all the electric bluebonnets

Dazzling immersive light and music experience returns to illuminate Houston Botanic Garden

Green Herbum sprouts up.

Photo courtesy of Houston Botanic Garden

An internationally acclaimed holiday lights/music event, Lightscape, will make a highly anticipated return to the Houston Botanic Garden this winter.

Back for its second year, the outdoor illuminated trail includes stunning new immersive installations — in addition to well-loved favorites — set to seasonal tunes along a winding path through the garden. More than 80 percent of this year’s trail will feature installations never before seen in Houston, including a spectacular display of bluebonnets, an installation appropriately unique to The Lone Star State.

The installation Framed by Mandylights sees 20 geometric arches lined with brilliant color-changing, pixel-mapped LED fittings to create a unique tunnel of light effect with a distinctly modern edge.

And The Nautilus Forest, also by Mandylights, draws from both nature and precise geometry to create an illuminated forest of spiraling trees, with more than 40,000 individually controlled RGB pixelS. Each of the 24 trees stands up to 15 feet tall; together they merge into a meandering forest that urges visitors to enter and perhaps lose themselves.

In addition to basking in the wonder evoked by the immersive light installations on the trail, visitors will also enjoy festive food and drinks, including fire pits for roasting s’mores, in the garden’s inviting Pine Grove and spacious Culinary Garden.

“Lightscape is back! For anyone who missed the uniquely artistic and festive holiday lights experience at the Houston Botanic Garden last year, you won’t want to miss it this year,” said Claudia Gee Vassar, president of the Houston Botanic Garden, in a statement. “Favorites like the Winter Cathedral, Neon Tree, and Fire Garden will return, along with new creations by artists from across the globe. The artistry of the Lightscape installations are a perfect complement to the natural beauty of our diverse plant collections, creating an exquisite and memorable holiday experience for families and friends.”

Lightscape doesn’t actually open to the public until Friday, November 18 and runs on select evenings through January 1, 2023. Those interested can secure tickets starting Wednesday, August 24.

Timed tickets – at 15-minute intervals – are $28 for adults and $18 for children. Those with garden memberships receive a $2 discount off timed ticket prices. There are a limited number of off-peak nights during the run with reduced timed ticket rates. Flex passes – offering an extended entry window – are also available.

For those preparing a visit: Timed entry slots and parking are limited each evening, to give attendees space to enjoy each moment along the trail, per the garden. Based on the overwhelming popularity of last year, organizers expect several nights to quickly sell out.

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Lightscape runs November 18-January 1, 2023 at Houston Botanic Garden, 1 Botanic Ln. For hours, tickets, and more information, visit the official site.

Think of these of fluorescent chandeliers.

Photo courtesy of Houston Botanic Garden

Think of these of fluorescent chandeliers.

nature families holidays kids

Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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