CultureMap and KHOU

Making quite an impression: Stunning exhibit opens at MFAH, giving Houston a rare look

If you have out of town guests and have no idea how to keep them entertained, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has an impressive — pun intended — option.

The Age of Impressionism, a traveling exhibition that comprises 73 works by notable French artists, on loan from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., opens Sunday and is on view through March 23, 2014. The collection represents some of the most stunning and most significant paintings and sculptures produced in a style that today has wide appeal.

"After the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art, the Clark collection is the most important collection of Impressionist paintings in the country, and here it is in Houston," Gary Tinterow, MFAH director, says during an interview with KHOU Ch. 11 news anchor Lily Jang.

Among paintings by Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Berthe Morisot, the Clark is respected for its remarkable collection of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. On display as part of the exhibition are A Box at the Theater (At the Concert) and Sleeping Girl with a Cat, which reveal the beautiful colors, exquisite drawing style and sense of luxury that rendered Renoir one of the most famous living artists during World War I.

CultureMap reporter Elizabeth Rhodes suggests The Age of Impressionism as a respite from traditional holiday activities. No matter what age group, she says, Impressionist art never fails to wow everyone.

Watch the video (above) or click here for the full report.

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The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute opens on Sunday and is on view through March 23, 2014. General admission tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $7.50 for youth ages 13-18. Children ages 12 and under attend for free. Discounts are available for Museum of Fine Arts, Houston members.

taking center stage

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

Jason's Lyric cast photo

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.

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