ethel Shipton; and architecture, performance stages, streetscape art, light installations Mary Ann Mitchell. and galleries. The footprint for Luminaria has tripled this year, allowing ample room for artists’ works to be Luminaria 2011 also is adding a culinary twist featured throughout HemisFair Park along with sites elevating the food fare to give patrons a true culinary for food, drink and audiences. experience. Notable local chefs including Jason Dady, along with the Wheelie Gourmet, Ma Harper’s N’Awlins “The enlarged footprint for Luminaria 2011 will allow Creole Kitchen, Texas de Brazil, the Culinary Institute our city to recapture a sense of discovery for the of America in San Antonio and others will be featured. entire event,” said Susanne Cooper, Luminaria 2011 co-chair. “The addition of curated zones for the first Luminaria 2011 is presented by Rackspace and also is time in Luminaria’s history will add a new and unique sponsored by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural experience for artists and attendees alike.” Affairs, Bank of America, H-E-B, Coca-Cola, Bud Light, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas, CPS Energy, the Luminaria is the culmination of the collaboration of San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau and the artists and nonprofit arts organizations spotlighting San Antonio Express-News. For more information, visit various artistic disciplines including music, dance, film, www.luminariasa.org media, literary arts, theater, visual arts and architecture March-April 2011 | On The Town 91
Third Annual Olives Olé
The International Olive Festival of Texas™ San Antonio Botanical Garden March 26 By June Hayes Photography by Tracey Maurer
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.lives Olé is an amazing event that is all about olives and Mediterranean herbs and foods presented with a Texas twang. The unique festival, now in its third year, is achieving national recognition as one of the best up-and-coming festivals
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to attend – and it’s right in our own back yard. Cooks will thrill to new ideas that are simple and tasty yet healthy. Receive great new recipes and enjoy cooking demonstrations by culinary pros –
with more samples, of course. Talk with names you recognize from radio and TV, or choose from the large array of Mediterranean herbs as well as olive trees to grow in your home garden. Those interested in joining the ever-increasing number of gardeners enjoying the fruits of their labor will learn how to grow and cure olives at home. Potential commercial growers can learn about the varieties that do well in the many microclimates across the state, and more than 1,200 olive trees will be for sale. And expect the very best in food concessions, for they are operated by the foremost group of women food professionals, Les Dames d’Escoffier International San Antonio Chapter. In the Old World Mediterranean Market Place you will find chefs preparing Andalusian-style paella, grilling Persian spiced lamb chops, and preparing fresh olive pesto and other delicious food items available for purchase. Attendees will have opportunities
for free samples as they: • Taste the differences in many types of green and black olives at the region’s largest olive table presented by DeLallo that must be seen to be appreciated. • Learn what to look for in a bottle of olive oil and how quality affects taste, nutrition and promotes a renewed appreciation of the best in food flavors. Sample limited-edition boutique oils and olive products, as well as internationally recognized names in the olive oil and gourmet olive industry. • Learn about health and skin-care benefits of this ancient oil. For more information about the Third Annual Olives Olé, The International Olive Festival of Texas, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 26 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, visit www.olivesole.com.
