march/april 2011 issue

March-April 2011 | On The Town 1

John SantikosBlanca Aldaco Luminaria 2011Valero Texas OpenFiesta® San AntonioAntonio Strad ViolinContemporary Art MonthPlus 16 Additional Articles

John SantikosBlanca Aldaco Luminaria 2011Valero Texas OpenFiesta® San AntonioAntonio Strad ViolinContemporary Art MonthPlus 16 Additional Articles

ON THE TOWNMarch/April 2011March/April 2011

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2 On The Town | March-April 2011


Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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FeaturesOn Stage This Spring 10 John Santikos 16A Royal Life in Pictures

Two Decades Dedicated To 20San Antonio’s Music Future

San Antonio Symphony Honors 22Tchaikhovsky with a Festival

David Rubin: The Brown 52Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art at SAMA

2011 Marks 26 Years of 56Celebrating Contemporary Art in San Antonio

Turn Your Intention of 64Eating Well Into Action

Blanca Aldaco 68The Hostess with the Mostest

Texas de Brazil: The Newest 72Addition to Houston Street

Antonio Sanchez of Earl Abel’s 7650 Years and 1 Million Pies

Iliana de la Vega and Elizabeth 80Johnson-Kossick of CFA

What’s New for Fiesta® 2011 86

Bigger and Bolder Luminaria 90in 2011: A Showcase of Local, National and International Artists

Third Annual Olives Olé 92The International Olive Festival of Texas™

Culinaria, A Wine & 94Culinary Arts Festival

30th Annual Tejano Conjunto 98Festival en San Antonio

Caroline Kennedy Reading 106and Upcoming Free Lectures

Imagine: Valero Texas Open 110and Fiesta® San Antonio Share Calendar Dates


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Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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Departments ContributorsMikel Allen,graphic designer

Julie Catalano

Cynthia Clark

Lisa Cruz

Thomas Duhon

Chris Dunn

Ashley Festa

Dana Fossett

Greg Harrison,staff photographer

June Hayes

Anne Keever Cannon

Michele Krier

Christian Lair

Kay Lair

Tracey Maurer

Ginger McAnear Robinson

Susan A. Merkner,copy editor

Bonny Osterhage

Hector Pacheco

Tony Piazzi

Angela Rabke

Missy Schultze

Sara Selango

Claudia Maceo-Sharp

Shannon HuntingtonStandley

Juan Tejeda Tom Trevino

Jasmina Wellinghoff

On The Town Ezine.com is published byLair Creative, LLC14122 Red MapleSan Antonio, Texas 78247210-771-8486210-490-7950 (fax)

March-April 2011 28Events Calendar

Book Talk: Leslie Winfield 102Williams – Author and Professor

Artistic Destination: Trois Estate 114Is a Dream Come True

Picture This: Newest Eats in Town 122

Front Cover Photo: © Elena Vdovina / Dreamstime.com

Performing Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Events Calendar Cover Photo:West Side Story © Joan Marcus

Visual Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Culinary Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Festivals & Celebrations Cover Photo: © Max Blaine / Dreamstime.com

Literary Arts Cover Photo: © Saniphoto / Dreamstime.com

Eclectics Cover Photo: Greg Harrison


Performing Arts

10-26

Performing Arts

10-26


On Stage This Spring

By Sara Selango


On Stage This Spring


G et set for great entertainment in and around San Antonio throughout March and April. Mark your calendar or make a list, because these

months are super-stocked with superstars and super shows. I’m talking Itzhak, Yo-Yo, Wicked, Kenny, Liza, Bernadette, Harry, West Side Story, Arlo, Janet, Randy, Ricky, Ray, Cats, Cirque, Merce and more.

Let me begin with one of my favorites. After a February start, Wicked spills over into March with eight performances at the Majestic (including a Thursday matinee) from Tuesday to Sunday, March 1-6. This monumental musical is not to be missed, so don’t. Shift your budget a bit and buy a ticket or two. You won’t be disappointed because the experience is worth every penny. Next up is the iconic West Side Story. With music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story brings its American musical legacy to the Majestic stage March 22-27. The following week, this incredible road show goes up the road to Bass Concert Hall in Austin. Finishing up this category, Ed Asner as FDR comes to Austin’s Paramount Theatre March 9, and Alfred Hitchcock’s

The 39 Steps also makes a one-night-only stop at this historic venue on Congress Avenue April 12. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats plays Corpus Christi’s Selena Auditorium April 5-6, and another kind of theatrical production, Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, takes center stage at Cedar Park Center in Austin March 10-20, then in San Antonio at AT&T Center March 23-27.

Living legends Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma highlight classical offerings in March and April. Presented by Antonio Strad Violin, Perlman comes to Lila Cockrell Theatre March 19. Yo-Yo Ma appears at the Majestic with the Silk Road Ensemble March 31 in a performance presented by Arts San Antonio. In recent months, we’ve been privileged to experience the arrival of Sebastian Lang-Lessing as music director of the San Antonio Symphony, followed by an incredible evening with Lang Lang. Now, we are treated to Perlman and Ma. In the classical sense, this is as good as it gets. Both artists are also making stops in Austin, starting with Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble March 28 at Bass Concert Hall, followed by Perlman with the Austin



Symphony Orchestra April 28 at Long Center.

In other symphonic news, the San Antonio Symphony features five classical concerts and two pops performances during March and April. Dmitry Sitkovetsky conducts Mozart’s Haffner Seranade March 18-19, followed by The American Four Seasons with Jean-Marie Zeitouni as conductor April 1-2 (violinist Robert McDuffie is featured at this concert as well). Ilya Plays Mozart is next April 8-9 featuring principal clarinetist Ilya Shterenberg as soloist with Lang-Lessing conducting. The last two classical concerts during this time period inaugurate the symphony’s Tchaikhovsky Festival with Festival 1 April 29 featuring pianist Freddy Kempf and Festival 2 the following evening. Lang-Lessing takes the podium for these concerts. Pops offerings include Braswell on Broadway with Donald Braswell March 25-26 and Fiesta Pops with Ken-David Masur conducting April 22-23.

Mid-Texas Symphony, based in Seguin, features an appearance by the Romeros March 27 at Jackson Auditorium on the campus of Texas Lutheran

University. Further north in Austin, Preservation Hall Jazz Band shares the stage with the Austin Symphony Orchestra March 5, followed by the guest appearance of pianist Benedetto Lupo with the ASO March 11-12. The orchestra also presents Nexus April 1-2. All three of these concerts are at Michael and Susan Dell Hall at the Long Center.

Moving right along, here’s the deal on the remaining big names mentioned above, plus a few more. Randy Travis gets things started March 6 at Gruene Hall. Following him at the oldest dance hall in Texas is Arlo Guthie March 24. Lynyrd Skynyrd fires things up at the Majestic March 10, with Kenny Rogers playing the same venue March 20. Lady Gaga is set to fill up AT&T Center with fans March 15, as is Bon Jovi March 17. Also not to be missed is the Carver Community Cultural Center’s offering of Tia Fuller March 19 and Regina Carter April 23.

Area highlights include Liza Minnelli, Bowfire and Harry Connick Jr. at the Long Center in Austin March 3, 6 and 26, respectively. The venerable Ray


14 On The Town | March-April 201114 On The Town | July-August 201014 On The Town | March-April 2011

Price performs at One World Theatre in the capital city March 4, and trumpeter Chris Botti appears in a One World Theatre presentation March 10 at Riverbend Centre. Texas Performing Arts brings Merce Cunningham Dance Company to Bass Concert Hall March 8 followed by James Taylor April 23.

A Prairie Home Companion creator and host Garrison Keillor spends two evenings on stage at the Paramount March 2-3. Featured later in the month at this theater is Bernadette Peters March 25. The last of the Paramount shows to mention is Penn and Teller: 35 Years of Magic and B.S. April 7-8.

The new Moody Theater is home to the PBS show Austin City Limits. ACL shows there during March and April include Bill Maher, Devo, John Mellenkamp, Janet Jackson, Heart, the Moody Blues and Tony Bennett. Check the events calendar listings in this magazine for dates and times.

Lady Gaga has Austin on her tour as well with her show April 6 at the Frank Erwin Center. Tim McGraw plays this venue three days later, April 9.

The night before, he’s scheduled at American Bank Center Arena in Corpus Christi.

Down in the Valley, Janet Jackson appears at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo March 3. Ricky Martin does the same April 25 with an additional show in Laredo at Laredo Energy Arena the next evening.

About a thousand words ago I said, “Mark your calendar or make a list, because these months are super-stocked with superstars and super shows.” Now you know why.

On a separate note, the Cadillac Broadway in San Antonio Series has announced its 2011-12 season. Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Blue Man Group, La Cage Aux Folles and extended runs of Mary Poppins and Billy Elliot: The Musical compose the base season with special shows still to come. The San Antonio Symphony also has announced its 2011-12 season which includes a nine-concert Beethoven Festival and a special appearance by soprano Renée Fleming. Get some tickets and go!

March-April 2011 | On The Town 15 July-August 2010 | On The Town 15March-April 2011 | On The Town 15

Photo Credits

Pages 10-11

National Tour of West Side Story Photo by Joan Marcus

Page 12 (L-R)

National Tour of WickedAnne Brummel and Natalie DaradichPhoto by Joan Marcus

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road EnsemblePhoto by Todd Rosenberg

Regina CarterCourtesy Carver Community Cultural Center

Page 13 (L-R)

Cats National TourPhoto by Joan Marcus

Merce Cunningham Dance CompanyCourtesy merce.org

Itzhak PerlmanPhoto by Akira Kinoshita

Page 14 (L-R)

Kenny RogersCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Renée FlemingPhoto by Andrew Eccles, Decca

BowfireCourtesy bowfire.com

(L-R)

Billy Elliot: The MusicalNational TourLex Ishimoto as BillyPhoto by Michael Brosilow

Liza MinnelliCourtesy the Long Center

Bernadette PetersCourtesy imdb.com


J ohn Santikos is looking quite dapper on this crisp winter morning in a three-piece, camel-colored suit and snappy red tie.

When complimented, he opens up the jacket to show the label of the late French fashion designer Ted Lapidus. “I don’t remember where I got it,” Santikos said. “It ’s vintage.”

One could say the same about this local icon whose name is synonymous with moviegoing for the past century. This year, San Antonio-based Santikos Theatres celebrates its 100-year anniversary, based on the date John’s father, Louis Santikos, a Greek immigrant, bought his first theater in Waco in 1911.

Publicity-shy and extremely private, John Santikos rarely grants interviews. But today he talks easily about the journey that took his father from Greece to Texas and back again, leaving son John in the mid-1950s to grow the family business into the empire it is today.

“After my dad left, I was on my own,” Santikos said, “and I had a burning desire to progress.” Motivated, no doubt, by the destiny he felt was already in play. “It was instilled in me that I would continue the legacy. Every time I was introduced to my father ’s friends, they all said I was the

successor to the throne.”

It ’s a crown he wears well now, but not one that he sought out. After graduation from St. Mary ’s University with a business degree, the young Santikos dreamed of a career where he could indulge his passion for travel, particularly to Europe.

But the theater business bug bit, and it bit big. Santikos began to enjoy the industry he learned at his father ’s knee when he would accompany him to work, watching the projectionist and “listening to everything that was going on.” A shrewd businessman, Santikos started buying drive-ins, first the San Pedro in 1960, then more, eventually owning all of them in the city. “ They were a huge success. I was financially independent, and in a position to do whatever I wanted to do.”

He usually got what he wanted. When the Wonder Theater – then the only theatre in town that Santikos did not own – outbid him for the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars, it was a problem. “I got very uptight about that. It was a very big picture.” The empire struck back: Santikos bought the theater. Problem solved.

Santikos was unstoppable – almost. He described

John Santikos: A Royal Life in PicturesBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Greg Harrison



an overzealous venture into real estate in the 1980s as his “downfall,” selling his theaters to a competitor to indulge in land acquisition only to watch the market crash late in the decade (“My idea of living on a boat on the French Riviera was gone”). As luck would have it, he was able to buy all of the theaters back about 10 years ago when the company involved filed for bankruptcy protection. The empire was rebuilt, now consisting of seven multiplex theaters in San Antonio and one in Houston.

In a lifetime of memories, his most vivid one is also a recent one. “I never thought the Palladium would turn out to be as grand as it is.” Opened in 2006, the spectacular, state-of-the-art 19-screen complex (plus IMAX and 3-D) is a tribute to Santikos’ Greek roots, complete with columned lobby, VIP adults-only auditoriums, cafes, and mezzanine bar. “It is phenomenal,” he said simply.

In a world where new movies can appear in your living room, Santikos isn’t particularly worried. “People are socially oriented,” he said. “ They like to go out of the house and be with other people. It ’s human nature.” He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “ That’s good for us.”

His travels these days are mostly back in time – not surprisingly to the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine. Any lessons learned? “ That nothing is permanent. Everything is ephemeral, and there’s always some higher authority, some God, that has the power to direct us.”

For now, however, Santikos will continue to make his own destiny, thank you. As for new opportunities, all he will say is, “we are looking at some situations.”

His father ’s lessons still ring in his ears: “ That everything runs absolutely right. That I don’t forget anything. To make sure all details are taken care of until they’re perfected.” His mother, Toula, shaped his success as well. “She would say to me, ‘you gotta be somebody, you gotta leave a name.’” That he has, and in a grand, almost movie-like way that San Antonians will never forget – at least not for the next hundred years.



Two Decades Devoted to San Antonio’s Music FutureBy Michele KrierPhotography Greg Harrison


I t’s easy to be transported to the age of Mozart when you’re seated in an elegant concert salon at Antonio Strad Violin. Musicians themselves,

violinist Guolian Zhou and his wife, music professor Mary Zhang, are the owners of Antonio Strad. They reflect on the journey that took them from China to Texas where they have dedicated two decades to serving San Antonio.

Mary personally understands the power of music. “As a young person, I had the opportunity to attend a concert featuring the finest pianist in China. It had a phenomenal affect on me. I couldn’t wait to get home and play the piece myself. I didn’t realize until years later that my life actually changed at that moment. My musical playing ability moved up two levels. Inspiration from that concert became the key to opening the door for me to go through,” she says passionately. “I wanted to share this experience with the community.”

Taking her desire to heart, Antonio Strad is bringing living legend and violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman to San Antonio on March 19 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. In the past, the couple helped the San Antonio Symphony and Texas Public Radio sponsor a special concert evening with Joshua Bell. They also scored a coup in bringing Sarah Chang to the Antonio Strad building to meet her musical fans. In addition to bringing the finest musicians to the city, they have also purchased one of the most-celebrated and rare musical instruments -- a Stradivarius violin, one of possibly only 300 left in the world.

