The Arthropologist

Undercover arts mama: A Raging Oldster infiltrates those fussed-over YoungProfessional groups

Houston Ballet Young Professionals, from left, Mireille Hassenboehler, KellyMyernick, Oliver Halkowich, Jessica Collado and Joseph Walsh at a Ballet Barreevent.
Photo by Valerie Reeves/Art Institute of Houston North
Dominic Walsh's Friday Night Casting Couch members, from left, back row, GregoryKrueger and Vincent Zontini; front row, from left, Nicole Longnecker, JessicaWalters, Erin Nies, Hala Daher at "Titus Andronicus" last season
Photo by Elaine Mesker-Garcia
Young professionals Kristy Junco, from left, Diana Cross and Trish Murison at aHouston Ballet's young professionals get together.
Photo by Zuzana Leckova/Art Institute of Houston North
From Dominic Walsh's Friday Night Casting Couch, Hala Daher, from left, JessicaWalters, Erin Nies, Kim Scates and Nicole Longnecker after "Romeo & Juliet"
Photo by Elaine Mesker-Garcia
Mingling with friends and dancers after "Titus Andronicus" are April Kyle, fromleft, Hala Daher, David Tong, Nicole Longnecker and Katie Mahoney of DominicWalsh's Young Professionals group of the Friday Night Casting Couch
Photo by Elaine Mesker-Garcia
Up at TUTS Party On The Prairie at Wabash Feed Store in celebration of TUTS'presentation of the musical, "Little House On The Prairie." The winning teamfrom the Lincoln Log competition: Lanson Jones, from left, Jay Cohen, MeganCooper and Elizabeth Jones.

Tonight, the young and gorgeous gather at DiverseWorks for a post Hunter Gatherers dessert and drink soiree sponsored by Houston Young People for the Arts (HYPA). It's a marvelous Catastrophic Theatre production that you should not miss.

I call it the Mozart plus Mojito phenomenon. I'm talking about the rise of those Young Professional (YP) arts groups that will save America from the graying of the audience. As we know, graying can lead to sudden death, possibly during intermission.

Now, I might sound cynical, probably because I technically was never a young professional. I was a young scrappy artist, who performed for other young scrappy artists. Afterward, we went to a scrappy bar for cheap white wine, which I have since learned is now a Starbucks.

Or maybe I am angry because no one is going after my demographic (those not attending arts events). Late baby boomers make up the largest audience for the arts (yeah, my people rock). Afraid we are going to die too soon and are not worth the investment of time and energy?

And these Young groups do take staff time to organize, promote and pull off. How's the payoff?

"Too soon to tell," arts organizations whispered in hushed tones, as if YP groups were a sensitive subject. Big mistake ignoring us: If our kids ever graduate from college and get a job, we might have both time and money.

The YP Queen

One can't really discuss the young and cultured without talking to the maven herself, Heather Pray, founder of HYPA, which partners with several of the YP groups in town, selecting events that appeal to her demographic. Pray was not raised in an all-arts household; she discovered the joys of art stomping after college. According to Pray, elementary school is not the only time to get exposed to the arts.

"Post-college is another opportunity," she says. And I totally get that estranged from-peer-group-post-college funk. Your co-workers leave work at 6 p.m. to take their children to T-ball practices; you need to build a new social circle.

The term "Young Professionals" makes most young professionals cringe. I visited with two young arts czarinas, Mandy Graessle of Fresh Arts and Jenni Rebecca Stephenson of Spacetaker, to get an insider's perspective.

"Companies spend lots of money and effort on throwing parties, happy hours and social soirees to attract the new, the young, and the beautiful under the auspices of 'come get cultured,' " Graessle says. "Now, we have tons of 'successful young professional programs' with thousands of members and overcrowded happy hours with arts enthusiasts, and yet our arts patron demographic hasn't changed.

"Arts marketers still don't know that there is a female who is 35 years old in a seat in their theater who has no desire to go to another happy hour."

Stephenson feels the effort needs more focus. "I think YP groups generally spend more time worrying about getting the right people at the parties and not enough time cultivating those young audiences who may have a vested interest in the arts," she says. "I think less time should be spent on hype and more time on data-mining and education."

An Oldie Undercover

I thought it best to strap on some snazzy shoes, a wig, get a little Botox and go undercover at some of these YP events. Or, more easily, just go as someone's mother.

First stop, Opening Night (O.N.) at Houston Grand Opera. I could not bear the sight of a woman standing alone by the three pieces of cheese, so I went up to chat with her. I was moved by her story. She had just relocated here, always loved opera, and hoped to meet some peers who also loved opera. All good. I'm just sorry she got stuck talking to a gizzorette.

Note to YPers, it's a mixer, mix. Another O.N. event featured a very long line for a glass of wine. Oh, the opera, Tosca, was divine. Let's not forget the art part.

The drinks, food, and fun were flowing at the Theatre Under the Stars party, along with the stellar cast of Miss Saigon. Then I noticed everyone in the room was a well-groomed middle-aged man. The announcement "Welcome to Out at TUTS" tipped me off. Oops, thanks for the food, you are a terrific bunch.

