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    The Arthropologist

    Houston Grand Opera's Show Boat is not light on dance: A new look at an oldclassic

    Nancy Wozny
    Jan 21, 2013 | 7:34 am
    • Lara Teeter as Capt. Andy laughs with the ladies in the lobby of the ParkerHouse, Chicago.
      Photo by © Felix Sanchez/Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera
    • Sasha Cooke as Magnolia (center) performing in her Broadway show
      Photo by © Felix Sanchez/Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera
    • New Year's Eve at the Trocadero Club
      Photo by © Felix Sanchez/Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera
    • The crowd celebrating the wedding of Magnolia and Gaylord Ravenal
      Photo by © Felix Sanchez/Courtesy of Houston Grand Opera

    High-kicking legs fly up in perfect unison while canes sail through the air as choreographer Michele Lynch holds court with the dancers in the Houston Grand Opera production of Jerome Kern's Show Boat, with book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

    There's enough energy in the room to power the fabled Cotton Blossom river boat down the mighty Mississippi, as Lynch prepares her charges to tackle the many dance numbers that enliven this historical musical. Within seconds, and with no sets or costumes, I know this is going to be one rockin' show running at HGO through Feb. 9.

    The story goes that, as the Broadway curtain came down on Show Boat that fateful day in 1927, the audience remained silent. At first, the muted response seemed to indicate a flop. Turns out, the audience was in a state of shock and awe.

    The show ran for 572 performances, has been revived numerous times and has been turned into two movies (1936 and 1951). HGO first tackled Show Boat back in 1982 and again in 1989. This HGO production, directed by Francesca Zambello, is a joint production with Chicago Lyric Opera and Washington National Opera.

     

      Based on a epic novel by Edna Ferber, Show Boat spans a world in change from 1887 to 1927. 

     Showboat holds a special spot in the history of musical theater in that it was the one of first musicals with a believable story where the songs existed to move the tale forward. Based on a epic novel by Edna Ferber, Show Boat spans a world in change from 1887 to 1927, and dealt with such heated topics as racism, miscegenation and alcoholism, with a compelling story and memorable characters.

    Then there are the many standards, like "Make Believe," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and the supremely hummable anthem "Ol' Man River."

     Boat dancing

    "Don't stop dancing during the grand jetes," Lynch reminds the dancers as they glide through the air. The choreographer has worked with Jerry Mitchell in Hairspray, along with numerous other Broadway credits. Watching her work, I'm reminded of what's unique about dancing in a musical.

    I can see Lynch envisioning the scenery, the singers, the entire world of Show Boat, which is what her dances will be living within. The dances, like the songs, exist to provide another layer of life in a vivid theatrical package. Lynch as done one fabulous job of integrating the movement sections seamlessly into the drama.

     

      Watching her work, I'm reminded of what's unique about dancing in a musical. 

    With a story focused on entertainers, dance is part of the fabric of life on the Cotton Blossom. Still, the choreography packs a strong punch. Just about everything about this production is super sized. "It's a big show,"says Charles Swan, a swing (the person who learns every part in the show) and head of the musical theater department at HSPVA. "Wait to you see the actual boat."

    "I'm more of a new musical person," says Lynch. "There's no expectations. But something about Show Boat does feel new. There are two new songs in this special version too."

    Lynch is not so interested in creating a museum piece. In fact, there is no definitive version of Show Boat. Some versions are four hours long. Relax — HGO's version is under three hours.

    Although Show Boat is steeped in the lore of musical theater history, Lynch approaches her work as a creative artist, putting her own stamp on the piece. She was also part of the original creative team for the Chicago Lyric Opera production.

    "The HGO version has new elements, though," says Lynch, who prefers to respond to the talents in front of her. "It's also such a joy to work with dancers who do not need to also sing."

    "How do you even begin working on a piece that was created so long ago?" I asked Lynch. "I started by researching the styles of the day. Thank God for YouTube. When footage wasn't available I used stills for inspiration," says Lynch, while demonstrating a particularly interesting shape.

