Arts & Culture

It's the fifth year for the Blue Star Museums Program, the National Endowment for the Arts' collaboration with the Department of Defense and Blue Star Families. 

Ninety-nine museums in Texas are part of the 2014 program. This year’s program kicked off at the San Antonio Museum of Art last week. 

It's a way for the NEA to honor the nation’s military members by making it easier for them to take their families on a tour of museums across the country this summer.

The Texas Children’s Choir has a series of performances coming up. Those performances aren't so much the news — it’s where those performances are that make them a big deal.

"Normandy, France, and Paris," said Thomas Hardaway, who founded the 52-voice choir based in San Antonio. Hardaway said he is taking them to France for a reason:

“The commemoration of the D-Day landings at Normandy, France," he said.

You may not have heard of the dance form called “stepping,” but don't feel bad. I didn't! Here's a description:

"A lot of people describe it as highly energetic and powerful movement. And rhythmic chants often accompany the steps as well. It’s really celebrated all around the world, but a lot of Americans don’t know about," said C. Bryan Williams about the foot-pounding, knee slapping moves that he helped bring to the fore in the group he’s created, Step Afrika.

The Kerrville Folk Festival is one of the biggest and longest-running folk festivals in the nation and Dalis Allen has been there for most of them.

"It’s really more than a festival; it’s a phenomenon," Allen said.

Allen produces the festival at the Quiet Valley Ranch, where extensive campgrounds allow people to pitch tents and play their own campfire music after the night’s stage performances are done.

“It’s so much more than just sitting and listening to music," said Allen. "It’s quite a community in and of itself.”

Musical sounds from centuries long ago are coming to San Antonio in the form of the
Austin Baroque Orchestra Chamber Players, though you may remember them having come to San Antonio last fall as Settecento.

“We’ll be playing at St. John’s Lutheran Church downtown on Sunday at 3 p.m. and we’ll be playing classical-era chamber music," said Billy Traylor, Austin Baroque Orchestra’s artistic director.

An internationally-renown pianist returns soon to the Alamo City. I asked Eduardo Delgado about his upcoming appearance here.

"Well I’m very excited about it because the first time I went to San Antonio I was a judge of the competition,” he said.

He was here as a San Antonio International Piano Competition judge.  

“We had a wonderful time and we listened to wonderful talents,” said Delgado.

Every three years the piano competition brings young talent together for a rigorous competition. On this visit though, Delgado has a different focus.

She may be the most famous San Antonian you’ve never heard of. She’s Rita Vidaurri, an international singing star who was raised on the West Side of San Antonio and was a huge deal south of the border back in the 40s and 50s.

"I went to Cuba, sang with Nat King Cole. From Cuba I went to Costa Rica, Panama, all over Colombia," she said.

Vidaurri also sang on Mexico City’s radio XEW, and in nightclubs all over the country, with essentially all of the big names of the era.

The San Antonio Symphony’s winter/spring season is winding down and June 6 & 7 marks two important performances.

“We’re presenting Mahler [Fifth Symphony] to finish the season, and Marguerite McCormick is leaving the Children’s Chorus,” said symphony Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing. Longtime Artistic Director McCormick’s last performances with the chorus will be at these two nights.

Shakespeare in the Park is coming and I got to speak with a couple of its principal players. After speaking with the one playing Hamlet, I got to thinking how actor enthusiasm for Shakespeare can cause you to look at a classic in a brand new way.

“ 'Hamlet' itself is such a modern play," said Evans Jarnefeldt, who plays the lead role in the Magik Theatre production. “Not only in the relationships, you know, spurned love, unrequited love, meddling parents--”

"So, everyday life is what you're saying," I said.

“Everyday life, absolutely,” he said with a chuckle.

The San Antonio Summer Art and Jazz Festival is coming. It’s a three-day music and art event and it all starts next Friday night.

"We’re bringing in about 12 artists from around the United States," said Anthony Tobias, founder of the San Antonio Summer Art and Jazz Festival.

“Starts on May 30, and starts at 5 p.m.," said Tobias. "And then on Saturday and Sunday it starts at noon and goes all the way to 10 p.m. It’s located at Crockett Park, 1300 North Main and Cypress."

I asked about the variety of jazz he was presenting.