March 2008

 

 

 

Spring has arrived and with it comes lots of fun things to do while enjoying the beautiful weather.  Miller Outdoor Theater begins their season, as does the Houston Astros.  You won't want to miss the Bayou City Art Festival.   Put on those boots and cowboy hats - it's time to Rodeo!  And while you're at it, you better find something green to show your spirit for St. Patrick's Day.  The Arboretum has a long list of fun activities this month and you won't want to miss the chance to have breakfast with the Easter bunny at the Houston Zoo.   Whatever your interests, there is something for everyone this month in Houston!

 Holidays

 

March 9th:      Daylight Savings Begins

March 16th:    Palm Sunday

March 17th:    St. Patrick’s Day

March 20th:    Spring Begins

March 21st:    Good Friday

March 23rd:    Easter

 

Dance/Music/Theatre

 Alley Theatre   (615 Texas Avenue)

Thru March 30th: Othello - With language and psychological depth rivaling the highest of Shakespeare’s achievements as a dramatist, Othello is a highly charged tale of jealousy, prejudice, revenge and the destruction of innocence. Scott Schwartz returns to the Alley (following his productions here of Much Ado About Nothing and Steve Martin’s The Underpants) to direct a large cast led by Alley Company members David Rainey as Othello, James Black as Iago, Elizabeth Bunch as Desdemona and Elizabeth Heflin as Emilia. Passed over for the position of Othello’s lieutenant, Iago begins to plot his revenge against the Moor. Believing his wife, Emilia, has been unfaithful with Othello, Iago plans to poison Othello’s marriage with jealousy. As Iago’s lies begin to take hold, Othello questions more and more the fidelity of his new bride.  Shakespeare weaves a bloody tapestry of deception and betrayal - love and honor, and creates one of the most thrilling plays in world theatre.   

Thru April 20th:  Underneath the Lintel - A puzzling mystery begins when an assistant acquisitions librarian finds a late book in the overnight slot and becomes determined to track down the offender… especially since the book is 113 years overdue. As his endeavors continue, he finds himself on a journey that unlocks ancient mysteries and moves him to new revelations. 

for more information, see www.alleytheatre.org or call (713) 228-8421

 

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion  (The Woodlands)

Surrounded by a lush forest, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater that provides the Greater Houston region with an array of performing arts and contemporary entertainment in a setting of unparalleled beauty

March 22nd:   Moody Blues  8:00 p.m.

for more information, see www.pavilion.woodlandscenter.org 

 

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts   (800 Bagby @ Walker)

Thru March 9th:  Hello Dolly  -  “Feel the room swayin’, for the band’s playin’, one of your old fav’rite songs from way back when” the grande dame musical of them all returns to the TUTS stage for the first time in 15 years.  The red gown and feathers, those tunes everyone knows and the dancing waiters come home in a production that brings back the days when bigger was definitely better in Houston. With composer Jerry Herman reuniting with TUTS for the show, "It’s so nice to have you back where you belong – Dolly’s glowin', Dolly’s crowin', Dolly’s goin’ strong!"

March 1st:  A Marian Feast - Two sublime works by the Neopolitan master Alessandro Scarlatti, juxtaposing the Virgin Mary's lament at the crucifixion (Stabat Mater) with and oratorio on her immaculate conception, La Concettione della Beata Vergine -- just recorded by Ars Lyrica! Featuring soprano Melissa Givens and tenor Gerrod Pagenkopf.

March 2nd:  Dance Infusion - Contemporary and classical ballet, modern and jazz infused dance concert with local and international choreographers. Featuring premier works by choreographers Alex Arizpe, Beth Gulledge-Brown, Keith Cross, Ray Dones and Brent Smith. Also featuring works choreographed by Cecilia Marta and Dominic Walsh.

March 7th:   Serioso - Join the Maggini String Orchestra for Felix Mendelssohn's "other" violin concerto, played by our concertmaster Adam LaMotte. Rounding out the program is Beethoven's String Quartet in F minor, nicknamed "Serioso", in a special arrangement for Maggini. This masterwork is a colossal force of musical and human dynamics, perfectly representative of this master's spirit.

