The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio’s Children’s Nutcracker returns

The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio presents The Children’s Nutcracker and Holiday Market, a magical holiday extravaganza. Photo: Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, used with permission.

An enchanting tale filled with all the magic of the holidays, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker has been captivating the hearts and minds of audiences for decades. This timeless story of a young girl whose beloved doll comes to life and takes her on wonderous journey has inspired many a young dancer to take the stage and has fostered a love of the arts in the young, and young at heart. (Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, 2022)

This year, the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio will return to the Lila Cockrell Theatre to present a Broadway level production of this favorite holiday family tradition. Combining immersive and interactive elements each performance is an event that includes shopping, sweets, and Santa. With a condensed 1.5 hour run time, it will keep event the youngest theatregoers engaged.

The fun starts from the moment guests enter the theatre and discover themselves in a festive holiday market where they can browse the extensive selection of dress-up items, including tutus and Sugarplum Fairy wands, Mouse King swords, as well as home décor including ornaments and, of course, nutcrackers. Hair and makeup stylists will be on site to offer magical makeovers transforming little ones into regal royals for a glittering good time. Key cast members from princes to queens, and fairies, along with Santa himself, will be on hand for photos on a first come first served basis. Because no holiday is complete without treats, there will be plenty of holiday fare including cocoa, holiday cookies and other seasonal favorites along with hot dogs, mini-burgers, and popcorn.

Award-winning dancers and a talented array of young performers share the stage for this production filled with dazzling costumes, multimedia integrated scenery, and even an interactive surprise or two for the audience members. More than just ballet, The Nutcracker celebrates the traditional dances of cultures around the world, showcasing a variety of disciplines and talents including vocalists, actors, gymnasts, special needs artists and more. CBSA founder and former Prima Ballerina Vanessa Bessler, leads the talented youth who range in age from 3-19 and include internationally acclaimed classical dancers alongside gifted special needs artists. A seven-time Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding Teacher Award winner, Bessler created CBSA to serve as a gateway for young artists interested in pursuing a professional dance career. The elite artists have had the privilege to train in some of the world’s best academies including the Royal Ballet School in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, and the School of American Ballet in New York City, to name a few. Through recognition, awards, and scholarships from the most prestigious ballet competitions and schools in the world for many of its dancers, CBSA has elevated San Antonio to the world stage, making it a strong player in the arts world.

Friday, December 9, 7p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 7p.m.
Holiday Market and Photos with Santa and cast opens one hour prior to showtime.

The Lila Cockrell Theatre
200 E. Market Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tickets are available online.

Admission proceeds and holiday market profits directly benefit CBSA in fulfilling its mission to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds. Donations from the event will benefit dance scholarships for special needs and underserved youth, as well as the transportation and organization of several hundred Title 1 school students to attend each performance. Funds also go to the production costs of theatre, costumes, lights, and special effects that allow these dancers to perform in San Antonio’s top theatres in professional productions as part of their professional level training.

The award-winning Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is an authentic, professional-level ballet company that produces professionally staged productions showcasing San Antonio’s most talented children. Dancers are selected by invitation or audition. The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit organization 501(c)3.

The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) seeks to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds.

Lila Cockrell Theatre

Agarita celebrates San Antonio Museum of Art’s anniversary

Agarita celebrates San Antonio Museum of Art’s 40th anniversary with free community concert. Photo: Agarita

An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement, and free, adventurous programming. (Agarita, 2021)

Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It works intimately with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí, and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.

As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations. The next event will take place on Sunday, December 12 at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

Agarita Celebrates SAMA’s 40th!
Date: Sunday, December 12, 2021
Time: 11a.m. – 12:15p.m.
Location: San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 West Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Collaborator: Highlights of SAMA’s permanent collection
Description: Agarita returns to the San Antonio Museum of Art for a concert celebrating the museum’s 40th anniversary. Musical selections will reflect artworks on display in the special exhibit. This concert is FREE and open to the public.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Teatro Audaz’ production of Man of the Flesh opens Thursday

Tickets are now on sale for Man of the Flesh at the Cellar Theater. Photo: Teatro Audaz, used with permission.

Teatro Audaz’ next performance opens this week at the Public Theater of San Antonio’s Cellar Theatre. Man of the Flesh, by Octavio Solis, is directed by Holly Nañes opens this Thursday, October 28, 2021. Tickets are available now available online and range from $20 for student/military/SATCO/senior/educator to $25 for general admission. (Teatro Audaz, 2021)

A modern comic adaptation of the first Don Juan Play, The Trickster of Seville, Juan is dispatched by this father who owns Pronto Lawn and Garden to work off his sins of the flesh. But at the Downey estate, on the eve of Day of the Dead, he meets the love of his life. But contrary to all the women before her, Anna Downey spurns him. He is determined to declare his love to her, even if he must seduce all the women of the house to get near her.

Performance dates: October 28 – November 02
Six performances only from Thursday through Tuesday
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m.

Cellar Theatre at the Public Theater of San Antonio
800 W. Ashby Pl
San Antonio, TX 78212

Special dates:
November 1 – Elite Event Día de los Muertos photo booth
November 2 – Ballet Folklorico Sol de San Antonio

Cast:
Sergio Mendoza – Juan Tenorio
Eric Alvarado – Luis
Benito Lara – Don Diego/Downey/Reveler
Keli Cabunoc – Concepcion
John Perez – Fracas
Donna Provenchar – Dora Downey/Reveler
Jessica Arenas – Martina/Reveler
Lissette Belmontes – Lorena/Flor
Kathleen O’Neal – Romelia/Heather/Reveler
Sky Young – Anne Downey

Teatro Audaz will continue to implement Covid-19 safety protocols to promote the good health and well being of patrons, performers, and staff.

2021-10-28T11:16:00

days

hours minutes seconds

until

Man of the Flesh opening night

Cellar Theater

Briscoe Western Art Museum’s ‘Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk’

Briscoe’s ‘Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk’ will be this Saturday, December 19, 2020. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

At the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the holidays come with a touch of Western fun. Enjoy the holidays in a new way at “Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk,” this Saturday, December 19 from 11a.m. to 4p.m. when the Briscoe will be brimming with holiday cheer. For guests who pre-book a visit, the experience includes a virtual or in-person story time and a personal visit with Cowboy Claus. “Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk” is included with Briscoe general admission. With safety in mind, visits and story time with Cowboy Claus are ticketed separately and limited to those who pre-reserve. The museum’s health and safety protocols require that both staff and guests wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Cowboy Christmas features a day of family fun exploring the museum, made even sweeter because December 19 is Locals Day at the Briscoe. All Bexar County residents receive half off general admission to enjoy the day. The Briscoe’s halls are decked, carols are quietly echoing in the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, and holiday fun and flavor await with San Antonio food truck favorites Lady Picoza and Saweet Cupcakes onsite offering tasty holiday treats to enjoy in the sculpture garden. During a special 12 Days of Christmas scavenger hunt, guests can browse through the Briscoe’s fantastic collection and there will be Christmas crafts and coloring sheets to enjoy onsite or to take home.

For shoppers looking for the perfect gift, the Museum Store is offering special deals during Cowboy Christmas, including 10% off all holiday, home décor, and gifts for men, women, and children. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission at the Briscoe, as do active-duty members of the military, making the museum an ideal spot for local families to enjoy and find fantastic gifts to take home.

The Briscoe is offering both virtual and in-person contactless visits with Cowboy Claus. For the virtual Cowboy Claus option, morning and afternoon private, personalized sessions are available and include four children per family. Through a Zoom visit, Cowboy Claus will meet and greet each Lil Partner and their family in a 10-minute private visit, featuring one-on-one family time with the man of the season as he visits with your Lil Partners in your home before he comes back in person on Christmas Eve. Santa will know your Lil Partners’ names, favorite things and more, thanks to the magic of the pre-reservation information you provide. The session also includes story time with Santa and a digital activity pack including coloring pages, a Santa countdown calendar and more. Virtual visit families will also receive a fun and engaging children’s craft activity delivered before the big day, as well a 20% discount code to shop online or in person for the perfect gifts in the Briscoe Museum Store and two general admission tickets to enjoy the museum on a future visit. Virtual visits are $45 per family of four children and $35 for museum members and can be booked online.

Santa wants everyone to stay safe for the holidays, so he is stopping by the Briscoe for “contactless” visits in-person with Lil Partners. That means he will meet and greet but will be safely distanced so that everyone can stay on the nice and healthy list. In-person Cowboy Claus sessions include story time with Santa, a 6-minute personal visit with Santa and unlimited personal photos with Santa, snapped by a grownup joining in the fun to capture Christmas memories, the Briscoe’s holiday scavenger hunt, and a fun and engaging take-home children’s craft activity and exclusive discounts to shop online or in person for the perfect gifts in the Briscoe Museum Store. In-person visits with Cowboy Claus are not included with museum admission, however, museum admission may be purchased online, or in-person and the Locals Day admission special applies. “Contactless” Cowboy Claus visits are $35 per family of four children and $25 for museum members and can be booked online.

Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis to guarantee a safe, socially distanced event and tickets must be purchased in advance. Virtual visits with Cowboy Claus must be pre-reserved by December 13and in-person time by December 18. No sessions will be sold the day of the event.

Open call for 2021 Texas Medal of Arts Awards nominees

This week, Texas Cultural Trust (TCT) announced that honoree nominations for the eleventh biennial Texas Medal of Arts Awards (TMAA) are now open. More than ever before, the power of the arts has been magnified as an emotional salve, a way to connect, a universal language, an expression of current events and a symbol of hope. The 2021 TMAA will reflect and look ahead to the role the arts play in our lives and our communities, while celebrating the creative excellence, exemplary talents and outstanding contributions by Texans in selected categories. The honoree nomination form is available on the TCT website and is due by Wednesday, July 15. (Texas Cultural Trust, 2020)

The signature event is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, February 23–24, 2021, at various venues across Austin. Chairs will include Texas Cultural Trust 2019 TMAA Honoree and Texas native Brandon Maxwell, TCT Immediate Past Board of Directors Chair Linda LaMantia and TCT Board of Directors Executive Committee Member Judy Robison. Maxwell, who is the Awards’ youngest recipient, is the first to be recognized for fashion design. He launched his eponymous ready-to-wear label in 2015 in New York City and has since gone on to create awarded collections and custom creations. LaMantia, from Laredo, Texas, joined the Texas Cultural Trust board in 2009, and with her family, has supported arts and education for decades. Robison, former chair and board member of the Trust since 2008, from El Paso, has been a lifetime supporter of the arts and culture with extensive experience working in education and arts advocacy.

Since 2001, TCT has presented 117 medals to Texas leaders and luminaries who have achieved excellence through their creative talents, as well as those whose generosity has opened doors to artistic opportunity for Texans of all ages. Culminating in a star-studded celebration, the TMAA raises substantial financial support, visibility and awareness about the power of the arts to enrich a child’s education and enhance our state’s economy and cultural heritage.

Nominees are considered from the following categories: architecture, arts education, arts patron (individual and corporate), dance, design, film, lifetime achievement, fashion design, literary arts, media/multimedia, music (performance and songwriter), television, theater arts and visual arts.

Texas Cultural Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and increasing access and awareness for the arts across the state. Programs of the Texas Cultural Trust include the Texas Medal of Arts Awards, Art Can, Texas Young Masters, Texas Women for the Arts, Partners in the Arts, and Arts Access. Texas Cultural Trust efforts are amplified by its partners who are instrumental in the success of leading a cohesive voice for the arts in education, advocacy, and economic impact in Texas, spotlighting the artistic excellence of our state.