    "We are mostly talking about social dances that people did during the time period of the show that spans about 50 years. I did watch the two Show Boat movies, but only once. I wanted to be informed by them but not influenced."

     

      Popular dances of the day, like the Charleston and the Cake Walk, factor into Lynch's eye-popping choreography. ...

    Popular dances of the day, like the Charleston and the Cake Walk, factor into Lynch's eye-popping choreography. "Luckily, we studied social dances at Juilliard," says dance captain Tobin Del Cuore, who was in Houston earlier this fall assisting Aszure Barton on Angular Momentum at Houston Ballet.

    Besides Swan, other local dancers include Christopher Cardenas of the Houston Met Dance Company, Hope Stone dancers Nick Nesmith and Courtney D. Jones, a musical theater veteran. This is Jones' first production with HGO, though she did Show Boat once before with Zambello in New York.

    "Michele has a great eye for detail, but also encourages the dance ensemble to bring their own personalities to the scenes involving dance, which makes the scenes so exciting to watch," says Jones, another swing. "This production is completely new and exciting for me. It's beyond cool getting to listen to these amazingly talented singers."

     There's a big dance star in this boat

    Judging from the total quiet in the room when Lara Teeter entered the rehearsal, I'd say HGO knows how to keep the star power up. It can't be easy to step into Tommy Tune's shoes (he's on vocal rest) as Cap'n Andy Hawks. These dancers were obviously well aware of Teeter's reputation.

    "Lara is a legend," Swan whispered while Lynch showed him a couple of complicated clogging steps. Seconds later, Teeter had the buck n' wing step down.

    Teeter brings vast experience as a performer, director and choreographer for major regional theater and opera houses nationwide. The Tony-nominated dancer has six Broadway shows to his credit, including the revival of the Rodgers and Hart classic On Your Toes, which won an Outer Critics Circle Award.

     

      Judging from the total quiet in the room when Lara Teeter entered the rehearsal, I'd say HGO knows how to keep the star power up. 

    Lynch gets inspired by the talent in the room, so the choice to have Teeter join the cast was a happy one. "Teeter and I collaborated on the Parson's Bride segment," Lynch says. "He brought a lot of his personality and originality into that part and truly made it his own. Teeter is just a special soul, and being in the room and collaborating with him is a gift."

    Listening to Teeter talk about Show Boat made me wish I was a student in one of his classes at Webster University Conservatory for Theatre Arts in St. Louis, where he's an associate professor and head of the musical theater program.

    "It was the first musical with a 20-minute dramatic scene with no songs," says Teeter, outlining the many firsts that occurred in this musical. He not only fills me in on all the innovations of Show Boat as a seminal piece in American musical theater history, but on the confluence of factors at work in the New York theater during the late 1920s that gave rise to the conditions that made Show Boat possible.

    "New York was one of the few places in America where African Americans could make a living on the stage."

    Watching and talking to Lynch and Teeter brought a new perspective on a classic musical. What a reminder of what makes theater a living, breathing, ever-evolving thing. So know when the curtain goes up on these performances, Show Boat will be coming together in that moment for us to experience again.

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    Best July Art

    Where to see art in Houston now: 9 fun new exhibits opening in July

    Tarra Gaines
    Jul 9, 2025 | 4:30 pm
    ​Artechouse presents "Blooming Worlds"
    Photo courtesy of Artechouse
    Artechouse presents "Blooming Worlds"

    Art blooms in our world class museums but also on our city streets this July. From exhibitions featuring traditional paintings and sculptures to high tech immersive and interactive shows, we’re weaving art into the best of summertime fun and dreaming up beautiful new artistic creations all over Houston.

