Performing Arts Houston | Encore Magazine, Fall 2023

Performing Arts Houston

MAGAZINE

Step Afrika! brings the beat.

Fall 2023

PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON Encore Fall 2023

Contents 06 MOMIX: ALICE SEP 16-17 | Cullen Theater

08 AN EVENING WITH ISAAC MIZRAHI SEP 23 | Zilkha Hall

10 JOHN WATERS: END OF THE WORLD OCT 13 | Cullen Theater

12

FEATURES

LILA DOWNS: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

03 Audience Guide

OCT 19 | Jones Hall

14 Onward with New/Now

18 AN EVENING WITH BILL NYE OCT 20 | Jones Hall

20 Donor Q&A 30 Our Supporters

22 STEP AFRIKA! DRUMFOLK OCT 27–28 | Cullen Theater

24 VIENNA BOYS CHOIR NOV 1 | Cullen Theater

26 AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS NOV 3 | Jones Hall

28

MAGAZINE is the official magazine of Performing Arts Houston Caroline Senter Publication Editor Melanie O’Neill Design & Production Ventures Marketing Group Matt Ross Advertising 713.417.6857

AN EVENING WITH HOWIE MANDEL DEC 10 | Jones Hall

On the cover: Step Afrika!

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 1

PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON 2023–2024

Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Performing Arts Houston 615 Louisiana Street, Suite 100 Houston, Texas 77002-2715

H. William Swanstrom, Board Chair

713.227.4772 info@performingartshouston.org performingartshouston.org

Tymothi O. Tombar, Secretary

Meg Booth President & Chief Executive Officer Leslie Nelson Chief Financial Officer Raie Crawford Director of Education & Community Engagement Jordan Drum Director of Development Brian Glass Director of Marketing, Communications & Digital Caroline McCain Development Associate Brenda Oliveira Board Liaison & Executive Assistant

Helena Oliver Development Manager, Individual Giving & Events Michelle Pacheco Patron Services Manager Caroline Senter Public Relations Associate Jennifer Steiner Director of Operations Lee Strickland Director of Artistic Programming Phoebe Vo Accounting Manager

About Performing Arts Houston Performing Arts Houston (formerly known as Society for the Performing Arts) connects audiences with exceptional artists through diverse performances and learning experiences. We ignite and cultivate passion for the performing arts, exploring the vast landscape of artistic expression to discover new understanding about ourselves, create community, inspire dialogue, and enrich our world. More at performingartshouston.org.

Vijay D’Cruz, Board Vice Chair Curt D. Karges, Vice President, Finance & Audit Willie C.W. Chiang, Vice President, Nominating & Governance Melanie Gray, Vice President, Special Projects G. Mark Jodon, Vice President, Development Emily T. Kuo, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Theresa Mallett, Vice President, Education & Community Engagement Jeffrey A. Ball Leah R. Bennett Meg Booth (Ex Officio) Charles C. Boettcher Charles D. Davidson Theresa A. Einhorn Stephen M. Gill

Deborah Gordon Michael D. Hatfield Eileen Lawal Scott S. Nyquist Marisol Salazar Stephen M. Trauber Saul Valentin

DIRECTORS Norah G. Adams S. Kris Agarwal Brian D. Bravo Michael Cannon Mary Fischer Sean Gorman Shawn K. Jackson Joel Lambert Ginni Mithoff Katherine Easterby Murphy Michaelene Lusk Norton

Salvador Pareja Armando A. Perez Lance G. Reynolds Ann V. Rogers Melanie B. Rother Omar Samji Leslie Elkins Sasser Andrew B. Smith Kristina H. Somerville Margaret Alkek Williams

DIRECTORS EMERITI James J. Postl Robert B. Tudor III

Marcus A. Watts

John T. Jones Jr. Founder (1917-1994)

Jesse H. Jones II President, Society for the Performing Arts Foundation

SEASON SPONSORS FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON

THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

2 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Audience

EXPERIENCE GUIDE

HEALTH & SAFETY

PARKING

DOORS OPEN

All Covid policies are at the discretion of the artist, presenter, and venue, and are subject to change. For the latest updates on Health & Safety protocols, please visit performingartshouston.org/faq.

Event parking is available in the Theater District Parking garage for $15. Street parking in Downtown Houston is free after 6pm, Monday-Saturday, and all day Sunday. Parking rates and availability are subject to change.

Unless otherwise noted, doors to the lobby will open 60 minutes prior to performance start time and seating inside the auditorium will open 30 minutes prior to start time.

LATE SEATING

FOOD & DRINK

ACCESSIBILITY

Late seating is at the discretion of the artist and may not be available. We suggest everyone arrive early, allowing extra time for parking, entry, and concessions inside the lobby.

Concessions are available for purchase in the lobby. Eating inside the performance space is prohibited but you're welcome to enjoy drinks during the show.

For accessibility information, or to purchase accessibility seating, contact the Box Office at 713.227.4772, or visit performingartshouston/visit/ accessibility.

CHILDREN

DEVICES

TICKETS

Unless otherwise specified, all children ages 4 and above may attend performances. Tickets must be purchased for all children, regardless of age, as required by the City of Houston Fire Code.

As a courtesy to others, please silence all electronic devices and refrain from using them during the performance. Even on silent, the glow from devices can be a distraction. Photography and recording of any kind are strictly prohibited.

All tickets are non-refundable.

Tickets can be exchanged or donated up to 48 hours prior to the performance. Exchange fees are waived for all Performing Arts Houston members.

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Follow us @performingartshouston Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 3

Upcoming Performances & Events JUL 29–30

Bluey’s Big Play

AUG 18–20

4th Annual Mariachi Festival • Presented by Mariachi Festival

SEP 16–17

MOMIX: Alice • Featuring Opening Night Party on SEP 16

SOLD OUT SOLD OUT

SEP 23

An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi • Cabaret with a NYC fashion icon

SEP 24

Formosa Melody • Presented by Formosa Melody

OCT 13

John Waters: End of the World

OCT 19

Lila Downs: Día de Los Muertos • Celebrating Mexico’s Day of the Dead

OCT 20

An Evening with Bill Nye

OCT 20

Orchestra Noir: Y2K Meets 90s Vibe • Presented by Orchestra Noir

OCT 27–28

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

NEW SHOW

Step Afrika! Drumfolk • 30th Anniversary

NOV 1

Vienna Boys Choir • 525th Anniversary (yes, 525 years!)