March 8th:  Ballet Gala - The Kingwood Dance Theatre Ballet Gala will present an evening of diverse and innovative new works created on the ballet company this season. The five new ballets, choreographed by Thom Clower, Jessica Hendricks, Joe Istre, Susan Cilie and Catherine Cogliandro, include classical, contemporary and jazzy styles of dance and music. Kingwood Dance Theatre will be joined in the performance by Kingwood Youth Ballet (the junior and apprentice division of the company) for a full evening of entertainment.

March 11th – 23rd:  The Rat Pack: Live at the Sands - Direct from a record-breaking run in London's West End, THE RAT PACK brilliantly recreates the ultimate meeting of three legendary performers.  In 1960, while filming the casino robbery caper Ocean's Eleven in Las Vegas, Frank Sinatra got together a group of his closest buddies for impromptu concerts at the Sands Hotel. The Sands is no longer, and Frank, Sammy and Dean have left us, but THE RAT PACK transports you back to that moment in popular music history that has never been equaled.

March 25th:  The Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour - It’s hard to find anything to laugh about in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The on-going exchange of rockets, the split of the Palestinian government, and the border crisis have added another layer of complexity to stalled peace negotiations. And yet a group of four Arab and Israeli comedians have come together to promote peace through comedy. Palestinian comedian and Israeli comedians on the same stage, pointing fingers at themselves and each other and instead of blaming – they are laughing. It’s never been done before. And hopefully it won’t be the last time.

March 25th – April 6th:  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - In the Tony-Award winning new musical comedy THE 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.  Spelling Bee has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser." This tuneful, offbeat and at times heartwarming show offers audience members the opportunity (strictly voluntary) to become part of the action as on-stage spellers. The New York Times calls Spelling Bee, "irresistible, riotously funny and remarkably ingenious – gold stars all around."

for more information, see www.thehobbycenter.org or call (713) 315-2525

 

Houston Symphony  (Jones Hall – 615 Louisiana)

Thru March 2nd:  Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff - All of Tchaikovsky's symphonies are wrenched from deep inside him and as such are titanic works of love. In his writings, he speaks of many of them as if they were living things – the children he knew he otherwise would never have. The prince of these is the extroverted and wild Fourth Symphony.  Revel in the grandness of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.  Rachmaninoff composed the Piano Concerto No. 1, his Opus 1, at the age of 18. Although he was still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, he’d already developed his characteristic style. In 1917, more than two decades later, he revised the score thoroughly. This revised version of the work contains youthful ardor and turmoil.

March 6th:  Lang Lang - "Lang Lang is a marvel, his ease of virtuosity astonishing, his stage presence magnetic." - The Times (London)

Due to a scheduling conflict, Lang Lang has regretfully been forced to postpone his May 2007 concert appearance with the Houston Symphony until next year.  Lang Lang has now re-scheduled his appearance with the Houston Symphony for Thursday, March 6, 2008.

March 10th:    Bobby McFerrin - Bobby McFerrin combines his uniquely engaging sound with audience interaction and vibrant improvisations with the 12 singers of Voicestra to transform “a concert hall into a playground…a joyous space,” according to the Los Angeles Times.  Now experience his special blend of vocal agility and diverse musical influences for yourself.

March 14th – 16th:  Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Indulge in the beauty of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.  Each concerto is accompanied by a descriptive poem whose imagery is essential to the musical fabric.  The birds that greet the season with their joyful song in La Primavera (Spring) are colorfully depicted in the work’s elaborate ornamentation.  L’estate (Summer) is painted in vivid colors that portray both the piping of a shepherd and a gathering storm.  L’autunno (Autumn) is marked by a folksy harvest celebration and the galloping of a hunting party on horseback.  The bleakness of L’inverno (Winter) creates a severe but expressive portrait that provides a summary of Vivaldi’s pictorial ingenuity in these four works.  Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony is among his most famous.  Hear Mendelssohn’s interpretation of his personal impressions of the art, nature and people of Italy.

