Houston, TX

Have you taken a trip to the Edward P. White Memorial Plaza since Mayor White, Houston Chronicle Publisher Jack Sweeney and University of St. Thomas President Robert Ivany unveiled the new monument? It’s one of Philip Johnson’s last creative designs and is intended as a gateway to the museum district.

The University of St. Thomas has been improving the campus landscape, and this plaza and monument is one of the last projects. According the the university’s description

The Johnson landmark consists of a granite-clad reinforced concrete structure with a studded cross attached at the same angle of repose as the cross in the west wall of the Chapel of St. Basil. The black granite monument, also called a stele, which stands about 36-feet tall and 14-feet wide, alludes to the black granite plane that bisects the campus Chapel. The white granite plaza around the landmark is made of the same material as the plaza in front of the Chapel. Additionally, the landmark has a 17- x 32-foot reflecting pool tiled with a blue glass tile. A water wall, standing 6-feet in height, is erected on the plaza’s west side. The water cascades behind a set of aluminum letters that spell out “University of St. Thomas.”

Architect Johnson also designed the Chapel of St. Basil, as well as the main campus mall and academic mall at the University of Saint Thomas, the John de Menil House, the Bank of America Center (formerly Republic Bank Center), Williams Tower (formerly Transco Tower), and The Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, University of Houston.

The new Philip Johnson landmark:

The Chapel of St. Basil:

University of St Thomas, Philip Johnson, Chapel of St Basil, Edward P. White Memorial Plaza

For a great list of all there is to do, check out the City of Houston’s guide and calendar of events, but here’s a few highlights of great things to do:

Friday

Dave Matthews Band
WEBSITE www.woodlandscenter.org
BEGIN 9/21/2007
END 9/21/2007
LOCATION Woodland Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive
NOTES With Robert Earl Keen, 7:00 p.m.
PHONE 281.363.3300

It’s How You Play the Game: Professional Sports in Houston
WEBSITE www.heritagesociety.org
BEGIN 6/5/2007
END 9/23/2007
LOCATION Downtown, 1100 Bagby @ Allen Parkway
NOTES Chronicles the highs and lows Houstonians have experienced over the years as they supported their home teams. This city has been a part of many firsts in sports history, from the building of the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome, to the first champion women’s professional basketball team.
PHONE 713.655.1912

Theatre Under The Stars - Whistle Down The Wind
WEBSITE www.tuts.org
BEGIN 9/11/2007
END 9/23/2007
LOCATION Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
NOTES Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London Hit. In the rural Louisiana of several decades ago, a lonely teenager discovers a mysterious stranger on her family’s property. As she demands to know his identity, he swears Jesus Christ!…and it’s as if all her prayers have been answered.
PHONE 713.558.TUTS

Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance
WEBSITE www.milleroutdoortheatre.com
BEGIN 9/21/2007
END 9/22/2007
LOCATION Miller Theater, In Hermann Park, 100 Concert Drive
NOTES This 13th annual event presents a snapshot of the contemporary dance scene in Houston featuring new work and revivals of recent work in a range of choreographic styles set to music that ranges from classical to experimental. 8:00 p.m.
PHONE 281.FREE.FUN

Saturday
Houston Cougars vs. Colorado State
WEBSITE www.uhcougars.com
BEGIN 9/22/2007
END 9/22/2007
LOCATION Robertson Stadium, Cullen Blvd. @ Holman
NOTES College football. Located on Cullen Blvd., between Holman and Wheeler, on the University of Houston campus.
PHONE 713.743.9444

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
WEBSITE www.thegrand.com
BEGIN 9/22/2007
END 9/22/2007
LOCATION 2020 Postoffice Street, in Galveston
NOTES Direct from New York, this Pulitzer Prize winning composer and trumpeter brings his incredible fifteen piece ensemble to The Grand. 8:00 p.m.
PHONE 800.821.1894

Stages Theatre - Souvenir
WEBSITE www.stagestheatre.com
BEGIN 9/5/2007
END 9/30/2007
LOCATION Stages Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway
NOTES Comedy offers an affectionate portrait of Jenkins, a music-loving socialite whose charity concerts earned her a cult following in New York in the 1930s and ’40s, culminating in a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Genuinely devoted to “her art,” Jenkins was apparently oblivious to the appalling sounds she produced, and the fact that her “fans” attended for laughs, not musical excellence.
PHONE 713.527.0123

Houston, music, theater, dance

The Alley Theatre is now playing Doubt, a Parable by John Patrick Shanley, and the winner of last season’s Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Directed by James Black, it began playing on the Hubbard Stage on August 31 and runs through September 23, 2007. Set in 1964 in a Catholic school, the play centers on a nun’s suspicions of the actions of a priest towards a young scholarship student. Her suspicions are not the main question of the play; instead, the focus is on moral ambiguity—what she ought to do about her suspicions: voice them? Or remain silent? Protect the students, regardless, and with no proof, at the possible expense of an innocent man? Or not?

The play leaves the question in the hands of the audience.

What do you think your answer would be?