NOV 3

An Evening with David Sedaris

NOV 26

Dirty Dancing in Concert • You’ll have the time of your life

DEC 10

An Evening with Howie Mandel • Stand-up with the legendary comedian

JAN 19–20 JAN 23 FEB 9 FEB 23–24 MAR 7–9

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

New/Now • World Premieres by Kam Franklin, Group Acorde & ShaWanna Renne Rivon Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo • Featuring their biggest hits Time For Three • GRAMMY® winners make their Houston debut Manual Cinema: Leonardo! • Celebrated Chicago theater company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater • Featuring Revelations

APR 2

Bruce Liu, Piano • International Chopin Piano Competition Winner

APR 12

The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes

APR 13

Kronos Quartet and Sam Green: A Thousand Thoughts • 50 Years Tour

APR 30

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain • Bring your own ukulele (BYOU)

MAY 3

An Evening with Peter Sagal

JUL 6–7

Bluey’s Big Play

NEW SHOW

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

performingartshouston.org

DANCE SERIES

MUSIC SERIES

FAMILY SERIES

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VP, Private Wealth Advisor

Transformation for Generations

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VP, Private Wealth Advisor

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Tudor Family Dance Series 23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

MOMIX: Alice SEPTEMBER 16–17, 2023 SATURDAY | 2 PM & 7:30 PM SUNDAY | 2 PM CULLEN THEATER, WORTHAM CENTER Duration: 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission See program insert for more information

Sponsored in part by

6 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Show

MOMIX: Alice

About the Artists

About the Program

Moses Pendleton Founder and Artistic Director

Michael Korsch Lighting Design

ACT ONE Down the Rabbit Hole

Cynthia Quinn Associate Director

Moses Pendleton Music Collage

Assisted by: Orla Badendale Heather Conn Nathaniel Davis Derek Elliot Jr. Hailey Green Seah Hagan Aurelie Garcia Adam Ross

Andrew Hanson Music Editing

Woodrow F. Dick III Production Manager and Lighting Supervisor

Phoebe Katzin and Beryl Taylor Costume Construction

 A Summer Day  Alice Down the Rabbit Hole  Pool of Tears  A Trip of Rabbits  The Tweedles  The Cheshire Cat  Advice from a Blue Caterpillar  The Lobster Quadrille  Mad Hatters  The Queen of Diamonds  The Queen of Clubs Versus The Queen of Spades  The Mad Queen of Hearts  Cracked Mirrors

Victoria Mazzarelli Ballet Mistress

ACT TWO Through the Looking Glass

Philip Holland Research Consultant

 There is Another Shore  Into the Woods  The Wolf-Spied-Her  Looking Through Stained Glass  Garden of Molar Bears & Other Creatures  The Mock Turtle Deflated  Trial of the Fallen Cards  Bed of Roses  Go Ask Alice

Woodrow F. Dick III Video Design Michael Curry Spider Puppet Design Phoebe Katzin Costume Design

Alexa Denney and Lily Fontes Technical Crew

Quinn Pendleton Communications Manager Paula Budetti Burns Company Manager

PART OF THE TUDOR FAMILY DANCE SERIES

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo 50th Anniversary Tour

JAN 23 Jones Hall On Sale Now! performingartshouston.org Season Sponsors

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 7

Admiral Transfer Music Series 23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 | 7:30 PM ZILKHA HALL, THE HOBBY CENTER Duration: 90 minutes, without intermission

About the Artist Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer, and producer for over 30 years. He was most recently seen as Amos Hart in the Broadway production of CHICAGO and has an annual residency at Café Carlyle in New York City. Isaac has also performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom, and several City Winery locations nationwide. The New York Times noted, "he qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy."

He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show The Isaac Mizrahi Show for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire sevenseason run.

Mizrahi has directed productions of A Little Night Music and The Magic Flute for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Annually, he directs and narrates his production of the children’s classic Peter and The Wolf at The Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Mizrahi has his own production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment, under which he has several projects in development in television, theatre and literature. His New York Times Bestselling memoir, I.M., was published in February 2019.

Series Sponsor

8 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Photo: courtesy Ernest C. Withers, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture © Ernest C. Withers Trust

Stories of community, business innovation, and creative self-determination

September 1 – November 26, 2023

ExxonMobil Free Family Admission Days 1st and 3rd Sundays during the exhibition

hmh.org

The Negro Motorist Green Book was created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with Candacy Taylor and made possible through the generous support of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Dirty Dancing in Concert NOV 26 Cullen Theater On Sale Now! performingartshouston.org

Season Sponsors

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 9

23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

John Waters: End of the World FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | 7:30 PM CULLEN THEATER, WORTHAM CENTER Duration: 90 minutes, without intermission

10 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Show About the Artist John Waters has written and directed sixteen movies including Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Serial Mom, and A Dirty Shame.

He is the author of ten books: Shock Value, Crackpot, Pink Flamingos and Other Trash, Hairspray, Female Trouble and Multiple Maniacs, Art: A Sex Book (co-written with Bruce Hainley), Role Models, Carsick, Make Trouble, Mr. Know-It-All, and in 2022 his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance.

Two music compilation CDs have been released by New Line Records, A John Waters Christmas (2004) followed by A Date With John Waters (2007). In 2017 Third Man Records released a 7” EP of Waters reading Make Trouble and in 2021 Sub Pop records distributed his Prayer to Pasolini as part of its Singles Club. John’s audiobooks Carsick and Mr. Know-It-All were both nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in the Best Spoken Word Album category.

John Waters is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Additionally, he is a past member of the

John Waters: End of the World

The Andy Warhol Foundation Board and the Wexner Center International Arts Advisory Council. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Museum of Art as well as the Maryland Film Festival and has been a key advisor to the Provincetown International Film Festival since it began in 1999, the same year Waters was honored as the first recipient of PIFF’s “Filmmaker on the Edge” award.

In September 2014 Film Society of Lincoln Center honored John Waters’ filmmaking with a 10-day celebration entitled Fifty Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take? featuring a complete retrospective of his work. The next year the British Film Institute also honored John’s contribution to cinema with their own program called The Complete Films of John Waters…Every Goddam One of Them. In 2015, Waters was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the same by the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) in May 2016, as well as by School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 2020. The French Minister of Culture bestowed the rank of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters to Mr. Waters in 2015. In February 2017 John Waters was honored with the Writers

Guild of America East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for his body of work as a writer in motion pictures.

Waters is a photographer whose work has been shown in galleries all over the world. In 2011 he was selected as a juror for the Venice Biennale. He’s performed his one man spoken-word lectures entitled This Filthy World, False Negative or Make Trouble and his annual Christmas show, A John Waters Christmas, at colleges, museums, film festivals and comedy clubs around the world. Waters has appeared in many motion pictures and television shows including Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild, Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, Seed of Chucky, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.

The Simpsons, Ryan Murphy’s Feud, The Blacklist, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Search Party. He also was one of the faces of a Nike campaign in 2019 and the Saint Laurent fall 2020 menswear campaign in 2020.

An Evening with Peter Sagal MAY 3 Cullen Theater On Sale September 19! performingartshouston.org Season Sponsors

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 11

Admiral Transfer Music Series 23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

Lila Downs: Día de Los Muertos THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023 | 7:30 PM JONES HALL Duration: 90 minutes, without intermission

Sponsored in part by

12 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Artists Lila Downs Vocals, Jarana, hand percussion George Saenz Jr Music Director, Trombone, Accordion Lautaro Burgos Drums

Benito Cohen Downs Teleprompter Vicente Sanchez Ms. Downs’ Assistant Casey Fatch Road Management International Music Network Booking Agency

Nakeiltha Campbell Percussion Josh Deutsch Trumpet, Keys Rafael Gomez Electric & Acoustic Guitars Luis Guzman Bass Sinuhe Padilla Acoustic Guitar, Jarana, Bajo Quinto Featuring Ballet Folklorico de Austin, Directed by Edgar Yepez Alex McIntire Audio Engineer - A1 / FoH Paris Lawson Audio Engineer – Monitors Johnny Moreno Lighting & Video Direction / Design

Lila Downs is one of the most influential artists in Latin America. She has one of the world’s most singular voices and is known for her charismatic performances.

