Dec 29, 2019 | ktru, Showstoppers
By: Harrison Lorenzen
Houston has numerous wonderful musicals being performed this spring. From Broadway national tours to a world premiere, there is something for everyone. For those of you looking to start planning spring shows or others who did not get the theater tickets they hoped for this holiday season, maybe this list can help steer you in the right direction.
Dec 14, 2019 | ktru, Showstoppers
Quinn Vantantwerp in "Elf" at TUTS. Photo by Melissa Taylor 2019.
By: Harrison Lorenzen
Theater Under the Stars wows audiences again with this year’s holiday production of “Elf – The Musical”. As is tradition for most theater companies, their productions of family-favorite holiday shows always bring in full audiences of all ages and TUTS’ “Elf” is no different. On-stage through December 22nd, this show is a must-see. The crowd was buzzing from the moment the doors opened, and people continued to hum along to the songs on the way back to their cars.
Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan’s book sticks very close to the original “Elf” Movie, with many of the same jokes as Will Ferrell’s Buddy. Along with the dialogue, Quinn Vanantwerp plays Buddy with the same youthful, aloof innocence as Will Ferrell originated. Vanantwerp joyously bounded across the stage, exuding more happiness and energy than the children on stage at many times. He made the audience cringe with his oblivious attitude towards everything going on around him yet tug at their heartstrings as he yearns for the love of his father.
TUTS filled the ensemble and elves roles with students from their two youth acting programs, The River and Humphreys School of Musical Theater, of which the former is specifically for students with disabilities and their siblings. It was great to see children of all sizes and ages getting to take part in this main stage production, being featured in various scenes throughout the production.
With memorable songs and Christmas magic, the cast kept the audience engaged for the duration of the performance. Each twist and turn in Buddy’s story keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, anxiously awaiting the ending to see how he fixes everything he’s caused. As usual, with a bit of Christmas magic, Buddy can wrap up every loose end and then some to delight every member of the audience.
Don’t miss your chance to see this wonderful production of “Elf – The Musical”, on-stage at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts through December 22nd. For more information visit TUTS.com.
Dec 6, 2019 | ktru, navrang
Anand Patwardhan: Ways of Struggle
December 13, 2019–February 16, 2020
Leslie and Brad Bucher Gallery, Glassell School of Art
• Core Program Lecture: Anand Patwardhan
Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m.
Favrot Auditorium, Glassell School of Art
• Opening Reception + Film Screening: “In the Name of God” / Q&A with Anand Patwardhan
Friday, December 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Favrot Auditorium, Glassell School of Art
• Film Screening: “Reason” / Introduction by Anand Patwardhan
Saturday, December 14, 1 p.m.
Brown Auditorium Theater, MFAH
For more info: MFAH - Anand Patwardhan
Anand Patwardhan: Ways of Struggle surveys four decades of filmmaking by one of the world’s foremost documentarians and one of contemporary cinema’s most singular voices. Since the 1970s, Anand Patwardhan has been making committed, intimate portraits of Indian movements for social justice.
Following the destruction of Ayodhya’s Babri Mosque in 1992, Patwardhan (born 1950) began chronicling the rise of Hindu nationalism, which has attained global relevance. Patwardhan’s films offer an invaluable portrait of this moment, which Indian writer Pankaj Mishra has dubbed “the age of anger.” By bringing together the full scope of Patwardhan’s work—rarely seen in the United States—Ways of Struggle contrasts the worlds of left and right political feeling, offering an oblique history of the present.