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Culinaria, A Wine and Culinary Arts Festival May 11-15, 2011 By Ginger McAnear Robinson Photography courtesy Culinaria
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..everal years ago, an extraordinary new pursuit was initiated by a few very passionate people in San Antonio. Searching for an opportunity to bring taste and share great new discoveries of wines and flavor ful recipes from around the world, the New World Wine and Food Festival was launched. Set against the backdrop of San Antonio’s unique Spanish Colonial architecture and celebrated River Walk, the festival explored the city ’s Latin and European culinary and cultural roots in the company of wines with world-class credentials. After a decade of creativity and hard work by so many, the New World Wine and Food Festival again looked forward and imagined what else might be done to celebrate this remarkable pursuit and the city that is host to it. To that end, the opportunity for the festival to be even more far reaching in its goals, offerings, charitable activities and even its identity have been realized by the founders and
key supporters. So as we gather May 11-15, just as we have for more than a decade, we toast the future with our new name, Culinaria. Culinaria, A Wine and Culinary Arts Festival, remains committed to promoting San Antonio as a culinary destination and to bringing quality events that provide the chance for anyone who has a love for food, wine and spirits the opportunity to explore what may be hidden to them in our community. For this is a festival brought together for a broad diversity of people from near and far, to share, mingle, taste and compare. There will be formal dinners and casual luncheons, tequila and Texas produce tastings, cooking classes extraordinaire, chocolate and champagne pairings and a wide array of event activities for connoisseur and amateur alike. Culinaria begins with the Sip, Savor and Shop event March-April 2011 | On The Town 95
at the Shops at La Cantera. It was the festival’s answer to the very popular question, “What do I wear to the festival?” Of course, that question will be answered at the event along with the opportunity to sip fabulous wine and savor delightful bites. On May 12, for a more intimate event, the Winemaker Dinner series continues with chefs from select restaurants pairing menus with designated wines for a multi-course dinner. Guests will hear from the winemaker and chefs of why each course pairs together. The end of the work week signals an increase in events for the festival for those who might choose to take a long weekend to participate in Culinaria. May 13 is the day of the annual Becker Vineyards Winery Lunch, along with the returning Black Tie at the Westin La Cantera Resort. This year also marks the first-ever Tequila Competition for Culinaria -- a natural evolution for the organization and for the city of San Antonio. Judges will select the finalists during the month of March and the winners will be revealed at this year’s Best of Mexico event May 13 at the Villita Assembly Building. May 14 is the busiest day of activities with a new 5K run/walk at the Shops at La Cantera, wine and food seminars throughout the day and the culmination of all things festival week, the grand tasting at the grotto at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. The grand tasting incorporates the largest number of chefs and restaurants along with the selection of wines from the week. Add live entertainment and a silent auction and it’s a perfect date-night activity or the opportunity to indulge in some of our city’s best cuisine. The conclusion of this year’s festival will be a bit different with the addition of Sunday Brunches and the Burgers, Barbecue and Beer event. Join in the celebration. Hoist glass and filled plate. And toast our legacy and our future May 11-15. For more information, visit www.culinariasa.org.
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Mingo Saldivar
30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio May 10-15 – Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and Rosedale Park By Juan Tejeda
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waltzes and huapangos, with other national and international musical influences that include blues, rock, jazz, Colombian cumbias and Cuban boleros, among others.
Conjunto is an original American musical ensemble and style of music that was created by the TexasMexicans during the early-to-mid 1900s which utilizes the button accordion and bajo sexto guitar as its principal instruments. It is a unique musical synthesis that combines German/European and Mexican/ American instruments and rhythms such as polkas,
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center created the Tejano Conjunto Festival to preserve and promote conjunto music, to honor its pioneering artists, to present the best in the genre, and to foster a better understanding and appreciation for Chicano music and culture. Over the years the festival has become a cultural institution for the city of San Antonio and a popular destination for conjunto music lovers who
an Antonio once again will become “Squeezebox Mania Central” when the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center celebrates its landmark 30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio 2011 from May 10-15 at the Guadalupe Theatre and Rosedale Park.
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Eva Ybarra
travel from all over the United States and the world to hear the very best in the genre.
Boys, Jaime y Los Chamacos, Gilberto Pérez y sus Compadres, Boni Mauricio, the Conjunto Kingz de Flavio Longoria, Los De La Rosa Boyz, and Ricky The 30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Naranjo y Los Gamblers. Making their Conjunto Antonio 2011 begins with a free Seniors Conjunto Festival debut will be Juanito Castillo, Tony Tigre y Dance at the Guadalupe Theatre on May 10 featuring La Rosa de Oro, Retoño, Gerardo Mejía y su Clica, the music of Henry Zimmerle y su Conjunto San Los De la Cruz, and Conjunto Califas. There also Antonio, plus a special presentation by popular will be an international contingent performing accordionist and songwriter Nick Villarreal. This at the festival with Dwayne Verheyden from the year there will be a special 30th Anniversary Netherlands and Conjunto J from Japan doing Gala Celebration honoring the past and present special presentations. inductees into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame on May 12. For the May 13-15 weekend, the festival Other Tejano Conjunto Festival highlights include moves outside to Rosedale Park, where 24 of the a poster contest, workshops, CD release party, food best conjunto groups will perform, including five- and beverage booths, accordion raffles, conjunto time Grammy Award-winner Flaco Jiménez, and student recitals and plenty of dancing and fun Conjunto Music Hall of Famers Mingo Saldívar, Los for the entire family. For a complete schedule Dos Gilbertos, Oscar Hernández, and the Queen of of events, dates, times, prices and lineups of Conjunto, Eva Ybarra. The one-of-a-kind-lineup also performers, visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org showcases the distinctive conjunto styles of two- or call 210-271-3151. time Grammy winner Joel Guzmán, the Hometown March-April 2011 | On The Town 99
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Literary Arts
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Book Talk:
Leslie Winfield Williams
Author and Professor Story photography by 2011 Jasmina Wellinghoff 102 Onand The Town | March-April
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errville resident Leslie Winfield Williams has two great intellectual interests: literature and theology. The author of several books on Christian themes, she also has taught English and American literature as well as composition at the University of the Incarnate Word, Northwest Vista College and from 1994 to 2001 at Midland College in Midland. Through the latter, she continues to teach two online courses that attract students from all over the world. At the same time, Williams is close to finishing her master ’s degree in sacred theology at the Yale Divinity School where her thesis will once again combine her two loves by focusing on a contemporary interpretation of Dante’s masterpiece The Divine Comedy. In addition, for the past couple of years, she’s been hard at work on a textbook about Christian themes in world literature.
