Upcoming: City of Angels, Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward's University, April

Click for ALT review, April 13


UPDATE: Reviews by Rhonda and Preston Kirk for the A-Team of the Greater Austin Creative Alliance, April 13

UPDATE: Review by Clare Croft for Statesman's A360 "Seeing Things" blog, April 12

Found on-line and received directly:

City of Angels

Book by Larry Gelbart, Music by Cy Coleman and David Zippel, Vocal arrangements by Cy Coleman and Yaron Gershovsky
Directed by Michael McKelvey, featuring Sarah Gay, Jamie Goodwin and David M. Long

Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward’s University
3001 South Congress Avenue Click for Campus map

April 8 - 18, Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
Reserved Seating, Tickets available through the MMNT box office at 448-8484.
Advance $18 ($15 students, seniors, St. Edward’s community)
All tickets $20 at the door.

Special added show for students, Wednesday, April 14 at 7:30 PM --student tickets $7 with ID

Box office is open 1-5 p.m. Monday–Friday and 1 hour prior to curtain.

With wit, style and a sophisticated, jazz-inspired score, this Tony-award winning musical bounces between film noir and 1940s Hollywood glamour with dynamic musical flare. In the story, a frazzled novelist struggles to adapt his hard-boiled detective novel to the silver screen. As tensions mount, the parallels between his own life and that of his fictional detective spiral start to overlap. The Mary Moody Northen Theatre production features Equity guest artists Sarah Gay, Jamie Goodwin, and David M. Long. Michael McKelvey directs.

Upcoming: Conjure, kt shorb and GenEnCo, Resistencia Bookstore, March 27

Received directly:

CONJURE: Calling up the Spirit of Struggle, Resistance, & Liberation

Saturday March 27, 9 p.m.
Resistencia Bookstore, 1801-A South First St., 416-8885
$7 dollar suggested donation.

We invite you to a forum for progressive artist/activists: a series of experiments in jazz music, spoken word, and theatre. This session will feature kt shorb & the Generic Ensemble Company (GenEnCo) with black improvisational music by the 3Collective.

Rooted in the tradition of improvisation, revolution, and blues, Conjure is a sovereign site for artistic/exploratory/spiritual collaboration, expression, and rejuvenation. Each jam session will highlight the “Afrological improvised music” of the 3Collective along with a featured spoken word performer, dancer, and filmmaker inspired by the jazz aesthetic.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Austin Theatre Arts Under Threat: City Council May End or Curtail Grants and Subsidies

Austin's mayor and city council are contemplating a revised and much more restrictive ruling of the Texas Attorney General's ruling on uses of the Hotel and Occupancy Tax, one that is likely to sharply cut or eliminate City grants and subsidies to arts organizations, including theatre.

This e-mail advice and request just in from the Greater Austin Creative Alliance :

URGENT ARTS SITUATION!

We are aware and extremely concerned about what is going on at City Council in regards to changes to the HOT funds ( Hotel Occupancy tax). We are doing all we can to double check all of the facts as to what has actually transpired so we know what we should immediately address. Tonight it is essential for all Arts supporters from the Austin community to stand strong at the City of Austin Arts Commission meeting at 5:30 TODAY City Hall, Room 1029 to discuss the fate of the Arts in Austin. Please hold tomorrow from 11 to 1 pm open for a meeting at the Dougherty Arts Center. We will be sending out more information as soon as we can.

Greater Austin Creative Alliance

Latifah Taormina, Executive Director
512-247-2531
latifah@austincreativealliance.org

= = =

ALT provides, below, an email link and text suggested by Michael Mellinger and Andrew Long, ready to send directly to the Council.

"Use your voice and stand up for the rights of all Austin Artists and Art Supporters NOW.

"The following is a link to the online form for emailing mayor and council simultaneously:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm

Dear Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,

It has recently come to light that the Council is considering applying a narrow interpretation of the State Attorney General's ruling concerning the use of state Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds. Under the current interpretation that has been in place for years in Austin, HOT funds have been used to support a wide variety of creative, community-based arts organizations. These groups increase the city's livability, complement its artistic temperament, and boost tourism by putting Austin on the map as a city with a vibrant and exciting arts culture.

All that will change if the city adopts a narrow view of the AG ruling, which states that only projects proving a direct, quantifiable impact on tourism are eligible to receive HOT funds. But there are many ways to interpret and evaluate an arts group's impact on tourism. As City Council members, you have the discretion to continue interpreting the existing statute in such a way as to not wipe out over a hundred arts organizations that are currently enriching the lives of Austin's citizens-particularly the largely under-served populations of children, the elderly, lower-income, and people of color. Even the city's own Special Opportunities and Capacity Building programs will be ineligible for funding under this narrow interpretation.

As a citizen of Austin, I am asking you to reverse your recent decision to change what kind of programming is eligible for Cultural Arts funding.

Upcoming: Tape by Stephen Belbert, Phoenix Theatre at University of Texas, March 26 - 28

Received directly:

The Phoenix Theatre Company in association with The Salt Theatre Company presents

Tape

by Stephen Bilber
directed by Shaun Patrick Tubbs
March 26 & 27 at 8 p.m., March 27 & 28 at 2 p.m.
The University of Texas at Austin, Room 2.180 Winship Drama Building, 300 East 23rd Street

Admission is free w/ suggested donation.