“As a student, you may not have the imagination, but when you see the masters, you experience the soul of the work . Music is truly the international language,” Guolian says. I t also k nows no age barr iers. Guolian points out that the youngest student currently tak ing lessons at Antonio Strad is 2 years old and the oldest is 85. Offer ing music lessons is par t of Antonio Strad’s mission, along with instrument sales, ser vice and special ized repair.

Guolian’s own success is literally tied to his early years of coming to San Antonio from the shop

where he worked in Houston to repair instruments at local schools and for area musicians. “I soon realized that this was a large market that needed fine musical instrument repair and restoration. We decided to come to San Antonio.” The couple will soon celebrate nearly 20 years in business as one of the largest violin shops in Texas. They also have a music store in McAllen and say they are always willing to consider additional markets.

“The strength of San Antonio’s rising support for music is evident in the list of world-class performers appearing here recently,” says the company’s marketing director, Rene Sosa, who points to Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma and the Vienna Boys Choir, in addition to Itzhak Perlman and other notable artists whom Antonio Strad has sponsored in the past. “Our commitment to the musical community is that we’re in business to share, to perform and to support musicians with our services -- lessons, service, instrument repair, sales and rentals. But it’s the music that we’re really selling,” says Rene, who is an accomplished opera singer as well.

Also noteworthy is that Antonio Strad is music headquarters for many mariachi groups who serve up the flavor and traditions of Mexico throughout the city.

“We’ve built our reputation on quality,” Guolian says modestly. “We use only a French bridge and German fine tuners because Germany produces the best steel. It’s equally important for beginning students as well as professionals to practice and perform on quality instruments. We hand-carve and finish all of the instruments in our shop, testing every single one of them.”

Guolian and Mary, who confesses a soft spot for Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, already have plans on the horizon to bring in more exciting musical performers next year. As long-time members of the Violin Society of America, the couple and Antonio Strad are committed to living up to and surpassing their reputation among the professional music community as a “hidden treasure of Texas.”



When audiences hear the name Tchaikovsky, immediately many are reminded of trips to see and hear The Nutcracker and Swan

Lake. In addition to his exceptional ballets, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned some of the greatest symphonies, operas, piano concertos and chamber music of the 19th century. The San Antonio Symphony is immersing audiences in the brilliance of Tchaikovsky, performing six of his symphonies and both of his piano concertos in only nine days, from April 29- May 7, during the San Antonio Symphony Tchaikovsky Festival.

Tchaikovsky has provided the world with some of the most recognized classical music in history. However, as is typical with many artists, some pieces are better known than others.

“It is great for the audience to learn the first three (Tchaikovsky) symphonies, which are almost never played, despite being gems. Hearing them all together is a special experience,” said symphony music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing. “These pieces provide a nice overview of his early, middle and late work.”

Strongly influenced by Russian folk music, Tchaikovsky had a very dramatic style. Lang-Lessing said the symphonies also were very personal. “By putting a slow movement as a finale to his last symphony, he revolutionized the form. Mahler’s 9th and last symphony goes the same way.”

Doubling the repertoire of a normal concert week, a festival of this nature puts significant pressure on the conductor and the orchestra. That experience is exactly what Lang-Lessing, who is marking his first year as artistic director with the symphony, is hoping will bring him even closer to the orchestra.

“It is great for the beginning of our relationship between music director and orchestra to have this intense experience of having to learn six symphonies in just nine

days,” Lang-Lessing said.

“I think what I’m looking forward to most in the Tchaikovsky Festival is the opportunity to work so intensely with my new and wonderful orchestra,” he said. “It takes time for a conductor and an orchestra to get to work together at the greatest levels, and this festival will speed up that process of getting to know each other.”

Each of the six festival concerts will feature a variety of styles, beginning with the first concert April 29 highlighting Symphony No. 3, Polish, and Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Freddy Kempf. April 30 brings Symphony No. 2, Little Russian, and Symphony No. 4.

May 1 showcases a completely new style with Camerata San Antonio presenting a special all-Tchaikovsky chamber music concert featuring Kempf at Travis Park United Methodist Church.

“It will be very intimate,” Lang-Lessing said. “Chamber music is wonderful, but in a completely different way from a symphony. You hear much more details but less volume of sound. Tchaikovsky didn’t write much chamber music, so this will be a very special treat.”

Just five days later, the symphony is back in the Majestic Theatre with Symphony No. 1, Winter Daydreams, and Symphony No. 5 on May 6, followed by Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kempf and Symphony No. 6, Pathétique, on May 7.

In addition to the nine-day festival, the symphony is continuing the Tchaikovsky immersion with a special Musical Bridges Around the World performance on May 8 at McAllister Auditorium. The concert will highlight Tchaikovsky arias sung by singers from the Houston Grand Opera, followed by the Russian-trained folk group Ensemble Barynya.

San Antonio Symphony Honors Tchaikovsky With A FestivalBy LIsa Cruz


The May 22 Future Stars and May 25, 26 and 31 Young People’s concerts will feature special tributes to Tchaikovsky.

“There is a special intensity about this kind of festival experience,” Lang-Lessing said. “I hope the audience walks away wanting to come to more concerts and feeling like this was a very special opportunity. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover Tchaikovsky in this depth, and it will strengthen the bond of the community with the symphony.”

The symphony is hoping audiences will find the festival a one-of-a-kind experience. The symphony is already planning the 2011-12 Beethoven Festival, presenting Beethoven’s nine symphonies along with his piano and cello sonatas, chamber music and more.

“As both an artistic tool and an audience-development tool, these festivals will be part of my programming each season,” Lang-Lessing said. “Each festival will be quite different and unique. And next year, we are also going to explore many of the symphonic masterpieces that have not been played in San Antonio for a very long time.”

Lang-Lessing, who has found a warm welcome, is getting settled in San Antonio and is looking forward to continuing to build his relationship with the orchestra and the San Antonio community.

“We love it here,” he said. “I want to develop these kinds of festivals into big community events. We welcome everybody with a creative input and all art forms to participate. These festivals and the symphony offer a great forum to connect people.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:

Page 22Sebastian Lang-LessingPhoto by Marks Moore

(Above)Pyotr Ilyich TchaikhovksyCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

(Below) Freddy KempfCourtesy San Antonio Symphony24 On The Town | March-April 2011


Events Calendar28-50

Events Calendar28-50


Music NotesSymphony of the Hills:For the Young at Heart3/3, Thu @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

RockBox Theaterin Fredericksburg3/4-4/30, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 4:30pm & 8pmSun @ 1:30pm

San Antonio Rose Live3/4-4/30, Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 2pm & 7:30pmSun & Mon @ 7:30pmAztec Theatre

Cory Morrow3/4, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Zack Walther Band3/4, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Youth Orchestra of San Antonio & Hill Country Youth Orchestra:Side by Side Concert3/5, Sat @ 5pmTerrance Frazor, conductorPatricia Lee, conductorKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Wade Bowen3/5, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store

Two Tons of Steel3/5, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

San Antonio Brass:Knights and Castles3/6, Sun @ 2pmBeacon Hill Presbyterian Church

Quatuor YsayeSan Antonio Chamber Music Society Presentation3/6, Sun @ 3:15pmTemple Beth-El

Voci di Sorelle: Glory Bound3/6, Sun @ 3pmThe Union Church BuildingKerrville3/13 Sun @ 3pmChrist Episcopal Church

Randy Travis3/6, Sun @ 7pmGruene Hall

Cherish The Ladies3/10, Thu @ 7:45pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Lynyrd Skynyrd3/10, Thu @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Bleu Edmondson3/11, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Nick Lawrence3/11, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Jim Witter: The Piano Man3/12, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Reckless Kelly, Micky & The Motorcars and Muzzie Braun3/12, Sat @ 8pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Jake Kellen Band3/12, Sat @ 8pmKendalia Halle

Emory Quinn3/12, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store

Brandon Rhyder3/12, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Evening with Jon Anderson3/14, Mon @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Virgin Mobile Presents the Monster Ball Tour starring Lady Gaga3/15, Tue @ 8pmAT&T Center

One Republic3/15, Tue @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

March-April 2011 Events Calendar



Stryper3/15, Tue @ 8:30pmBackstage Live

Turnpike TroubadoursKJ-97 Live Music SeriesWed, 3/16 @ 6:30pmThe County Line – IH10

10 Years with DigitalSummer, A Cry Farewell and Electric Touch3/17, Thu @ 5pmBackstage Live

Bon Jovi 2011 Live Tour3/17, Thu @ 7:30pmAT&T Center

Mario Flores and theSoda Creek Band3/18, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

San AntonioSymphony:Mozart’s Haffner Seranade3/18-19, Fri-Sat @ 8pmDmitry Sitkovetsky, conductor & violinMajestic Theatre

Roger Creager3/18-19, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Rickey Nelson Remembered:Gunnar and Mathew Nelson3/19, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Itzhak PerlmanAntonio Strad Violin Presentation3/19, Sat @ 7:30pmLila Cockrell Theatre

Freddie Jackson3/19, Sat @ 8pmMunicipal Auditorium

Tia FullerCarver Community Cultural Center Presentation3/19, Sat @ 8pmJo Long Theatre

Landon Dodd & Dancehall Drifters3/19, Sat @ 8pmAnhalt HallBulverde

Randy Rogers Band3/19, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

The McKay Brothers3/19, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dance Hall


Donald BraswellFredericksburg Music Club Presentation3/20, Sun @ 3pmFredericksburg United Methodist Church

Music from St. Mark’s3/20, Sun @ 4pmDaniel Kobialka, violinKristin Roach, pianoSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral: Soloists from Houston Grand OperaMusical Bridges Around The World Presentation3/20, Sun @ 6:30pmSan Fernando Cathedral

Kenny Rogers3/20, Sun @ 7pmMajestic Theatre

Tiesto3/20, Sun @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Lords of Acid3/20, Sun @ 8:30pmBackstage Live

Olmos Ensemble3/22, Tue @ 7:30pm First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio

Cody Johnson BandKJ-97 Live Music SeriesWed, 3/23 @ 6:30pmThe County Line – IH10

Arlo Guthrie: Journey On Tour with Abe Guthrie and The Burns Sisters3/24, Thu @ 8pmGruene Hall

Juanes3/25, Fri @ 8pmFreeman Coliseum

The Almost Patsy Cline Band3/25, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Scott Wiggins Band3/25, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Braswell on Broadway3/25-26, Fri-Sat @ 8pmDonald Braswell & Margaret Keys, vocalistsChristophe Mongou, conductorLaurie AuditoriumTrinity University

Kalhalla3/26, Sat @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Casey Donahew Band3/26, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Todd Snider3/26, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Charlie Robison3/26, Sat @ 8pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Mid-Texas Symphony:The Romeros3/27, Sun @ 4pmDavid Mairs, conductorJackson AuditoriumTexas Lutheran UniversitySeguin

Jerry Jeff Walker’s Texas Bash3/27, Sun @ 7pmGruene Hall

Musical Offerings: Music on the MOve3/28, Mon @ 6pm & 8pmSan Antonio Museum of Art

K. SridharUTSA Guest Artist Series Presentation3/28, Mon @ 7pmRecital HallUTSA Main Campus

Jeanine De BiqueTuesday Musical Club Presentation3/29, Tue @ 7:30pmLaurel Heights UnitedMethodist Church

Kyle Bennett BandKJ-97 Live Music SeriesWed, 3/30 @ 6:30pmThe County Line – IH10

The Silk Road Ensemblewith Yo-Yo MaAn Arts San Antonio Presentation3/31, Thu @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Copperleaf Quintet:Copperleaf at Southwest School of Art4/1, Fri @ 7pmCoates Chapel at Southwest School of Art

Radney Foster4/1, Fri @ 8pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Bob Schneider4/1, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

San Antonio Symphony:The American Four Seasons4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 8pmJean-Marie Zeitouni, conductorRobert McDuffie, violin Majestic Theatre

Ray Wylie Hubbard’s Annual Grit and Groove Festival4/2, Sat @ 2pmWhitewater AmphitheaterNew Braunfels

The Bronx Wanderers4/2, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels



Bleu Edmondson4/2, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Larry Joe Taylor4/2, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Lafayette String QuartetSan Antonio Chamber Music Society Presentation4/3, Sun @ 3:15pmTemple Beth-El

Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral: Fantasia for Organ with Svetlana BerejnayaMusical Bridges Around The World Presentation4/4, Mon @ 6:30pmSan Fernando Cathedral

Jason Boland and the StragglersKJ-97 Live Music SeriesWed, 4/6 @ 6:30pmThe County Line – IH10

Avalanche Tour!: Featuring: Stone Sour, Theory of a Dead Man & More4/8, Fri @ 6pmAlamodome

Dale Watson4/8, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Ilya Plays Mozart4/8-9, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorIlya Shterenberg, clarinetMajestic Theatre

Billy Mata4/9, Sat @ 8pmKendalia Halle

Sol y Canto with Sweet Plantain String QuartetCarver Community Cultural Center Presentation4/9, Sat @ 8pmJo Long Theatre

Sean McConnell4/9, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Paul Thorn4/9, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Heart of Texas Concert Band4/10, Sun @ 4pmWatkins Fine Arts CenterSt. Philips College

Sunday Jazz at The Witte4/10, Sun @ 4pmWitte Museum

Bud Light PresentsSiesta Fest 2011:Toadies - 4/15, Thu @ 7pmDokken - 4/16, Fri @ 7pmHemisFair Park

Bobby Flores & Yellow Rose Band4/16, Sat @ 8pmAnhalt HallBulverde

Marty Stuart & HisFabulous Superlatives4/16, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Charlie Montague4/9, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

Minneapolis Guitar QuartetFredericksburg Music Club Presentation4/17, Sun @ 3pmFredericksburg United Methodist Church

Music from St. Mark’s:Fiesta Concert4/17, Sun @ 4pmDavid Heller, organKristin Roach, pianoSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Micky & The Motorcars4/22, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Gary P. Nunn4/22, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Fiesta Pops4/22-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pmKen-David Masur, conductorMajestic Theatre

Regina CarterCarver Community Cultural Center Presentation4/23, Sat @ 8pmJo Long Theatre

Kyle Park4/23, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Cold4/26, Tue @ 8pmBackstage Live