worse bloodshed. JW: What prompted you to write this novel? LWW: When I read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, I was upset that people believed the fiction part as fact. They actually believed that Jesus had an affair with Mary Magdalene and started a line of descendants that extended 2,000 years and were still living. Many people believed that! People also believed that John, the beloved disciple, in Da Vinci’s (famous painting) The Last Supper was Mary Magdalene. The book was a wonderful thriller but people bought all of this wholesale. So I thought I would like to write a thriller that had accurate scholarship and had orthodox tenets of the faith in there but would be just as thrilling to read.
JW: So how did you pick the Gospel of Judas as Williams’ novel The Judas Conspiracy, a thriller/ your starting point? mystery aimed at the general public, was published in 2010 by the small Houston publisher LWW: I was fascinated with it. When it came out JoSara MeDia. The story was inspired by the and there was such a hubbub in the theological discovery of old fragments of the Gospel of Judas, world, I thought, what if, what if they found the found in Egypt in the 1970s. After spending whole manuscript (rather than fragments) and 16 years hidden away in a Long Island safe- what if the Sethians had not died out?! In a thriller, deposit box, the ancient document was finally you have to have a bad guy who’s very power ful, authenticated, translated and presented to the so I imagined that they turned bad on us and saw world in 2004, causing quite a bit of controversy. the opportunity to administer a crippling blow to The sacred book of some Gnostic sects, including what’s left of Christianity and to have the “true the Sethians, the text describes Judas Iscariot not faith” be known. as the traitor that Christianity has believed him to be for two millennia, but as the most obedient JW: How did the ancient Sethians view Jesus? of the disciples who did what he did because Jesus asked him to do it. Like other Gnostics, the LWW: They had a different creation story. It’s Sethians believed that only those who receive rather complicated but they believed that Adam special, secret knowledge through revelation will and Eve’s third son Seth was divine and the keeper be taken up into the kingdom of heaven. And of knowledge, and they believed that Seth and Judas was one of those special individuals. Jesus were the same spirit, that Seth came back as Jesus. Jesus is an illuminator – the last one – Though Sethians died out by the end of the sent by God to instruct people about God. third century A.D., in The Conspiracy of Judas Williams postulates that the organization went JW: You tell the story from multiple points of underground for centuries waiting for its hour view. Why did that format appeal to you? to destroy orthodox Christianity, restore Judas’ place in the salvation narrative and bring about LWW: That’s a popular format for thriller writers its version of Rapture. Prominent Christian today. You read all kinds of people who jump scholars and the dean of the Yale Divinity School from point of view to point of view, including are murdered along the way, while a New Haven Dan Brown. You can create a fuller story if you police woman and a young scholar from Texas write from different characters’ points of view. It race to uncover the conspiracy and prevent even makes it richer. March-April 2011 | On The Town 103
JW: As the story develops, you reveal early on that a certain British MP from Scotland is directing the murder spree and you let us “see” the young man called Gabriel as he is planning and committing the murders, although we don’t know the latter ’s full identity. Why did you do that, considering that mystery writers usually withhold that kind of information until the end?