Her own compositions often combine genres and rhythms as diverse as Mexican rancheras and corridos, boleros, jazz standards, hip-hop, cumbia, and North American folk music.

Her music often focuses on social justice, immigration, and women’s issues.

She grew up in both Minnesota and Oaxaca Mexico, her mother is from the Mixtec indigenous group, and her father was Scottish-American. Lila sings in Spanish, English, and various Native American languages such as Zapotec, Mixtec, Nahuatl, Maya, and Purepecha.

She has recorded duets with artists as diverse as Mercedes Sosa, Caetano Veloso, Juanes, Norah Jones, YoYo Ma, Juan Gabriel, Carla Morison, Natalia La Fourcade, Santana, The Chieftains, Nina Pastori, Soledad, Diego La Cigala, Aida Cuevas, Toto La Momposina, and Bunbury. Chavela Vargas named Lila her successor.

She has sung with symphonies such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony and the UNAM symphony in Mexico, as well as with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She has given concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Hollywood Bowl, Auditorio Nacional, and Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. She was invited by Barack Obama to sing at the White House and has performed at the Oscars for her participation in the film Frida.

Lila has recorded nine studio albums.

She has been nominated for nine GRAMMY® Awards and has won six.

PART OF THE ADMIRAL TRANSFER MUSIC SERIES

Time For Three FEB 9 Cullen Theater On Sale Now! performingartshouston.org Season Sponsors

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON

THROUGH HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 13

Kam Franklin New/Now Winner, 23/24 Season

Onward with

New/Now

On September 5, Kam Franklin, Group Acorde, and ShaWanna Renee Rivon were announced as the newest winners of New/Now: The Houston Artist Commissioning Project.

We asked each to share why they applied for the project, how our city factors into their creative process, and what they hope audiences will take away from their latest works, set to premiere January 19–20, 2024, at the Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater.

INTRODUCING THE WINNERS What role does the city of Houston play in your inspiration and/or creative process?

The city of Houston inspires nearly everything I do. I was raised here. I experienced my first loves, loss, failures, and success here. I learned how to be the artist I am today because of this city and the people that make it what it is. I’m inspired by the various communities, the culture, the food, the bars, the museums, and the plethora of artists that make me want to go home and practice every time I experience their art.

Houston is an incredible city, and I’m grateful every time I get to release new material here.

Kam Franklin

Commissioned Work: Bayou City Comeback Chorus, Part 2 What led you to apply for New/Now? I initially found out about New/Now thanks to a series of local arts organization email lists that I’m subscribed to. I think the first one I saw it mentioned in was in an email from the BIOPIC Arts Network & Fund. After doing some research, I quickly saw that it was a perfect opportunity for me to apply for.

What you hope audiences learn from or experience through your work?

I hope that audiences leave our performances wondering what they can do to make the world a better place. I often write about topics that impact us as a society, but I try to present it in a way that encourages listeners to step up and get involved to be the change they want to see in their communities.

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w

Onward with New/Now

Group Acorde

ShaWanna Renee

What led you to apply for New/Now?

What led you to apply for New/Now?

New/Now is a great program! Group Acorde has applied for New/Now since the program's inception because the collaborations between music and dance that our company features align with the mission and works that the New/Now program presents. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to present work at such a prestigious performance venue, and the piece we are creating utilizes staging elements and technical aspects of the venue to create a more robust piece. Being a part of Performing Arts Houston's season allows us to connect with a larger, more diverse audience as well as other artists.

I wanted to apply to the New/Now because the mission aligned with my personal mission, which is to tell stories out of Houston that highlight narratives for underrepresented areas.

I write stories that give a voice to the Black woman, and her plight throughout centuries. I thought this would be a wonderful way to be introduced to Performing Arts Houston’s audiences.

It’s also refreshing that an organization wants to develop and grant new works by homegrown artists.

Commissioned Work: Entrainment

What role does the city of Houston play in your inspiration and/or creative process?

Group Acorde's creative process thrives on collaboration and partnerships with Houston area artists, venues, and businesses. The company benefits from Houston's diversity in ethnicity, culture, and the arts because our works are inspired by and reflect the unique voices of our community. It is Group Acorde's mission to create connections between art mediums and connect with our audience by providing affordable, live performance art to the Houston area.

What do you hope audiences learn from or experience through your work?

Our company creates work that aims to open a dialogue between art mediums and provide a rich, unique experience to the audience. The projection in our new work provides an up-close look at the piano and double bass instruments as they are being played, and the lighting design includes a moment where audience members are prompted to use their cell phones as flashlights to observe the dance. We hope that the audience will feel brought closer to the stage through the projection and lighting design as we build a sense of community between the audience and performers in this work.

All 23/24 Season Winner photos by Claire McAdams

Commissioned Work: Emancipation

What role does the city of Houston play in your inspiration and/or creative process?

Houston is the central character in my piece. It’s the central character in most of my work. My goal was to create a positive image of what Houston could look like in the future, if we worked as hard as our ancestors did, we could create a new world where we are all thriving and free. My play takes place on Emancipation Street in Third Ward and examines how we as a people have been working toward our freedom here in Houston, and what we do with that legacy today will determine our freedom in the future.

What do you hope audiences learn from or experience through your work?

I hope the audience is entertained and learns something new.

Mostly I would hope the audience can walk in the shoes of the characters. From that I hope they can gain sympathy for the characters and understand how some people’s circumstances can really dictate the negative situations in their life and realize this is a problem we have in Houston. I wish everyone will leave feeling a sense of community and hope.

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 15

Onward with New/Now

THE AFTERGLOW New/Now supports Houston artists through the creation of new works, performed for the first time on the stages of the Theater District. While these premieres are the culmination of many months of work and preparation, they also have a long afterglow.

These artists continue to create and inspire change in our communities.

We asked three previous New/Now artists about how their participation has changed their work going forward, what they’re most proud of, and upcoming projects audiences can look forward to.

professionalism. Finally, it was wonderful to be introduced to new audiences drawn to New/Now’s diverse programming.

What performance or creative accomplishment over the course of your career are you most proud of & why?

I would highlight The Runaway Species, the book I coauthored with neuroscientist David Eagleman, which illustrates that creativity is part of every human brain and advocates for a greater role for the arts in the curriculum. Among my recent works, I’m most proud of LiveWire and Diabelli 200—my two collaborations with Dr. Contreras-Vidal—and my chamber opera Kassandra, which updates the myth of Apollo and Cassandra to tell a modern story about climate change and sexual harassment. In all these cases, the hope of making a difference in the world is what makes these works particularly meaningful.

Can you share any information with us about upcoming projects? What are you most excited about?

Anthony Brandt, 22/23 Season Winner Commissioned Work: Diabelli 200

How has your participation in New/Now impacted your creative work moving forward?

