opera al fresco

University of Houston belts out safe new outdoor opera experience

Patty Holley as stars as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.

Photo by Pin Lim/ University of Houston

Fans of outdoor music can regale in an al fresco treat this week. The Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts will present an outdoor performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s masterwork Don Giovannion Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, according to the university.

The performances, which start at 7:30 pm and kick off the 2020-2021 season, will take place at Wilhelmina’s Grove outside the Moores School of Music.

Don Giovanni, widely regarded as one of the greatest operas of all time, is a comedy-drama based on the legend of Don Juan, a young playboy, a ladies’ man, whose luck humorously runs out.

A pre-show reception will begin at 6:15 pm for patrons who purchase premium tickets. Click here for directions and parking information. For those who are unable to attend in person, the performance will be streamed live on the Moores Opera Center website or the Moores Opera Center’s Facebook page.

To accommodate safety concerns, patrons and staff will be required to wear face coverings at all times, except when eating or drinking. Social distancing will be strictly maintained upon entrance and exit of the performance space, as well as during the performance, per a release.

Opera fans can also enjoy more offerings via two virtual productions on the Moores Opera Center’s Facebook page. Look for Samuel Barber’s A Hand of Bridge at 7:30 pm on Thursday, November 19, and Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti at 7:30 pm on Monday, January 18. Both productions will remain on the Facebook page for two weeks.

For tickets and to view the entire season lineup, visit the Moores Opera Center website.

opera

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.