– my parents’ marriage didn’t last, my dad was an alcoholic, I moved 32 times, I couldn’t have children, my aunt and uncle were murdered…, I had a lot of suffering. And so, over the period of my life I struggled with that, “God, how could you let this happen?” And then it finally hit me that everything that happens on Earth isn’t the end of the story. As I looked back over the different ways that I suffered, God was very present in everything, and out of everything that I can mention, something better has come out of the situation. In other words, God has redeemed it all. Plus, the most important thing is not what happens or doesn’t happen. The most important thing is being in the presence of God. Once you felt the love of God, nothing is ever the same.
LWW: There are two things going on here. One is dramatic irony in the classical sense, which means that the audience or the reader knows something that the protagonist does not. It’s like when you know there is a man hiding in the room upstairs, and the heroine is going up the stairs, and you want to say, “No, no, don’t go in there!” And the other thing is the suspense that comes from not knowing the identity of the hatchet man and JW: Tell me about the publisher, JoSara MeDia? of the person who is pulling the strings in the United States. LWW: The owner, Larry Ketchersid, is a Texas entrepreneur who buys and sells companies, JW: Did you plot the entire story in advance? and he is into computers and software, all kinds of things. He is also a writer, in addition to his LWW: Yes and no. Before I started writing, I had many other talents. And he just started up this a definite direction. I knew where it was going. publishing company. Both he and I are Trinity But at the same time, once you start writing you University graduates, so Robert Flynn ( Trinity have to be open to taking it in different directions professor emeritus and writer) suggested I send with, possibly, a slightly different end. I have a lot the manuscript to Larry. He said, “It’s great,” and of notes on the characters. Before I began I had he published it… Originally he wanted to do only at least a page written on each character that a Kindle book, and I said, no, no, I am too old; I’ll included each person’s back-story. A lot of that never have a Kindle, probably. And all my friends never made it into the book but I had to know will want to read an actual book. So he said OK. And their backgrounds to understand them as people. I that’s why the availability of the printed book is a hope that the characters resonate because of that. little more complicated because it’s on the cusp on the new thing which is electronic publishing. JW: Your main characters spend some time The book is readily available at Amazon.com and discussing human suffering and why God allows BarnesandNoble.com. such suffering. That’s, of course, the difficult question that theologians, writers and ordinary people have pondered, some losing their faith in the process. How do you as a Christian, theologian and wife of a pastor deal with that challenging Williams’ comments have been edited slightly for question? clarity and space. Opinions stated in this article are hers alone and do not necessarily match those of LWW: I think that each one of us is sooner or the publisher. later brought up short with that question: How can a good God allow this? And I think that’s a fair question. If you are going to be in a relationship with God you can ask Him that. I had so many different kinds of suffering in my life
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Caroline Kennedy Reading and Other Free Lectures in March and April By Claudia Maceo-Sharp
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eeking enlightenment, practical or in- are just a sampling of events coming up in March tellectual? A variety of San Antonio and April. organizations offer free lectures on many subjects: art, literature, music and business. These In February, the writing organization Gemini Ink 106 On The Town | March-April 2011
brought Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler’s Wife, to town. Gemini Ink’s Breakthrough Thinkers series sponsors a visit in April by one near and dear to the hearts of many. Caroline Kennedy is on tour for her new poetry anthology, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems. The public reading will be at 7 p.m. April 28 in Laurie Auditorium. More information can be found at http://geminiink.org. Leading up to that auspicious occasion, several other events may grab your interest. For the business, sociology and political-minded, the UTSA Mexico Center presents Bilateral Perspectives on Mexican Migration: Demographic, Economic and Incorporation Trends from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. March 3-4. The event, which is open to the public, will include experts from various parts of the United States and Mexico. Topics will include historical and demographic trends; international, federal and local government responses to migration; and family, education and health issues in international migration, to mention a few. For more information, go to http://utsa.edu/mexicocenter. Those interested in art may attend a free lecture by Washington state studio artist and ceramic sculptor Beth Cavener Stichter at 12:15 p.m. March 12 at the Southwest School of Art. Stichter focuses her work on human psychology articulated in animal forms. The Southwest School of Art presents several such artist talks. Dan Sutherland’s subject will be Negotiation, Disruption and Excess at 12:30 p.m. April 7. Visit http://www.swschool.org. Connecting art and music, Dr. Jody Blake of the McNay Museum presents a free lecture on Art in the Jazz Age at 6:30 p.m. March 17, with free museum entrance that evening because it is a Thursday. In fact, several Thursdays at the McNay involve free lectures. You’ll find Artists Looking at Art: Kelly O’Connor on April 7, and an artist panel from Austin called An Evening with Okay Mountain on April 21; both events begin at 6:30 p.m. Visit http://www. mcnayart.org. Learning does not discriminate by age or bank account. March-April 2011 | On The Town 107
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Eclectics 110-124
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Imagine: Valero Texas Open and ® Fiesta San Antonio Share Calendar Dates By Angela Rabke Photography Dana Fossett
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n 1836, a band of soldiers, united by a thirst for freedom, bravely fought for that freedom in historic battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto. With their lives on the line, could they have imagined how their sacrifices would make history? Could they have conjured up a rallying cry, “Remember the Alamo” that helped give birth to The Republic of Texas? Could they have envisioned the Republic becoming the boldest state in the Union? Could they have dreamed of a city built around the Shrine of Texas Liberty one day becoming the country’s 7th largest? Probably not.