I never did make it to UP at TUTS, their YP group, although I did hear they had a fun Lincoln Log contest as a pre-show event to Little House on the Prairie. I would have won because I actually played with Lincoln Logs.

I had a quasi-conversation with Mark Morris at Society for the Performing Arts' NiteSPA. He talked about hating the Rothko Chapel while not making eye contact. Thrilling. The party was at a real person's house who actually cooked dinner. There, I met Jessica Walters, who led the YP group at Planned Parenthood and invited me to come to Dominic Walsh Dance Theater's Friday Night Casting Couch. Gotta love that name.

Now, I'm sure Walters could persuade me to go to monster truck rally. She possesses a wild enthusiasm mixed with equal part charisma. You just want to do whatever she says.

So off I went to DWDT's after Romeo and Julietparty. I met April Kyle, who was not a dance fan before joining the group. "At first, I came because of Jessica, but look at this, this company is amazing, and the dancers are terrific," Kyle says, pointing to the dynamite members of DWDT. "Peer recommendation is important."

Although there was neither a couch nor an event on a Friday night, this was one fun party. Mercury Baroque fans were present, always a lively bunch, and get this, other gray hairs were in the room. Dancers were there (always a plus when the artists are among the crowd). I have no doubt this crowd has shifted from Jessica followers to DWDT followers. As it should be.

More than champagne sips

I decided to drag Walters to Houston Ballet's Ballet Barre, mostly an elegant group of ladies and willing husbands, with better bags and shoes. Champagne was waiting for us during La Bayadere's intermission. There I met one of the group's founders, Lindsey Brown.

"It was essential that Ballet Barre include performances," Brown says. "We are not just about the party."

She's right, I ran into a champagne toting Ballet Barre bunch at a Houston Ballet II rehearsal. Nice touch. Later in the season, I trudged through a monsoon to get to Anvil for a gathering post La Fille Mal Gardee, (damn, I have a weakness for those herb-infused liquid salad drinks), where I met a woman who belongs to just about every YP group in the city. "If the art isn't good, it doesn't matter how good the party is," she says. Sing it, sister!

What's going to happen when you darlings turn 40, the cutoff for most of these groups? I suspect you will all be clamoring to join my soon-to-be-formed Raging Aging Hipster Oldster Smart Artz Klub. (The title is still in beta testing, folks.) We will feature fine beer and food with loads of calories, like Joel Luks' red velvet cupcakes.

Truly, I love young people, I gave birth to two of them. But the stats can't be ignored; people have been in a tizzy over the graying of audiences for a half century now. Alex Ross cites the alarmism of the 1960s in his New Yorker essay The Fatal X. What if the critical mass of people follow a "born, college, bands, bars, marriage, kids, art, die" trajectory and that's just how it is?

Regardless of the mystery of how the arts continually populate seats with my fellow cronesters, there's a different lesson here. You don't need a group of same-aged people to love art. According to Graessle, Walters and Kyle, each of us holds a power to influence our peers when it comes to an art experience that has touched our hearts and souls.

Just go a little "Jessica" on your friends. Bring them under the spell of art. That's a good thing at any age.

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weekend event planner

These are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Theatre Under the Stars presents their new vision for Disney's Frozen.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means you can either crack down on the Christmas shopping or take in a few entertaining events before the relatives, the weather, and Mariah Carey takes priority in the next couple of weeks.

We have a very eclectic lineup of stuff going on this weekend: a Theatre Under the Stars production of a chilly Disney favorite; an arena polo championship; the return of an ‘80s superstar; the grand opening of a new pickleball club; and two barbecue pop-ups that’ll have you sucking the sauce out of your fingernails.

Thursday, December 12

4th Wall Theatre Company presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya and Sonia, two middle-aged siblings begrudgingly named after Chekhov characters, are living an uneventful life in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The days are filled with predictable routines until their movie-star sister Masha arrives, accompanied by Spike, her charming (and incredibly attractive) young lover. Suddenly, their dull existence is turned upside down as old tensions resurface, leading to a weekend of uproarious chaos, unexpected romance, and unforgettable moments. Through Saturday, December 21. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Asia Society Texas Center presents Mei Rui: "Your Brain on Beethoven"
Asia Society Texas Center will celebrate Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday with an innovative concert experiment. Award-winning concert pianist Dr. Mei Rui will present live performances of Beethoven's iconic masterworks, including the “Archduke” Trio, alongside state-of-the-art Brain-Computer Interface and EEG brain dynamics data visualization revealing how the performances impact musicians' and audience members' brains. 7:30 pm.