The New/Now commission has impacted my work in several ways. First, it helped to further my collaboration with Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal and the University of Houston BRAIN Center, who used Diabelli 200 as the basis for a scientific experiment: the conductor and pianist were outfitted with portable EEG caps that monitored their brainwaves during the rehearsals and performances. Dr. Contreras-Vidal is a pioneer in realworld neuro-imagining, and this combination of artistic performance and scientific experiment was among the first of its kind. Second, it was very special to experience Performing Arts Houston’s high production values: the stage crew under the direction of Jennifer Steiner managed the complex logistics of the multi-disciplinary program with great care and

Right now, I’m working on the score for Meeting of Minds, a ballet for two dancers and live and recorded string quartet.

The project involves other 2023 New/Now participants: Dr. Contreras-Vidal and the UH BRAIN Center team; choreographers Andy and Dionne Noble and their company Noble Motion Dance; and composer and visual designer Badie Khaleghian. Similar to Diabelli 200, the dancers will be wearing portable EEG caps, with projections that respond to the live data. The theme of the dance is polarization: the dancers will begin in opposition and gradually arrive at a mutual understanding. Meanwhile, the Brain Center will be looking for the neural signatures of conflict and cooperation.

We’re performing Meeting of Minds for several thousand HISD 5th graders as part of the Hobby Center’s Discovery Series, and then premiering the work for the public on January 19 and 20, 2024 at the MATCH.

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Onward with New/Now

Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, 21/22 Season Winner Commissioned Work: The World’s Intermission

How did your participation in New/Now impact your creative work moving forward?

My directorial debut was with my New/Now Project. I don't think I would have the confidence I have to consider a vision in its grander scale without my experience with Performing Arts Houston.

What performance or creative accomplishment over the course of your career are you most proud of & why?

I am most proud of whatever work I am currently creating. My newest memoir, Black Chameleon, has my heart right now. But I am ever falling head over heels with my next idea.

Can you share any information with us about upcoming projects? What are you most excited about?

I am currently working on a full-length opera for American Lyric Theater entitled She Who Dared. It chronicles the women behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott and is composed by my good friend Jasmine Barnes. We are also collaborating on a shorter opera for Opera Theater St. Louis, entitled On My Mind.

Then, I have a few book projects in progress, a children's book, Hush Hush Hurricane, coming out next year, and an upcoming opera for Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center that is composed by Jaylin Vinson.

You can purchase D.E.E.P.’s latest book, Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth at Brazos Bookstore or wherever books are sold.

Sonny Mehta of Riyaaz Qawwali, 21/22 Season Winner

Commissioned Work: Saint Kabir’s Poems in Qawwali How did your participation in New/Now impact your creative work moving forward?

It allowed me to create a new show that centered interfaith relationships, helped me build a community between allies across the South Asian community in Houston, and enabled me to create a full show of music around Sant Kabir's poetry.

What performance or creative accomplishment over the course of your career are you most proud of & why?

This June, I won the Joyce award, a national recognition. Along with 4 other artists from across the USA, this honor allows me to work with Black and Brown populations in North and South sides of Chicago to develop new music. This music and ongoing community work enables these disparate communities of color to find our commonalities and appreciate differences, all while beginning to heal.

Can you share any information with us about upcoming projects? What are you most excited about?

The Gospel-Qawwali collaboration first premiered in Houston (2021) and was supported by The City of Houston. Since, it’s been presented by The Smithsonian. As an extension of this work, Houston's Asia Society will premiere Jazz-o-Qawwali (April 2024). This exploration, still honoring the Black and South Asian communities, focuses on how music that's rooted in religion and spirituality can take on life and meaning beyond religious spaces.

Join us January 19-20 for more world premieres by Houston artists. It’s an inspiring evening, with an afterglow that’s bright. Tickets on sale now at performingartshouston.org.

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 17

23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

An Evening with Bill Nye FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2023 | 7:30 PM JONES HALL Duration: 90 minutes, without intermission

18 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Show About the Artist Engineer, comedian, author, inventor— audiences revere this good-natured Renaissance Man's infectious blend of humor, intellectual curiosity, and devotion to solving some of the world's most complex challenges through science. Best known for his Emmywinning run as "Bill Nye the Science Guy," he brings his love of science and flair for comedy to every appearance— deftly translating complex issues to help inspire audiences of all ages to engage with and improve our world.

Bill’s wit and enthusiasm has garnered 18 Emmy awards. Bill is also an author and frequent speaker on topics of global importance including climate change, evolution, population, space exploration, and STEM education. He is a steadfast champion of the unwavering value of critical thinking, science, and reason.

In 2016, Netflix announced that Nye would appear in a new series, Bill Nye Saves the World, which premiered on

An Evening with Bill Nye

April 21, 2017. Its third and final season was released on May 11, 2018.

His next series, The End is Nye was ordered by Peacock in March 2021.

Teaming with Seth MacFarlane and Brannon Braga, the series has Nye exploring natural and unnatural disasters, explaining them scientifically to detail surviving, mitigating, and preventing them. It premiered on August 25, 2022.

Nye was the subject of the documentary film Bill Nye: Science Guy. His 2014 debate with a creationist who believes the earth is only 6,000 years old has been viewed nearly 6.5 million times on YouTube. After that experience, Bill wrote his first book for a general audience, Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, which went on to become a New York Times best-seller.

He is also the author of seven children’s books, including his most recent bestselling fiction series, Jack and the Geniuses.

Nye also serves as CEO of the Planetary Society, the world’s largest spaceinterest group. And, as an inventor, he holds a number of unusual patents, including an improved toe shoe for ballerinas, a device to help people learn to throw a baseball better, a magnifier made of water, and an abacus that does arithmetic like a computer–with only binary numbers.

Nye graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Cornell University and returned there as a visiting professor from 2001-2005.

In 2010, Bill joined the ranks of his astronomy professor Carl Sagan when he was elected the American Humanist Association’s “Humanist of the Year.”

Through all of his work, Bill hopes to inspire people everywhere to change the world.

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 19

Left: Bill and Janet Swanstrom at the 2022 Performing Arts Houston Holiday Party How did you first get involved with Performing Arts Houston?

I’ve been on the Board of Directors for 15 years now.

I’ve always been a big believer in the importance of the arts as part of what sustains and nourishes any community. So, when one of my mentors at Locke Lord introduced me to Performing Arts Houston, I was excited to get involved. And I’ve been excited to be involved ever since.

Why do you believe it’s important to support the arts?

The entire community benefits from a thriving arts scene—even the community members who never take advantage of the many amazing artistic performances in Houston. We can’t attract and retain businesses or the people they employ without having the vibrancy and energy that the arts provide to the community.

Tell us about your background in the arts.

I am definitely more of an appreciator/admirer of art and artists—I’m not someone who has actual artistic ability! Even when I was younger, my most intimate involvement in the arts was doing theater and other performing arts reviews and critiques for my school newspaper. I’m sure the artists I reviewed appreciated and embraced my feedback…

In more recent years I have taken shots at writing a children’s book (really just for my grandkids) and little songs for the people I love (again, mostly grandkids).

What’s one of your favorite Performing Arts Houston performances?

That’s a tough one. My wife is a former dancer and so we always appreciate the many amazing dance performances that Performing Arts Houston brings.

But maybe my personal favorite was seeing Harry Connick Jr. on the eve of the world changing almost overnight because of Covid-19.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

Get to know our Board Chair, Bill Swanstrom 20 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Hmm, another tough one. I’m committed to seeing as many performances this season as possible and am most intrigued by the performers who I don’t know as much about as I should. For example, I’m excited about the Kronos Quartet 50th Anniversary tour (I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never seen them). And as someone who has said many times that Peter Sagal may be the funniest person that most people haven’t heard of, I’m excited to see his performance. And of course, the many great dance performances in the lineup!

Renovating Jones Hall Exciting Updates to a Beloved Houston Landmark

Photo by Melissa Taylor

Jones Hall is an icon. Ongoing renovations will ensure this cherished theater, enjoyed by Houstonians for generations, can be enjoyed for decades to come. With many improvements already in place, there’s still so much to look forward to.

Updates for the 23/24 Season: • New seats in the auditorium • New and expanded aisles • New restroom facilities and improved access • Acoustic enhancements • An expanded and enhanced Green Room Future updates include: • Reconfiguration of the lobby • State-of-the-art audio and visual systems • Accessibility improvements to the auditorium and Texas Avenue entrance Learn more about the Jones Hall Renovation, the generous donors contributing to this project, and how you can support the revitalization of this beloved Houston landmark at performingartshouston.org/renovation.

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 21

Tudor Family Dance Series 23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

Step Afrika! Drumfolk OCTOBER 27–28, 2023 FRIDAY | 7:30 PM SATURDAY | 7:30 PM CULLEN THEATER, WORTHAM CENTER Duration: 95 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission

Sponsored in part by

22 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Show Administrative Creative Team C. Brian Williams Founder & Executive Producer Lamar Lovelace Executive Director Mfoniso Akpan Artistic Director Conrad R. Kelly II Assistant Artistic Director Artis Olds Director of Arts Education and Community Programs Stacy Burwell Director, Administration and Special Projects Margo Cunningham Marketing Manager Dana Weinstein Manager, Institutional Relations and Research Jakari Shermanan Director of Drumfolk Marianne Meadows Lighting Designer/Production Manager Jeremiah Daison FOH Engineer Mikaela Fraser Monitoring Engineer Rashaad Pierre Monitoring Engineer “They took the drums away...but they could not stop the beat.”

—Dr. David Pleasant

About the Program Drumfolk20 Choreography by David Pleasant, Jakari Sherman, Jeeda Barrington, Mfoniso Akpan When Africans lost the right to use their drums, the drum found its way into the body of the people. Acclaimed Folk Artist Bessie Jones called them the “Drumfolk:” a people who created rhythm with their bodies, giving rise to new American movement practices like ring shout, tap, hambone and stepping.

Step Afrika! Drumfolk

Stono Choreography by Ronnique Murray, Jakari Sherman, Jordan Spry, Mfoniso Akpan, and Júlio Leitão The Stono Rebellion, an uprising initiated by 20 enslaved Africans, is one of many large-scale confrontations where tyrannized communities challenged their persecutors. The Rebellion began near the Edisto River in South Carolina on September 9, 1739. About 20 Africans raided a store near Wallace Creek, a branch of the Stono River. Seizing guns and other weapons, the rebels headed south towards a promised freedom in Spanish Florida, waving flags, beating drums and shouting “Liberty!“

Log into a thrilling season.

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As they marched, many colonists were killed, and the rebellion numbers grew from 20 to approximately 100. Once the rebels reached the Edisto River, even more colonists descended upon them and the revolt was defeated. After Stono, South Carolina authorities moved to greatly restrict the lives and culture of Africans in the colonies, leading to the Negro Act of 1740.

INTERMISSION Un/Afraid The Negro Act of 1740 prohibited enslaved African people from growing their own food, learning to read, moving freely, assembling in groups, or earning money. Africans also lost the right to use and play their drums.

Un/Afraid responds to this historically impactful code of law through the lens of 21st Century American culture. While the drum was physically taken away hundreds of years ago, art forms like beatboxing, hip hop and stepping demonstrate how the instrument retained a significant space in the lives of AfricanAmericans.

SPECIAL NOTE: Audience participation has been a part of the step tradition since its inception in the 1900s. Members of the audience are invited to clap, stomp, cheer, and participate in call and response with the artist.

JOIN

I’m not a robot

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 23

Chiang Family Series 23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

Vienna Boys Choir WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 , 2023 | 7:30 PM CULLEN THEATER, WORTHAM CENTER Duration: 90 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission

Series Sponsor

24 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Photo by Lukas Beck

Vienna Boys Choir

About the Artists The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choirs in the world, and one of its oldest. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court to Vienna to establish the Chapel Imperial there, along with the Vienna Boys Choir. Over the centuries, the court attracted musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner.

Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert were themselves choirboys.

Today the Vienna Boys Choir is a private, non-profit organization, which relies on sponsorship and donations. The Choir maintains a primary school, a junior and a senior high school. 300 boys and girls between the ages of six and 19 attend the Choir's Schools in Vienna's Augarten park. All receive individual voice lessons and sing in one of the choirs. The Choir's education is open to all, regardless of their origin, nationality, or religion. About a third of the students go on to become music professionals.

The 100 boy choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen are divided into four choirs. Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, the boys have sung over 1000 tours in

100 different countries, which has resulted in a staggering 29,000 performances. At the Sunday services in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, they perform with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Opera Chorus. The Choir frequently appears with major orchestras, conducted by the likes of Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, and Simone Young. Recent highlights include appearances at the Salzburg Festival and at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year’s Concert.

The Vienna Boys Choir's singing tradition is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Professor Gerald Wirth, himself a former choirboy, is the Artistic Director of the entire Campus.

Manuel Huber is one of the Vienna Boys Choir's conductors and he also arranges music and lectures on choral conducting and voice training.

Huber was born in Brixen-Bressanone, South Tyrol. He started playing the piano and singing at a young age. For eight years, he sang with the Vinzentinum Boys' Choir in Brixen. At 15, Manuel Huber started conducting the choirs in his native village of Weitental and began studying piano at Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano. He went on to study choral and orchestral conducting,

music education, and psychology in Salzburg, finishing his courses with distinction.

He has conducted the Chamber Orchestra Budweis, the Bad Reichenhall Philharmonic Orchestra and the Mozarteum Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, he headed the youth project at an opera festival in Immling, Bavaria. For two years, he was choirmaster and voice coach of the Tölz Boys Choir in Munich. In 2019, Manuel Huber became choirmaster of the Vienna Boys Choir's Mozart Choir. He selects and rehearses the boys' concert repertoire, as well as the masses for the sung services at Vienna's Imperial Chapel. In addition, he prepares the choristers for sound recordings and film projects, and for special concerts conducted by the likes of Ivor Bolton, Riccardo Muti, and Franz Welser-Möst.

Asked about his work with his choir, Manuel Huber said, “I love our work together, the boys' enthusiasm for music.

My goal is to teach them the tools of the trade, to understand and feel music. It is wonderful to see them grow up and come into their own.”

See program insert for more information

Performing Arts Houston

Master Class Series @ Institute of Contemporary Dance Open class for advanced dancers 16+ 10 AM – 11:30 AM SEP 15

MOMIX

OCT 26

Step Afrika!