March 20th – 22nd:  Chris Botti - Charismatic trumpeter-composer Chris Botti will delight you with his atmospheric and sensual sounds.  Dream to favorites such as “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “When I Fall In Love” and “Funny Valentine.” Sunday subscribers will attend this program on Thursday.

for more information, see www.houstonsymphony.com or call (713) 224-7575

 

Jones Hall  (615 Louisiana)

March 1st:  Joyce Yang, pianist - In June 2005 at the age of 19, Joyce Yang was awarded the silver medal at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition where she “grabbed concertgoers by their hearts and pulled them to the edge of their seats” (Star-Telegram). The youngest of the Cliburn Competition's participants, Yang has since appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Chicago, Houston and National Symphonies; and the New York Philharmonic with Lorin Maazel, among others. Born in Seoul, Korea, Yang continues to captivate audiences and colleagues with her warm and generous personality, combined with musicianship that belies her age. For her Houston recital debut, she will perform Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy, Schumann’s Carnaval, Brahms’s Piano Pieces, Op. 119 and Paganini Variations Book 1 and 2.  “Magnetic. Powerful. Mind-boggling technique.” Star-Telegram

March 8th:  Dan Zanes and Friends - Calling all kids and kids-at-heart: get ready to sing and dance with wild abandon to the sounds of the 21st century with all-ages folk heroes Dan Zanes and Friends! You may have heard their hit records or seen them on Playhouse Disney. Now is your chance to join them for the house party of the year! 2007 Grammy winner Dan Zanes and Friends occupy a unique place in American music where sea shanties, Broadway standards, North American and West Indian folk music, fiddle tunes, the spirit of rock-and-roll, and soulful originals collide. It's one big music party, and everyone's invited!

March 25th:   Academy of St Martin in the Fields - Murray Perahia, Conductor - The world’s most famous chamber orchestra, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields brings its brilliantly energetic sound to Jones Hall. “What sets this group apart,” says The Washington Post, “is its ability to produce perfectly shaped music and make it sound spontaneous.” Conducted from the keyboard by famed Grammy-winning pianist Murray Perahia, London’s Academy of St Martin in the Fields will perform works by Mozart and Britten, as well as Mendelssohn’s masterpieces Overture to Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) and Symphony No. 4.

March 28th:    Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company  - Bill T. Jones’s newest work is a lavish multimedia production with crisp, dramatic lighting and projections; spoken word and song; and Jones’s masterful choreography. Musical Director Daniel Bernard Roumain leads an ensemble of contemporary musicians in his strong musical underscore. At the core of this provocative evening-length work are three haunting stories that are told in fragments through a brilliant blend of abstraction and realistic evocation. The New York Times calls Chapel/Chapter Bill T. Jones’s “most affecting, most disturbing, most powerful and most compassionate dance.” Adult content.

for more information, see www.spahouston.org  

 

Toyota Center  (1510 Polk Street)

March 1st:  Michael Bublé  8:00pm - Toyota Center is proud to welcome Michael Bublé to Houston on Saturday, March 1. Bublé, known for his modern interpretations of standards from a variety of eras, is performing on his third major concert tour of the U.S. This show will be a special theatre configuration with limited seating so buy your tickets now and don’t miss your chance to see this Grammy-nominated artist as he brings his irrepressible spirit, engaging humor, and confident charisma to the Toyota Center concert stage in March.

 for more information, visit www.houstontoyotacenter.com or call (866) 4HOUTIX

 

Warehouse Live   (813 St. Emanuel Street)

March 1st:      Snoop Dogg   9:00 p.m.

March 2nd:     Wolves At the Door & the Arms of Sleep   7:00 p.m.

March 3rd:      Built To Spill   9:00  p.m.

March 1st:      Twizted   7:00  p.m.

March 1st:      Hot Topic Presents the Sub City Take Action Tour   7:00 p.m.

March 7th:      Louis XIV   8:00 p.m.

March 8th:      Hometown Showdown V   7:00 p.m.

March 9th:      Bone Thugs N Harmony   7:00 p.m.

March 10th:    Back Door Slam   7:00 p.m.

March 11th:    The Green 17 Tour 2008 featuring Flogging Molly   7:00 p.m.