Cory MorrowKJ-97 Live Music SeriesWed, 4/27 @ 6:30pmThe County Line – IH10

Symphony of the Hills:Celebrate America4/28, Thu @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Zack Walther Band4/29, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

The Almost Patsy Cline Band4/29, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

San Antonio Symphony:Tchaikovsky Festival 14/29, Fri @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorFreddy Kempf, pianoMajestic Theatre



San Antonio Symphony:Tchaikovsky Festival 24/30, Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorMajestic Theatre

Sepultura4/30, Sat @ 8:30pmBackstage Live

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers4/30, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Bobby Flores4/30, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dance Hall

On Stage

Wicked: A New Musical3/1-6, Tue-Wed & Fri @ 8pmThu & Sat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pmMajestic Theatre

Marrying Terry3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(dinner @ 6:30pm)Sun @ 3pm(lunch @ 1:30pm)S.T.A.G.E – Spotlight Theatre & Arts Group, etc. Bulverde

Little Women3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmSteve W. Shepard TheaterFredericksburg

The Overtime Comedy Hour3/3-26, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(no show on Fri 3/4 –one Sun matinee on 3/13 @ 3pm)The Overtime Theater at Blue Star

The Secret GardenUTSA Lyric Theatre Presentation3/4 & 6, Fri @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmBuena Vista TheaterUTSA Downtown Campus


Vanities3/4-3/6, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCellar TheaterSan Pedro Playhouse

Romantic Fools 3/4-13, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmCameo Theatre

The Cure: A Rock Vampire Musical3/4-3/13, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmWoodlawn Theatre

The Lion in WinterClassic Theatre Presentation3/10-27, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmSterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

Boogie Back To Texas3/10-4/23, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner @ 6:15pm)Harlequin Dinner Theatre

Art3/11-19, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmBoerne Community Theatre

The Dark Side of the Rainbow3/11-26, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmThe Rose Theatre Company

Murder Mysteries Dinner Theatre: The St. Marinara Massacre Cameo Theatre and Fools Productions Presentation3/12 & 26, Sat @ 6:30pm4/9 & 30, Sat @ 6:30pmSpaghetti Warehouse

West Side Story3/22-27, Tue-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm & 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

The Adventures of Captain Cortez and the Tri-Lambda Brigade: A Serial Space Comedy3/25-26, 4/29-30, Fri-Sat @ 10:30pmThe Overtime Theater at Blue Star

A Light in the Piazza3/25-4/23, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmRussell Hill Rogers TheaterSan Pedro Playhouse

All in the Timing3/26-4/17, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmCameo Theatre

The Miracle Worker3/31-4/23, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pmCircle Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Noises OffPlayhouse 2000 Presentation4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm4/8-10, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pm4/14-16, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

The Dixie Swim Club4/1-16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmElizabeth Huth Coates Theatre at Hill Country Arts FoundationIngram

A Tribute to the Music of Rogers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber4/1-17, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmSteve W. Shepard TheaterFredericksburg

Jesus Christ Superstar4/1-5/1, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmWoodlawn Theatre

Mysteries4/8-17, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pmCoates TheatreUniversity of the Incarnate Word

Frames4/8-5/7, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(no show on Fri 5/7 –one Sun matinee on 4/24 @ 3pm)The Overtime Theater at Blue Star

The Shock Puppets Present Beer Pong: The Musical4/15-30, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmThe Rose Theatre Company

Pride’s Crossing4/15-17, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm4/27-30, Wed-Thu @ 7pmFri-Sat @ 8pmStieren TheaterTrinity University

Wild Oats4/15-5/15, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCellar TheaterSan Pedro Playhouse

The Barstool Poets Project: Last Call for Truth4/21-30, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

SouvenirOpens 4/22Cameo Theatre

The Dance

Come Together3/5-6, Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmJo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center

Alma de Mujer3/5-6, Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmGuadalupe Theater


36 On The Town | March-April 201136 On The Town | July-August 200936 On The Town | July-August 2009

Lanka-An Epic on Stage4/10, Sun @ 6pmJo Long Theatre at CarverCommunity Cultural Center

Dance KaleidoscopeSan Antonio Metropolitan Ballet Presentation4/15-16, Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 2pmJo Long Theatre at CarverCommunity Cultural Center

Standup

Darren Carter3/2-6, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Bill Santiago3/2-6, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Lisa Lampanelli3/5, Sat @ 8pmLila Cockrell Theatre

Tom Simmons3/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Kristen Key3/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Rodney Carrington3/12, Sat @ 6:30pm & 9:30pmMajestic Theatre

Nick Griffin3/16-20, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Kevin Downey, Jr.3/16-20, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Jeanne Robertson3/19, Sat @ 8pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Dan Gabriel3/23-27, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Finesse Mitchell3/25-27, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jim David3/30-4/3, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Joey Medina3/30-4/3, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Mike Yard4/6-10, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Kelly Morton4/6-4/10, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Chris Fonseca4/13-17, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Tommy Blaze4/20-24, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Adam Hunter4/20-4/24, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Mark Viera4/27-5/1, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

JR Brow4/28-5/1, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

For The Kids

If You Give a Pig a Party3/1-26, Tue-Fri @ 9:45am & 11:30amFri @ 7pm, Sat @ 2pmMagik Theatre

Room on the BroomChildren’s Fine Arts Series Presentation3/11, Fri @ 6:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Alphabet Soup3/19-31, Wed-Thu @ 10amSat @ 11amThe Rose Theatre Company



Charlotte’s Web4/6-5/7, Tue-Fri @ 9:45am & 11:30amFri @ 7pm, Sat @ 2pmMagik Theatre

Wow Wow Weather!4/16-28, Wed-Thu @ 10amSat @ 11amThe Rose Theatre Company

Disney On Ice:Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 34/20-24, Wed-Thu @ 7:30pmFri @ 1:30pm & 7:30pmSat @ 3pm & 7pmSun @ 3:30pmAlamodome

Leo Lionni StoriesChildren’s Fine Arts Series Presentation4/29, Fri @ 6:30pmLaurie Auditorium,Trinity University

On Exhibit

ARTPACE

International Artist-In-ResidenceNew Works: 11.1E.V. DayDevon DikeouKelly RichardsonHeather Pesanti, curator3/24-5/22

Hudson (Show)Room Gabriel Vormstein: The Teeth of the Wind and the SeaThru 5/1

Window WorksJoshua BienkoThru 5/1

BIHL HAUS ARTS

Remember El Alma4/9-23

Suchil Coffman-Guerra4/15-5/15


BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER

Brian Jobe: Blank Tides3/3-5/14

Cathy Cunningham-Little: Breathing Light3/3-5/14

Gregory Elliott: Dam the Torpedoes3/3-5/14

Dirk Lange:Slow Gemini3/3-5/14

Prime Cuts3/3-4/28In conjuction withStone Metal Press

Art From the Land of the Cougars3/3-4/23At Blue Star Lab

CENTRO CULTURAL ATZLAN

Tres Carolinas, Carolinas x 3Opens 3/5

GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

100 PalabrasCurated by Patty OrtizThru 3/19

Verses3/2-31At El Tropicano Hotel

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

World Heritage Photo Panels From Japan: Two ThousandYears of LegaciesThru 3/13

Texans Head to FootThru 5/1

Leaving Home, Finding Home: Texan Families Remember the RevolutionThru 5/1

Texas Contemporary Artists Series: Luis M. GarzaThru 6/19

McNAY ART MUSEUMArtmatters 14: Sandy Skoglund:The Cocktail PartyThru 5/8

New Image SculptureThru 5/8

MUSEO ALAMEDA

Revolution and Renaissance: Mexico and San Antonio 1910-2010Thru 7/15

SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Art In The Garden:George Schroeder Curated by Bill FitzGibbonsThru 3/30

Art In The Garden: Texas Uprising – Selections from The Texas Sculpture Group3/18-5/1

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

The Missing Piece3/12-7/31

La Feria – Folk Art from Regional Fairs in Latin America4/8- 8/11

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART

Magnetic Fields3/10-5/15

Beatriz Fedele: Crossing Nature’s Threshold3/10-5/15

Art from ArchitectureVilla Finale – Off SiteThru 4/19

WITTE MUSEUM

Porfirio Salinas: Painting South Texas Thru 3/20

Amazon Voyage: Viscous Fishes and Other RichesThru 9/5

Water in Motion: Past, Present and Future of the San Antonio RiverThru 9/5

Miradas: Mexican Art from the Bank of America Collection 3/12-8/21

Miscellaneous

First Friday Art Walk3/4 & 4/1, Fri / 6-9pmSouthtown / Blue Star / King William

World Famous Lippizaner Stallions3/12, Sat @ 2pm &7:30pmFreeman Coliseum

Luminaria 20113/12, Sat / 6:30pm-12am HemisFair Park

Taste of CIA Cookbooks: CIA Favorites 3/12, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm



One Dish Meal3/26, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm

Baking at Home - The Desserts4/9, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm

Sharpening Your Knife Skills 4/30, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pm Culinary Institute of America at Pearl Brewery

Culinary Boot Camp: Basic Training 3/21-25, Mon-Tue / 7am-1:30pm Culinary Institute of America at Pearl Brewery Cirque du Soleil: Dralion3/23-27, Wed-Thu @ 7:30pmFri @ 3:30pm & 7:30pmSat @ 12pm, 4pm & 8pmSun @ 1pm & 5pmAT&T Center

NCAA Div. 1 Men’s Basketball Southwest Regional3/25-27Alamodome

Third Annual Olives Ole3/26, Sat / 10am-4pmSan Antonio Botanical Garden

Glenn Beck3/26, Sat @ 8pmLila Cockrell TheatreTaste of CIA Cookbooks:

Fiesta® San Antonio4/7-17www.fiesta-sa.org for events

Cornyation4/12-14, Tue-Thu @ 8pm & 10:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

The Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo 4/13, Wed @ 8pmMunicipal Auditorium

Valero Texas Open4/14-17TPC Championship CourseJW Marriott Resort

Area HighlightsAustin

Colin Hay of Men at Work3/1, Tue @ 7pmOne World Theatre

Red Hot Patriot3/1-13, Tue-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm (additional performance 3/13 at 6pm)Kleberg StageZachary Scott Theatre

Garrison Keillor3/2-3, Wed-Thu @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Fiction3/2-4/10, Wed-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmWhisenhunt StageZachary Scott Theatre

Liza Minnelli3/3, Thu @ 8pmMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Man and SupermanAustin Shakespeare Presentation3/3-6, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 7pmRollins Studio Theatre at The Long Center

Kim Cole LuevanoGuest Artist Series at Butler School of Music3/4, Fri @ 4pmRecital Studio University of Texas

Austin City Limits Live: Funky Meters with Big Chief Goodman & the Funky Flaming Arrows3/4, Fri @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Lisa Lampanelli3/4, Fri @ 7pmParamount Theatre

Ray PriceFeaturing Dale Watson3/4, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Donell Jones3/5, Sat @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Austin Symphony Orchestra with Preservation Jazz Band3/5, Sat @ 8pmPeter Bay, conductorMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Austin City Limits Live: Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame Show3/6, Sun @ 5:30pmThe Moody Theater

R. Carlos Nakai, Eaton& Clipman3/6, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Bowfire3/6, Sun @ 7pmMichael and Susan Dellat The Long Center

Merce Cunningham Dance CompanyTexas Performing Arts Presentation3/8, Tue @ 8pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

Nathan GunnTexas Performing Arts Presentation3/9, Wed @ 8pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

Ed Asner as FDR3/9, Wed @ 8pmParamount Theatre



July-August 2010 | On The Town 41

Chris BottiOne World Theatre Presentation3/10, Thu @ 8pmRiverbend Centre

Cirque du Soleil: Dralion3/10-13, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 4pm & 8pmSun @ 1pm & 5pm3/15-20, Tue-Thu @ 7:30pmFri @ 3:30pm & 7:30pmSat @ 4pm & 8pmSun @ 1pm & 5pmCedar Park Center

Austin Symphony Orchestra 3/11-12, Fri-Sat @ 8pmPeter Bay, conductorBenedetto Lupo, pianoMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

SXSW Week, 20113/11-20Interactive 3/11-15Film 3/11-19Music 3/11-15www.sxsw.com for schedules

The World Famous Lippazaner Stallions3/13, Sun @ 2pm & 6pmFrank Erwin Center

Janina FialkowskaGuest Artist Recital Series at Butler School of Music3/21, Mon @ 7:30pmBates Recital HallUniversity of Texas

Eight Blackbird: Slide with Rinde Eckert and Steve MackeyTexas Performing Arts Presentation3/23, Wed @ 8pmMcCullough TheatreUniversity of Texas

Raul Midon3/24, Thu @ 7pmOne World Theatre

SF Jazz Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder3/24, Thu @ 8pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

Austin City Limits Live:James Cotton andShemikia Copeland3/25, Fri @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Bernadette Peters3/25, Fri @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Ugly Duckling3/26, Sat @ 12pmOne World Theatre


Austin City Limits Live:Bill Maher3/26, Sat @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Austin Civic Orchestra:Pearl Amster Concerto Festival Concert3/26, Sat @ 7:30pmBethany Lutheran Church

Harry Connick, Jr.3/26, Sat @ 8pmMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Jerry Jeff Walker Texas Bash3/26, Sat @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Austin City Limits Live:Devo with The Octopus Project3/27, Sun @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo MaTexas Performing Arts Presentation3/28, Mon @ 8pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

West Side StoryTexas Performing Arts / Broadway Across America Presentation3/29-4/3, Tue-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm & 7:30pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

August Osage County3/31-5/22 Wed-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2:30pm Kleberg StageZachary Scott Theatre

Christin Schillinger and Jed MossGuest Artist Recital Series at Butler School of Music4/1, Fri @ 4pmJessen AuditoriumUniversity of Texas

Shawn Colvin4/1, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Chris Cornell4/1, Fri @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Austin Symphony Orchestra Presents Nexus4/1-2, Fri-Sat @ 8pmPeter Bay, conductorMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Austin City Limits Live:John Mellenkamp4/2, Sat @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Great Organ Series:Stephen Hamilton4/3, Sun @ 4pmBates Recital HallUniversity of Texas

Janet JacksonAustin City Limits Presentation4/3, Sun @ 6:30pmMoody Theater

Al Di Meola World Sinfonia Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody Tour4/3, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Austin City Limits Live:Jeff Beck’s Rock & Roll Party with Amelda May4/5, Tue @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Virgin Mobile Presents the Monster Ball Tour starring Lady Gaga4/6, Wed @ 8pmFrank Erwin Center