Theatre Under the Stars presents Disney's Frozen
Enter the icy world of Arendelle, where the newly crowned Queen Elsa has accidentally set off an eternal winter. Younger sister Anna, along with Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, sets off on a snowy adventure to find Elsa and save the kingdom. Frozen features the songs you know and love from the Oscar-winning film, plus an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Through Sunday, December 29. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2 & 8 pm Saturday; 2 & 7:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, December 13

U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship
The 2024 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship and USPA United States Arena Handicap come to Texas for the first time. Nine teams will vie for the national championship titles and the combined $70,000 in prize money. Arena polo, compared to hockey on horseback, is a fast-paced sport where teams of three players and their mounts demonstrate their prowess and agility. Spectators are up-close to the action — hearing players communicate and feeling the thunder of hooves. 12:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Improv Houston presents Brian Simpson
Brian Simpson is an Austin-based stand-up comedian based in Los Angeles. His background as a foster child and Marine Corps veteran has led to a rare combination of life experiences that he manages to channel into a refreshingly unique point of view. After landing a half-hour comedy special on Netflix’s third season of The Standups, Simpson returned to the streamer earlier this year with the hour-long, shot-in-Austin special Brian Simpson: Live from the Mothership. 7:30 & 9:45 pm (7 & 9:30 pm Saturday).

Derek Hough: Dance for the Holidays
Derek Hough: Dance for the Holidays is a celebration of the most festive time of the year. Fans will get to see Hough and his cast of dancers bring holiday tunes to life through dance, from the well-sung classics to modern pop hits. Creative team and Emmy winners Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs (Jennifer Lopez’s All I Have, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, GRAMMYs®), will co-create, direct, and supervise choreography for the tour. 8 pm.

Richard Marx in concert
Man, Richard Marx was quite the ‘80s pop-rock troubadour, hitting us with such Reagan-era ditties as “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Should’ve Known Better,” “Endless Summer Nights,” and “Satisfied.” (He had some cool ‘90s bops as well, including “Keep Coming Back” with Luther Vandross on background vocals.) The man who put a ring on MTV VJ/legendary ‘90s crush Daisy Fuentes will be performing those, as well as tunes from his many albums (including his latest, 2022’s Songwriter), in Sugar Land this weekend.

Saturday, November 14

Casa Pickle Grand Opening
Membership-based indoor pickleball club Casa Pickle will have its grand opening this weekend. The celebration will serve as a chance for the public to experience the club, which will be exclusive to members following the opening. Guests can enjoy sips, bites, tours, and competitive play. They can also tour the 20,000-square-foot facility, relax in the lounge area, grab a drink at the bar, or engage in Open Play pickleball on one of the nine state-of-the-art, PPA-certified CushionX courts. You can sign up for Open Play here. 6 am.

Axelrad presents KG BBQ
As we reported earlier this week, you can get barbecue this weekend from two spots that earned Bib Gourmand status in the Michelin Guide. First up, it’s Austin’s very own KG BBQ, which will have a pop-up at Midtown beer house Axelrad. The menu will include many of KG’s most popular dishes, including brisket rice bowls with smoked Mediterranean rice; smoked lamb chops; sumac-and-cinnamon-rubbed lamb shoulder, and sides such as pink buttermilk potato salad and Baladi salad. 11 am.

Stages presents Have a Nice Day Holiday Market
Join Stages for a night market of incredible food and craft vendors, music from Los Angeles DJ Lonny, lights, photo booths, karaoke and holiday filled fun for all. Vendors will include CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Pastry Chef of the Year winner Christina Au, Asteroid Coffee, Dumpling Haus, Boo’s Burger, Moe’s Vegan Bites, Elisa’s Homemade Crochet, and many more. You can also make it a day with a holiday show. Use code “NightMKT24” at checkout for 25 percent off their family friendly, fun-filled Panto Pinocchio. 4 pm.

Dawes in concert with Winnetka Bowling League
LA folk rock band Dawes, which now consists of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith (two bandmates departed last year), will be in Houston this weekend, playing music from their recently-released album Oh Brother. The new work steers Dawes decidedly forward, honoring 15 years of Taylor and Griffin’s musical relationship, as well as the next era of their band. They'll be joined by Winnetka Bowling League. 7 pm.

Sunday, December 15

Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q presents Whole Hogmas
Here’s the other barbecue spot that got the Michelin shout-out. Coming straight outta Spring, Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q will have a special menu of dishes made with smoked whole hog. The menu will include whole hog plates, whole hog sandwiches, whole hog-and-parmesan polenta cakes, and whole hog served over cheese grits with a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce, as well as sides and desserts. It’s all to raise money for Hogs for the Cause, an annual event that raises money for pediatric brain cancer research and the families who are fighting it. 11 am.

Blippi: Join the Band Tour
If you have one of those iPad-carrying tykes who love the kiddie programming that comes outta YouTube, you can watch them lose their minds when one of those YouTubers appears in the flesh. Blippi comes to Houston as part of his Join the Band tour. Blippi will be joined onstage by Meekah, their singing and dancing buddies and live musicians to explore what makes music, including sounds, rhythms, and instruments, through all of Blippi’s favorite hits. 2 pm.

Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra presents Gremlins Movie Party
Joe Dante’s iconic holiday misadventure from 1984 continues to be a pop culture sensation, with its darkly funny story of a small-town guy who receives a furry little creature called a mogwai that ends up multiplying into a swarm of monsters that rip the town to shreds. You won’t be able to tear the place apart or ruin the theater’s electronics, but they will have all kinds of fun props available to help you get in on the action. 6 pm.

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Theatre Under the Stars presents their new vision for Disney's Frozen.

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