March 12th:    Sia   7:00 p.m.

March 14th:    Rockstar Energy Drink Presents The AP Tour   6:00 p.m.

March 21st:    Studemont Project   8:00 p.m.

March 22nd:  Bob Schneider   8:00 p.m.

March 23rd:  The Expendables   8:00 p.m.

March 26th:    Unseen   6:00 p.m.

March 27th:    The Audition   5:00 p.m.

March 27th:    Super Diamond   7:00 p.m.

March 28th:    Les Claypool   8:00 p.m.

for more information, see www.warehouselive.com 

 

Wortham Center Houston Ballet (Texas & Smith)

March 6th – 16th:  Cinderella - The story has been a favorite for generations, but make no mistake, this is not your childhood Cinderella. More tomboy than princess, Stanton Welch’s title character is a striking woman of substance, determination and spunk. She fights the oppression and will of her evil stepmother with wit and vigor. And when she finds true love, she grabs it – and wisely holds on with both hands.

for more information, see www.houstonballet.org or call (713) 227-ARTS

 

Wortham Center Houston Grand Opera (Texas & Smith)

Thru March 15th:  Jake Heggie: Last Acts - There is the family we wish for - and the family we end up with. Last Acts follows the life of an actress and mother named Madeline and her two grown children as they struggle to know and love one another. Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera, this new chamber opera by composer Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking; The End of the Affair) and lyricist Gene Scheer is based on a play by Terrence McNally and has been created especially for mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade ("Von Stade can do no wrong" - New York Newsday). She will be joined by two artists making their HGO debuts, soprano Kristin Clayton ("a beautiful voice, expressively used" - San Francisco Classical Voice) and baritone Keith Phares ("an utter pleasure" - The New York Times).

for more information, see www.houstongrandopera.org or call (713) 228-6737

 

DaCamera of Houston   (Wortham Theatre CenterTexas @ Smith unless otherwise noted)

March 10th:  So Percussion - Called “astonishing and entrancing” by Billboard, So Percussion gives fresh voice to contemporary music. Devoted to the conceptual dreamscapes of Reich, Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, and others, So has created a disciplined work ethic, learning pieces whole—memorized and absorbed, instead of merely read. In performance, music stands are jettisoned for a stunning live dynamic. Program to be announced. So Percussion performs in Da Camera’s March 14 concert featuring Stravinsky’s Les Noces and Antheil’s legendary Ballet Mecanique.

March 14th:  Exiles in Paris Part 2 - Houston Chamber Choir, Robert Simpson, Artistic Director; Alan Feinberg, Timothy Hester, Pedja Muzijevic, Sarah Rothenberg, pianos; Sō Percussion (Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, Lawson White); Richard Brown, percussion; Matthew Strauss, percussion; Reinbert de Leeuw, conductor.  Igor Stravinsky’s explosive works for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe in Paris left their mark on a century of composers. Ritualistic and insistently rhythmic, Les Noces, conceived as a dance cantata, depicts a Russian peasant wedding and is scored for four pianos, chorus and percussion. Stravinsky’s wildly inventive work influenced American avant-gardist George Antheil, whose legendary Ballet Mécanique puts sirens, airplane propellers and electric bells on stage with pianos and percussion instruments. In this collaboration with Houston Chamber Choir, renowned Dutch conductor Reinbert de Leeuw makes his Da Camera debut.

March 29th:  McCoy Tyner Trio - Pianist McCoy Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his name, earned four Grammys and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. DaCamera Jazz is proud to welcome back this living legend. Tyner won his most recent Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for 2005's Illuminations.

for more information, see www.dacamera.com    

 

Miller Outdoor Theatre (Hermann Park)

Located on nearly eight acres in the heart of Hermann Park, Miller Outdoor Theatre is the only free open-air theatre of its kind in the United States. It is a home away from home for some of Houston's most dynamic arts organizations such as HITS Unicorn Theater, Houston Grand Opera, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, Festival Chicano, Houston Symphony, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and a host of other multi-cultural groups and theater companies. Every performance in our March to November season is free.