Austin City Limits Live:Heart4/7, Thu @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Penn & Teller: 35 Years of Magic and B.S.4/7-8, Thu-Fri @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Emotional Traffic Tour:Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and the Band Perry4/9, Sat @ 7pmFrank Erwin Center

FlightAustin Lyric Opera Presentation4/9, 13, 15 & 17Sat, Wed & Fri @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Wed @ 7:30 Leo Kotke with Amy Cook4/9, Sat @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Festival of Children’s Voices featuring St. John’s College ChoirTexas Performing Arts Presentation4/10, Sun @ 5pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

Jesse Cook4/10, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Austin City Limits Live:A Day To Remember4/12, Tue @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

An Evening with David Crosby and Graham Nash4/12, Tue @ 7:30pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

Starling DistinguishedViolinist Series: Elmar Oliveira with Robert Koenig4/12, Mon @ 7:30pmBates Recital HallUniversity of Texas



Kings of Leonwith Band of Horses4/12, Tue @ 8pmFrank Erwin Center

Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps4/12, Tue @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Sergio and Odair AssadTexas Performing Arts Presentation4/13, Wed @ 8pmHogg Memorial AuditoriumUniversity of Texas

Bob Saget4/13, Wed @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Keb’ Mo4/14, Thu @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Adam HolzmanJessen Series Presentation4/14, Thu @ 7:30pmJessen AuditoriumUniversity of Texas

April In Paris: Lee Lessack and Amanda McBroomAustin Cabaret Theatre Presentation4/15, Fri @ 7pm (dinner), 8pm (show)Chez Zee – Balcones Drive

Doktor Kaboom4/16, Sat @ 12pmOne World Theatre

UT Jazz Orchestra with Stefon HarrisTexas Performing Arts Presentation4/16, Sat @ 7:30pmBates Recital HallUniversity of Texas

Brian Regan4/16, Sat @ 8pmMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

Austin City Limits Live:Jonny Lang & GeorgeThorogood4/21, Thu @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Indian Classical Music featuring Ken ZuckermanGuest Artist Recital Series at Butler School of Music4/22, Fri @ 7:30pmBates Recital HallUniversity of Texas

James TaylorTexas Performing Arts Presentation4/23, Sat @ 8pmBass Concert HallUniversity of Texas

David Sedaris4/25, Mon @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Austin City Limits Live:Tony Bennett4/27, Wed @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Austin City Limits Live:Moody Blues4/28, Thu @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Austin Symphony OrchestraPresents Itzhak Perlman4/28, Thu @ 8pmMichael and Susan Dell Hall at The Long Center

King Crimson’s Pat Mastelotto And Trey Gunn Are TU4/28, Thu @ 8:15pmOne World Theatre

Disney On Ice: Princess Wishes4/28-5/1, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 11am, 3pm & 7pmSun @ 2pm & 6pmCedar Park Center

Austin City Limits Live:Blue October4/29, Fri @ 6:30pmThe Moody Theater

Craig Ferguson4/29, Fri @ 7:30pm & 10pmParamount Theatre

Yosvany Terry: ye-de-gbe and the Afro-Carribean LegacyTexas Performing Arts Presentation4/29, Fri @ 8pmHogg Memorial AuditoriumUniversity of Texas

Groupo Fantasma4/30, Sat @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Corpus Christi

Bart Crow Band3/3, Thu @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Buddy JewellCorpus Christi Live Presentation3/4, Fri @ 7:30pmPerforming Arts CenterTexas A&M Corpus Christi

The Spazmatics3/4, Fri @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Reckless Kelly3/5, Sat @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

The Ultimate JourneyTribute Band featuring Frontiers3/6, Sun @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Aaron Watson3/10, Thu @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Rodney Carrington3/11, Fri @ 7pmSelena Auditorium at American Bank Center

Rick Ross3/12, Sat @ 7pmAmerican Bank Center Arena


46 On The Town | March-April 201146 On The Town | September-October 2010

Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: Subscription No. 5 - Hooray for Hollywood3/12, Sat @ 8pmJohn Giordano, conductorPerforming Arts CenterTexas A&M Corpus Christi

Snoop Dog3/15, Tue @ 7pmOld Concrete Street Amphitheater

10 Years with DigitalSummer, A Cry Farewell and Electric Touch3/16, Wed @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Josh Abbott Band3/17, Thu @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Randy Rogers Bandwith Eli Young Band3/18, Fri @ 7pmOld Concrete Street Amphitheater

Emerging Artist SeriesSparkling City Light Opera Presentation3/19, Sat @ 2pmWolfe Recital HallDel Mar College

Cory Morrow3/24, Thu @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

The Little MermaidConcert Ballet Presentation3/26, Sat @ 7:30pmSelena Auditorium at American Bank Center

House of Pain (original members) with Big B, Slaine & Sozay3/27, Sun @ 9pmBrewster Street Ice House

Furgason Bravo! Series presents Steinway Piano Artist Jeffrey Swann4/1, Fri @ 7:30pmPerforming Arts CenterTexas A&M Corpus Christi

CatsBroadway in Corpus Christi-Jam TheatricalsPresentation4/5-6, Tue-Wed @ 7:30pmSelena Auditorium at American Bank Center

Emotional Traffic Tour:Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and the Band Perry4/8, Fri @ 7pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

Avalanche Tour!: Featuring Stone Sour, Theory of a Dead Man & More4/9, Sat @ 6pmOld Concrete Street Amphitheater

Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra: Subscription No. 6 – 65th Season Finale4/9, Sat @ 8pmJohn Giordano, conductorHaochen Zhang, pianoPerforming Arts CenterTexas A&M Corpus Christi

Sleeping BeautyCorpus Christi Ballet Presentation4/9-10, Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmSelena Auditorium at American Bank Center

Rise Against with Bad Religion4/20, Wed @ 6:30pmOld Concrete Street Amphitheater

Legacy of Floyd CramerFeaturing Jason ColemanCorpus Christi Live! Presentation4/20, Wed @ 7:30pmPerforming Arts CenterTexas A&M Corpus Christi

Buc Days Pro Rodeo4/20-23, Wed-Sat @ 7:30pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

Laredo

Advance Auto PartsMonster Jam3/18-20, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmLaredo Energy Arena

Ricky Martin: Musica Almo Sexo World Tour 20114/26, Tue @ 8pmLaredo Energy Arena

Rio Grande Valley

Janet Jackson3/3, Thu @ 7:30pmState Farm ArenaHidalgo

Selena Gomez3/5, Sat @ 7:30pmState Farm ArenaHidalgo

South Texas Youth Symphony: Spring Concert3/6, Sun @ 4pmUTPA Fine Arts AuditoriumEdinburg

Music as a Weapon Tour featuring Korn & Disturbed3/6, Sun @ 8pmMcAllen Civic Center Auditorium

An Evening of Schubert at IMAS3/8, Tue @ 8pmInternational Museum of Art and Science

Platanito Show3/12, Sat @ 8pmMcAllen Civic Center Auditorium



The McAllen Symphonic Band: Water Music3/22, Tue @ 7:30pmMcAllen Civic Center Auditorium

The Ramsey Lewis TrioThe Arts Center SignatureSeries Presentation3/31, Thu @ 7:30pmThe Arts CenterBrownsville

Juanes3/31, Thu @ 8pmState Farm ArenaHidalgo

Disney On Ice: Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 34/6-10, Wed-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 11:30am, 3:30pm & 7:30pmSun @ 1:30pm & 5:30pmState Farm ArenaHidalgo

Valley Symphony Orchestra: Season Finale Concert4/14, Thu @ 8pmPeter Dabrowski, conductorUTPA Fine Arts AuditoriumEdinburg

Ricky Martin: Musica Almo Sexo World Tour 20114/25, Mon @ 8pmState Farm ArenaHidalgo

Photo CreditsPage 28 (L-R)Dr. Jay DunahooCourtesy symphonyofthehills.org

San Antonio Rose Live BandCourtesy saroselive.com

Cory MorrowCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Zack Walthers BandCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 29 (L-R)Troy PetersCourtesy yosa.com

Wade BowenCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 30 (L-R)Two Tons of SteelCourtesy twotons.com


San Antonio BrassCourtesy sanantoniobrass.com

Voci di SorrelleCourtesy bennisimomusic.com

Lynyrd SkynyrdCourtesty Majestic Theatre

Page 32 (L-R)

Jim WitterCourtesy thepianomen.net

Reckless KellyCourtesy recklesskelly.com

Brandon RhyderCourtesy brandonrhyder.com

OneRepublicCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Page 33 (L-R)

Mario FloresCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Dmitry SitkovetskyCourtesty San Antonio Symphony

Roger CreagerCourtesy rogercreager.com

Itzhak PerlmanPhoto by Akira Kinoshita

Page 34 (L-R)

Tia FullerCourtesy thecarver.org

Randy Rogers BandCourtesy randyrogersband.com

Donald BraswellCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Kenny RogersCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Page 36 (L-R)

Mark AckermanOlmos EnsembleCourtesy olmosensemble.org

Scott Wiggins BandCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Casey Donahew BandCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Charlie RobisonCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 37 (L-R)

Romero Guitar QuartetCourtesy romeroguitarquartet.com

Jerry Jeff WalkerCourtesy jerryjeff.com

Joan Christenson Musical OfferingsCourtesy musicalofferings.org

Jeanine De BiqueCourtesy yca.org

Page 38 (L-R)

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road EnsemblePhoto by Jennifer Taylor

Robert McDuffieCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Ray Wylie HubbardCourtesy raywylie.com

Lafayette String QuartetCourtesy lafayettestringquartet.ca

Page 40 (L-R)

Jason Boland and the StragglersCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Dale WatsonCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Ilya ShterenbergCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Billy MataCourtesty billymata.com

Page 41 (L-R)

Sol y CantoCourtesy thecarver.org

Minneapolis Guitar QuartetCourtesy minneapolisguitarquartet.com

Page 42 (L-R)

David HellerCourtesy web.trinity.edu

Gary P. NunnCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Ken-David MasurCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Regina CarterCourtesy thecarver.org

Page 44 (L-R)

Kyle ParkCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Sebastian Lang-LessingPhoto by Marks Moore

Natalie Daradich - Wicked Photo by Joan Marcus

West Side StoryNational Tour Photo by Joan Marcus

Page 46 (L-R)

Jeanne RobertsonCourtesy jeannerobertson.com

Liza MinnelliCourtesy The Long Center

Ray PriceCourtesy cmt.com

Preservation Hall Jazz BandCourtesy preservationhall.com

Page 47 (L-R)

BowfireCourtesy bowfire.com

Merce Cunningham Dance CompanyCourtesy Texas Performing Arts

Chris BottiCourtesy oneworldtheatre.org

Bernadette PetersCourtesy imbd.com



Visual Arts52-62

Visual Arts52-62


David Rubin:The Brown Foundation Curator of Contemporary Art at SAMABy Angela RabkePhotography Dana Fossett

Contemporary Art Month is here, and what better place to begin your explorations than the contemporary art collection at the San

Antonio Museum of Art? For the last five years, curator David Rubin has brought his expertise to the Brown Foundation contemporary art collection at SAMA, embracing the warm and colorful culture that drew him to San Antonio.

Prior to living in San Antonio, Rubin was curator of visual arts for the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. “I had been to San Antonio before and enjoyed the collaborative art community, but it really exceeded my expectations after I moved,” he said. “I’ve worked in many cities, and it’s a rare thing that I have only encountered in San Antonio and New Orleans. Both cities are so rich in their cultural heritage, with long traditions of celebrating the arts—so the communities they work in value the artists…which is not the case across the U.S.” This spirit of collaboration is the defining element of the art scene in San Antonio and helps draw the art community forward in ways that are not possible in other markets.

“In cities like LA and NYC, artists tend to be a bit competitive. Here, artists are happy to meet other artists, to collaborate with each other on projects and exhibitions and even art works. It reflects the general spirit of what makes San Antonio San Antonio,” Rubin said. “Within our creative class, we have such warm, friendly, people-oriented people that are willing to reinforce each others’ ideas and achievements. I have over 400 artists on my e-mail list for San Antonio alone.” These artists and the organizations that support them work together to maximize the impact of events related to the arts, exhibitions and the venues that enhance and enable the arts in San Antonio—such as the new developments along the River Walk.

Rubin said the Museum Reach of the River Walk has been a real asset for SAMA. “The river development has really helped create more accessibility with a back entrance along the river. And because of the installations along the walking paths, people are now more aware of public art and the magic that it creates. It has helped integrate art in a physical way into everyday life.” Rubin was instrumental in picking



the artists that contributed to the public art along the river and particularly enjoys the F.I.S.H installation by Donald Lipski.

Visitors and residents who may not have enjoyed Lipski’s and other installations along the river will have the chance to experience spring weather and great contemporary art during Contemporary Art Month. This month, SAMA will serve as the final destination for a major national exhibition called The Missing Peace, a collection of more than 80 artists’ interpretations of the Dali Lama’s vision for peace. Rubin has a passion for this important exhibition. “I am particularly excited to follow the psychedelic exhibit we did last year, which I curated myself. Attendance was way up, and we had so many young people in the museum. It was a meaty topic that had relevance, rather than an ‘art for art’s sake’ show,” he said.

Rubin is particularly interested in exhibits and shows that raise awareness and have substantial topics. (In the past, Rubin curated meaningful shows covering rock ‘n’ roll, the American flag and the crucifix.) “This type of show attracts people who might not be interested in contemporary art and helps them realize it is something they are interested in,” he said. “Art gives people an opportunity to contemplate something they may not have thought of before. Contemporary art is another language—but once you understand the intent, you can’t hate or fear it, because you now understand it.”

The Missing Peace was organized by the 100 Committee for Tibet and the Dalai Lama Foundation in 2005. The exhibition opens at SAMA with a members preview on March 11, and will be on view through July 31. The San Antonio presentation of the exhibition is presented with generous support from the Sue E. Denman Exhibition Endowment, the Helen and Everett H. Jones Exhibition Endowment, Claudia and David Ladensohn, SAMA Contemporaries, the Marcia and Otto Koehler Foundation, Dr. Jane Appleby, and the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation.

A fully illustrated catalog will be available in the SAMA Store.

To learn more about SAMA or Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio, visit samuseum.org.



2011 MARKS 26 YEARS OF CELEBRATING CONTEMPORARY ART IN SAN ANTONIOBy Shannon Huntington Standley


Now in the second year of Contemporary Art Month being held in March instead of July, the 26th annual celebration

continues to promote and raise the national profile of San Antonio contemporary art and artists. This month-long salute to art of the here and now includes all artistic mediums hosted by an extensive range of venues.