Nov 24, 2019 | ktru
1 - brockhampton - ginger - rca
2 - angel olsen - all mirrors - jagjaguwar
3 - swans - leaving meaning - young god
4 - big thief - two hands - 4ad
5 - blood orange - angel's pulse - domino
6 - diiv - deceiver - captured tracks
7 - girl in red - beginnings (chapter 1 +2) - s/r
8 - levitation room - headspace - greenway
9 - kishi bashi - omoiyari - joyful noise
10 - bon iver - i,i - jagjaguwar
11 - (sandy) alex g - house of sugar - domino
12 - lucille furs - another land - rput
13 - gong gong gong - phantom rhythm - wharf cat
14 - bleu nuit - le jardin des memoires - michel
15 - pup - morbid stuff - rise
16 - spiegel, laurie - unseen worlds - unseen worlds
17 - black midi - schlagenheim - rough trade
18 - bridal party - too much - kingfisher bluez
19 - bodywash - comforter - luminelle
20 - m83 - dsvii - mute
21 - belle and sebastian - days of the bagnold summer - matador
22 - cfm - soundtrack to an empty room - in the red
23 - laurie anderson, tenzin choegyal, jesse paris smith - songs from the bardo - smithsonian folkways
24 - various - luk thung gems from the 1960s-80s - em
25 - national, the - i am easy to find - 4ad
26 - hot chip - a bathful of ecstasy - domino
27 - tropical fuck storm - braindrops - joyful noise
28 - y la bamba - entre los dos - tender loving empire
29 - woods, jamila - legacy! legacy! - jagjaguwar
30 - palehound - black friday - polyvinyl
31 - grand vapids - eat the shadow - s/r
32 - various - reggae gold 2019 - vp
33 - richard dawson - 2020 - weird world
34 - hansard, glen - this wild willing - plateau
35 - lahey, alex - the best of luck club - dead oceans
Nov 17, 2019 | ktru
Written by Samantha Ding and Dalia Gulca
Photo by Kirby Gladstein
The enthusiasm was palpable at Travis Scott’s second annual Astroworld festival in
NRG Park this past weekend—energy which prompted many to leap over the fallen barricades
before the gates even officially opened, shown swarming and leaping over puddles on a video
via Scott’s Instagram. “EVERYONE HAVE FUN,” Travis advises in the comments, along with
the more cautionary “BE SAFE RAGE HARD.” The unconventional mix of carnival rides, winding
lines for merch, and varied performances from both hometown heroes and up-and-coming
artists serves both as a nod to Houston and long-departed Six Flags AstroWorld. Over 50,000
people showed up to the festival-amusement park mashup to revel in the energy of the carefully
curated lineup and enjoy the attractions of Scott’s homage to the AstroWorld theme park, both
the namesake for his most popular album and the festival itself.
(more…)
Nov 17, 2019 | ktru
1 - brockhampton - ginger - rca
2 - angel olsen - all mirrors - jagjaguwar
3 - swans - leaving meaning - young god
4 - big thief - two hands - 4ad
5 - weyes blood - titanic rising - sub pop
6 - diiv - deceiver - captured tracks
7 - blood orange - angel's pulse - domino
8 - girl in red - beginnings (chapter 1 +2) - s/r
9 - pup - morbid stuff - rise
10 - bon iver - i,i - jagjaguwar
11 - levitation room - headspace - greenway
12 - bleu nuit - le jardin des memoires - michel
13 - spiegel, laurie - unseen worlds - unseen worlds
14 - bridal party - too much - kingfisher bluez
15 - gong gong gong - phantom rhythm - wharf cat
16 - belle and sebastian - days of the bagnold summer - matador
17 - lucille furs - another land - rput
18 - charly bliss - young enough - barsuk
19 - woods, jamila - legacy! legacy! - jagjaguwar
20 - national, the - i am easy to find - 4ad
21 - kishi bashi - omoiyari - joyful noise
22 - black midi - schlagenheim - rough trade
23 - hot chip - a bathful of ecstasy - domino
24 - cfm - soundtrack to an empty room - in the red
25 - hansard, glen - this wild willing - plateau
26 - palehound - black friday - polyvinyl
27 - grand vapids - eat the shadow - s/r
28 - tropical fuck storm - braindrops - joyful noise
29 - bodywash - comforter - luminelle
30 - laurie anderson, tenzin choegyal, jesse paris smith - songs from the bardo - smithsonian folkways
31 - y la bamba - entre los dos - tender loving empire
32 - various - reggae gold 2019 - vp
33 - (sandy) alex g - house of sugar - domino
34 - clipping. - there existed an addiction to blood - sub pop
35 - matana roberts - coin coin chapter four: memphis - constellation
Nov 14, 2019 | ktru, Showstoppers
Stephen Christopher Anthony as 'Evan Hansen' and the North American touring company of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019.