Doubt: A Parable, John Patrick Shanley

MUSIC

Summer Storm with Norman Brown, Peabo Bryson, Marion Meadows & More
Verizon Theater
www.verizonwirelesstheater.com
8/17/2007 only! 8:00 p.m.
Verizon Wireless Theater, 520 Texas in Bayou Place
713.230.1600

Women in Jazz: A Salute to Sarah Vaughan (featuring song stylists Kamil and Mickie Moseley and saxophonist Theressa Grayson)
www.milleroutdoortheatre.com
8/17/2007 only! 7:30 p.m.
Miller Theater, In Hermann Park, 100 Concert Drive
281.FREE.FUN

MUSEUM EVENTS

Mixers, Elixirs and IMAX Summer Social Series
www.hmns.org
Every Friday night until August 24, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive
713.639.IMAX

Andy Warhol: Three Houston Women (Jermayne MacAgy, Dominique de Menil, and Caroline Wiess Law)
www.menil.org
Through 8/26/2007
Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross
713.525.9400

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors (through 9/3/2007)
and
Of Gold and Grass: Nomads of Kazakhstan (through 9/9/2007)
www.hmns.org
Museum of Natural Science, 1 Hermann Circle Drive
713.639.IMAX

Current exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts
www.mfah.org

CONVENTIONS

Annual Houston Home Show - Fall 2007
www.texashomeandgarden.com
8/17/2007 through 8/19/2007
Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas
713.529.1616

PERFORMING ARTS

Tuna Does Vegas starring Jaston Williams and Joe Sears
www.thegrand.com
TUE to FRI at 8:00 p.m., SAT at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m., and SUN at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. through 8/26/2007
2020 Postoffice Street, in Galveston
800.821.1894

It’s How You Play the Game: Professional Sports in Houston
www.heritagesociety.org
Through 9/23/2007
Heritage Society, Downtown, 1100 Bagby @ Allen Parkway
713.655.1912

Late Nite Catechism
www.stagestheatre.com
Through 9/30/2007
Stages Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway
713.527.0123

FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT

Unique Urban Outings—a list of fun and exciting events for singles, couples and families by Joshua Hinsdale, Houston Editor

Best Live Music Venues

Zvents

Have fun this weekend, Houston!

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As you expect here in Houston—where there’s always something fun for every interest and age group—there’s a lot of exciting events this weekend!

Now…for the great things to do. This is by no means everything, but it’s a few things that begin this weekend, are ending this weekend or soon, or are hot right now. If you know of any good events, please leave a comment with the information.

Check back later for a guide to the best burger joints around Houston!

Visual Arts Events

Buffalo Soldiers—Starts 8/11 at Buffalo Soldiers National Museum
1834 Southmore Blvd
Houston, TX 77004-5947
Phone: (713) 942-8920
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm
Take a trip back in time and learn about the brave Buffalo Soldiers—an African-American troop formed in 1866 by the U.S. Army—through artifacts, videos, prints and other pieces of history.

Current Exhibits at Museum of Fine Arts Houston
1001 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77005
Phone: (713) 639-7300
Hours: Tue-Wed 10am-5pm, Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 12:15pm-7pm

Catch these soon because they end soon!

The Great Wall of China: Photographs by Chen Changfen
Through August 12, 2007
At the Audrey Jones Beck Building

Building Foundations: Ima Hogg and Bayou Bend in the 1920s
Through August 12, 2007
At the Caroline Wiess Law Building

Brett Weston: Natural Abstractions
Through September 3, 2007
At the Audrey Jones Beck Building

Performing Arts Events

Stargazer’s Guide—Starts 8/11 at Burke Baker Planetarium
One Hermann Circle Dr.
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 639-4629
Hours: Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-5pm
The NASA-funded planetarium offers state of the art technology to provide you with an experience almost as real as being in space yourself! Watch real time images from the Hubble Space Telescope and see additional special effects of planets and more.

Romeo & Juliet—Starts 8/11, Ends 8/11 at Miller Theatre, 8:30 p.m.
Miller Theater, In Hermann Park, 100 Concert Drive
Phone: (281) FREEFUN
Web site: www.milleroutdoortheatre.com

Musical Events

Faye Robinson and The Mid City Players—starts 8/11-8/17 at Sammy’s at 2016 Main, includes Funk, Soul & R&B
2016 Main St
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 751-3101
Cross Street: Gray Street
Specialties: Dance Club, Live Music Venue
Hours: Wed-Sat 8pm-2am

Food and Fun Events

The Main Event—8/11-2/8 at Downtown Main Street, includes Community, Food & Wine
Come enjoy this car-free area of downtown. Sample food, wine, enjoy art and crafts sold by artisans, and listen to the strolling musicians.

Coming events!

Diva Row—Starts 8/13-2/11 at The Magnolia Hotel, includes Jazz and Blues music

Grady Gaines—Starts 8/15-2/6 at Sammy’s at 2016 Main, includes Funk, Soul & R&B

The Amazing Astronomers of Ancient Rome—Starts 8/16 at Burke Baker Planetarium

Rock the Dock—Starts 8/16-8/30 at Kemah Boardwalk, includes Funk, Soul & R&B

Fried Ice Cream—Starts 8/24 at Sammy’s at 2016 Main, includes Funk, Soul & R&B

Starry Night Express—Starts 9/1-9/2 at Burke Baker Planetarium

Texas Renaissance Festival—Starts 10/6

For more events: City of Houston

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There are a couple interesting news stories right now, but I wanted to do something a little different today. I thought about an event post, but instead of that, I’ll point you to a couple of the best online resources for arts and events in Houston.

• Spacetaker: Spacetaker is great for gallery openings, plays, and a lot of free festivals and classes. It’s not quite as comprehensive as some might like, but their mission statement is heartwarming and they’re good at what they do.
• Artshound:A much less exclusive list of events in several categories, including theatre, music, dance, and art. They cover lots of other stuff that doesn’t nicely fall into those categories too.
• JazzHouston: Specific to jazz music, obviously, but I like jazz and it is a very thorough list of regular and special performances all over town.
• Handstamp: A chron.com blog about Houston’s music scene. I’m not too familiar with it, but the other Houston music scene blogs I’ve read have been pretty deficient, so I’d give this one a try.
• Chron.com/entertainment: An aggregate of all different kinds of things going on in all different kinds of places. You can come up with hundreds of things to do all over the city in one night.

houston, art, events, entertainment