The McNay Art Museum presents New Image Sculpture: Extraordinary Sculptures of Ordinary Objects, on view through May 8. This assembly of works by emerging and mid-career artists transforms common materials into whimsical interpretations. Featured artists include Conrad Bakker, Libby Black, Tom Burckhardt, Margarita Cabrera, Chris Hanson and Hendrika Sonnenberg, Dennis Harper, Kiel Johnson, Kevin Landers, Jean Lowe, Okay Mountain, Kaz Oshiro, Mark Schatz and Jade Townsend. Also on view through May 8 is Artmatters 14, Sandy Skoglund: The Cocktail Party. This surreal sculptural installation made of cheese-flavored snacks re-creates a typical suburban American cocktail party.

UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures is joining the celebration with its Texas Contemporary Artists Series, featuring Luis M. Garza. This series of exhibitions showcase the talents of premier Texas artists. On view through June 19, Garza’s photography forms narratives, and his philosophy is that a photograph captures a moment in time. This installation features Garza’s vow to take one photograph a day for one year. The resulting 365 images offer the viewer an opportunity to discover subconscious themes linking the photos together, and to experience a year’s passage in a single viewing.

The Witte Museum is examining and celebrating works by artists on both sides of the border, American and Mexican. Miradas: Mexican Art From the Bank of America Collection, on view March 12 through Aug. 21, reveals a variety of cultural aspects as they emerged in the years after the Mexican Revolution to the present day. This unique survey of more than 130 works takes a close look at paintings, prints and photographs created over the past 80 years. The featured works are by some of Mexico’s best-known artists, including Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo,



Gabriel Orozco, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Gunther Gerzso, as well as many well-known American artists who worked in Mexico, such as Edward Weston, Paul Strand and Harry Callahan.

Two exhibitions are opening March 10 at the Southwest School of Art. Magnetic Fields goes beyond spatial issues with a group showing of paintings by American artists Barbara Kreft, Richard Martinez and Kim Cadmus Owens. Beatriz Fedele: Solo Exhibition is a flowing exhibition of watercolor paintings created by this Southwest School of Art student during her certificate program studies. On March 12, an artist talk by Beth Cavener Stichter, The Artist’s Work, will focus on her work on human psychology articulated in animal forms. P.S., don’t miss the annual favorite, Fiesta Arts Fair, on April 9 and 10.

Bihl Haus Arts is commemorating five years with a multimedia montage that tributes last year’s on-site Remember El Alma performance at Luminaria with a one-of-a-kind installation by visual artist Deborah Kuetzpalin Vasquez and a film by Marisol

Riojas, integrated with a staged reading directed by last year’s Yale drama prize recipient, Virginia Grise. Opening March 25, I Was Born Here. Roses Are Yellow and the Alamo Is a Blood-tree, retraces the individual and collective memory of the Alamo from a child’s point of view. As at last year’s performance, this year’s multimedia multi-voice production that reclaims San Antonio’s most divisive icon is blazing with talent.

Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is boasting six exhibition openings and is the official site for the Contemporary Art Month kickoff party March 3. The galleries are full with Dam the Torpedoes, featuring Gregory Elliott; Blank Tides, featuring Brian Jobe; Visual Breath, featuring Cathy Cunningham-Little; Slow Gemini, featuring Dirk Lange; Prime Cuts at Stone Metal Press featuring Juan Flores, Alyssa Garcia, Stormy Gonzalez, Crystal Grant, Erica Guillen, Keith Limon, Xavier Leal, John Martinez, Jerrel Moreno, Mikayla Robare, Samantha Ruiz, Kree Villegas and Rose Vogt, and introducing Mariel Bayona, Blue Star MOSAIC intern. The wood-cut portrait of Chuck Ramirez created by Alex Rubio and the MOSAIC



students in collaboration with Stone Metal Press also will be on display, along with Art From the Land of the Cougars, a survey exhibition highlighting the strength and quality of the University of Houston’s renown School of Art. Other happenings include the world premier March 11 of Öndvegissúlur, Poem of Light, a short film documenting Blue Star president and executive director Bill Fitzgibbons’ work in Iceland. Art in the Garden: Texas Uprising -- Selections From Texas Sculpture Group ( TSG) at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, hosted by Blue Star, opens March 18.

A five-year tour will be concluding at the San Antonio Museum of Art. The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama, opening March 12, is the result of a collaboration between the Committee of 100 for Tibet and the Dalai Lama Foundation. Complementing SAMA’s collection of Himalayan Buddhist art, the exhibition features works by more than 80 artists and includes artists representing various countries who were asked to give their perspectives on the Dalai Lama and his endeavors.

Spend this spring supporting Contemporary Arts Month and the city’s museums and galleries. The art and culture opportunities provided by these local institutions offer a window to world.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •


Photo Credits

Page 54-55

Dan SutherlandMortal Elemental 2010oil on aluminum7 ft. x 9 ft. 8 in.Courtesy Southwest School of Art

Page 56 (L-R)

Bill FitzGibbonsOndvegissulur, Poem of Light, 2010Reykjavik, IcelandCourtesy Blue StarContemporary Art Center

Kim Cadmus OwensCheap, 2009 acrylic and oil on canvas 64 x 96 in. Courtesy Southwest School of Art

March-April 2011 | On The Town 61March-April 2011 | On The Town 61

Page 57 (L-R)

Cathy Cunningham-Little Halo-Blue, 2011Courtesy Blue StarContemporary Art Center

Javier Chavira (Mexican, born 1971 El guerrero (The Warrior)2004 acrylic and crayon on paperProvided by Bank of America Art in our Communities ™ ProgramCourtesy The Witte Museum

Page 58 (L-R)

Libby BlackAmerican, born 1976You Never Call, You Never Write 2008Paper, hot glue, and acrylicCourtesy of the artist and Artist Pension Trust, New YorkCourtesy McNay Art Museum

Texas Head to Toe ExhibitHousehold Hints columnist Heloise’s bootsCourtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

Page 59 (L-R) Margarita CabreraMexican American, born 1973Arbol de la Vida (John Deere Model #790), 2007Clay, slip paint, and metal hardwareCourtesy of the artist and Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles

Chuck Close The Dalai Lama, 2005digital pigment print50 x 40 in.Courtesy San Antonio Musuem of Art


Culinary Arts 64-84

Culinary Arts 64-84


Turn yourIntentionof eating well intoAction By Tom Trevino


In January, the USDA released new dietary guide-lines aimed to provide “... information and advice for choosing a healthy eating pattern -- namely, one

that focuses on nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and that contributes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.”

While eating well certainly is a noble endeavor, it’s unlikely that most people are going to take the time to download and read the entire report (which you can find here). Further, everyone seems to already know the basics: Eat more fruits and vegetables, cut back on processed foods, decrease saturated fats, etc. So the problem really isn’t with the message, it’s with the application of the message. People know what eating better is supposed to look like (a piece of fruit instead of a donut), but they don’t know how to do it, and how to turn the preaching into practice.

Well, friends, this is where the sprinkles hit the frosting. Here are eight things you can do right now to put the intention of eating well into action.

Shop moreIf you really want to take charge of your diet and your health, you need to have control over the foods

you’re consuming. That means you need to go to the grocery store at least once a week, and ideally even more often, to ensure you have a rotating stock of fresh, healthy ingredients on hand. We’re already bombarded with opportunities and advertisements for unhealthy treats and eats, so make sure to bombard yourself with just as many positive opportunities. Use the grocery store, farmers markets and gourmet shops as your escape and to reinforce positive habits.

Look hereYour basic necessities in most grocery stores will be located around the perimeter: fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs, etc. Focus your time and attention in these areas. Most of the foods located in the aisles are processed and packaged, and are more likely to have less nutrient density and more excess calories. How do you know if you’re doing well? At the end of your shopping run, very few things in your cart should be in boxes or have packaging, other than a basic wrap to keep them fresh.

Flip it overIf you’re buying anything in a package, get accustomed to turning the product over and doing a quick read


of the food label. What you’re looking for initially are the total calories per serving, and more importantly, what constitutes a serving size. This is where most people falter and end up consuming more calories than they need. For example, did you know a standard package of Oreos contains 15 servings? And that if you happened to eat an entire package (for research purposes only, of course) you’d be consuming 2,400 calories and 105 grams of fat? Now you do.

CookIf you don’t know how to cook, learn. This is more than just a superfluous skill, it’s a basic component of survival and will ultimately distinguish those who want to eat well from those who actually do eat well. The really good news is, you don’t need to know much to prepare most healthy dishes. Salads are nothing more than cutting up a variety of fresh (ideally organic) vegetables, and most fresh fruit snacks are ready to go as is. And just about anyone can throw a chicken breast on a skillet or open a can of tuna, so don’t make the process or idea of cooking any harder than it is. Eating well is actually quite simple, and the more of your own foods you cook and prepare, the more successful you’ll be with having a healthy diet.

Plan aheadAll the fresh food and good intentions won’t mean a thing if you don’t set aside time today to put together what you’re going to eat tomorrow. Whether you’re an office monkey, stay-at-home mom or construction worker, you absolutely must know where your next meal is coming from. Set aside 30 minutes at the end of each day, to cook or prepare your meals and snacks for the following day. This will help keep you focused and less likely to stray toward the abundance of unhealthy choices we come across on a daily basis. As an added bonus, this strategy will also save you time and money you would have spent driving to and from restaurants, bakeries or all-you-can-eat chocolate buffets.

Read it and thinkPeanut butter should contain only one ingredient: peanuts. If not, then what exactly are you eating? To find out, make sure to read the food label, which lists ingredients in order of priority (amount). What’s the first ingredient listed on a package of Oreos? Sugar. The next? Flour. Followed by canola, and/or palm, and/or soybean oil. By contrast, fresh wholesome



foods should have a minimum number of ingredients, the ingredients should be nutrient rich, and all of them should be fairly recognizable. If not, then you’re not really eating food, you’re eating ‘food.’

Do the math Nothing makes food more sexy and appealing than math. And here’s all you need to know: there are 4 calories in a gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories in a gram of protein, 9 calories in a gram of fat and 7 calories in a gram of alcohol. Armed with this information, you can discern quickly whether a particular food is protein rich, or primarily a carbohydrate, fat, or a figment of your imagination. A large egg, for example, has about 75 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. While on the surface it may seem like a protein-rich food, once you do the appropriate math, you realize that 45 of those 75 calories come from fat, making the egg 60 percent fat and only 35 percent protein.

Dig deepBut don’t put the eggs back on the shelf just yet, because if ever there is a food rule to follow, it’s this: never judge a food by any one nutrient (like carbs, for example), or any one ingredient (unless, of course, that ingredient is poison). You want to investigate and know the complete and total profile of a food, including all of its ingredients, not just its numbers. Our humble egg, for example, has 5 grams of fat, but only 1.5 of those grams are saturated. The rest are positive mono- and polyunsaturated fats -- the good guys. So, delve a little further and get to know everything you can about a food before you make a final decision.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits:

Page 64-65Photo by © R. Gino Santa Maria / Dreamstime.com

Page 66Photo by © jdazuelos / Dreamstime.com

January-February 2011 | On The Town 67


Blanca Aldaco: The Hostess with the MostestBy Chris DunnPhotography Greg Harrison

Do you remember Elsa, the lioness from ‘Born Free’? You know, the lioness from two worlds? I was from two worlds,” says Blanca Aldaco,

describing how it felt to be torn between the large metropolitan city of Guadalajara, Mexico, where she was born, and the small town of Eagle Pass, Texas, where she moved at the age of 13 after her parents divorced. “It was a very defining moment in my life,” she says.

The big city had given her a window on a lifestyle she wanted; the little town taught her how much effort it would take to attain it. “If I wanted Jordache jeans,” she says, recalling her sophomore year of high school, “I had to work for them. It gave me that sense of living graciously, living really good in a different way, more in a fulfilling way.”

After high school graduation, she returned to Mexico to study at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. There, at that time, she says, most women “were grooming to get married.” Instead, Aldaco took courses in how to “manage and administrate hotels, manage and administrate a travel agency, and how to manage and administrate food and beverage.”

An externship at Thomas Cook travel agency put an end to her studies. “I could get the discounts already,” she says, laughing, describing the many trips she took. “They were amazing times.”

Today, seeing her greet customers at Aldaco’s Stone Oak, pause to give some instructions to an employee, answer a phone call about an upcoming event, or take

a moment to autograph a copy of her new cookbook, one can’t help but think these are still amazing times for this seemingly tireless impresario, ably running the show from the eye of a culinary hurricane.

“There is no down time anymore,” she says, pointing to her iPhone.

Running a restaurant, teaching cooking classes, developing new food and drink recipes, being the wife of successful beverage executive Charles Garza, and the mother of two teenage daughters, Adriana, 17, and Marisol, 15, requires great organizational skills and boundless energy. Luckily, Aldaco has both.

She recalls the “long days, long nights” at Aldaco’s first location on Commerce Street, which opened in 1989. “I learned so much downtown. Downtown is such an energetic place,” she says.

She moved Aldaco’s to historic Sunset Station in 1999. There, Aldaco learned how to work with “very large crowds and groups that would come in on buses…we started having to think like event planners,” she says. She credits The RK Group for sharing their catering expertise with her. “They invited me to see how they did it; they were very embracing,” she says.

In designing Aldaco’s Stone Oak, she followed the advice of her well-known architect father, Marco Aldaco, taking maximum advantage of the hilltop breezes and spectacular views. She describes the restaurant as having “a big-city feel…clean, cosmopolitan.” The sleek styling and dramatic setting



are not what you would expect to find at a typical Mexican food restaurant, but it’s what you’d expect from Blanca Aldaco.

The self-taught restaurateur has won numerous awards for her food and drink recipes, such as her legendary tres leches cake, which she introduced to San Antonio in 1989. She says it came about because, “I don’t like dry cakes.” This inspired her to develop an incredibly moist version of the dessert, a favorite with critics and public alike. She describes the cake as “classic, modified...I was very proud,” she says.

When asked what inspired her award-winning avocado margarita, she laughs, and admits, “That was a fluke,” explaining that when asked to contribute an avocado recipe to the 2005 Avocados of Mexico U.S. National Contest, she answered off the top of her head, “an avocado margarita.” Unfortunately, she hadn’t invented it yet.