March 22nd:  Jigu! – Thunder Drums of China - This company of 28 drummers, percussionists and musicians from the Shanxi province combine ancient folk traditions and modern musical elements in a performance that will leave audiences “thunder”-struck!   Presented by Miller Theatre.  7:30 p.m.

March 25th:   Danceology 101 - An energetic presentation of the history of popular dance, from the 1920s Charleston to today’s hip hop. Produced by Houston Metropolitan Dance Company.  11:00 a.m.

March 26th – 27th:    Peter and the Wolf - A new musical stage version for young people of the classic symphonic story. Produced by A.D. Players.  11:00 a.m.

March 28th:  Divinas - The Houston Sor Juana Festival shines the spotlight on outstanding female artists of Mexican descent with a concert featuring Madame Ur y Sus Hombres, Iraida Noriega and Mariachi Rosas Divinas.  Produced by the National Museum of Mexican Art.   6:00 p.m.

March 29th:   Noche Caliente - An evening of sizzling Latin sounds, featuring trombonist Jimmy Bosch, leading exponent of “salsa dura” (hard salsa). Produced by Diaz Music Institute.   8:00 p.m.

for more information, see www.milleroutdoortheatre.org  

 

A.D. Players  (2710 West Alabama)

Thru March 8th:  Peter & The Wolf - There really is a big bad wolf and Peter and his animal friends must find a way to capture him without being eaten!  Adopted from the well-known score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, this musical adventure sets hearts racing as Peter does his best to outwit the wolf and in the process learns the value of creative problem solving.

Thru March 16thThe Importance of being Earnest - A classic comedy that is a “fun-for-all!” What’s in a name? More than you might think! In his country home, he goes by Jack, but when he travels to town, he assumes the name of Ernest. His dual identity serves his intentions well...until he falls in love with Gwendolyn, who vows she will only love a man whose name is Ernest! What’s so important about being Ernest? It’s all in the name in this classic comedy!

for more information, see www.adplayers.org   

 

Main Street Theatre   (2540 Times Blvd.)

Thru March 22ndTranslations - Set in 1833 in a rural community in County Donegal, Ireland, a detachment of the Royal Engineers are working on the first British maps of the area rendering the Gaelic place names into English. This simple bureaucratic action has far-reaching personal and cultural effects on the small group of the hedge-school. A love that transcends language and logic finds its way into this beautifully stirring tale.

March 4th – April 5th:  Goodnight Moon - From the book by Margaret Wise Brown - "Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon ..." Published in 1947, Goodnight Moon is the beloved, classic bedtime story that has delighted generations of children. With its simple poetic verse and familiar illustrations, children and adults will delight in seeing their beloved characters come to life in this visually stunning production.

for more information, see www.mainstreettheater.com or call (713) 524-6706

 

Opera in the Heights   (1703 Heights Blvd)

Thru April 5th:  Tosca by Giacomo Puccini - Who does not love Tosca? A staple of the Italian opera scene for over 100 years, Tosca chooses murder rather than submit to the monstrous figure of Scarpia, a man incapable of finding pleasure except in conquest. Puccini’s music will exhaust your every emotion as the young artists of Opera in the Heights bring this masterpiece to life.

for more information, call (713) 861-5303 or see www.operaintheheights.org    

 

Playhouse 1960   (6814 Grant Road)

Thru March 29th:  The Underpants - The renowned comic actor and author of Picasso at the Lapine Agile provides a wild satire adapted from the classic German play about Louise and Theo Markes, a couple whose conservative existence is shattered when Louise's bloomers fall down in public. Though she pulls them up quickly, he thinks the incident will cost him his job as a government clerk. Louise's momentary display does not result in the feared scandal but it does attract two infatuated men, each of whom wants to rent the spare room in the Markes' home. Oblivious of their amorous objectives, Theo splits the room between them, happy to collect rent from both the foppish poet and the whiny hypochondriac.

