The Arthropologist

Ten performances that linger in my mind

Ballet: Velocity Choreographer: Stanton Welch Dancer(s): Meloday Herrera
Photo by Drew Donovan
Houston Ballet" "Hush" with Nicholas Leschke and Kelly Myernick
Photo by Jim Caldwell
From Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company, Jennifer Decker, Patricia Duran andEric Doss in John Harvey's "Rot"
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
"Village of Waltz" by the Hope Stone Dance Company and choreography by JaneWeiner. Dancers: Brit Wallis and Patrick Ferreri
Photo by Simon Gentry
Jeffrey Bean in the Alley Theatre production of "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Photo by Michal Daniel
K. Todd Freeman, left, as Booth and David Rainey as Lincoln in the Alley Theatreproduction of "Topdog/Underdog."
Photo by Michael Brosilow

Distilling a decade of art-watching into ten selections is not for the faint of decision-making. How best to select ten best in a sea of strong offerings? I let my memory be my sieve and asked the question, "What is still with me?" Keep in mind, I didn't see everything, although heavens knows I tried. These 10 performances continue to linger, fester, mesmerize, entertain, haunt, disturb or enchant.

Astoria, choreography by Jennifer Wood, Suchu Dance (2001; revised 2004)

Wood riffs on the flimsiness of memory in Astoria, one of her most poignant theatrical pieces. With a reccurring scene of a lone dancer under a swinging overhead lamp, Wood nails the human tendency to prop up the past and re-do it according to our own devices. Wood wove memory, movement and humor into one highly memorable and whimsical whole. Nicholas Phillips' lighting design further transported us to Wood's weird world. Nostalgia never looked this good.

Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, Alley Theatre (2004)

David Rainey and Todd Freeman crashed through Parks' Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning play with a fierce energy. The actors' chemistry, combined with Parks' soaring language, made for one of the most riveting performances at the Alley's intimate Neuhaus Stage.

Velocity, choreography by Stanton Welch, Houston Ballet (2006)

Welch proved himself a master architect of group motion in his white tutu ballet Velocity. Dense and filled with Welch's signature intricate, yet organic, movement, the ballet whipped up an undeniable kinetic momentum. Melody Herrera's stellar performance landed her a coveted spot on the "25 to Watch" list in Dance Magazine and on the cover.

Hush, choreography by Christopher Bruce, Houston Ballet (2006)

Bruce's charming portrait of a traveling circus family set to Bobby McFerrin's music was so chock filled with gorgeous stage pictures that I actually tried to slow the ballet down while watching. Houston Ballet has enjoyed a long relationship with Bruce, and it showed in this pitch-perfect ballet created especially for the company. With lighting by Houston's own Christina Giannelli, the ballet conjured a delicate world, full of nuanced dancing by the original cast. Audiences will get a second look at Hush as it comes round again this season as part of "American at Heart" in March.

La Cenerentola by Gioacchino Rossini, Houston Grand Opera (2007)

So why is an opera on a best theater and dance list? Directed by famed Barcelona troupe known as Els Comediants, this HGO production of La Cenerentola proved an entirely visually arresting theatrical experience. HGO Studio alum turned megastar soprano Joyce DiDonato delivered a Bel Canto tour de force performance, never mind looking smashing in her Mondrian inspired Cinderella duds.

Sleeping Beauty, choreography by Dominic Walsh, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater (2007)

Dominic Walsh lived up to the "theater" in his company's name with his re-telling of this classic ballet. Transposing the story into a futuristic setting complete with a graphic novel vibe, Walsh hit his stride in making a classic bold and fresh. Dawn Dippel danced her heart out as Aurora, a narcoleptic with a drug problem, and Walsh himself stunned as Lyle Laq, his play on the Lilac Fairy.

Rot by John Harvey, Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company and Bobbindoctin Puppet Theatre (2007)

I assumed John Harvey to be a black sheep relative of Edgar Allen Poe, and Rot to be a script found in someone's attic, or better yet, someone's coffin. But lo and behold, Dr. Harvey is alive and well, teaching and twisting young minds at University of Houston's Honors College where he is an artist in residence. Harvey's play is as rich in poetry as it is in delicious gore. The collaboration between Mildred's and Bobbindoctrin proved a potent match.

Jeffrey Bean in Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Alley Theatre (2008)

Bean delivered a performance so luminous it seemed an act of cruelty when the show was done. The veteran Alley Acting Company member owned every minute on the Hubbard Stage, transforming each syllable into a ecstatic experience. What a divine match between an actor and his words.

Awake and Sing by Clifford Odets, Main Street Theater (2009)

Odets' depression-era tale of a claustrophobic Jewish family surviving in the Bronx felt timely and MST did a noble job living up to Odets' biting prose. Outstanding performances by Charles Swan and Luisa Amaral-Smith and sensitive direction by Cheryl L. Kaplan made for a riveting experience. I wasn't the only person blown away; Terry Teachout also raved in the Wall Street Journal.

Village of Waltz, choreography by Jane Weiner, Hope Stone Dance Company (2009)

Weiner, a slow cook choreographer, took our breath away in her most realized and polished work thus far in her decade-long Houston dancing-making career. Athletic dancing, pristine ensemble work and a taste of a village atmosphere placed Weiner in the one to watch category on Houston's local dance stages.

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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