When it came time to take a promotional photo of her entry, she still hadn’t come up with a recipe, so, she bought a little time by substituting a chile-rimmed glass filled with avocado salsa for the picture. The photo was beautiful, but Aldaco was thinking, “What am I gonna do?”

Then, with time running out, inspiration struck while she was taking a walk (“as it often does,” she says). Envisioning “the picture we had taken,” she says, she was able to concoct the drink in only two tries -- “Half an avocado, sweet and sour, and the blend from the margarita machine.” The recipe won a third-place national award.

She has received many other accolades over the years, including the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for Innovation from the National Association of Women Business Owners and the 2010 Latina Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year.

Aldaco, however, is not one to rest on her laurels, but is energized by them. “We never stop,” she says. She continues to be an innovative leader in San Antonio’s culinary scene, from offering liquid nitrogen margaritas to a gluten-free celiac menu.

She lives by the same advice she gives her daughters: “Only make good choices. Do it once, do it right, and you’re done.”

70 On The Town | January-February 2011

March-April 2011 | On The Town 71January-February 2011 | On The Town 71


Texas de Brazil The Newest Addition to Houston Street

By Ashley Festa

After sitting vacant for years, the Kress building in downtown San Antonio is again full of life since Texas de Brazil moved in last December.

Inside the churrascaria, or “steakhouse” in Port-uguese, an aerialist flips and dives to retrieve selections from a wall of wine, and hungry guests flip over green cards at their seats to signal the gauchos, or tableside servers, to shave off another helping of roasted meat. And those patrons had better be hungry, because the meat just keeps coming.

The gauchos not only serve the meat; they’re also the chefs, said Evandro Caregnato, culinary director at Texas de Brazil for the past 13 years. Unlike cooks at most restaurants, gauchos grill and serve the meats as a matter of pride and taking ownership in their creations.

“The gaucho that comes to your table to cut your leg of lamb is the same one that was cooking the leg of lamb,” Caregnato said. “They feel proud of serving that meat. If someone says, ‘That leg of lamb was great,’ that gaucho serving it feels very good” because he was also the one


74 On The Town | March-April 201174 On The Town | March-April 2011

to cook it.

“I’m a gaucho myself,” he said, explaining that gauchos are South American cowboys who herd cattle and roast meat.

As culinary director, Caregnato ensures the restaurant’s Brazilian authenticity, and he keeps a careful eye on the company’s 17 locations, including four in Texas and one in Aruba.

“As much as possible, I visit all locations to make sure everybody is cooking the right meat the right way, using the right seasonings, the right marinades, the proper way of carving the meat,” he said. “I work very closely with the chef at each location.”

Caregnato earned his credentials in his native South Brazil where he owned a restaurant. One evening, he happened to serve an American family from Dallas looking to learn more about the concept of the gaucho style of cooking meat. He seemed to be the right person to lead the U.S. version and ended up becoming one of the first employees of Texas de Brazil.

“Everything that we do as far as preparation is … the same style that we do in South Brazil,” Caregnato said.

All the cuts of meat stay true to that culture and tradition. On the menu, guests will find 16 cuts of beef, chicken, pork, sausage and lamb. Patrons also can enjoy the salad area, which offers a more international flavor with food selections from all over the world.

The meats, though, are entirely Brazilian, slow-roasted rotisserie-style over charcoal grills, which makes a big difference in taste, Caregnato said. Though cooking with gas is easier, cheaper and cleaner, it simply doesn’t produce the same flavor as charcoal.

In fact, one of the cuts of beef is seasoned only with salt, but because of the marbling and the charcoal, it has a delectable flavor that prompts customers to inquire about buying the seasoning mix.

Caregnato actually had little formal culinary training; he learned most of his talent from his family, especially from his father.

“It’s a macho thing. When you’re a little boy in South Brazil, you learn that from your father, you learn from


your grandfather. It’s a lot of tradition,” he said. “I can’t wait for my boy to get a little older to start showing him the grill, how to skewer the meat and cook the meat. That’s something we’re very proud of.”

Another point of pride for the restaurant is its downtown location. When searching for a home for the planned Texas de Brazil in San Antonio, one of the owners fell in love with the historical Kress building. “He could visualize what he could do inside, and it could be really, really beautiful. And that’s exactly what happened in the end,” Caregnato said.

The San Antonio location is one of only two Texas de Brazil restaurants to send an aerialist up 20 feet in the air to retrieve each bottle of wine. Because of the size of the Kress building, the owners were able to use the entire back wall of the restaurant for its wine cellar. The aerialist’s performance behind the glass wall entertains guests as they dine.

“It’s a wonderful addition to Houston Street,” said Jackie Mallette of REATA Property Management Inc., property manager for the Kress building. “And the Kress building, of course, is a historic building. We just completed remodeling the façade of the building, which really lends to its beauty.”

“Because it’s a historic building, we had to make sure we were within the guidelines of completely redoing the façade, keeping it as close to its original structure as possible,” she said. It “was quite a challenge. But it’s just beautiful the way it turned out.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits:

Page 72Front dining room

Page 73Wine Room and aerialist

Page 74(Above)Picanha skewer

(Below)Beef ribs

(Above)Evandro CaregnatoTexas de Brazilculinary director

(Below)Mojito


Antonio Sanchez of Earl Abel’s:50 Years and 1 Million PiesBy Bonny OsterhagePhotography courtesy Earl Abel’s

W .hen you enter Earl Abel’s Restaurant, one of the first things you notice is the showcase bakery filled with tempting treats. It is a

great entry to a great meal—and some of the best pies in town!

Whether it’s an ooey-gooey, rich chocolate pie topped with mountains of luscious meringue, or a tart, tangy fresh fruit pie with a flaky crust, served up with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, all Earl Abel’s pies have one thing in common: they all begin with an empty shell, just waiting to be filled with the right combination of ingredients.

Earl Abel’s head baker, Antonio Sanchez, started out much the same way. With no experience in the

baking industry, Sanchez was like that empty pie shell when he first arrived in the kitchen of Earl Abel’s at the tender age of 15. Now, 50 years later, he is filled with the perfect combination of skill and knowledge to produce the more than 1 million pies that have defined his career and helped make Earl Abel’s a San Antonio institution for more than 77 years.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a baker,” says the quiet, unassuming Sanchez. “I made my career the same way that I make the pies—from scratch.”

San Antonio native Sanchez married the love of his life in November 1960. One month later, the 15-year-old went to the popular Earl Abel’s restaurant to apply for a job. Just shy of his 16th birthday, and short on


cash, the newlywed lied about his age and was hired as a dishwasher and busboy. When his supervisor sent him to the bakery one day, Sanchez assumed he would be washing pots and pans. Instead, he found himself helping the bakers make dough for the popular Earl Abel’s pies. For a young man who had never even held a measuring spoon, the move came as quite a shock.

“I thought they only wanted me to help out in the bakery for one day but, 50 years later, here I am,” he says with a chuckle. “I had no skills, but I followed instructions and paid attention.”

As the low man on the totem pole, the father of two worked the noon to 8 p.m. bakery shift, performing whatever tasks were asked of him, from kneading dough to making pie shells and fillings. He worked hard, perfecting his skills, and was promoted to head baker 10 years ago.

“I never really considered myself the head baker,” he says modestly. “I just continued to work.”

Today, Sanchez works from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily, preparing all of the pies, cakes, biscuits, sweet rolls, Danish and other baked goods from scratch. Not much has changed in 50 years. The recipes and techniques are still the same, and Sanchez says that he and his team still do almost everything by hand, including making the tender, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pie crusts. The only modern conveniences are a machine that presses the pie shells into the pans, and a giant Hobart mixer for mixing the heavy dough for the famous dinner rolls.

“When the dough is ready, it weighs about 300 pounds,” he says. “On the weekends and holidays, that number doubles.”

Apple, cherry, chocolate meringue, lemon meringue, pecan, coconut meringue and even sugar-free options are just some of the pies that make up the menu at Earl Abel’s—and don’t forget the a la mode! Although he may not have created any of the recipes himself, Sanchez is an expert at producing perfect pies. Each day finds him creating at least four of Earl Abel’s 11 daily pie varieties, as well as at least six of the daily special pies and a few made to order as well—including the most-requested coconut meringue.

“Nothing is difficult for me,” he says with pride. “I was taught from the bottom up.”



Iliana de la Vega and

Elizabeth Johnson-Kossick of CFA

by Chris DunnPhotography by Dana Fossett


S

.an Antonio is now home to one of only three campuses of the Culinary Institute of America in the United States. The school’s new state-

of-the-art facility, standing at the heart of the Pearl Brewery complex on Broadway, is already a familiar landmark, drawing both local and national attention to the burgeoning culinary scene in the Alamo City.

But few people know that the San Antonio campus also houses the Center for Foods of the Americas (CFA), which the CIA describes as a “multifaceted research center dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Latin American cuisine.” The CFA wants to shine a spotlight on the cuisines of



the New World, in hopes that one day they will be as respected as the cuisines of the Old. One of the driving forces behind this effort is noted instructor, chef and award-winning restaurant owner Iliana de la Vega, who dedicates much of her time at the school to researching the cuisines of Latin America—identifying and cataloging indigenous ingredients, documenting techniques and cooking methods, tracing historical origins and the evolution of recipes and dishes, and studying their anthropological impact on cultures and societies. “It is a great effort, a unique effort of the CIA to put this together,” she says. Working with her is Latin cuisines specialist Elizabeth Johnson-Kossick, who was born in Central America, studied at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Mexico City. “My compass has always pointed south,” she says. Johnson-Kossick conducts research, teaches classes at the CIA that focus on the cuisines of Latin American countries, such as Peru and Brazil, and uses her multimedia and photography skills to develop educational tools for the CFA and CIA. She and de la Vega travel to remote places in Central and South America to document and preserve age-old techniques in preparing Latin American cuisine. “They are dying arts,” Johnson-Kossick says. On these trips, Johnson-Kossick photographs and videotapes artisans at work, from stretching Oaxacan cheese by hand to grinding corn on a stone metate for tortillas. “The heart of my role as an ethnographic anthropologist is to present things as they are,” Kossick says. “It is my job to be as objective as I possibly can be to document, capture, translate, or present that information in the way that it is.” In addition to documenting how Latin American cuisine is prepared, Johnson-Kossick and de la Vega spend a great deal of time researching ingredients. For example, de la Vega says she compared several hundred versions of salsa verde to develop one recipe that best exhibits the fundamental flavor elements of the dish. “That is the key thing,” de la Vega says, “to get the true flavor profile, the flavors that make that dish great.”

The sheer mass of information can be daunting. “It is a challenge,” says de la Vega, adding that the task is made more difficult because regional names for dishes vary, or conversely, totally different dishes share the same name. Johnson-Kossick points out that Mexican cuisine is particularly complex, made up of “indigenous techniques and ingredients mixed with Spanish and French and Asian influences.” For example, empanadas may have come from the Middle East and through Spain, de la Vega says. “In Mexico City and in other places, they are made with wheat flour. But if you go to Oaxaca, to the market, an empanada will be like a quesadilla in another place. So it can be confusing.” Chiles, which are essential to Latin cuisines, also can be difficult to categorize. De la Vega says, “Take the pasilla chile. In Mexico City, it is called pasilla, period. In Oaxaca, that same chile will be called pasilla mexicano, because it’s from Mexico City. In Michoacán, it will be called a chile Negro. And it’s the exact same chile.” Johnson-Kossick hopes to bring rare and difficult-to-obtain Latin American chiles and vegetables to San Antonio through the pilot seed program, which she is developing with Bob Brackman, garden director for the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Seeds from selected plants will be cultivated at the botanical gardens in an effort to determine their viability and marketability in the United States. De la Vega says the CFA is also developing a curriculum for a 30-week certificate program for professionals focusing on the cuisines of Latin America. Johnson-Kossick says the launch of this Latin Certificate Program is slated for fall 2011. The curriculum includes bringing together food historians, anthropologists, chefs and educators to assist with the effort. Johnson-Kossick says, “We are, by virtue of creating the curriculum, doing what Escoffier did for French cuisine, and that is our mandate.” De la Vega says the CFA wants to dispel the misconception most Americans have about Latin American food—that it’s lard- and cheese-laden. “It’s a very natural and healthy cuisine…corn from Mexico, potatoes from Peru, yucca or cassava from Brazil...It is not about meat, it is about vegetables, it is about grains, being healthy.”



Festivals & Celebrations

86-100

Festivals & Celebrations

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What’s new for Fiesta® 2011?By Anne Keever CannonPhotography Greg Harrison

D id you get the word yet that the Alamo City’s biggest, best festival just can’t wait? It’s starting about a week early—April 7-17. The city and the

Fiesta® San Antonio Commission realized about five years ago that with the traditional dating, Fiesta® and Holy Week would have coincided. No one wanted the Battle of Flowers Parade to take place on Good Friday. (Fiesta® 2012 goes back to the regular scheduling—Fiesta® will run April 19-29.)

Changes for Fiesta® 2011 started back in 2010. The Fiesta® Commission revealed its official poster in October—a big move because the unveiling had

traditionally been in February. The Fiesta Store® started selling 2011 merchandise in October, too—another first. The store, at 2611 Broadway, offers lots of official Fiesta® souvenirs. Among the biggest sellers are pins and medals commissioned by many of the nonprofit organizations that produce official Fiesta® events. Those sales are one of the ways the groups raise funds.

Remember that Fiesta is the Party With a Purpose. Every official event is produced by a local nonprofit or military organization. Most events are fundraisers, and the proceeds go right back into the community every day of the year.


88 On The Town | March-April 201188 On The Town | March-April 2011

Fiesta® San Antonio includes one new event in 2011—Fiesta de los Veteranos. It’s set for April 9 at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, 7400 Merton Minter Blvd. Join the veterans for an afternoon of live music, food, games and family fun. All proceeds will benefit the VA Fisher House. Fisher Houses provide a home away from home so military families can be close to a loved one during hospitalization.

Fiesta® started going Green last year, and the program continues in 2011. Look for more opportunities to recycle your beverage cups or cans this April. The city’s Solid Waste Department also plans to put more trash receptacles along the 2.6-mile route of the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta® Flambeau parades. The word for those parades this year is “pack it in; pack it out.” If you take coolers or picnic baskets to your seats, use those containers to collect your trash and dispose of it once you’re back home. The Fiesta® Commission is again working with the city to encourage folks to take the bus to Fiesta®. VIA’s Park and Ride will be available for some of the biggest events—including the Fiesta Oyster Bake and the two big parades. Additional information is available at viainfo.net. The commission will also publicize the nearest regular bus stops to many event locations.

