jonesing for the symphony

Houston Symphony scores triumphant return to Jones Hall with new online shows

The Houston Symphony returns to the stage with new weekly online performances.

Photo courtesy of Houston Symphony

With Texans currently shut out of bars for the foreseeable future and current Harris County advisories suggesting locals stay home, options are suddenly limited for entertainment.

Offering some relief is the Houston Symphony, which announced a return to the stage with the new concert series appropriately dubbed Live from Jones Hall. The new hour-long program will stream from Jones Hall each Saturday night in July and Saturday, August 1.

The concerts will feature symphony musicians in solo and small ensemble roles and will highlight different sections of the orchestra, according to a press release.

Each week’s performance is now on sale for $10 online. Ticket holders receive a private link to enjoy the live performance in the comfort of their homes.

The new programs will allow for social distancing onstage and will offer up audience favorites such as Bach, Strauss, and Stravinsky and will explore repertoire from prominent composers including Silvestre Revueltas, Scott Joplin, and Florence Price.

In this time of heightened safety, the symphony is utilizing guidance from the CDC and local health officials for backstage protocol. This includes keeping musicians six feet apart at all times (including onstage performances), requiring the use of protective masks in common areas, and regular testing and screening for all musicians and backstage staff.

Here is a lineup of the symphony’s performances:

Saturday, July 11
Bach, Price, and Janáček

Saturday, July 18
Mozart and Strauss

Saturday, July 25
Debussy, Joplin, Abreu, and more

Saturday, August 1
Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, and Revueltas

“Building on the success of our Living Room Series, we're excited to be able to continue with live-streamed performances,” said Houston Symphony executive director, CEO, and holder of the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum, in a statement.

“I think it will be emotional for all of us when our incredible musicians return to the Jones Hall stage after a more than three-month absence. It's a challenging time for all of us here, but one that also presents the opportunity to explore repertoire for smaller ensembles from a wide variety of composers that really gives our individual musicians a chance to shine.”

symphony

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.