Winter Texan Times

The McAllen Wind Ensemble Celebrates 45 Years

20191014 McAllen Wind Ensemble 03 The McAllen Wind Ensemble, under the baton of Music Director Roger Olivarez, will open their 45th season with a concert dedicated to our American heroes. This exciting start to the 2019-20 season will be held Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. on the McAllen Performing Arts Center stage. All veterans, current service members, and first responders are invited to be guests of the McAllen Wind Ensemble with free admission to the concert.

The event, entitled simply “America” will feature the music of America, American composers, and the patriotic favorites that have been the McAllen Wind Ensemble’s standard fare throughout the years. The ensemble will perform music by Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould, Frank Ticheli, and of course no concert would be complete without the marches of John Philip Sousa.

The McAllen Wind Ensemble’s special guest artists for the evening will be the Magic Valley Chorus chapter of the Sweet Adelines. The Magic Valley Chorus is an all-female barbershop chorus under the direction of Sandy Seitz. The chorus began in November 1990 and has been going strong ever since. The Magic Valley Chorus are active performers in the Rio Grande community and have won frequent awards for their performances. The McAllen Wind Ensemble is excited to share our concert with these talented ladies of song.

Visit the wind ensemble’s website at www.McAllenWindEnsemble.org for more information on this concert and the upcoming season. Tickets for all McAllen Wind Ensemble concerts can be purchased from the McAllen Performing Arts Center Box Office or through TicketMaster.

HCA brings touring artists to their stage

3RTBroadwayBoundPHOTO1crop The Harlingen Concert Association, originally the RGV Civic Music Association in 1933, has been proud to bring internationally acclaimed touring artists to the Rio Grande Valley since its inception. Some of this year’s acts include Broadway Bound, The Maxwell Quartet, Sons of Serendip, Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue, Sail On – Beach Boys Tribute and Burlap to Cashmere.

Happy 50ish: The Musical offers Music and laughs

It’s a surprise party and you’re invited to Happy 50ish, the musical that proves you haven’t lived until you’ve hit middle-age. The musical will be held on October 21 and 22. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with curtain at 7:30 p.m.

Although there are several milestone birthdays most of us anticipate such as 16, 18, 21, and 30, the one that, traditionally, causes the most anxiety is the big 5-0. Mired in stigma and fear, turning 50 really isn’t what it used to be with many people actually calling it “the new 40” and a birthday that can actually be a great time to start new careers, relationships, or other adventures.

But meet baby boomer Bob. He’s facing the big five-oh with fear, beer, and a letter from AARP. His mid-life crisis is killing him, but he’s finding laughter is the best medicine.

Bob has arrived early for his surprise party; his wife is late; and the guests are waiting outside. He reads his birthday cards aloud while realizing what’s in store for him in this new era.

Much of the music has an appealing pop style and a golden oldies vibe that nicely captures the feeling of a sentimentalized past.

The musical will be held at South Padre Island Convention Centre, 7355 Padre Blvd. Call 956-943-4700 for more information.

Broadway in McAllen opens this weekend with Cats

20191016 Jersey Boys 500 McAllen Convention Center will host a stellar line up of entertainment in the Broadway in McAllen and McAllen Live! Series this season. Broadway in McAllen opens this weekend with Cats. Performances will be held at 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The Broadway in McAllen Season includes four other spectacular titles including the wonderfully funny Blue Man Group on December 2 and 3, the spirited, nimbly staged delight Finding Neverland on January 28, the Tony & Grammy Award – Winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on March 15, and the original rock musical Rent on April 28.

McAllen Live! is back with its all-new series including the Queen – inspired rock musical We Will Rock You on October 26, the heartwarming classic A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage on December 10, the Tony Award Winning Musical Jersey Boys on March 3, the mind-blowing spectacular The Illusionists – Live From BroadwayTM on March 6, and the timeless hits of Rain – A Tribute to the Beatles on May 1.

As always, season tickets are available. Full season packages are available, as well as savings on buying tickets to any two or more shows. Season tickets must be purchased through www.liveinmcallen.com or through their phone number at 888) 200-4036.

For information on individual tickets and show times, visit their website at www.liveinmcallen.com.