“I was honored to be a Texas Medal of Arts Award recipient last year and knew I wanted a greater role for the 2021 event. I take pride in helping determine the new class of honorees from our great state who will be joining us in February. These honorees, and the arts as a whole, provide an important role to the healing of our communities, and it is a privilege to be in their company.” – Brandon Maxwell

PechaKucha San Antonio Vol. 36 at the Tobin Center

pechakucha19 — PechaKucha San Antonio Vol. 36 will take place this Wednesday December 11. Photo: Jessica Giesey, used with permission.

PechaKucha San Antonio, the global arts and culture series that hosts speakers who share their passions in a unique format, is excited to announce the lineup for its Volume 36 edition, scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. The night begins with a welcome reception at 6:30p.m. followed by presentations starting at 7:30p.m. (PechaKucha San Antonio, 2019)

Vol. 36 will feature a talented group of locals. The six presenters include:

Michael “Mikey” Nye, Photography & Audio Documentarian
Reggie De La Garza, Upholstery Sorceress
Robert Lopez Flynn, Native Texas Cotton Chopper
Missi Smith, Artist
Alyson Alonzo, Electronic RnB Producer/Singer
David Zamora Casas, Multi-disciplinary Contemporary Artist

Emcees for the evening include News 4 San Antonio anchor Randy Beamer as well as founder of the Rivard Report, Robert Rivard. The welcome reception will feature live music by Travis Buffkin and complimentary bites curated by local chefs and restaurants. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased online. PechaKucha San Antonio is presented in partnership with the Las Casas Foundation.

Pronounced “PEH-chuh KOO-chuh,” PechaKucha is a 20 image x 20 second arts and cultures series. It hosts speakers who share their passions in a unique format: Each presenter gets exactly 20 images, and each slide advances automatically every 20 seconds (for a total time of 6:40). San Antonio’s first quarterly PechaKucha Night was held in February 2011 and now attracts hundreds of attendees to venues throughout San Antonio. It showcases a broad range of individuals, including architects, artists, makers, academics, community leaders and more. PechaKucha (Japanese for “chit chat”) is an event format developed by Tokyo’s Klein Dytham Architecture to encourage creative professionals to share projects and ideas that they are passionate about. Since it began in 2003, PechaKucha has expanded to more than 1000 cities around the world.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
100 Auditorium Cir
San Antonio, TX 78205

Las Casas Scholarship Program application deadline is January 27

Las Casas Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2019 Performing Arts Scholarship Program through Sunday January 27. Applications are available online. (Las Casas Foundation, 2019)

Now in its 11th year, this annual education scholarship program culminates at the Joci Awards, a one-night showcase of 25 talented performing arts students in San Antonio and the surrounding area. The program is open to students in grades 9-12 and includes five categories: Vocal, Acting, Dance, Best Lead Actor in a Musical and Best Lead Actress in a Musical. This year, Las Casas will award its one-millionth dollar, maintaining its designation as the largest scholarship funding source of its kind in the United States.

Las Casas will recognize the top three outstanding high school productions at the annual Joci Awards, which is open to the public and scheduled for Sunday April 14, 2019 at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. Each production will be awarded a $500 stipend to support its theatre program and a special trophy to be displayed in the school’s award case. A teacher or director from the top production will also receive the chance to attend the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City.

In affiliation with the Joci Awards production team, Las Casas Foundation will select three Production Assistants for the 2019 Joci Awards. This opportunity is open to students in grades 9-12 and each Production Assistant will receive a $1,000 scholarship. A separate application for the Joci Awards Production Assistant internship is available online.

Las Casas Foundation is dedicated to the development of the performing arts through education and scholarships, as well as the restoration and preservation of historic theatres. Las Casas Foundation offers a variety of educational initiatives to nurture and grow the performing arts, including an annual scholarship program, awarding more than $100,000 in scholarship funds each year, as well as additional educational and training opportunities.

SA Examiner

Your Insider Source For Entertainment And Business Headlines

Category: Arts news