fought not with guns and bullets, but with wooden shafted clubs and feather balls. One where no blood was shed or lives lost. A battle fought not for life and liberty, but for pride and a Claret Jug.
Could those gentile gentlemen have imagined that the first British Open would spawn a series of competitions that would one day span the globe? Could they have conjured up images of golfers walking manicured courses playing for millions of dollars? Could they have envisioned that the epicenter of tournament golf would shift from the seaside links of Scotland to the once marshy No more than a band of Scotsmen and Englishmen swamplands of northern Florida? Could they have could have imagined what they were giving birth dreamed of two cups, the Ryder and Presidents, to when they fought a very different kind of battle being played for country, not cash? Probably not. in 1860. One fought not on the dusty plains of the South, but on the rolling fields of Scotland. A battle Yet it’s not beyond one’s imagination to believe that 110 On The Town | March-April 2011
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JW Marriott Resort Oaks Course 16th Hole the brave defenders of the Alamo and the Scotsmen who walked the hard scrabble fields of Prestwick Scotland imagined that their actions would lead to something grander; moving their corner of the world in a new direction. Fast-forward to 1891, fifty-five years after the Battle of the Alamo and thirty-one years after the first British Open, to the day when the question was asked that changed San Antonio forever. Why has no one created an event to commemorate the battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto and to honor heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom? From that simple question, the Battle of Flowers parade was born.
up the rallying cry, “Viva Fiesta” that now echoes annually through the city for ten days in April? Could they have envisioned images of other parades; of “Royalty” gliding on water or illuminated in the night by all the colors of the rainbow. Could they have dreamed of Fiesta® San Antonio; one of the country’s biggest festivals and a celebration of San Antonio’s history, its heritage and its dreams? Probably not.
Fast-forward to 1922, thirty-one years after the first Battle of Flowers Parade, to the day when a hardworking newspaper publisher at the San Antonio Light, Jack Ryan, asked a question that would also change San Antonio. Mr. Ryan wondered what could be done to attract “snowbirds” from the north to San Could the women who launched the first Battle of Antonio to fill its hotel rooms, generate business Flowers Parade in 1891 have imagined what was for its restaurants, and bring national publicity to to come of their parade? Could they have conjured the sleepy town built around the Alamo. From that 112 On The Town | March-April 2011
simple question, the Valero Texas Open was born.