JAN 22

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

MAR 6

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

performingartshouston.org/education

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 25

23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

An Evening with David Sedaris FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023 | 7:30 PM JONES HALL Duration: 90 minutes, without intermission

26 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Photo by Anne Fishbein

About the Show About the Artist David Sedaris is one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers.

He is a master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers.

Beloved for his personal essays and short stories, David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, and Calypso, which was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He is the author of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of fables with illustrations by Ian Falconer. He is also the author of an essay length ebook titled Themes and Variations. Each of these books was an immediate bestseller. He was also the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His pieces regularly appear in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” The first volume of his diaries Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) was a New York Times best-selling book. As a companion piece to the book, Jeffrey Jenkins published and edited an art book of Sedaris’s diary covers, entitled David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium. His book, The Best of Me, is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays, about which novelist Andrew Sean Greer wrote in the New York Times: “You must read “The Best of Me.” It will be a new experience, knowing that enough time has passed to find humor in the hardest parts of life. More than ever — we’re allowed to laugh.” The second volume of his diaries, A Carnival of Snackery, Diaries (20032020) was also a New York Times bestseller, and the audiobook was selected as part of Apple’s Best Audiobooks of the Year for 2021. His new book, Happy-Go-Lucky, debuted at number one on the New York Times best-seller list.

Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written half-a-dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service.

An Evening with David Sedaris

Sedaris has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His audio recordings include “David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure” and “David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall.” A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (2013). Since 2011, he can be heard annually on a series of live recordings on BBC Radio 4 entitled “Meet David Sedaris.” In 2019 David Sedaris became a regular contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, and his Masterclass, David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor, was released.

There are over 16 million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 32 languages. He has been awarded the Terry Southern Prize for Humor, Thurber Prize for American Humor, Jonathan Swift International Literature Prize for Satire and Humor, Time 2001 Humorist of the Year Award, as well as the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In March 2019 he was elected as a member into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2020 the New York Public Library voted Me Talk Pretty One Day one of the 125 most important books of the last 125 years.

You can follow David on: Facebook: facebook.com/davidsedaris Website: davidsedarisbooks.com “Sedaris ain’t the preeminent humorist of his generation by accident” —Whitney Pastorek, Entertainment Weekly “Sedaris has hit upon the narrative equivalent of Pepsi, or the PlayStation, or oxygen, or the haircut: something that others in the world might actually want and find useful. . . He’s smart, he’s caustic, he’s mordant, and, somehow, he’s . . . well, nice.”

—Bill Richardson, Toronto Globe and Mail “Sedaris’s droll assessment of the mundane and the eccentrics who inhabit the world’s crevices make him one of the greatest humorists writing today.” —Chicago Tribune “Sedaris belongs on any list of people writing in English at the moment who are revising our ideas about what’s funny.”

—San Francisco Chronicle Follow David on Instagram: .instagram.com/davidsedarisbooks

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 27

23/24 Season Featured Program PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON presents

An Evening with Howie Mandel SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2023 | 7:30 PM JONES HALL Duration: 75 minutes, without intermission

Corporate Sponsor

28 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

About the Show About the Artist Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for more than 30 years. He can currently be seen on NBC’s flagship series America’s Got Talent where he has served as a judge for eleven seasons. He recently finished production on his new documentary Howie Mandel: But Enough About Me. Other recent projects include judging NBC’s America’s Got Talent: The Champions, CNBC’s Deal or No Deal where he served as executive producer and host and Nat Geo Wild’s Animals Doing Things where he co-hosted with his son Alex.

He also executive produced the Quibi series Kirby Jenner. In 2019, he released his first solo special in 20 years Howie Mandel Presents Howie Mandel at the Howie Mandel Comedy Club.

In 2020 Howie teamed up with ePlay Digital Inc. and launched the charity, Breakout the Masks, a mobile game campaign to give back to those involved in the fight against COVID-19. Via Howies’ Games the first challenge is Outbreak where players’ points translate to donations of N95 face masks, portable ventilators, gloves and other Personal Protective Equipment to doctors, nurses and more front-line workers. The second game SwishAR has users looking for America’s Got Talent’s, Howie Mandel, to join in a backyard basketball game to shoot hoops. Both games are available on the Apple App store and Google Play.

An Evening with Howie Mandel

His additional projects, as a Host, actor, and/or executive producer include Take It All and Howie Do It for NBC, Deal With It for TBS, and Mobbed for FOX. Previously, Mandel received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for Deal or No Deal and a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host for the syndicated version of the show. Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage.

From his work on the Emmy Award-winning St. Elsewhere, to the international animated children’s series Bobby’s World, Mandel has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene. In 2009, Mandel added author to his resume when he released his frank, funny and no-holds-barred memoir, Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me. The memoir revealed his ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD, and how it has shaped his life and career. It made The New York Times bestseller list on its first week and remained on the list for several consecutive weeks. Mandel has done countless comedy specials both on cable and network television. He has also hosted his own syndicated talk show, The Howie Mandel Show and continues to be a mainstay on the talk show circuit. He also continues to perform as many as 200 stand-up comedy shows each year throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The Princess Bride: An Inconceivable Evening with Cary Elwes APR 12 Jones Hall performingartshouston.org Season Sponsors

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 29

Individual Supporters Performing Arts Houston would like to thank the individuals who support our work through generous membership contributions and annual gifts. For more information on member and donor benefits, please visit performingartshouston.org or contact Jordan Drum at (713) 632-8104 or jdrum@performingartshouston.org. $25,000+

$3,000-$4,999

$500-$999

Linda and Willie Chiang Nancy G. and Charles D. Davidson Mignon and Stephen Gill Kristina H. and Paul G. Somerville Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Margaret Alkek Williams

Chris and Fiona Chandler Susan E. Denson Susan and Michael Klaveness April McGee Katherine Easterby Murphy Kathryn O'Brien Laura and Daniel Pears

Dorothy and Mickey Ables Lindsay Buchanan Kristen J. Cannon Travis Capps Richard Carter and Elizabeth Sjoberg C.C. Conner and David Groover The Contreras-Howley Family Jessica L. Craft Carl R. Cunningham Jennifer Hardy Susie and Michael Hatfield Vy and Jim Hopkins Scott P. Howard Ken and Tracy Janda Nancy and Andrew Lattu Mavin H. Martin and Neil E. Mellen Kathryn McNiel Kimberly and Chris Miller Renee and Milton Morris Linda C. Murray Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah Christie and Mark Sullivan Leah Towe Peter Vanacker Barbara and Arv Vilutis Randy Williams Monica and Larry Ziemba