    “Town Meeting 1978-2028” at Art League Houston (now through July 20)
    Pioneering Houston-based interdisciplinary artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin continue their decades-long project to create new and sometimes monumental artworks in response to little-known pre-Stonewall queer histories. For this latest exhibition, the duo explore a more recent and influential piece of Houston history, “Town Meeting I,” the pivotal convening of 4,000 LGBTQIA+ Houstonians at the Astro Arena in 1978. For this show at Art League, they’ve used their “wind drawing” technique of stenciling unfixed charcoal powder on paper and blowing it away, leaving a ghost-image. Using archival images of “Town Meeting I” as the bases of their stenciling, the finished “wind drawings” highlight the ephemerality, beauty, and loss of queer histories. In addition to these new works, Vaughan and Margolin hope to inspire, facilitate, and develop programming in 2028 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Town Meeting 1.”

    “Fragmentos de un sueño que yo también soñé (Fragments of a Dream I Also Dreamed)" at Art League Houston (now through July 20)
    “Every house is a body, and every individual body is a house full of memories and hopes,” says award-winning Venezuela born, Chicago-based artist, Jeffly Gabriela Molina, of her artistic focus. Molina’s fragmented, layered, and figural compositions explore that idea of home and memories. Delving into memories and stories, these figurative compositions, depicting people and relationships, fluctuate between stories of the present, past, and future. Taken together, the works in “Fragmentos de un sueño” aim to visually capture the feelings of vulnerability, nostalgia, and hope embedded in the experience of many immigrants. Art League notes that Molina’s pieces emphasize optimism over hardship, specifically addressing the longing for a home that no longer exists while striving to create a new one.

    “Every Fiber of Their Bodies” at Art League Houston (now through July 20)
    Working with natural fibers such as linen, paper collage, and hand-spun paper yarn made from calligraphy paper and book pages, textile artist Lin Qiqing weaves stories ofhuman relationships, gender, immigration, and language. As the title hints, the labor-intensive weaving process brings thematic depth to the images of bodies depicted in the pieces. The woven pieces also make connections to the natural world, as when Lin crumples then smooths handmade mulberry paper to resemble human skin, or when she uses handwoven fiber to mimic the body’s movement. Lin process includes research and experimenting with natural materials to explore themes of the internal human struggle for existence and our interactions with the world around us.

    “Annual Juried Exhibition” at Archway Gallery (now through July 31)
    For the 17th year, the artist owned Archway Gallery celebrates Houston artists with its juried exhibition of area artists who are not members of the space. This year’s exhibition is juried by Project Row Houses founder and MacArthur "genius" fellow, Rick Lowe. The acclaimed artist and social activist has selected work from over 35 area artists representing a diversity of medium and styles. Sales from the exhibition will go to Houston’s Brave Little Company, the theater company for Houston’s kids and their gown ups.

    “Foyer Installation: René Magritte” at Menil Collection (now through August 3)
    After a critically acclaimed trip to Australia, some of our favorite Belgian-born Houstonians are back home. Yes, the Magritte paintings have returned to the Menil Collection after taking a star turn in a monumental Magritte retrospective at Sydney’s Art Gallery of New South Wales. Now the Menil is celebrating their return with a special installation in the main building foyer. The Menil Collection owns the largest collection of work by René Magritte outside the artist’s native Belgium, and this display focuses on a core group of paintings from the 1950s and ’60s that truly represent Magritte’s status as a master creator of impossible painted worlds and an icon of the Surrealist movement. The paintings were purchased within a couple years of their making by the museum’s founders, John and Dominique de Menil. They represent and important part of 20th century art history, as the de Menils became Magritte’s biggest champions in the United States, helping to shape the artist’s reception and reputation in the postwar American art world. Stop by to welcome them home and slip into their enigmatic wonder.

    “Blooming Wonders” at Artechouse (now through September)
    The latest immersive exhibition from the Houston venue that brings art, science, and technology home together, Artechouse, lets the flowers blossom. The exhibition contains several dynamic installations, including “Timeless Butterflies,” a 270 degrees projection space that puts visitors in the middle of a butterfly cloud. Audiences journey with a flock of butterflies into an immense garden of flowers. Another immersive piece, “Infinite Blooms” takes audiences on a journey through an endless digital forest of cherry blossoms. The installation, “Akousmaflore et Lux” creates a very different type of garden where plants transform into musical instruments. “Clay Pillar” by Interactive Items / Vadim Mirgorodskii invites visitors to sculpt new forms using clay and a little help from an AI program. Note that “Blooming Wonders” runs simultaneously with the rock ‘n’ roll exhibition, “Amplified” with “Wonders” open during the daytime.