all, in community spirit and cultural pride. The Valero Texas Open can be measured in economic Could Mr. Ryan and the spectators who passed the benefit, international exposure, in charity giving, hat to raise the purse at the first Texas Open have and perhaps most important of all, in the spirit of imagined what was to come of their little professional community pride, volunteerism and giving back. golf tournament? Could they have conjured up the “Unapologetically Texan” rallying cry that now This year, through a twist of fate, these two boldly reflects the personality of the tournament, San Antonio traditions, borne from different the State of Texas and San Antonio? Could they circumstances but sharing much in common, find have envisioned golf ’s royalty strolling the fairways themselves sharing space on San Antonio’s robust of San Antonio, now one of the country’s top golf social calendar. Imagine that! destinations? Could they have dreamed of Valero, an energy company, driving the Texas Open to the top of the PGA TOUR charity leader board? Probably not. 2011 Valero Texas Open Fiesta® San Antonio 2011 Fiesta’s impact on San Antonio can be measured 4/14-17 4/7-17 in economic benefit, in international exposure, TPC San Antonio @ in charity giving, and perhaps most important of JW Marriott Resort
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Artistic Destination:
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Trois Estate Is a Dream Come True By Julie Catalano Photography courtesy helophotography.com
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T
he Trois Estate at Enchanted Rock is a magical place that – when you finally reach it via a winding road high in the hills 16 miles from Fredericksburg, Texas – you may never want to leave. Rebecca Trois doesn’t have to. She and her husband Charles live on and own the 57-acre Trois Estate, about a half-mile from the entrance of Enchanted Rock State Park, a longtime favorite of hikers and rock climbers. The couple looked for two and half years – all over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado – for the right place to build what they call “an artistic village,” says Rebecca Trois. It was a vision that she says came to both of them in separate dreams before they even met and eventually married in 1995. “It had to be the perfect spot. It had to be heaven on earth.” But heaven wasn’t built in a day, and 13 years after buying this little piece of paradise, it’s still expanding – most recently with an elegantly appointed 18-room lodge to add to the ten unique bed and breakfast rooms, plus a new antique store featuring finds from all over the world. Charles Trois – surrealist painter, musician, and all around genius, according to Rebecca – designed and built the estate brick by adobe brick. So dedicated was he to authenticity, she says, that he traveled to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico to learn the craft. “He came back a master brick mason. There were no blueprints, no plans.” When blueprints had to be submitted to the state of Texas, they were created after the fact. Rebecca Trois is a bit of a Renaissance woman herself – chef, designer, entrepreneur, and mother of three – creating all the recipes in the fine dining Italian restaurant on site using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Dinner is prix fixe at $55, and is open for dinner to both guests and the public, Wednesday through Saturday (Sunday brunch from 10a-2p) by reservation beginning at 6 p.m. Come early, and you may get a tour of the property by Rebecca herself. Even meals are an education of sorts: Tables are constructed like glass-topped display cases, each with a unique assortment of historical artifacts to discuss should the dinner conversation lag. A must-see is the antique cap gun museum, purportedly the largest in the world. Trois doesn’t know the exact number, saying only there are “thousands. Charles bought
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them one at a time.” If you have little ones, they will go wild at the sight of table after table, wall after wall, of cap guns and little strips of gunpowder just waiting to be popped – but never will. The site may be rustic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be pampered. There’s a day spa on property, with services arranged by reservation. An underground pool and grotto – warmed in the winter and cooled in the summer – are open year round. A vintage boutique holds racks of beautiful designer clothing and accessories. The Safari event room is just as it sounds, with big game trophies adorning the walls. The Birdcage dinner theater – modeled after the one in Tombstone, Arizona – can be rented out for parties, reunions, shows, and other special events. Thousands of fairytale weddings have been held at the estate, some in the small chapel, others in the courtyard and rooftop, also perfect for watching the sun rise and set over the Texas Hill Country. What you won’t see is the Trois’ private residence, also hand built by Charles and described by Rebecca as “pretty magnificent. It’s completely brick vaulted, with underground tunnels, and filled with our finds from all over the world. It’s like a 22,000 square foot museum.” Yep, you read right: 22,000 square feet. Trois just laughs. “It started out as 10,000 square feet, and it just grew.” And still growing. “Our final phase will be developing the empty buildings when you drive up the driveway. Those are going to be an art gallery, gift shop, winery, general store.” Anything else? Rebecca Trois pauses, but only for a moment. “It will have to come in a vision.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Pages 114-115 Trois Estate Page 116 (Above) Rebecca Trois (Below) Bird Cage Theater
Page 117 (Above) Cap Gun Museum (Below) New B&B
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Picture This: New
E. Houston Street at Soledad
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In the Shops At La Cantera
S. St. Mary’s in Southtown
E. Bass in Quarry
west Eats In Town
se Road y Village
E. Houston Street at Navarro
Josephine Street at Grayson
In Hyatt Regency River Walk
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images By Cynthia Clark and Hector Pacheco
Loop 1604 Behind Kirby’s Steak House
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On McCullough at The Circle
On Henderson Pass By Northwoods 14
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