Thru March 30th:  Seussical, Jr. - Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and all of the Whos of Whoville! The score emerges as a Seussian Gumbo of musical styles, ranging from Latin to pop, swing to gospel, and R&B?to funk! So let your toes tap, your fingers snap, and you’re imagination run wild for “Oh, the thinks you can think, When you think about Seuss!”

for more information, see www.playhouse1960.com or call (281) 587-8243

 

Radio Music Theatre   (2623 Colquitt)

Thru May 10th: Young & Fertle - It's Class reunion time at Central High for Bridgette and Justicena.  Join them and the rest of the gang from Dumpster as they stroll down memory lane.  Doc Moore and all the Fertles will be there, so make your reservations now.

for more information, see www.radiomusictheatre.com or call (713) 522-7722

 

Stages Repertory Theatre   (3201 Allen Parkway)

Thru March 16th:  Lady - A hunting trip in southern Illinois turns suddenly tragic as three old friends, caught in the grip of an ongoing argument about the war in Iraq, reveal long-held political beliefs and discover that they may not know one another as well as they had believed. As the truth emerges, individual motives become clear and alliances shift, until one thing seems certain: after this walk in the woods, nothing will ever, ever be the same.

Thru March 20th:  Late Night Catechism 2 - The nun-stop laughs continue in Late Nite Catechism 2! Blessed with all the wit, wisdom and wackiness that made the original an international hit, this follow-up to Late Nite Catechism warns us that we’d all better start making changes or we’re going to spend eternity with the heat on high! Explaining Heaven and Hell as a Catholic version of “Chutes and Ladders”, our irrepressible Sister offers an overview of salvation—and damnation—for the modern millennium, where sins like reality television, cloning, and bobble-head dolls of the holy family have shaken the old morality. Armed with a dizzying array of banners, filmstrips, mimeographed handouts, historical facts and hysterical insights, Sister sets out to conquer sin and conduct her class into convulsions of laughter!  

for more information, see www.stagestheatre.com or call (713) 527-0123

 

Verizon Wireless Theatre  (520 Texas Avenue)

Verizon Wireless Theatre is the source in downtown Houston for the best in live entertainment. From rock to country, comedy to musicals, they offer everything you want in an entertainment venue.  Verizon Wireless Theater puts on over one hundred events every year.

March 2nd:     Marilyn Manson with Ours   8:00 p.m.

March 5th:      Pat Metheny Trio with Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez   8:00 p.m.

March 7th:      Wilco with John Doe - Sold Out

March 9th:      Houston Roller Derby  and Season Tickets   6:00 p.m.

March 10th:    My Morning Jacket with Yo La Tengo    8:00 p.m.

March 14th:    Lisa Lampanelli   8:00 p.m.

March 15th:    Mariachi Invitational   7:00 p.m.

March 29th:    Chris Rock "No Apologies Tour"   7:30 p.m.

for more information, see www.livenation.com or call (713) 230-1600

 

Museums

Blaffer Gallery   (University of Houston campus, entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard)

Thru March 29th: Chantal Akerman: Moving Through Time and Space –This exhibition includes five major works: D'Est (From the East), 1993; Sud (South), 1999; De l'autre côté (From the Other Side), 2002; Là-Bas (Down There), 2006; and features a new project filmed in Siberia commissioned especially for the exhibition. Akerman is widely regarded as one of the most important woman directors in film history, but her work in the crossover genre of film and visual art has never been fully explored. Beginning with D'Est in 1993, Akerman developed an artistic practice melding documentary filmmaking techniques with video installation. Imbued with social and political undertones, her multi-channel works contain the artist's characteristically slow moving action, mesmerizing attention to detail, and visual grace. This exhibition, her first solo survey in a U.S. museum, reveals Akerman's explorative and creative energies, as well as her singular understanding of some of today's most challenging concepts and themes: the transformative impact of cultural diaspora, memory, and history.

for more information, see www.hfac.uh.edu/blaffer or call (713) 743-9530

 

Children’s Museum of Houston  (1500 Benz)

The Children’s Museum of Houston offers a wonderful array of ongoing exhibits, created to inspire children’s imaginations and help them to learn through curiosity and hands-on activities and experimentation.

