Natalie de la Garza - Page 2

This weekend, Grammy-nominated violinist Andres Cardenes returns to Houston for ROCO's annual conductorless concert, PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE. The program features a world premiere violin concerto from composer Ricardo Lorenz, written specifically for Cardenes, and works from Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini, Aaron Copland and Felix Mendelssohn.

So, I'm walking through my local multiplex last year and, imagine my surprise, when I come across a poster for THE GREAT WALL, Matt Damon's giant white face taking up about 80 percent of the surface area and dwarfing China (and I'm assuming Chinese people, not that I could see them they were so small) at the bottom corner. How on the nose. I can only assume someone in marketing asked, 'How can we make China white again?'

Actor Etai Benson sings and dances his way to The Hobby Center this month in Theatre Under the Stars' production of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. Today, Benson joins us to talk life on the road, dole out some advice, and explain what it's like playing an American in Paris -- spoiler -- 'S Wonderful'!

This weekend N'Kenge will join Grammy-nominated singer Ryan Shaw, Steven Reineke and the Houston Symphony for R&B MIXTAPE, a concert spanning decades of R&B hits from the U.S. to the U.K., including numbers from Stevie, Michael and Whitney, all the way to Amy, Adele and Beyonce.

Sarah Burgess's DRY POWDER, now in its last week at the Alley, is a peek into the world of private equity, and an exploration of 21st century morality, that had a pretty simple beginning.

PAIR Houston's Lauren West joins us to talk about her history working with refugee populations, the importance of giving voice to the 65 million displaced around the world, and the powerful documentary PUSHING THE ELEPHANT, which she says 'not only shows the wonderful resilience that all refugees embody, but also shows how cultures blend and meld to create a truly American family.'

Before the 24 hour news cycle and "I am not a crook" became one of the defining pop culture phrases of the '70s, Richard Nixon went to China, the first time a U.S. president ever visited the People's Republic.

Taking into account Degas' dislike of the label 'Impressionist,' ROCO founder and artistic director Alecia Lawyer decided to think outside the box for their gallery concert, NOT YOUR TYPICAL IMPRESSIONIST MUSIC, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where the oboist will perform with pianist Makiko Hirata amidst the works featured in 'Degas: A New Vision.'

It may be tempting to reduce Keith Maitland's new rotoscoped documentary film TOWER, about the 1966 shooting at the University of Texas, to its device - a curious novelty, a cartoon about a decades-old school shooting - but that would miss the point, and the difficulty, of what Maitland and his team have accomplished through an approach still closely associated with Saturday morning Hanna-Barbera fare.

At once deeply personal and undeniably universal, thought-provoking and incredibly moving, DIALOGUES ON GRACE is makes for an ambitious and daring night at the theatre.

The T.R.U.T.H. Project presents THE BOY THAT DREAMS IN YELLOW in honor of World AIDS Day. The multi-disciplinary installment will address the stigma around HIV/AIDS through a clever analogy - traffic lights.

This weekend, once the tryptophan wears off, join renowned pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane as he leads the Houston Symphony in A MOZART THANKSGIVING, featuring the famous 'Prague' Symphony and the composer's Piano Concertos No. 21 and No. 24.

If ARRIVAL were a person, she would be a woman, white (resembling Amy Adams, of course), and she would have voted for Hillary Clinton, despite what the exit polling would imply.

ROCKY HORROR's Erin Wasmund joins to talk about the everlasting appeal of ROCKY HORROR and to give us some blunt, but important advice.

Grammy Award-winning soprano (and Houston favorite) Ana Maria Martinez joins us to discuss about her role, Marguerite in HGO's FAUST; muse on the potential of opera to heal societal wounds; and give us some really practical advice.

Fresh off his Broadway debut in FINDING NEVERLAND and days from taking the lead in TUTS' production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING, Chris Dwan joined us to talk about his busy year, how he relates to the corporate-climbing J. Pierrepont Finch, and how to succeed (by really trying).

It's almost Halloween, and if you're still looking for a spooky good time, let us make some suggestions. From ghosts and man-eating plants to telekinetic teens and angry mobs, there's a lot out there for the Houston theatre-goer to find ... if you dare.

It's not easy to pin down Standing Room Only's DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED, the upcoming one-act 'special event' featuring music from the Moody Blues. It's a concert, or is it a cabaret? It's a musical, of the jukebox variety, but it's almost operatic, and a fringe theatre event. It's a journey. However you want to describe it, despite being built around music from 1967, it's definitely more than just nostalgia.

There's no doubt that Obsidian Theater's THE MOTHERF*#CKER WITH THE HAT wins the award for most attention-grabbing title of the season, but does James Belcher's production live up to the promise of that title? Is it as honest and unapologetically in-your-face as that title would have you believe? Why yes, it is.

I want to see more films like Antoine Fuqua's THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN -- a Western with plenty of action, old-school but with a diverse cast, strong performances, all under capable direction. Now, if only we could get a better script.