Theater review: ‘Anything Goes’ at the Woodlawn Theatre

Now playing at the Woodlawn Theatre is the musical comedy ‘Anything Goes’ about Billy Crocker, a stowaway aboard an ocean liner bound for London from New York. He is in love with heiress Hope Harcourt and with the help of his friends, he plots to win her over before she marries Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. The show runs through May 13 with show times every Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. ‘Anything Goes’ features songs and lyrics by Cole Porter, is directed by Christopher Rodriguez and stars Carla Sankey as lead Reno Sweeney. Tickets prices range from $18 to $30 and are available online, or by calling the box office at (210) 267-8388.

‘Anything Goes’ is set in 1934 aboard the ocean liner SS American and begins as Reno, a nightclub singer and an old friend of Billy Crocker’s, expresses her love for him in “I Get a Kick Out of You.” Billy, a young Wall Street broker goes to the dock to say farewell to his boss Elisha J Whitney who is on his way to London on business. When the sailors and guests board the ship, “Bon Voyage,” Billy sees Hope, a beautiful girl he met beforehand, and upon hearing that she will be on that same ship, he stows away hoping to win her heart. During “Easy to Love,” he declares his love for Hope who agrees with him but turns him away. Eventually, Billy wins her over and Reno and Lord Evelyn, Hope’s fiancée, end up together.

The combination of silly antics, comedy and first rate singing and dancing makes ‘Anything Goes’ a joy to experience. Carla Sankey is excellent as Reno Sweeney and Isidro Medina is a scene stealer as the haughty British Lord Evelyn Oakleigh, who desperately tries to fit in by unsuccessfully picking up American idioms. Show highlights include “I Get a Kick Out of You” when Reno makes her entrance and “It’s De-Lovely” when Billy and Hope share a beautiful and elegant dance number worthy of any classic Hollywood musical. It is refreshing to see such a classic production at the local level. Overall, this family friendly musical is charming and funny with spectacular musical numbers and it is a must see.

Seersucker Distillery hosts grand opening Cinco de Derby Party

The makers of San Antonio’s own Seersucker Southern Style Gin are celebrating the grand opening of Seersucker Distillery with a Cinco de Mayo party and viewing of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday May 5 from 12p.m. to 9p.m. The public is invited to the recently remodeled 5,000 square-foot distillery to watch the race on an outdoor video wall. This Seersucker Distillery Cinco de Derby Party is free to enter, open to all ages and dog-friendly for well-behaved pets on leashes. To encourage guests to travel safely, Seersucker Southern Style Gin has partnered with Lyft to offer $10 off rides for the first 150 people to redeem the promo code SEERSUCKER55. The RSVP is available on Facebook. (Seersucker Distillery, 2018)

Attendees will be able to enjoy:

Cocktails from Seersucker Southern Style Gin + Cinco Vodka
Gin Juleps with $2.25 (or 25%) of each cocktail benefitting SNIPSA
Onsite food trucks including Guerilla Gourmet, Classic lawn games including bocce ball
Seersucker derby attire contest with cash prizes
Free tours of the distillery at 12p.m., 2p.m. and 4p.m.
Live horses and photo ops from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
DJ tunes by The Giant Hornets from Japan before the race
Live music by Zack Walther Band after the race

Phase one of Seersucker Distillery was completed in February 2018 and was followed by a soft opening to the public. Phase two of the remodel marks the completion of “The Grand Lawn” which includes a turf court for bocce ball, cornhole and washers and a dedicated area for food trucks. Seersucker Distillery’s Cinco de Derby Party is the first large scale unveiling of the completed tasting room and outdoor spaces.

Seersucker Distillery
8501 Cover Rd
San Antonio, TX 78263

Mexican rock band Zoé to perform at Aztec Theatre

zoephoto — Zoe is bringing their current tour to the Aztec Theatre on April 26. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Zoé is a Latin Grammy Award winning Mexican rock band and on Thursday April 26 they are performing at the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio. This event is appropriate for all ages and doors open at 7p.m. with the show starting at 8p.m. Tickets start at $45 and are available online. Their current tour is in support of Aztlan, their sixth studio album, which contains the new single “Clarividad” and will be released this Friday April 20. Other Texas dates include El Paso on 4/25, McAllen on 4/27, Dallas on 4/29 and Houston on 4/30. (Zoé, 2018)

Founded in Mexico City in 1994, Zoé has achieved success in Mexico and most Spanish-speaking countries with albums such as Rocanlover, Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea and Reptilectric. With more than 1.5 million records sold, band members Jesus Baez (Keyboards), Sergio Acosta (Lead Guitar), Leon Larregui (Vocals), Rodrigo Guardiola (Drums) and Angel Mosqueda (Bass) make up one of Mexico’s premiere Latin Alternative groups and are now embarking on a world tour to celebrate their musical history which has been a soundtrack to the lives of their fans.