UTRGV Performing Arts has full calendar

20191016 UTRGV Wind Ensemble 450x500 UTRGV Performing Arts, Patron of the Arts, is all about entertaining this year. Their calendar is quite full of music ranging from flamenco to holiday music. Their season started in early September with a piano concert and will end in the Spring with a tuba concert.

Coming up this month is flamenco guitarist Nino de Pura, or Daniel Navarro Cruz. Cruz is one of the most prize-winning guitarists in Spain. His performance will be on Friday, October 18. Saxophonist Josiah Boornazian will be performing a recital on Saturday, October 19. Boornazian is an assistant professor of music at UTRGV where he teaches saxophone and jazz studies.

On October 22, you have a chance of seeing the UTRGV Master Chorale and University Choir Fall Concert “Adventure is Out There!” The concert is inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous 250-mile walk across Germany to hear Dietrich Buxtehude play a series of concerts. Music includes Bach’s Cantata 150 Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, and Buxtehude’s cantata Jesu Meine Freude. It will also include music from Russia, France and the United States featuring composers such as Samuel Barber, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Debra Scroggins, Nathaniel Dett, and others.

Brass lovers will be able to listen to Jim Decker on Trombone on Friday, October 25, an Octubafest on Saturday, October 26, and a Trumpet Festival on Wednesday, October 30. There will be Halloflute concert on Sunday, October 27 and the UTRGV Jazz Combo will perform on Thursday, October 31.

Their concert schedule is full through the fall and spring. Check out their full schedule at http://patron.utrgv.edu/patron-calendar.

Most concerts are held at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Performing Arts Complex at 1201 West University Drive in Edinburg, or TSC Performing Arts Center at 90 Taylor Avenue in Brownsville. Tickets are $5 for seniors, $10 for general admission.

More information, and a full schedule, can be found online at patron.utrgv.edu or by calling 956-882-7025, or 956-665-3881.

RVHS present Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Robert Vela High School Fine Arts department is pleased to announce their 7th annual fall musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame performed by the SaberStagers. The SaberStagers have received five Hidalgo County PALM Awards, including 2018 Best Musical.

The show will be performed December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. and December 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 2 p.m. There will also be two ASL interpreted performances on Saturday, December 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for senior citizen 65+. For more information, call (956) 289-2650. RVHS is located at 801 E. Canton Rd., in Edinburg.

STC Theatre opens its 10th season October 17

20191016 STC Theater Miss Holmes 10.17 450x500 South Texas College Theatre celebrates their 10th anniversary with a season packed with classics and comedy. The Theatre invites the community to become a Season Pass subscriber for another year of fun and quality entertainment.

STC Theatre opens the season on October 17, at 7:30 p.m., with William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The opening production runs through October 20 and is followed by Rick Johnston’s farce comedy Cahoots, from November 14-17.

In the spring, the STC Theatre will sing to their hearts’ content with William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin’s musical favorite Cyrano de Bergerac, February 20-23. The 2019-20 season wraps up with the Cooper Cabaret – an event celebrating the theatre’s 10th anniversary by showcasing local talent May 2-5.

“We wanted to celebrate our 10th anniversary by returning to the classics and farces that were a part of our earlier production seasons,” says Drama Department Chair Joel Jason Rodriguez. “We have grown so much in the past 10 years and we want to celebrate and honor that by ending the season with the Cooper Cabaret.

“Our productions have always been a mixture of STC and UTRGV students, graduates, and community members, and we believe this is what makes South Texas College Theatre so vibrant and rich,” Rodriguez said. “What better way to end a season than to showcase the talent that brought us to where we are today?”

All Sunday matinee productions are ASL interpreted by student interns from STC’s Interpreters Training Program. Individual ticket prices for Main Stage productions are $5 for students/faculty/senior citizens/military and $10 general admission. Studio productions cost $5 general admission.

Season passes are also available, allowing patrons to attend all the productions and choose between general or reserved seating. All subscribers also receive special deals for any additional guest performances that may arise throughout the year.

General season passes are $15 for students/faculty/senior citizens/military and $25 for the community. Reserved seating season subscriptions are $25 for students/faculty/senior citizens/military and $35 for the community. Season Passes can be purchased online at https://kioskportal.southtexascollege.edu/marketplace.aspx.

For more information about STC Theatre, call (956) 872-2301. All productions will be held at STC’s Cooper Center for Communication Arts, located at the Pecan Campus, 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen