"Tony Awards" & Local Theaters

The Tony Awards continue to razzle-dazzle us, year after year. The themes of both the Best Play and Best Musical award winners this year revolved around true stories (or as "true" as any staged or Hollywood presentation is) from other areas of the creative arts. "Red" portrays American expressionist Mark Rothko and his struggle to create a masterpiece while coping with competition from his protege'. Best Musical "Memphis" is loosely based on the work of 1950's disk jocky "Daddy-O" Dewey Phillips who stretched the boundaries of the day and broadcast music based on what he liked, ignoring racial boundaries. Daddy-O was also the first to play Elvis' "That's All Right/Blue Moon of Kentucky" debut on the air.

Another Best Musical nominee, "Fela" tells the story of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. "American Idiot" is a post-911 tale set to the music of the popular band "Green Day." "Sondheim on Sondheim" is a portrait of the famous Tony-award winning composer/lyricist. It seemed this year, art itself was the inspiration for many fine plays who all deserved to win, of course. I also found it interesting that many of those nominated had strong ties to television and movie roles. For example, the entire category of "Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play" was comprised of movie actors like Jude Law, Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber.

Now, most of us can't hop a plane to Broadway and we're not likely to see movie stars on our local stages. Nevertheless, we have fine talent in the region performing at community theaters around the area. You'll be surprised at what you'll find if you go get a little taste of Broadway (or off-off-Broadway) at theaters right in your backyard. Give them a try; they'll never win a Tony but they'll entertain you with no problem at all.

• Upcoming Artisan Events:Saturday, June 19, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - "Shirley Blackman Poster Artist" Reception and Opening Exhibit. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Tuesday, June 22, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Thursday, June 24, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - "Young Musings." Anita Bransom Debut Art Exhibit and Aransas Pass Chamber Mixer. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Thursday, June 24, 7:30 p.m. - Special Half-Price Preview of "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free to Marquee Members, Others $6.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater with special performance Saturday, July 3rd at Noon (no showing that evening at the Rialto) at Sail South Texas 2010. Admission: $12.
• Fridays-Saturdays through July 27, 7:30 p.m./2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees - "Rumors" by Neil Simon. Aurora Arts Theatre. Admission: $14.
• Daily through - June 30 "Guys and Dolls" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Friday, July 2, 5:30 p.m. - "First Friday" Opening Art Reception. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Fridays-Saturdays, July 15 - July 31, 7:30 p.m. - "Year with Frog and Toad" Youth Theatre Production. Admission: $5-15.

Jen Jones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker Myers-Gallagher. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.

I spoke to the Portland Rotary Club last week and in preparation for that talk, I thought a lot about what it is about art and local venues that are important to our day to day quality of life. I mean, why should people care whether we have an arts presence at all? Who needs all that artsy fartsy stuff, anyway? There are, after all, certainly more demanding issues to tackle like domestic violence, world hunger, peace, oil spills, etc. - not necessarily in that order, of course.

So, I tried to imagine a world that certainly functioned but had no art. Our cars and boats would all look the same. One house would look just like another. There would be no music on the radio; only talk, talk and more talk. TV? The same - talking only: no stories to portray and no theme music. No movie theaters to serve as a brief escape so you can rest your brain for awhile. Your walls at home and at your workplace would be bare. No painted pictures, no sculpture, and no colors to soothe or stimulate. Your trips to the grocery store would have shelf after shelf of white boxes and cans with black lettering describing the contents. No pictures to represent what's inside. Function all around but without the textures, colors, and inspiration that art provides.

I don't know about you but that's not really appealing to me at all. Our local arts centers afford a proving ground for artists be they musicians, actors or visual composer that touch your world in ways you may not have considered before. It's about giving us the inspiration, hope and beauty that in turn provides the space to consider solutions to the major issues we've got to solve. Support your arts centers throughout this region - with your time, money and patronage. They make a major contribution to our communities.

Upcoming Artisan Events:

• Friday, June 4, 5:30 - 7:30 - "First Friday" Opening Reception. "Guys and Dolls" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Friday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. - "Jack and the Beanstalk" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Tuesday, June 8, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 12 - "Deborah Males and J.P. Morton" Art Exhibit. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater with special performance TBD at Sail South Texas 2010. Admission: $12.

Jen Jones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker Myers-Gallagher. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.

Art Meets Downtown

I returned not too long ago from a road trip to Orlando visiting two of my three kids. We didn't spend all of it on the interstate; taking the road less traveled from time to time. I saw some great inspiration for downtown areas where someone had obviously made it a priority to focus on and renovate their historic spaces. I took some footage of "The Rex" theater in Pensacola and pictures of some east Texas downtowns in the Longview area that had participated in Main Street programs. They were very interesting comparisons to the "la-la land" of Universal Studios in Florida which depicted landmarks of "downtowns" from around the country with faux storefronts interspersed with rides and exhibits.

Where do the lines get drawn when art and entertainment meet downtown design and development requirements? What role do the arts play in drawing folks into a region or a downtown area? Obviously, cultural potential is great as a tourist draw but also contributes to quality of life for the inhabitants in our area. Like most of you, artists struggle to maintain the balance between budget and needs (or, to be honest, "wants" since creating art is a bit below air, water and food on our survival scale).

I see the potential of where we could go and what we could show at our own little bend in the road. It's just a matter of fortitude and patience to continue to strive for it. In the meantime, artists will keep throwing their pots, painting their pictures, singing their songs, and acting their hearts out on the stage for you. Spend some time this week showing your appreciation for the difference they make for our communities here!

Upcoming Artisan Events:

• Thursday, May 20, 7:00 p.m. - "The Three Little Pigs" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Tuesday, May 25, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 2 - "Hot Shot Photography" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Friday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. - "Jack and the Beanstalk" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Daily through June 12 - "Deborah Males and J.P. Morton" Art Exhibit. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $12.

Jen Jones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker Myers-Gallagher. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.