$10,000-$24,999 Rachelle and Jeff Ball Leah R. Bennett Natasha and Michael Cannon Emily and Allen Capps Janet and John Carrig Theresa A. Einhorn and Donald Yurewicz Carl and Mary Sapp Fischer Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro Kris and Mark Jodon Curt and Stephany Karges Emily T. Kuo and Michael Chu Eileen and Kase Lawal Barbara E. Murray and Ernesto D. Baca Judy and Scott Nyquist Amy and Robert Pierce Beverly and Jim Postl Mari Salazar Leslie Elkins Sasser and Shannon Sasser Janet and Bill Swanstrom Syma and Walt Zerkow $5,000–$9,999 Norah G. Adams Martha and S. Kris Agarwal Charles and Casey Boettcher Kristy and Chris Bradshaw Margaret and Brian Bravo Eric Brueggeman Sloan and Alec Clark Sig and Patricia Cornelius Kourtney and Vijay D'Cruz C.C. and Duke Ensell Susan and Sean Gorman Shawn and Bill Jackson Yvonne and Mark Jacobs Jesse H. Jones II and Terry Wayne Jones Sarah and Joel Lambert Mimi Lloyd Theresa and Edward Mallett Marilyn Maloney and Paul Longstreth Ginni and Richard Mithoff Shelby and Houston Morgan Miki Lusk Norton and Ralph E. Norton The Parris-Cochinwala Family Corina and Armando Perez The Petersen Family Tricia and Alan Ratliff Ann V. Rogers Gloria and Nick Ryan Jordan Seff Charlene and Tymothi O. Tombar Leticia and Stephen M. Trauber

$1,000-$2,999 Anonymous Carol Bates Lackland Bloom Meg and Brandon Booth Cheryl Byington Nancy Chafe Elizabeth Collins Katrina L. Dibala Tejuana Edmond Connie S. Ellis Leslie and Pat Ellis Nicole and Francisco Escobar-Calderon Joe J. Fisher Jr. Chris Funk Deborah Gordon and Nathan Coco Timothy G. Green Mary Van and David Grindle Sheila Heimbinder Patricia Heup Shelley and William Horwitz Joanne Houck and Tim Singletary Amber Knapp Juliet Lawrence Whitney Lawson Amy LeBlanc Jane and Steve Malashock Kathy Mann Deborah Martin Vickie L. Milazzo and Tom Ziemba Sallie Morian and Michael Clark Amy Ng Susan Snider Osterberg and Edward Osterberg Cabrina and Steven Owsley Kim Padgett Felecia and Ronell Peters Fiona and Nick Poradek Christina and Troy Porter Jackie Powell Kim and Ted Powell Laura and Brannon Robertson Gary Rodriguez and Michael Ball Kelly and David Rose Meredith Sadlowski and Jerry Ashcroft Daubs Thompson Susan L. Thompson Patricia and Michael Tilton Wilson Van Tine Katherine Warren Gina and Joseph Wyszynski

30 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

$250-$499 Anonymous Rhona Aksoy Maria and Omar Alaoui Nicole and Mike Albanese Anne and German Amador Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin Ashley Bales and Lee V. Strickland Rachel Ball Kathy Beck John Bergeron Thomas Booth and Dale Cover Claudio Bravo Sarah and Adam Brock Carol Brooks Berglass Lindsey Calderwood Sandy and Thomas Cattarin Meka Coxon Marc Danile Kim and Scott David Lou and Sara Demola Brittney Dixon-Bello and Oyewale Bello Catherine and Nick Dunbar John Eymann Chantal Froehlich Samuel F. Gorman Kim and Chris Graeter Alex Greenberg Harry Grenader Lilac and Felipe Guzman Rana and Todd Hassen Isabella Hawkins Irene and Marc Helsinger

Individual Supporters

Becca and Chris Herbold David Jackson Chandria Jackson Stokes Janice Kemp and John Kling Douglas Kenaley Tina Lee and Joel Smith Teddie Lewis Larissa Lindsay and Stuart Bailey Linda Lorelle and Lou Gregory Kent Lucas Ira Nemeth Mimi Nguyen Gracie Oberti Shannan O'Leary Sarah Patterson James Payne Lauren Perillo Melissa Reihle Melanie L. Rogers Kaden Ryan April and Jorge Salazar Mark Schulze Bryan Scrivner Eugenie Sheinberg Sarah Shull and Sabi Balkanyi Randal and Robert Smith Rohana Smith Kathleen Solcher Bill Spurgeon Whitney Wall Weighter and Jason Weighter Charles Ward A. and T. Waterhouse Emri Witas $100-$249 Anonymous Mikell and Will Abney Amr Abouleish Shibu Abraham Monica Aguilar Nadim Ajami Cassy Albrecht Jessica Alcantara The Honorable Sallie Alcorn Asif Ali Mousa AlKhalidi Charmaine Alter Michele Amini Bryan Anderson Julie Anderson Marc Archuleta Nicholas Olalekan Ariyo Sheryal Armstrong Marilyn Arrieta Marisa Arrona Joan Ashley Jennifer Attaway Nissa J. Avery Chethan Bachireddy K.C. Banda Amit Bansal Kathy and Don Barnhill Nora Barrera Rycroft Malika Barriquault Galleron Kaitlyn Baumhardt Kipp Baxter Mikell Becker Marian Bell

Linda Bennett and Jeffrey Nunn The Billingsley Family Ginger and David Blomstrom Roy Boldon Ghazal Bombaywala D. Bosse Greg Bowden Jessica Braatz Matthew Breitel Lisa Brenskelle Jason Bristol Oleh Bryndzia Natalia Bubis Lisa Buckner Nicole Burich Joyce Busch Jackson Bryant Bush Carlos Cabarcas Deisy Caceres Ai-Ping Cai Jeanne Cardenas Daniel Carr Ignacio Carrion Tim Carroll Bernadette Castillo Michael Cathcart Irena Chang and Clint Midgett Pedro Chapa Celesta Chelf Manny Chiang Lynnique Chopin James Clark Brooke Cluse Samantha Cobb Kristin Cogan Terry Cole Kristen Collins Cynthia Colondres Alejandro Contreras Annie and Will Cooper Mary Cooper Brian Cosgrove Theresa Craig Dan Cricks Dominic Cruciani Mauricio Cuellar Josalyn Curl Pud Cusack Casey Dalton Chau Dang Larry Danziger Lisa Darling Jeff Davis Chelsea Day Andrea Dean Peter Dear and Wendy Prater Dear Roxena Deaton Michael Deavers Luis L. DelaTorre Pamela Dial Fatoumata Diallo Irma Diaz Gonzalez Matthew Dickson Sheila Diombala Sandra and Robert Donaghe Ellen Donnelly Patricia Donnelly Karen Doolittle Patrick and Risha Dozark

Mona K. Draper Elizabeth Ducharme Andreea Dulama Jean DuPont Kelli East Buck and Ashley Elkins Donna Ellis Jocelyn Ellison Alexandra Emsley Teri Erwin Katie Esparza Yirsa Esparza Travis Evans Rhonda Everley Vernon G. Facundo Scott Fagot Kenzel Fallen Margarita Farias Chris Farrell Shantau Fellows Joan Finn Christopher Fisher Brian Flores Rick Flowers Mark Folkes James Ford Linda Ford Melissa and Stewart Foster Gwendolyn Franklin-Scott Allison Frazar Mary Frazier Stacy Frenchwood Michael Gadagbui Vanessa Gaona Jenny Gardner Judith Garnil Ginny Garriques Deborah Giannoni Randy Gillespie Lynn Gissel Lucy Glenn Andrew Godbold Vanessa and Jeremy Goebel Frances Gonzales Clarissa G. Gonzalez and Xavier Isaiah Tijerina Tiffany Goodman L. Gordon Melissa Gould Tom Grable Kimberly Griffith Christina Guignard Arpan Gupta Karina Haas Phillip Harper L.R. Harvey Craig Hauschildt Kia Hawkins James Herbert David Herrera Doris Higginbottom Rachell Hill Monica Hindmarsh Floyd Hodges Benjamin Hoff Andrea Holberg Rylee Hollaway Lisa Hoover Monsterville Horton