By: Harrison Lorenzen
It is not often you can find such an elegant balance between comedy, love, and a heart-wrenching story of a community grieving in the aftermath of suicide. Dear Evan Hansen, stopping in Houston along its 50-city national tour, opened Tuesday to a sold-out house at the Hobby Center. The cast, working with quite intense subject matter, brought such emotion to the stage that they held the attention of the entire audience throughout the performance. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote beautiful songs to accentuate the emotions of the characters throughout, and the book by Steven Levenson helped to alleviate the sadness with expertly placed comedy. The actors delivered this constantly shifting material with ease and flair. The set is minimal, with a variety of pieces being brought on and off to create the spaces, but the possibilities are endless with the assortment of projections and screens utilized throughout. (more…)
Nov 11, 2019 | ktru
By Varun Kataria and Mai Ton
Tyler’s set began with IGOR’s overture tack, “IGOR’S THEME.” The performance was introduced by the characteristic ear-piercing bass synths found in every track throughout IGOR. The bass fueled the crowd while Tyler faced his fans, frozen in the center of the stage, entirely emotionless. Then, the beat dropped, and the IGOR TOOR fun began, all while Tyler stared directly at the crowd, unmoving.
Following his introduction, Tyler began getting loose and into the performance with his following performance of “I THINK”. The hard-hitting, however groovy and rhythmic track, led to intricate mix of mosh-pits and dance circles, and allowed fans to release all of their pent-up energy.
Tyler’s performance could be broken down into several acts, each separated by the drop of the curtain providing the backdrop for his set. Each set was distinguishable, with the first being his energizing tracks from IGOR, followed by some of his melodic, slower tracks, then a section of classic throwbacks from GOBLIN, WOLF, and Flower Boy, before returning to crowd sing-a-longs like “See You Again”, and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?”
As the concert continued, and Tyler danced his heart out on stage, played the piano, and joked with the crowd, all while donning a fluffy blonde wig, retro sunglasses, and a full teal suit, it’s clear that Tyler is able to stick to his authentic self without selling out for a mainstream audience. This is even clear in his performance techniques, as other hip-hop artists of the current generation use classic concert gimmicks of yelling at the crowd to open up a mosh pit, using restraint-and- 3, 2, 1 release techniques to get fans excited, and throwing water bottles into the crowd; none of these were present for the IGOR TOOR. It was refreshing to witness a hip-hop concert performed in a unique manner with an artistic performance vision, and resultantly see fans react to the beauty and complexity of Tyler’s music, rather than gimmicks. Building on this, Tyler also performed without any backing vocal tracks, facing up to the challenges that come with performing entirely live, and letting fans enjoy his uniquely deep voice. The concert, for Tyler, was a stage that he treated as intimately as if it were one back at home where he was by himself and just immersing himself in the music. Here, we could be there with him, feel how much Tyler cared for his artistry, and let his love embrace us.
The stage design was simple, using the same elements theatrical scene elements seen throughout Tyler’s various music videos and album visuals, allowing the majority of the attention to remain on the artist. However in the latter part of the concert, various sections of the backdrop were used to display eccentric visuals, some which showed his hair growing and shrinking into his head and another which cut up a projection of Tyler into various distorted pieces. Tyler’s Instagram bio often summarized the vibe of the concert perfectly, as an “indie movie with a budget.”
As this was the last stop on the tour, and the end of Tyler’s IGOR era, Tyler ended the concert with an emotional and tear-filled thank you to his fans and commented on how he made it this far by simply being weird. This weirdness provided for a captivating and one-of-a-kind hip-hop performance, truly raising the bar for other performers within the genre.