Thru March 2nd:  Everyone Counts! - Kids can count on fun and adventure as they explore the fascinating, fun-filled world of math in the hands-on, bilingual exhibit, Everyone Counts! This exhibit is a collection of brain teasers, games from around the world and activities that show how everyone counts in many ways every day. Everyone Counts! is filled to the brim with math games and activities from the floor to the ceiling. Families will learn the mystery behind the Magic Square, a challenging puzzle, and Kalah, an ancient game of strategy. They'll have a blast with tantalizing tessellations and tangrams, a giant geoboard and dominoes. Those interested in architecture will enjoy the Blueprint House, where kids will be able to brush up on their geometry skills, spatial sense and problem-solving. Next, they can move over to Building Shapes and design buildings or construct replicas of ancient Mayan pyramids. Everyone Counts! provides an engaging environment for kids to explore math. Any way you add it up, this exhibit equals fun!

Thru March 2nd:  Tales from the Land of Gullah – You may have heard the story of the “Tortoise and the Hare” or even sang “Kumbayah”, but have you the slightest idea of where these came from?  These answers and more will be revealed when you explore this new and exciting exhibit, which celebrates the rich heritage of African American people through the Gullah culture.  But who are the Gullah people?  The Gullah people are the descendants of West Africans who were enslaved in the Sea Islands, which are along the coast of South Carolina and George.  Because they remained relatively isolated from mainland America, the Gullah people were able to create a unique culture that blended their West African heritage with European-American and slave traditions.  In Tales of the Land of Gullah, which takes place in a setting reminiscent to that of a 1940s setting, visitors get to enjoy the fruitfulness of this enduring culture.  Whether it’s making simple sweet grass dolls or intricate weave baskets or listening to moralistic puppet show, this exhibition will allow you to appreciate the perseverance and vitality of the Gullah culture and will help you understand how they’ve managed to remain culturally unscathed even to this day.  Children will experience the rhythms of Gullah life through sounds, crafts and musical traditions.

Building Zone - With wrenches, pulleys and hovering vehicles, kids will surely find an outlet for their creative needs in this expanded exhibit. They’ll learn how to construct buildings that withstand the forces of nature or what makes trucks go, plus much more! Featuring hands-on activities that will encourage exploration into physics and engineering, you can test out new materials as you design a scaled down skyscraper or try your hand at building a kid-sized house.

March 8th - May 11th:  The Magic School Bus Kicks Up A Storm - The Magic School Bus™ sweeps into town on Saturday, March 8 with the debut of the exhibit The Magic School Bus™ Kicks Up A Storm…just in time for Spring Break!  Join Ms. Frizzle™—the irrepressible teacher with a taste for adventure, her sidekick, Liz—the lizard, and a school bus that changes into just about anything, in an exploration about weather phenomena!  Visit the Walkerville Weather Center where you’ll watch and interpret LIVE weather data over the Internet and post it on the Local Weather Board. Then, try your hand at being the weatherman “live” from the Frizzle News Network (FNN-TV) studio.  Find out what causes lightning and why it takes a few seconds later to hear thunder. Why do we have seasons? What causes tornadoes and hurricanes? The Magic School Bus™ will put the pedal to the metal answering these questions in an engaging and exciting ride!Be sure to bring your camera for meet and greets with Ms. Frizzle™ or Liz! Don’t delay…we predict a delightful and fun forecast!

Farm to Market - Kids will be shopping 'till "the grown-ups" drop all while learning all about nutrition, money-management and more in Farm to Market. Kids can start out by clocking-in, donning an apron and then proceed to the cash registers or even the real-life scanners to serve as a cashier or stock person. As food is scanned, not only will the kids learn how much they are spending, but also what part of the food pyramid the food comes from.  Or, should they prefer to shop, kids will want to start at the ATM to get their shopping money, pick up a grocery list and GO! They can shop through the bakery, produce, meat and dry goods departments to fill a recipe and even use coupons-- just like Mom and Dad might do.  Adjacent to the market, kids can mosey on down to the farm where they can milk a robotic cow or see live chicks. If they're lucky, they'll even get to see some hatching! Kids can also explore the worm farm, take a virtual reality journey on the back of a bee, and get decked out in aprons, hats or bonnets to take care of the barn, gathering 'eggs' from the chicken coop and more.  Farm to Market is sponsored by Randalls Food Markets