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 31

Individual Supporters Sharon D. Hudson-Spinks Samantha Hutchison Beth Huttenhoff Constance Iannello Andrew F. Icken Robert Inaba Wendy and Philip Irizarry Laura and Philip Ivy Corrie Jenkins Aisha Johnson Alex Johnson Christen Johnson Grant Jones Michael and Teri Jones Tony Jones Taylor and Daniel Kaufman Karen Kellum Joy Kelly Ashok Khushalani Jonathan Kim Kenneth and Barbara Kirkpatrick Chad Kitchens Jason Kivett Richard Koehler Erin and Jeff Kraus Linda Kwok Stephanie Ladobruk Rosie Lang Brandon Lausser Jennifer Lawson Curtis Lea Nicole and Julius Leitner Marcia Levetown Dana Levy Germain Johnnie Lister Denise Long Serean Loyland Marisa Lozano Ricardo Lozano Stacey Lusk Ana MacNaught Valdete Manfron Diego A. Manrique Parraga Ben Manrriquez Alex Martinez and Anita Shahani Anna M. Martinez Joaquin Martinez Jon Martinez Lafondra Mathis Courtney and Cary Maurstad Chi Mbachu Shelley McCaul-Parent Bonny McLoud Jeff and Jaimee McQuillan Rosie and Robert McStay Marvelia Medrano Lisa Mendelovitz Ben Mendez Rosalinda Mendez Ginger Menown Sally Mercer Joshua and Corey Mermis John Michon Adrienne Miles Kenneth Miller Marsha Millstid David and Jessica Minton Diane Moeller Marjan Mohtashamian Shanahan and Lisa Mondal Katherine Moore

Melissa G. Morse Matt Moseley Sharon Murphy Colleen Mussetter Mauricio Nava David A. Nettles Faida Ngumbu Kevin Nguyen Bobby Nix Ryan Nowroozi Abdul Latif Nurudeen Feyi Obafemi David Obando Megan Obinor The Oehlman Family Nick Ogurtsov Leah Oren-Palmer The Orrick Family Jim Oswald Kathy Overly Vickie Owens Camille Painter Seema Patel Jonathan Penchas Frank Pennington Ed Perez Cornelius Perry Chester Pleasant Eric Polk Maria Portela Amy Potts Doak Procter Alice Quinn Schwarz Archana and Rajeev Raghavan Shreya Ramesh Tonie Reincke Gabriel Rendon Latisha Rendon Jennifer Renner Rhani Resuello Richard Retz Jennifer Reyes-Martinez Valerie Rivera Raza Rizvi Monique Roberts Aaron Robilotto Romeo C. Robinson Carolyn Roch Kim Rogers Veronica Rosenberg Michael Ruiz Fayellen Russell Karen Russell Alina Saldarriaga Liliana Salinas Lisa Salom Michael Sanchez Monica Sanchez Morgan Sanders Travis Schautteet Amie Schexnayder George Schmidt Laurie Schmitz Mary Schoemann Amber Schumacher Rahshundra Scott-Covington Chad Searcy Laura Secrest Pamela Sempreviva-Torkay Rina Shah Chris Shea

32 | Performing Arts Houston | performingartshouston.org

Alan Shelby Elise Sheppard Dallas Shipp Ezra Sillas H. Colleen and Michael B. Silva Jr. Pranika Sinha Rohit Sinha Ryan Sledge Beverly Smith Sydney and Allen Smith Willie and Taliba Smith Holly Sothen Chris Souders Yolanda Spence Tara St. Mary Karl Stager and Susan Kelso Rachael Stambaugh Betsy Stein Brandon Stein Robin Steinkamp Brandan Still Howard Stokes Joycelyn Streator Faith Strunk Mark K. Sullivan Felissa Sylvester Huan Tang Jerome Tarnopol Lisa Tatom Gwendolyn Taylor Edda Tinis Celeste Torkay Mechelle Tran Marianne Tucker Christine Tyler and Anthony Stergio Tamika Tyson Gleeson Van Riet Mary and Martin Vandenbrook Jane Vaselenak Aracely Villalpando John M. Vitucci David Wainwright Quenette Walton Jennifer Wang David Waronoff Kim and John Watson Eileen Webb Karen West Bettina M. Whyte Robert Wickman Glenda Williams Sandra Williams Stephen Williams Stephanie Willis Stacey Wilson Cecilia Winters-Morris Jill and Fabian Wirnkar Carrie Wirsing Margaret Wische Andy and Kris Wittner Margaret Woodrum Majka Woods Dana Wyatt Joyce Yen Tazeen Zahida Elizabeth and Ron Zermeno Martha Zink Listings accurate as of 7/30/2023

Institutional Partners Performing Arts Houston is proud to recognize our corporate, foundation, and government partners for their exemplary community leadership and support. To learn more about partnership opportunities and benefits, please contact Jordan Drum at 713.632.8104 or jdrum@performingartshouston.org.

CORPORATE PARTNERS $50,000+ Admiral Transfer & Rigging ConocoPhillips † H-E-B† Le Méridien Houston Downtown*

$25,000-$49,999 Admiral Transfer & Rigging Plains All American Westwood Wealth Management WM *

Jackson & Company * Locke Lord LLP † Memorial Hermann Motiva Enterprises, LLC Shearman & Sterling LLP T.D. Securities Truist Bank Valobra Master Jewelers* Vinson & Elkins LLP Wells Fargo† Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Bergner & Johnson Design* Houston First Corporation PNC Bank

$1,000-$4,999

ExxonMobil † LD Systems* Murphy Oil Corporation

$5,000–$9,999

$10,000–$24,999 711 Fit * Associated Pipe Line Contractors, Inc. Crestwood Equity Partners

Bank of Texas BMW of West Houston CAMAC International Corporation Goldman Sachs

FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES $100,000+

$25,000-$49,999

Houston Endowment, Inc. † Texas Commission on the Arts † The Wortham Foundation, Inc. †

M.D. Anderson Foundation† National Endowment for the Arts Powell Foundation

$50,000-$99,999

$10,000-$24,999

The Brown Foundation, Inc. City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance† The Humphreys Foundation† †

City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board† The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts† Vivian L. Smith Foundation

Texas Tourism Indusry Recovery Program

$5,000-$9,999

The Friedkin Group Gensler George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation† Kayser Foundation New England Foundation for the Arts, Inc.

MATCHING GIFT SUPPORTERS Chevron Corporation The Coca-Cola Company

Listings Accurate as of 2/5/2023

ExxonMobil Murphy Oil Corporation

Phillips 66 Truist Bank *Includes in-kind support † Indicates 10+ years of consecutive support

Encore Magazine — Fall 2023 | 33

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER R O B ER T BATTLE A R T I STIC DIRECTOR M A T THEW RUSHING A S S OC IAT E ART ISTIC D I R E C T OR

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