They have performed at some of the most important festivals and stages around the world including Mexico City, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States at Coachella. Last year they premiered their film “Zoe: Panoramas” along with its soundtrack. The film ‘Panoramas’ premiered earlier this year in movie theatres in 20 U.S. cities and was screened at film festivals in Mexico, Colombia and the United States.

Aztec Theatre
104 N St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, TX 78205

Cask & Canine at The Granary ‘Cue & Brew

granarycanines — This Thursday April 19 at The Granary. Photo: The Granary ‘Cue & Brew, used with permission.

The Granary ‘Cue & Brew is getting into the Fiesta season with Cask & Canine this Thursday April 19 from 4:30p.m. to 10p.m. In partnership with Saint Arnold Brewing Co., they are hosting a pet adoption event with local animal rescue, San Antonio Humane Society. During this Fiesta Kick-Off event, guests can stop by the Granary to find a fur-ever friend or to enjoy a beer. The Granary will be tapping a special cask of Saint Arnold’s “Ale Wagger” and donating a portion from each cask sold to the San Antonio Humane Society. As passionate animal lovers, Saint Arnold’s “Ale Wagger” will also donate a portion to support local rescue organizations in the Houston area. “Ale Wagger” is a full malty body brown ale with hints of chocolate. (The Granary ‘Cue & Brew, 2018)

This event is free and open to the public with beer and food available for purchase. The San Antonio Humane Society will have dogs for adoption on site from 4:30p.m. t o 6:30p.m. and the event will run until 10p.m. The Granary and Saint Arnold will be handing out free Fiesta medals.

The Granary ‘Cue & Brew
602 Avenue A
San Antonio, TX 78215

Southerleigh to host anniversary party

southerleighpic2 — Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery is hosting a party at Paper Tiger this Sunday to celebrate its third anniversary.

This Sunday April 22 from 3p.m. to 7p.m., Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery is celebrating its three-year anniversary by hosting a party at Paper Tiger. The celebration will feature live music from The Texases and DJ Agent 45, food by Pinch Boil House & Bia Bar and treats by Paleteria San Antonio available for purchase. Additional local vendors will include Barbacoa Apparel, Pedazos de Maria and artwork by St. Jahn. Admission is free and open to the public for all ages. Food, beer and merchandise will be available for purchase. (Southerleigh, 2018)

Southerleigh’s anniversary event will also feature a special beer release of a three hops IPA to celebrate its three years.

Southerleigh is the first brewery at Pearl since 2001 and has a 15-barrel brew house, six serving tank and a firkin/wood barrel-aging program. It is a 7,900-square foot dining facility with multiple seating options including bar seating, patio seating and a private dining room that can seat up to twenty people. The private dining in the north dining room seats up to seventy-five people with the capacity to host parties of up to two hundred people.

Paper Tiger
2410 N St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, Texas 78212

‘Hand to God’ at the Cellar Theater

handtogodpic — ‘Hand to God’ opens at the Cellar Theater this Friday April 13. Photo: Jeremy Whittington, used with permission.

Opening this weekend in The Public Theater of San Antonio’s Cellar Theatre is ‘Hand to God.’ It will play from Friday April 13 through Sunday May 6 with show times on Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m. Written by Robert Askins, this ridiculously raunchy, irreverent, and funny show is bound to leave audiences sore from laughing. When Jason’s puppet takes on a shocking personality all its own, they begin to contemplate the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind everyone. This production is directed by David Rinear and stars Nicholas Ponting as Jason/Tyrone, Kimberlyn Kacie as Jessica, Doug Dawson as Pastor Greg, Renee Garvens as Margery and Michael Roberts as Timothy. (Cellar Theater, 2018)

Tickets are available online or at the box office at (210) 733-7258 and are $35 for adults, $25 for military members with ID, $25 for seniors age 60 and older and $20 for students with ID. Group Rates 10 or more are available.