Tape, a modern morality tale, will keep you guessing until the end. Who’s right? What’s wrong? In a hotel room, in the course of an evening, secrets are revealed, alliances altered and the truth is illusive … even when it’s on tape.

Vince, a dope dealer and volunteer fireman, and Jon, his best friend from high school, have come to town to see Jon’s movie screening at the local film festival. The two friends meet in Vince’s motel room and things heat up when they start talking about Amy Randall, Vince’s high school sweetheart, who now works in town as a prosecution attorney and is planning to meet Vince that night. Accusations fly, surrounding an encounter between Jon and Amy, and a confession is caught on tape. Tension rises as the three old friends battle over the details of an event that has haunted them all for the past ten years.

Cast includes Blade Healey, Lauren Jacobs, and Bishan Jones. Stage Managed by Cate Eby.

Upcoming: Body Awareness, Hyde Park Theatre, April 8 - May 8

UPDATE: Mention by San Francisco playwright Tim Bauer in his blog "Direct Address," April 22

UPDATE: Review by Ryan E. Johnson at examiner.com, April 13

UPDATE: Review by Jeane Claire van Ryzin on Statesman's Austin360 "Seeing Things" blog, April 12

UPDATE: Audio with Mike Lee on KUT's "Arts Eclectic," April 12

Received directly:

presents the Southwest premiere of

Body Awareness

a comedy by Annie Baker

directed by Ken Webster

April 8 - May 8, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $19 and $17 for students, seniors, and ACOT members on Fridays and Saturdays. Thursdays are pay-what-you-can. Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd. Tickets can be charged online at www.hydeparktheatre.org, or by phone at 479-PLAY.

Featuring: Kenneth Wayne Bradley,Katherine Catmull,Emily Erington, Stephen Mercantel, Ken Webster

It's "Body Awareness Week" at a very-liberal-indeed liberal arts college in Shirley, Vermont, and tensions are coming to a head. Phyllis, one of the organizers, can't get people to stop calling it "Eating Disorders Week" ("if we could just correct that on all the posters, that would be great.") Her partner Joyce is trying to persuade her socially awkward son ("I'm actually 21. I'm old enough to have sex with an adult woman.") that he may have Asperger's Syndrome. Frank,the guest artist staying at their home, photographs nude women of all ages...all ages.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Sleeping Beauty, Vortex Repertory, April 2 - May 9

UPDATE: The Vortex has extended Sleeping Beauty to May 9

Click for ALT review, April 11

UPDATE: Review by Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, Austin Statesman's "Seeing Things" blog, April 8

UPDATE: Jeanne Claire van Ryzin interviews Bonnie Cullum about Sleeping Beauty, April 1

UPDATE: Lisa Schepps on KOOP-FM interviews leading singer-actors Jonathan Itchon and Julia Lorenz, as well as creators Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles on her program "Off Stage and On the Air," March 29

Received directly:

Vortex Repertory Company
presents

Sleeping Beauty

A new musical faery tale
by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles
April 2 - May 9 Thursdays-Sundays 8 p.m.
ASL-Interpreted Saturday, May 10, 2010
Audio Description Saturday, May 17, 2010
Faery Masque Ball on Saturday, May 1
The Vortex, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin 78722. Free Parking. Bus Route. Lovely café.

Tickets: $30-$10 Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org
$30-$25 Priority Seating, $20-$15 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists. Thursdays and Sundays 2-for-1 admission with donation of 2 non-perishable food items. Limited seating.

VORTEX Repertory Company proudly presents Sleeping Beauty, a magical new musical by Bonnie Cullum and Content Love Knowles. Loosely based on the Grimm Brothers’ faery tale, this dynamic production joins the musical theatre cannon with a feminist, revisionist re-telling of a well-beloved faery tale. While this production is not designed for children (scary faeries), we welcome audiences of all ages (PG-13 with no nudity or foul language). This is not your mama’s faery tale.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Upcoming: Our Town, University of Texas, April 2 - 11

Click for ALT review, April 8

UPDATE: Review by Elizabeth Cobbe in the Austin Chronicle, April 8

UPDATE: Sara Pressley's feature in the Daily Texan, April 2

Found on-line:

The University of Texas presents

Our Town

by Thornton Wilder

directed by Marie Brown

April 2 - 11, Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

April 2*, 3, 9, 10 at 8 p.m.; April 7 & 8 at 7 p.m.
Matinees April 3, 10, 11 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $20 adults, $17 UT faculty & staff, $15 students available online at www.texasperformingarts.org or by phone at 477-6060.

Our Town portrays a town at the turn of the twentieth century. It is a picture of the common things, the moments that fill everyday lives, the rites of passage we all face, the things and words and habits that we pass from one hand to another, day to day, generation to generation, century to century. It is a picture of that which we may touch every day but may never see.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

[image from Scottsdale Community College: www.scottsdalecc.edu]