Nov 10, 2019 | ktru
1 - atm - inglewood tapes vol. 1 - radical documents
2 - blockhead - bells and whistles - ninja tune
3 - kitamura, emerson - the countryside is great - em
4 - greg cote & the real life friends - better now - close quarters coalition
5 - morricone youth - danger: diabolik - country club
6 - durand jones & the indicators - american love call - dead oceans
7 - ex hex - it's real - merge
8 - karen o & dangermouse - lux prima - lux prima
9 - lake minnetonka - melbourneapolis - two and four
10 - pedestrian deposit - dyers' hands - monorail trespassing
11 - karyyn - the quanta series - antevasin
12 - weyes blood - titanic rising - sub pop
13 - kohei amada, sugai ken - kyogokuryu-sokyoku "shinshunfu" - em
14 - lucille furs - another land - rput
15 - bells atlas - the mystic - tender loving empire
16 - drone butch blues - your heart breaks - sofaburn
17 - efrim manuel menuck and kevin doria - are sing sinck, sing - constellation
18 - hansard, glen - this wild willing - plateau
19 - mountain goats, the - in league with dragons - merge
20 - bleu nuit - le jardin des memoires - michel
21 - tacocat - this mess is a place - sub pop
22 - charly bliss - young enough - barsuk
23 - drahla - useless coordinates - captured tracks
24 - hecker, tim - anoyo - kranky
25 - pup - morbid stuff - rise
26 - woods, jamila - legacy! legacy! - jagjaguwar
27 - lahey, alex - the best of luck club - dead oceans
28 - national, the - i am easy to find - 4ad
29 - queue queue - fang and claw - s/r
30 - local natives - violet street - loma vista
31 - kishi bashi - omoiyari - joyful noise
32 - mattson 2, the - paradise - company
33 - palehound - black friday - polyvinyl
34 - spiegel, laurie - unseen worlds - unseen worlds
Nov 3, 2019 | ktru
1 - national, the - i am easy to find - 4ad
2 - gong gong gong - phantom rhythm - wharf cat
3 - brockhampton - ginger - rca
4 - weyes blood - titanic rising - sub pop
5 - karen o & dangermouse - lux prima - lux prima
6 - pup - morbid stuff - rise
7 - kishi bashi - omoiyari - joyful noise
8 - bon iver - i,i - jagjaguwar
9 - m83 - dsvii - mute
10 - better oblivion community center - s/t - dead oceans
11 - ex hex - it's real - merge
12 - bells atlas - the mystic - tender loving empire
13 - baroness - gold & grey - abraxan hymns
14 - girl in red - beginnings (chapter 1 +2) - s/r
15 - y la bamba - entre los dos - tender loving empire
16 - stef chura - midnight - saddle creek
17 - frankie & the witch fingers - zam - greenway
18 - woods, jamila - legacy! legacy! - jagjaguwar
19 - queue queue - fang and claw - s/r
20 - palehound - black friday - polyvinyl
21 - peaer - a healthy earth - tiny engines
22 - bodywash - comforter - luminelle
23 - belle and sebastian - days of the bagnold summer - matador
24 - methyl ethel - triage - 4ad
25 - laurie anderson, tenzin choegyal, jesse paris smith - songs from the bardo - smithsonian folkways
26 - ritual howls - rendered armor - felte
27 - lucille furs - another land - rput
28 - mountain goats, the - in league with dragons - merge
29 - hot chip - a bathful of ecstasy - domino
30 - tropical fuck storm - braindrops - joyful noise
31 - lake minnetonka - melbourneapolis - two and four
32 - pedestrian deposit - dyers' hands - monorail trespassing
33 - charly bliss - young enough - barsuk
34 - spiegel, laurie - unseen worlds - unseen worlds
35 - kerr - bmx days - s/r
Theater Under the Stars wows audiences again with this year’s holiday production of “Elf – The Musical”. As is tradition for most theater companies, their productions of family-favorite holiday shows always bring in full audiences of all ages and TUTS’ “Elf” is no different. On-stage through December 22nd, this show is a must-see. The crowd was buzzing from the moment the doors opened, and people continued to hum along to the songs on the way back to their cars.