For those who really want to go Green, The Fiesta Store® has Fiesta Verde t-shirts and medals on sale.

Another new feature for 2011 is Fit Fiesta. Mayor Julian Castro asked the Fiesta® Commission to help get the message out about making some healthy choices during the 11-day celebration. Fiesta® includes some terrific athletic competitions: soccer, lacrosse and rugby tournaments. Those are team events. But individuals have opportunities to work off some calories, too. April 9 has lots to choose from:

• The Fiesta Mission 10k & Kids’ Runs at Mission County Park II.• The Zeta Fiesta Track Meet at Blossom Athletic Center. This one’s for kids age 6 to 13.• 10K Walk: Caminada de Fiesta at Fort Sam Houston’s Army Medical Museum.• Viva Botánica! at the San Antonio Botanical Society.• The All American Canteen at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, featuring dancing to Big Band music.


Then there’s the popular Pooch Parade April 16. Local pups take their families for a three-mile walk through the neighborhoods of Alamo Heights.

Folks hungry from all that exercising can look for some healthier food choices at many Fiesta® events, including the Fiesta Oyster Bake and A Night in Old San Antonio. More information will be posted on Fiesta-sa.org and on event websites as the details are firmed up.

The 11 days of Fiesta® aren’t enough to hold every official event. A few, like the Queen of Soul Pageant, take place before the April 7 start. And two, the San Antonio Symphony’s Fiesta Pops at the Majestic Theater and the Miss San Antonio Scholarship Pageant, are scheduled after April 17. Again, for details go to Fiesta-sa.org.

Looking farther into the future, the Fiesta® Commission already has two events set to premier as official activities during Fiesta® 2012. Our Lady of the Lake University will sponsor a tamale festival on its campus. And the Lutheran Coronation, with its 50-year tradition of crowning a queen and court, is moving from its long-time November date to April.

So have a great time at Fiesta® 2011. And consider spending a little extra when you attend your favorite event—or try out a new one. Remember that your dollars will help local nonprofits to help their neighbors all year long.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:

Page 86Urban 15 dancer

Page 87Battle of Flowers Parade

Page 88 (Above)Native-American dancer

(Below)Texas A&M Band Battle of Flowers Parade

(Above)Spanish dancer

(Below)Glass Cascarone by Gini Garcia


Bigger and Bolder Luminaria in 2011A showcase of local, national and international artistsBy Missy Schultze

Luminaria 2011 will take place from 6:30 p.m. to midnight March 12 on the grounds of HemisFair Park with never before seen artistic creations.

Plans are for a bigger and bolder Luminaria this year, with an unprecedented larger footprint. The event is free and open to the public.

“We are anticipating San Antonio’s Luminaria 2011 to be a destination event for our local community and visitors from across the country,” said Mayor Julián Castro. “This year’s Luminaria will be a manifestation of the city’s cultural riches, with a more contemporary look and feel. We are proud to showcase the talented artists that will be involved in the project and how they inspire people of all ages.”

Patterned after similar festivals in Paris, Madrid and Toronto, Luminaria offers a free, family-friendly atmosphere in downtown San Antonio featuring performance stages, streetscape art, light installations and galleries. The footprint for Luminaria has tripled this year, allowing ample room for artists’ works to be featured throughout HemisFair Park along with sites for food, drink and audiences.

“The enlarged footprint for Luminaria 2011 will allow our city to recapture a sense of discovery for the entire event,” said Susanne Cooper, Luminaria 2011 co-chair. “The addition of curated zones for the first time in Luminaria’s history will add a new and unique experience for artists and attendees alike.”

Luminaria is the culmination of the collaboration of artists and nonprofit arts organizations spotlighting various artistic disciplines including music, dance, film, media, literary arts, theater, visual arts and architecture

from artists in San Antonio, as well as across the nation and the world. In its fourth year, Luminaria also features a participatory art area for children, open between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

“Our goal is to reimagine HemisFair Park as a canvas for enlightened, innovative and interactive contemporary creations from all artistic disciplines,” said Richard Rosen, Luminaria 2011 co-chair. “This year we asked artists to create works of art based on the general theme of light. We encouraged collaboration and multidisciplinary site-specific work.”

Cooper and Rosen lead a steering committee which oversees seven areas: dance, Kausi Subramaniam and Gabe Zertuche; literary, Marian Aitches, Anel Flores and Micaela Perez; media arts/film, Erik Bosse and Victor Payan; theater, Melissa Marlowe and Victor Toro; visual, Patty Ortiz and Ethel Shipton; and architecture, Mary Ann Mitchell.

Luminaria 2011 also is adding a culinary twist elevating the food fare to give patrons a true culinary experience. Notable local chefs including Jason Dady, along with the Wheelie Gourmet, Ma Harper’s N’Awlins Creole Kitchen, Texas de Brazil, the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio and others will be featured. Luminaria 2011 is presented by Rackspace and also is sponsored by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Bank of America, H-E-B, Coca-Cola, Bud Light, Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas, CPS Energy, the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau and the San Antonio Express-News. For more information, visit www.luminariasa.org



Third Annual

Olives Olé

The International Olive Festival of Texas™ San Antonio Botanical GardenMarch 26By June HayesPhotography by Tracey Maurer

O

.lives Olé is an amazing event that is all about olives and Mediterranean herbs and foods presented with a Texas twang. The unique

festival, now in its third year, is achieving national recognition as one of the best up-and-coming festivals

to attend – and it’s right in our own back yard.

Cooks will thrill to new ideas that are simple and tasty yet healthy. Receive great new recipes and enjoy cooking demonstrations by culinary pros –



with more samples, of course. Talk with names you recognize from radio and TV, or choose from the large array of Mediterranean herbs as well as olive trees to grow in your home garden.

Those interested in joining the ever-increasing number of gardeners enjoying the fruits of their labor will learn how to grow and cure olives at home. Potential commercial growers can learn about the varieties that do well in the many micro-climates across the state, and more than 1,200 olive trees will be for sale.

And expect the very best in food concessions, for they are operated by the foremost group of women food professionals, Les Dames d’Escoffier International San Antonio Chapter. In the Old World Mediterranean Market Place you will find chefs preparing Andalusian-style paella, grilling Persian spiced lamb chops, and preparing fresh olive pesto and other delicious food items available for purchase. Attendees will have opportunities

for free samples as they:

• Taste the differences in many types of green and black olives at the region’s largest olive table presented by DeLallo that must be seen to be appreciated.

• Learn what to look for in a bottle of olive oil and how quality affects taste, nutrition and promotes a renewed appreciation of the best in food flavors. Sample limited-edition boutique oils and olive products, as well as internationally recognized names in the olive oil and gourmet olive industry.

• Learn about health and skin-care benefits of this ancient oil.

For more information about the Third Annual Olives Olé, The International Olive Festival of Texas, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 26 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, visit www.olivesole.com.



Culinaria, A Wine and Culinary Arts FestivalMay 11-15, 2011By Ginger McAnear RobinsonPhotography courtesy Culinaria


S..everal years ago, an extraordinary new pursuit was initiated by a few very passionate people in San Antonio. Searching for an

opportunity to bring taste and share great new discoveries of wines and flavorful recipes from around the world, the New World Wine and Food Festival was launched. Set against the backdrop of San Antonio’s unique Spanish Colonial arch-itecture and celebrated River Walk, the festival explored the city ’s Latin and European culinary and cultural roots in the company of wines with world-class credentials.

After a decade of creativity and hard work by so many, the New World Wine and Food Festival again looked forward and imagined what else might be done to celebrate this remarkable pursuit and the city that is host to it. To that end, the opportunity for the festival to be even more far reaching in its goals, offerings, charitable activities and even its identity have been realized by the founders and

key supporters. So as we gather May 11-15, just as we have for more than a decade, we toast the future with our new name, Culinaria.

Culinaria, A Wine and Culinary Arts Festival, remains committed to promoting San Antonio as a culinary destination and to bringing quality events that provide the chance for anyone who has a love for food, wine and spirits the opportunity to explore what may be hidden to them in our community. For this is a festival brought together for a broad diversity of people from near and far, to share, mingle, taste and compare.

There will be formal dinners and casual luncheons, tequila and Texas produce tastings, cooking classes extraordinaire, chocolate and champagne pairings and a wide array of event activities for connoisseur and amateur alike.

Culinaria begins with the Sip, Savor and Shop event


at the Shops at La Cantera. It was the festival’s answer to the very popular question, “What do I wear to the festival?” Of course, that question will be answered at the event along with the opportunity to sip fabulous wine and savor delightful bites.

On May 12, for a more intimate event, the Winemaker Dinner series continues with chefs from select restaurants pairing menus with designated wines for a multi-course dinner. Guests will hear from the winemaker and chefs of why each course pairs together.

The end of the work week signals an increase in events for the festival for those who might choose to take a long weekend to participate in Culinaria. May 13 is the day of the annual Becker Vineyards Winery Lunch, along with the returning Black Tie at the Westin La Cantera Resort.

This year also marks the first-ever Tequila Competition for Culinaria -- a natural evolution for the organization and for the city of San Antonio. Judges will select the finalists during the month of March and the winners will be revealed at this year’s Best of Mexico event May 13 at the Villita Assembly Building.

May 14 is the busiest day of activities with a new 5K run/walk at the Shops at La Cantera, wine and food seminars throughout the day and the culmination of all things festival week, the grand tasting at the grotto at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. The grand tasting incorporates the largest number of chefs and restaurants along with the selection of wines from the week. Add live entertainment and a silent auction and it ’s a perfect date-night activity or the opportunity to indulge in some of our city’s best cuisine.

The conclusion of this year’s festival will be a bit different with the addition of Sunday Brunches and the Burgers, Barbecue and Beer event.

Join in the celebration. Hoist glass and filled plate. And toast our legacy and our future May 11-15.

For more information, visit www.culinariasa.org.



San Antonio once again will become “Squeezebox Mania Central” when the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center celebrates its landmark 30th Annual

Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio 2011 from May 10-15 at the Guadalupe Theatre and Rosedale Park.

Conjunto is an original American musical ensemble and style of music that was created by the Texas-Mexicans during the early-to-mid 1900s which utilizes the button accordion and bajo sexto guitar as its principal instruments. It is a unique musical synthesis that combines German/European and Mexican/American instruments and rhythms such as polkas,

waltzes and huapangos, with other national and international musical influences that include blues, rock, jazz, Colombian cumbias and Cuban boleros, among others.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center created the Tejano Conjunto Festival to preserve and promote conjunto music, to honor its pioneering artists, to present the best in the genre, and to foster a better understanding and appreciation for Chicano music and culture. Over the years the festival has become a cultural institution for the city of San Antonio and a popular destination for conjunto music lovers who

30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San AntonioMay 10-15 – Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and Rosedale Park By Juan Tejeda

Mingo Saldivar


travel from all over the United States and the world to hear the very best in the genre.

The 30th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio 2011 begins with a free Seniors Conjunto Dance at the Guadalupe Theatre on May 10 featuring the music of Henry Zimmerle y su Conjunto San Antonio, plus a special presentation by popular accordionist and songwriter Nick Villarreal. This year there will be a special 30th Anniversary Gala Celebration honoring the past and present inductees into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame on May 12. For the May 13-15 weekend, the festival moves outside to Rosedale Park, where 24 of the best conjunto groups will perform, including five-time Grammy Award-winner Flaco Jiménez, and Conjunto Music Hall of Famers Mingo Saldívar, Los Dos Gilbertos, Oscar Hernández, and the Queen of Conjunto, Eva Ybarra. The one-of-a-kind-lineup also showcases the distinctive conjunto styles of two-time Grammy winner Joel Guzmán, the Hometown

Boys, Jaime y Los Chamacos, Gilberto Pérez y sus Compadres, Boni Mauricio, the Conjunto Kingz de Flavio Longoria, Los De La Rosa Boyz, and Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers. Making their Conjunto Festival debut will be Juanito Castillo, Tony Tigre y La Rosa de Oro, Retoño, Gerardo Mejía y su Clica, Los De la Cruz, and Conjunto Califas. There also will be an international contingent performing at the festival with Dwayne Verheyden from the Netherlands and Conjunto J from Japan doing special presentations.

Other Tejano Conjunto Festival highlights include a poster contest, workshops, CD release party, food and beverage booths, accordion raffles, conjunto student recitals and plenty of dancing and fun for the entire family. For a complete schedule of events, dates, times, prices and lineups of performers, visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org or call 210-271-3151.

Eva Ybarra


Literary Arts102-108

Literary Arts 102-108


Book Talk:

Leslie Winfield Williams Author and ProfessorStory and photography by Jasmina Wellinghoff


K errville resident Leslie Winfield Williams has two great intellectual interests: literature and theology. The author of several books

on Christian themes, she also has taught English and American literature as well as composition at the University of the Incarnate Word, Northwest Vista College and from 1994 to 2001 at Midland College in Midland. Through the latter, she continues to teach two online courses that attract students from all over the world. At the same time, Williams is close to finishing her master ’s degree in sacred theology at the Yale Divinity School where her thesis will once again combine her two loves by focusing on a contemporary interpretation of Dante’s masterpiece The Divine Comedy . In addition, for the past couple of years, she’s been hard at work on a textbook about Christian themes in world literature.

Williams’ novel The Judas Conspiracy , a thriller/mystery aimed at the general public, was published in 2010 by the small Houston publisher JoSara MeDia. The story was inspired by the discovery of old fragments of the Gospel of Judas , found in Egypt in the 1970s. After spending 16 years hidden away in a Long Island safe-deposit box, the ancient document was finally authenticated, translated and presented to the world in 2004, causing quite a bit of controversy. The sacred book of some Gnostic sects, including the Sethians, the text describes Judas Iscariot not as the traitor that Christianity has believed him to be for two millennia, but as the most obedient of the disciples who did what he did because Jesus asked him to do it. Like other Gnostics, the Sethians believed that only those who receive special, secret knowledge through revelation will be taken up into the kingdom of heaven. And Judas was one of those special individuals.

Though Sethians died out by the end of the third century A.D., in The Conspiracy of Judas Williams postulates that the organization went underground for centuries waiting for its hour to destroy orthodox Christianity, restore Judas’ place in the salvation narrative and bring about its version of Rapture. Prominent Christian scholars and the dean of the Yale Divinity School are murdered along the way, while a New Haven police woman and a young scholar from Texas race to uncover the conspiracy and prevent even

worse bloodshed.