* Contains themes and content not suitable for all audience members.

‘Hand to God’ is set in the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas. Margery is recently widowed, so to keep her occupied, her minister, Pastor Greg, has asked her to run the puppet club. Fundamentalist Christian congregations often use puppets to teach children how to follow the Bible and avoid Satan. The teenage members of the club are her son Jason; Jessica, the girl next door that Jason has a crush on; and Timmy, the neighborhood troublemaker whose mother is attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at the church. Pastor Greg wants the puppet club to put on a performance at the church next Sunday, but the characters have a plan of their own. They become sexually attracted to each other and Jason’s hand puppet, Tyrone, takes on a life of his own, announces that he is Satan, leads them into sin and expresses secrets that the characters would rather have left unacknowledged.

The Public Theater of San Antonio
800 West Ashby Place
San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 733-7258

‘Anything Goes’ at the Woodlawn Theatre

The next production at the Woodlawn Theatre is the musical comedy ‘Anything Goes.’ This show opens on Friday April 13 and runs through May 13 with show times every Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. On Saturday April 21 there will be a special matinee show at 2p.m. with no evening show that day. It is presented by arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc., 560 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10022. ‘Anything Goes’ features songs and lyrics by Cole Porter, is directed by Christopher Rodriguez and stars Carla Sankey as lead Reno Sweeney. Sankey is also director of choreography for the production. (Woodlawn Theatre, 2018)

Tickets are on sale online, or by calling the box office at (210) 267-8388. Prices are $18 for students and children, $24 for seniors, military and first responders and $30 for adults. Groups of ten or more receive a 20% discount. Free parking is available and located behind Vogue College of Cosmetology on W Lynwood Ave. This area is specifically designated for patrons and is patrolled by a uniformed security guard during the run of each show.

‘Anything Goes’ is based on the book by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, later revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The setting is 1934 aboard the ocean liner SS American. Along for the ride are headstrong temptress Reno Sweeney and her pal Billy Crocker. The two team up when Billy, a known playboy, falls for heiress Hope Harcourt, only to find she’s engaged. Reno and Billy concoct a wild plan to break up Hope and fiancé Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Hilarity ensues and musical dance numbers abound as the ship makes it way from New York to London. With musical direction by Jane Haas, ‘Anything Goes’ features a renowned score from legendary Cole Porter, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s De-Lovely,” “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” and the musical’s main title “Anything Goes.”

During the production’s run, Woodlawn Theatre will be accepting donations to benefit The Guadalupe Dance Company. In addition, the Theatre will showcase works by local artist Sarah Brooke Lyons as part of their mission to highlight and support visual arts in the San Antonio community.

Special performances:
Pride Night – April 20th
College Night – May 4th
Educational Night – May 11th
ASL (American Sign Language) Night – May 12th

Woodlawn Theatre
1920 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 267-8388

Upcoming Whataburger fundraisers

whataburgerchickensandwich-jpg — Whataburger will be hosting two fundraisers this month to benefit local schools. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.

Whataburger periodically hosts events to help the community and its various schools. These events have ranged from “Oh Whata Nights” to jalapeño eating contests, drawings and raffles. This Tuesday April 12 from 4p.m. to 7p.m., Whataburger is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Aue Elementary and on Tuesday April 17 from 5p.m. to 8p.m. to benefit Burbank High School Band. The public is invited to come and show their support by enjoying their favorite menu items and during the posted hours, Whataburger will donate 20 percent of the sales to the students. At the April 17 fundraiser, attendees will have a chance to win “Whataburger For a Year” – where one customer’s name will be drawn to win the prize, a free Whataburger each week for an entire year. These Whata Night fundraisers will be at the posted locations only. (Whataburger, 2018)

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 700 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals everyday with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.

