Saturday, July 23, 2011

Carmen de la Calle - Amalia Ortiz play in San Antonio

Sunday, July 24
2:00pm Carmen de la Calle
When: Sun, July 24, 2pm – 4pm

Where:Say Si Blackbox Theatre, 1518 s. alamo, san antonio tx 78204

Description: Concert Preview Performance of the New Musical “Carmen de la Calle” written by Award Winning poet Amalia Ortiz.

Must be comfortable learning basic dance choreography *

"Synopsis: Set in 1989 San Antonio and the present, this adaptation of George Bizet’s classic opera dives deep into the themes of passion and envy in portraying the lives and struggles of the marginalized and working classes of South Texas. “Carmen de la Calle” highlights the hybridity of Tex-Mex culture by incorporating the melodrama of novellas (Mexican soap operas), spoken word, bilingualism, and the musical confluence of Mexican standards, modern Tejano, Hip-Hop and the music of 1989 pop culture.

The story begins in present day with Mercedes, who sits behind her bar and tells us the tragic story of her friend, Carmen. With the musical help of her DJ nephew and the house band, Mercedes guides the audience through a flashback of her youth in San Antonio.

Through a series of musical performances and spoken word narration, audiences will be swept up in the lives of Carmen, a gorgeous and tenacious
femme fatale factory worker and Queen of the Theo Avenue Gs, her lover Joe, a straight laced all-American Military Police officer who grew up in the Valley, and neighborhood homies like Frasquita, a female emcee with big hair, big earrings and big attitude, and Don Cairo, Carmen’s macho equal, aspiring rapper, and leader of the Theo Avenue Gs.

With live musical accompaniment provided by members of the San Antonio musical group, Los Nahuatlatos, and original dance choreography, this groundbreaking New Musical by Amalia Ortiz will engage audiences like no other.

Produced by ColectivaSA"

from http://amaliaortiz.net/

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Keep Los Lagartos in the Plazita de los Largartos

"Luis Jimenez' 'Los Lagartos' (Alligators) sculpture in the Plazita de los Lagartos (San Jacinto Plaza) in El Paso, Texas, is in danger of being removed due to redevelopment plans by the city. Installed as a site specific piece in 1993, the sculpture reflects the history of the plaza and has become an iconic symbol for the city. At the time of his death in 2006, Jimenez was the most important contemporary Chicano artists in the United States." Petition to help save the sculpture--a vital part of El Paso's history.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

José Antonio Rodríguez Reading 7/10 4pm

José Antonio Rodríguez
reading from The Shallow End of Sleep (Tia Chucha Press 2011)
Barnes and Noble at Northcross Plaza (10th and Nolana)
McAllen, TX

Date: July 10th (Sunday)
Time: 4:00 pm

Reading and Q&A to follow.
Booksigning.

José Antonio Rodríguez's poetry collection The Shallow End of Sleep was published this April by Tia Chucha Press. A former editor of the national literary journal Harpur Palate, his work has received the 2009 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His work has appeared in cream city review, Paterson Literary Review, Rio Grande Review, The Spoon River Poetry Review, and elsewhere. He recently complted his PhD in English and Creative Writing at Binghamton University.

Blog http://joseorbust.blogspot.com/.