How Does It Work? - Did you ever wonder why you can't see in the dark? Or how your wireless telephone worked? Or even what really happens when you turn the ignition in your car? This multi-level exhibition challenges you to ask and discover the answers to your own science questions with tons of hands-on, investigative experiences.  You will explore light and color and can even become part of the exhibit with Light Warehouse, see what makes a car go with the '66 Mustang in Auto Alley, watch your messages be sent via fiber-optics and check out the history of communication in Phone Zone or challenge yourself to discover something new in the Science Station. You can even lift yourself 5 feet into the air to see how pulleys can make life a lot easier with the Kid Lift.  Then, step into a whimsical factory from the future in The Matter Factory, a new area in the How Does It Work? exhibit. Kids will develop the understanding that everything is made up of material or matter. They will learn that molecules and atoms are the building blocks of matter as they investigate materials and solve factory problems. 

Kid TV - The Adler-Sarofim KID-TV Studio Lights! Camera! Action! Think your child might be the next Matt Lauer or Barbara Walters? Let them show their stuff on camera in this exhibit, which teaches kids and parents what television is like behind the scenes.  KID-TV includes a dramatic backdrop of downtown Houston, video cameras, props and costumes, a teleprompter, a story board activity, a sound booth with a computer sound generator, director's board and cut-out figures of multi-cultural men and women who explain the different jobs in video production.  KID-TV is sponsored by Sarofim Trust Co. 

Think Tank - In this hands-on, minds-on exhibit, kids will get to explore different thought processes and learn how effective problem-solving can boost self-confidence.  After meeting the Think Tank Guides (Carlos, Felicia, Rosie and Isaac), you can jump right into solving the riddles...or you might want to put on custom-made thinking caps and lounge in the thinking chairs to get those brainstorming juices flowing. Either way, inventive, "outside the box" thinking is sure to occur!

Tot Spot - Tot Spot is the place to bring your newborn, toddler and two-year-old.  It’s where play is learning and learning is play for children from birth to thirty-six months.  The eye-catching bubble machine is a first stop, but not the last as tots crawl, cruise or walk throughout the exhibit which has four distinct areas.  These areas promote exploration, discovery, experimentation and wonder.

for more information, see www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138

 

Contemporary Arts Museum   (5216 Montrose)

Thru March 9th: Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now -  Organized by Senior Curator Paola Morsiani, Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now focuses on contemporary artists who use free association or “stream of consciousness,” a designation originally coined to describe a creative writing method deployed by innovative early-20th century novelists like Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. The group exhibition includes key works by Rachel Harrison, Sean Landers, Oliver Payne & Nick Ralph, and Danica Phelps. While stream of consciousness in literature strives to depict human experience at a spiritual level, Perspectives 159: Superconscious, Automatisms Now will demonstrate a method of the past two decades that allows for artwork to connect autobiographical and conceptual contents and yet remain open to interpretation.

Thru April 20th:  Design Life Now: National Design Triennial - Design Life Now: National Design Triennial will present the experimental projects, emerging ideas, major buildings, new products and media that were at the center of contemporary culture from 2003 to 2006. Inaugurated in 2000, the Triennial seeks out and presents the most innovative American designs from the prior three years in a variety of fields, including product design, architecture, furniture, film, graphics, new technologies, animation, science, medicine and fashion. Design Life Now: National Design Triennial will focus on four principal ideas that characterized elements of the design world during the last three years: emulating life; community; hand-crafted and do-it-yourself design; and transformation. On view throughout the exhibition will be the work of 87 designers and firms, ranging from established design leaders such as Apple, architect Santiago Calatrava, and Nike, Inc., to emerging designers like Joshua Davis, Jason Miller, and David Wiseman. The National Design Triennial is organized by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and curated by Barbara Bloemink, Ellen Lupton and Matilda McQuaid, along with guest curator Brooke Hodge of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

for more information, see www.camh.org or call (713) 284-8250