Whataburger – to benefit Aue Elementary
25111 W. Interstate 10
San Antonio, TX 78257
(210) 698-5485

Whataburger – to benefit Burbank High School Band
4720 Interstate Hwy 35 S.
San Antonio, TX 78211
(210) 924-2118

Taco Fest at La Villita

tacofest18 — Taco Fest will take place on Saturday April 14 at La Villita. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Coming up on Saturday April 14 from 12p.m. to 11p.m., foodie and music fans will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds at Taco Fest. Taco Fest will celebrate San Antonio’s unofficial dish with tacos from over 30 restaurants, taquerias and food trucks. Every vendor will have at least one $2 taco option to give attendees a chance to sample the different taco varieties. Vendors will compete in a variety of categories from Breakfast to Puffy and there will be three music stages with national, regional and local acts. This event is for the entire family and children under 10 get in for free. VIP tickets are sold out but there are still advance General Admission tickets still available online for $20 plus fees. Advance General Admission tickets sale ends Friday April 13 after which the price will increase to $25 on the day of the event. Taco Fest will take place rain or shine. All ticket sales are final, and no refunds will be issued.

Tacos From:
Chisme, Pete’s Tako House, Mi Taquito Arandas Jalisco, Tapatio Vegan Tacos, Davila’s BBQ, Market on Houston, Little Woodrow’s, Taco Haven, The Culinary Institute of America, Soluna, Torchy’s Tacos, El Milagrito, Viva Villa, Sancho’s, Tomatillo’s, Tommy’s Restaurant, Don Pablo’s, Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant, Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant and Fruteria, La Casa de Barbacoa, Mr. Meximum, Chela’s Tacos and more.

Music By:
La Santa Cecilia, Brown Sabbath, Santiago Jimenez, Jr., Girl in a Coma, Money Chicha, Piñata Protest, Femina-X, Eddie & the Valiants, Los #3 Dinners and El Conjunto Nueva Ola.

El Conjunto Nueva Ola is a lucha libre masked cumbia group that has blown away audiences at rock festivals and music stages across the United States. With their unique brand of Cumbia Rock, they have performed at sold out crowds at The Honda Center in Anaheim and Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie in Dallas opening for Mexican Cumbia icons Los Angeles Azules. The group continues to build a cult following with supportive fans across the country and are set to release a new music video in May 2018 and a new studio album in the Fall. (ECNO, 2018)

ecno — El Conjunto Nueva Ola will be performing at Taco Fest on Saturday April 14. Photo: ECNO, used with permission.

La Villita Historic Arts Village
S. Presa St.
San Antonio, TX 78205

Theater review: ‘If/Then’ at The Public Theater of San Antonio

ifthenpic — ‘If/Then’ is now playing at The Public Theater of San Antonio through Sunday April 8.

Now playing at The Public Theater of San Antonio in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater is the Tony Award winning musical ‘‘If/Then’.’ This musical tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. With music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, it is directed by Molly Cox. It stars Stephanie Genito as Elizabeth, Alyssa Lopez as Kate, Grant Bryan as Josh, Justin Keown as Stephen and Nicholas Ponting as Lucas. There are still three more chances to catch this production with show times on Friday, Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday 2p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $35 and are available online and at the box office.

Disclaimer: This production may contain themes and content not suitable for all audience members.

Set in New York City, the audience is introduced to Elizabeth as she meets Kate, a kindergarten teacher and Lucas, a community organizer, in Madison Square Park. (What If?) As they get reacquainted, Kate suggests that Elizabeth start using the name “Liz” and seek out new experiences while Lucas suggests she go back to her college nickname “Beth” and start her professional life in the city. From there, the story splits in two as both possibilities take shape: Liz stays in the park with Kate while Beth leaves with Lucas and the rest of the show further explores these options.

The idea of parallel universes has long been debated among intellectual circles. ‘If/Then’ takes this topic and visually explores the many possible paths a person’s life can take. Not only is Elizabeth’s life impacted, but so are the lives of those around her, including Lucas and Kate. To help distinguish between the two characters, as Elizabeth, Jennifer wears glasses when she is playing Liz. Despite that, the storyline is hard to follow sometimes but overall it is an intriguing and poignant exploration of the ever elusive ‘What If’ question. Highlights include “You Don’t Need to Love Me” after Beth sleeps with Lucas and “Hey Kid” when Lucas is deciding if he should commit to David. The second act is darker as the group experiences several losses but at the end the story reset and ends in Madison Square Garden, where it all began. The cast works well together, and their vocal abilities make this an enjoyable production. Like ‘Rent,’ ‘If/Then’ centers around a group of young friends but it is also a deep look into the unpredictability of life. It is recommended for audiences who appreciate more cerebral productions but because of its adult language and themes, it may not be suitable for all audiences.

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Author: Sandra Cruz