JW: What prompted you to write this novel?

LWW: When I read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, I was upset that people believed the fiction part as fact. They actually believed that Jesus had an affair with Mary Magdalene and started a line of descendants that extended 2,000 years and were still living. Many people believed that! People also believed that John, the beloved disciple, in Da Vinci’s (famous painting) The Last Supper was Mary Magdalene. The book was a wonderful thriller but people bought all of this wholesale. So I thought I would like to write a thriller that had accurate scholarship and had orthodox tenets of the faith in there but would be just as thrilling to read.

JW: So how did you pick the Gospel of Judas as your starting point?

LWW: I was fascinated with it. When it came out and there was such a hubbub in the theological world, I thought, what if, what if they found the whole manuscript (rather than fragments) and what if the Sethians had not died out?! In a thriller, you have to have a bad guy who’s very powerful, so I imagined that they turned bad on us and saw the opportunity to administer a crippling blow to what’s left of Christianity and to have the “true faith” be known.

JW: How did the ancient Sethians view Jesus?

LWW: They had a different creation story. It ’s rather complicated but they believed that Adam and Eve’s third son Seth was divine and the keeper of knowledge, and they believed that Seth and Jesus were the same spirit, that Seth came back as Jesus. Jesus is an illuminator – the last one – sent by God to instruct people about God.

JW: You tell the story from multiple points of view. Why did that format appeal to you?

LWW: That’s a popular format for thriller writers today. You read all kinds of people who jump from point of view to point of view, including Dan Brown. You can create a fuller story if you write from different characters’ points of view. It makes it richer.


JW: As the story develops, you reveal early on that a certain British MP from Scotland is directing the murder spree and you let us “see” the young man called Gabriel as he is planning and committing the murders, although we don’t know the latter ’s full identity. Why did you do that, considering that mystery writers usually withhold that kind of information until the end?

LWW: There are two things going on here. One is dramatic irony in the classical sense, which means that the audience or the reader knows something that the protagonist does not. It ’s like when you know there is a man hiding in the room upstairs, and the heroine is going up the stairs, and you want to say, “No, no, don’t go in there!” And the other thing is the suspense that comes from not knowing the identity of the hatchet man and of the person who is pulling the strings in the United States.

JW: Did you plot the entire story in advance?

LWW: Yes and no. Before I started writing, I had a definite direction. I knew where it was going. But at the same time, once you start writing you have to be open to taking it in different directions with, possibly, a slightly different end. I have a lot of notes on the characters. Before I began I had at least a page written on each character that included each person’s back-story. A lot of that never made it into the book but I had to know their backgrounds to understand them as people. I hope that the characters resonate because of that.

JW: Your main characters spend some time discussing human suffering and why God allows such suffering. That’s, of course, the difficult question that theologians, writers and ordinary people have pondered, some losing their faith in the process. How do you as a Christian, theologian and wife of a pastor deal with that challenging question?

LWW: I think that each one of us is sooner or later brought up short with that question: How can a good God allow this? And I think that ’s a fair question. If you are going to be in a relationship with God you can ask Him that. I had so many different kinds of suffering in my life

– my parents’ marriage didn’t last, my dad was an alcoholic, I moved 32 times, I couldn’t have children, my aunt and uncle were murdered…, I had a lot of suffering. And so, over the period of my life I struggled with that, “God, how could you let this happen?” And then it finally hit me that everything that happens on Earth isn’t the end of the story. As I looked back over the different ways that I suffered, God was very present in everything, and out of everything that I can mention, something better has come out of the situation. In other words, God has redeemed it all. Plus, the most important thing is not what happens or doesn’t happen. The most important thing is being in the presence of God. Once you felt the love of God, nothing is ever the same.

JW: Tell me about the publisher, JoSara MeDia?

LWW: The owner, Larry Ketchersid, is a Texas entrepreneur who buys and sells companies, and he is into computers and software, all kinds of things. He is also a writer, in addition to his many other talents. And he just started up this publishing company. Both he and I are Trinity University graduates, so Robert Flynn ( Trinity professor emeritus and writer) suggested I send the manuscript to Larry. He said, “It ’s great,” and he published it… Originally he wanted to do only a Kindle book, and I said, no, no, I am too old; I’ll never have a Kindle, probably. And all my friends will want to read an actual book. So he said OK. And that ’s why the availability of the printed book is a little more complicated because it ’s on the cusp on the new thing which is electronic publishing. The book is readily available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • Williams’ comments have been edited slightly for clarity and space. Opinions stated in this ar ticle are hers alone and do not necessarily match those of the publisher.


Caroline Kennedy Readingand Other Free Lectures in March and AprilBy Claudia Maceo-Sharp

S eeking enlightenment, practical or in-tellectual? A variety of San Antonio organizations offer free lectures on many

subjects: art, literature, music and business. These

are just a sampling of events coming up in March and April.

In February, the writing organization Gemini Ink



brought Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler ’s Wife, to town. Gemini Ink’s Breakthrough Thinkers series sponsors a visit in April by one near and dear to the hearts of many. Caroline Kennedy is on tour for her new poetry anthology, She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems. The public reading will be at 7 p.m. April 28 in Laurie Auditorium. More information can be found at http://geminiink.org.

Leading up to that auspicious occasion, several other events may grab your interest. For the business, sociology and political-minded, the UTSA Mexico Center presents Bilateral Perspectives on Mexican Migration: Demographic, Economic and Incorporation Trends from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. March 3-4. The event, which is open to the public, will include experts from various parts of the United States and Mexico. Topics will include historical and demographic trends; international, federal and local government responses to migration; and family, education and health issues in international migration, to mention a few. For more information, go to http://utsa.edu/mexicocenter.

Those interested in art may attend a free lecture by Washington state studio artist and ceramic sculptor Beth Cavener Stichter at 12:15 p.m. March 12 at the Southwest School of Art. Stichter focuses her work on human psychology articulated in animal forms. The Southwest School of Art presents several such artist talks. Dan Sutherland’s subject will be Negotiation, Disruption and Excess at 12:30 p.m. April 7. Visit http://www.swschool.org.

Connecting art and music, Dr. Jody Blake of the McNay Museum presents a free lecture on Art in the Jazz Age at 6:30 p.m. March 17, with free museum entrance that evening because it is a Thursday.

In fact, several Thursdays at the McNay involve free lectures. You’ll find Artists Looking at Art: Kelly O’Connor on April 7, and an artist panel from Austin called An Evening with Okay Mountain on April 21; both events begin at 6:30 p.m. Visit http://www.mcnayart.org.

Learning does not discriminate by age or bank account.


Eclectics110-124

Eclectics110-124


Imagine:Valero Texas Open and Fiesta® San Antonio Share Calendar DatesBy Angela RabkePhotography Dana Fossett

In 1836, a band of soldiers, united by a thirst for freedom, bravely fought for that freedom in historic battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto. With

their lives on the line, could they have imagined how their sacrifices would make history? Could they have conjured up a rallying cry, “Remember the Alamo” that helped give birth to The Republic of Texas? Could they have envisioned the Republic becoming the boldest state in the Union? Could they have dreamed of a city built around the Shrine of Texas Liberty one day becoming the country’s 7th largest? Probably not.

No more than a band of Scotsmen and Englishmen could have imagined what they were giving birth to when they fought a very different kind of battle in 1860. One fought not on the dusty plains of the South, but on the rolling fields of Scotland. A battle

fought not with guns and bullets, but with wooden shafted clubs and feather balls. One where no blood was shed or lives lost. A battle fought not for life and liberty, but for pride and a Claret Jug.

Could those gentile gentlemen have imagined that the first British Open would spawn a series of competitions that would one day span the globe? Could they have conjured up images of golfers walking manicured courses playing for millions of dollars? Could they have envisioned that the epicenter of tournament golf would shift from the seaside links of Scotland to the once marshy swamplands of northern Florida? Could they have dreamed of two cups, the Ryder and Presidents, being played for country, not cash? Probably not.

Yet it’s not beyond one’s imagination to believe that


Adam ScottWinner 2010 Valero Texas Open


the brave defenders of the Alamo and the Scotsmen who walked the hard scrabble fields of Prestwick Scotland imagined that their actions would lead to something grander; moving their corner of the world in a new direction.

Fast-forward to 1891, fifty-five years after the Battle of the Alamo and thirty-one years after the first British Open, to the day when the question was asked that changed San Antonio forever. Why has no one created an event to commemorate the battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto and to honor heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom? From that simple question, the Battle of Flowers parade was born.

Could the women who launched the first Battle of Flowers Parade in 1891 have imagined what was to come of their parade? Could they have conjured

up the rallying cry, “Viva Fiesta” that now echoes annually through the city for ten days in April? Could they have envisioned images of other parades; of “Royalty” gliding on water or illuminated in the night by all the colors of the rainbow. Could they have dreamed of Fiesta® San Antonio; one of the country’s biggest festivals and a celebration of San Antonio’s history, its heritage and its dreams? Probably not.

Fast-forward to 1922, thirty-one years after the first Battle of Flowers Parade, to the day when a hard-working newspaper publisher at the San Antonio Light, Jack Ryan, asked a question that would also change San Antonio. Mr. Ryan wondered what could be done to attract “snowbirds” from the north to San Antonio to fill its hotel rooms, generate business for its restaurants, and bring national publicity to the sleepy town built around the Alamo. From that

JW Marriott Resort Oaks Course 16th Hole



simple question, the Valero Texas Open was born.

Could Mr. Ryan and the spectators who passed the hat to raise the purse at the first Texas Open have imagined what was to come of their little professional golf tournament? Could they have conjured up the “Unapologetically Texan” rallying cry that now boldly reflects the personality of the tournament, the State of Texas and San Antonio? Could they have envisioned golf ’s royalty strolling the fairways of San Antonio, now one of the country’s top golf destinations? Could they have dreamed of Valero, an energy company, driving the Texas Open to the top of the PGA TOUR charity leader board? Probably not.

Fiesta’s impact on San Antonio can be measured in economic benefit, in international exposure, in charity giving, and perhaps most important of

all, in community spirit and cultural pride. The Valero Texas Open can be measured in economic benefit, international exposure, in charity giving, and perhaps most important of all, in the spirit of community pride, volunteerism and giving back.

This year, through a twist of fate, these two San Antonio traditions, borne from different circumstances but sharing much in common, find themselves sharing space on San Antonio’s robust social calendar. Imagine that!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2011 Valero Texas Open4/14-17TPC San Antonio @ JW Marriott Resort

Fiesta® San Antonio 20114/7-17



Artistic Destination:


Trois Estate Is a Dream Come TrueBy Julie CatalanoPhotography courtesy helophotography.com


The Trois Estate at Enchanted Rock is a magical place that – when you finally reach it via a winding road high in the hills 16 miles from Fredericksburg, Texas

– you may never want to leave.

Rebecca Trois doesn’t have to. She and her husband Charles live on and own the 57-acre Trois Estate, about a half-mile from the entrance of Enchanted Rock State Park, a longtime favorite of hikers and rock climbers.

The couple looked for two and half years – all over Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado – for the right place to build what they call “an artistic village,” says Rebecca Trois. It was a vision that she says came to both of them in separate dreams before they even met and eventually married in 1995. “It had to be the perfect spot. It had to be heaven on earth.”

But heaven wasn’t built in a day, and 13 years after buying this little piece of paradise, it’s still expanding – most recently with an elegantly appointed 18-room lodge to add to the ten unique bed and breakfast rooms, plus a new antique store featuring finds from all over the world.

Charles Trois – surrealist painter, musician, and all around genius, according to Rebecca – designed and built the estate brick by adobe brick. So dedicated was he to authenticity, she says, that he traveled to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico to learn the craft. “He came back a master brick mason. There were no blueprints, no plans.” When blueprints had to be submitted to the state of Texas, they were created after the fact.

Rebecca Trois is a bit of a Renaissance woman herself – chef, designer, entrepreneur, and mother of three – creating all the recipes in the fine dining Italian restaurant on site using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.

Dinner is prix fixe at $55, and is open for dinner to both guests and the public, Wednesday through Saturday (Sunday brunch from 10a-2p) by reservation beginning at 6 p.m. Come early, and you may get a tour of the property by Rebecca herself. Even meals are an education of sorts: Tables are constructed like glass-topped display cases, each with a unique assortment of historical artifacts to discuss should the dinner conversation lag.

A must-see is the antique cap gun museum, purportedly the largest in the world. Trois doesn’t know the exact number, saying only there are “thousands. Charles bought



them one at a time.” If you have little ones, they will go wild at the sight of table after table, wall after wall, of cap guns and little strips of gunpowder just waiting to be popped – but never will.

The site may be rustic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be pampered. There’s a day spa on property, with services arranged by reservation. An underground pool and grotto – warmed in the winter and cooled in the summer – are open year round. A vintage boutique holds racks of beautiful designer clothing and accessories. The Safari event room is just as it sounds, with big game trophies adorning the walls. The Birdcage dinner theater – modeled after the one in Tombstone, Arizona – can be rented out for parties, reunions, shows, and other special events.

Thousands of fairytale weddings have been held at the estate, some in the small chapel, others in the courtyard and rooftop, also perfect for watching the sun rise and set over the Texas Hill Country.

What you won’t see is the Trois’ private residence, also hand built by Charles and described by Rebecca as “pretty magnificent. It’s completely brick vaulted, with underground tunnels, and filled with our finds from all over the world. It’s like a 22,000 square foot museum.” Yep, you read right: 22,000 square feet. Trois just laughs. “It started out as 10,000 square feet, and it just grew.”

And still growing. “Our final phase will be developing the empty buildings when you drive up the driveway. Those are going to be an art gallery, gift shop, winery, general store.” Anything else? Rebecca Trois pauses, but only for a moment. “It will have to come in a vision.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:


Pages 114-115Trois Estate

Page 116(Above)Rebecca Trois

(Below)Bird Cage Theater

(Above)Cap Gun Museum

(Below)New B&B


E. Houston Street at Soledad

In the ShopsAt La Cantera

S. St. Mary’sin Southtown

Picture This: Newest Eats In Town

E. Basse Roadin Quarry Village



Picture This: Newest Eats In Town

E. Basse Roadin Quarry Village

E. Houston Streetat Navarro

Josephine Street at Grayson

In Hyatt RegencyRiver Walk



images By Cynthia Clark and Hector Pacheco

Loop 1604 BehindKirby’s Steak House

On McCulloughat The Circle

On Henderson PassBy Northwoods 14


march/april 2011 issue

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