    “Weci | Koninut” at Avenida Houston (now through September 1)
    Houston is a place for big dreams, and this wondrous outdoor exhibition near George R. Brown Convention Center gives us the space to do so. Created by First Nations artists Julie-Christina Picher and Dave Jenniss, this interactive installation weaves together visual arts, Indigenous storytelling and sensory technologies in the form of six immense sculptural dreamcatchers. Each of these dreamcatchers are unique and represent one of the six seasons from the Atikamekw culture, an Indigenous people in Canada. Activated by people passing by, the dreamcatchers come to life with lights, sounds, and story, making the whole installation truly interactive. “Weci | Koninut” creators say that they want the installation to offer a total immersion experience for visitors, to create a moment where nature and dreams converge. Each piece offers a place for the public to slow down, sit, reflect, and yes, dream.

    New Murals in the East End and Midtown (ongoing)
    We could spend days viewing all the new murals painted across town, just in the last few years. But in honor of summer outdoor art viewing, we thought we’d spotlight two noteworthy new additions to our city-wide gallery of murals. As part of his major exhibition last spring at the CAMH, Vincent Valdez worked with San Antonio muralist Rubio and local students to create “Memoria, Memory.” Dedicated to his mother Theresa Santana Valdez (1947–2020), the vivid mural on historic Navigation Boulevard features her favorite bird and flower. Over in Midtown, check out “Stellar Illumination,” the latest installation in the city’s Big Walls Big Dreams mural series. Created by Robin Munro, also known as Dread, the seven stories high “Illumination” depicts a celestial scene of an astronaut gazing at Earth from space.

    “The Weight of Place” at Anya Tish Gallery (July 11-August 23)
    This group exhibition will explore themes of memory and the emotional, psychological, and physical landscapes memories can evoke. The will showcase three contemporary Texas-based female artists: Megan Harrison, Marisol Valencia, and Lillian Warren. While these artists work in different mediums–including large-scale paintings, mixed media works, and elegant porcelain sculptures–they are inspired by personal reflection and nature to create artworks that reflect on the ways we hold onto the past through sensory experience.

    “In Residence: 18th Edition” at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (July 12-June 27, 2026)
    This annual exhibition celebrating the Center’s Artist Residency Program reaches it’s big 18th anniversary. Over the many years, the residency program has supported so many emerging, mid-career, and established artists working in all craft media. The program gives them a space for creative exploration, exchange, and collaboration with other artists, arts professionals, and the public. Now arts and craft lovers will get a chance to see the culmination of that work with this exhibition featuring pieces in fiber, clay, copper, and found objects by 2024-2025 resident artists Prerata Bradley, Stephanie Bursese, Atisha Fordyce, Nela Garzón, Gbenga Komolafe, Gabo Martinez, Preetika Rajgariah, Macon Reed, Jamie Sterling Pitt, Adam Whitney, and Dongyi Wu.

    “My Texas” at Our Texas Cultural Center (July 27-August 22)
    Award winning, Russian-born photographer, Anatoliy Kosterev, chronicles his personal exploration of Texas with photographs he took around the Lone Star State. The photos offer extraordinary views of Texas, from our dynamic cities to dramatic and sometimes lonesome landscapes. Kosterev’s photographic style blends science and technology with an artistic eye. He puts those two perspectives into practice when documenting all facets of life in Texas. Using HDR, drone imaging, macro photography, and traditional camera methods, he captures a diversity of subjects from quiet human moments to vast landscapes to delicate close-ups of insects and flowers.

    \u200bArtechouse presents "Blooming Worlds"
      

    Photo courtesy of Artechouse

    Artechouse presents "Blooming Worlds."

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