"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in SPI

El Paseo Arts Foundation is bringing another evening of fun to South Padre Island by hosting the Camille Playhouse Production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. After the hectic pace of the holiday season take an evening off, and just sit back and enjoy this delightful musical comedy. It should be a wonderful evening to share with friends and family.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at the SPI Convention Center.

The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and Laguna Madre Art League Exhibit.

Curtain goes up on the show at 7:30 p.m.

Charles Schultz tickled the funny bone and tugged at the heartstrings of America for decades.

His musical, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, is a delightful romp through the cartoon pages of “Peanuts”, tied together as a day in the life of Charlie Brown. This revised version, presented on Broadway in 1999, adds new songs to the wonderful original numbers such as “Happiness” and “Suppertime”.

This is a rare gem of a show for all ages!

For youngsters and teens, watching You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown provides a chance to see the beloved cartoon characters come to life. For adults, watching the show is like running into the old gang, the kids we haven't seen for years. They haven't changed much since the late '60s. They're still obsessed with all the insecurities, doubts, and outright paranoia that childhood is heir to, and watching them brings back familiar, funny memories.

The Camille’s director, Ben Agresti has assembled a wonderful cast to portray Charles Schultz’s famous characters: there’s poor Charlie Brown and his sister Sally, Snoopy battling the Red Baron, Lucy in all her regal splendor, Linus and his blanket, Schroeder and his piano, and the Little Red Haired Girl.

Tickets are available at the SPI Visitors Center, Paragraphs Bookstore, Designer Consigner, and the Port Isabel Library or you can purchase tickets with a credit card online.

For additional information, call 956-943-4700.
Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this charming musical with friends and family.

The End of an Idea

Thanks to Seth Patterson for the below post and video. It puts the implosion of the OTSPI in perspective with the bigger issues of coastal development and does so beautifully:

Developer's insatiable need to build bigger and taller has finally caught up with them on South Padre Island. On Saturday December 12, 2009, Ocean Tower Condominiums was imploded.

This thin strip of barrier island simply could not support a 31 floor tower such as this. During construction, when the clay bed on which it sat began to shift under its weight, the building's foundation cracked, causing the tower to lean. Irreparable, this marked the tallest concrete building, to date, to ever be imploded.

The Implosion of Ocean Tower from Seth Patterson on Vimeo.

Leonardo Nierman’s “Labyrinth of Dreams”

I know that many of us that move to South Padre Island mourn what we perceive as a loss of the availability of "art" and "culture". What I am continually reminded of when I receive updates from www.artsRGV.com is the vast quantity of great events, exhibits and performances that take place within an hour or two of the Island. Unfortunately, I have yet found time to take advantage of much that is available, but the opportunity is there.

So today when I received this in my email inbox I thought I would share. It sounds like a fantastic art exhibit and it will be at the International Museum of Art and Science until April, 2010 so we have plenty of time to make the trek to McAllen.

The International Museum of Art & Science is pleased to introduce the upcoming exhibit, Labyrinth of Dreams by artist Leonardo Nierman on display at IMAS from December 10, 2009 to April 11, 2010. This exhibit will host a compilation of paintings, tapestries and several immaculate sculptures in a prominent collection of contemporary Mexican Art.

Celebrated artist and sculptor Leonardo Nierman grew a deep appreciation for painting in the 1950s after his short lived calling as a violinist in his early years.

"Labyrinth of Dreams represents a lifetime adventure I have experienced during my whole life trying to solve the puzzles represented by fantasies and memories of my dreams. I hope that every painting, sculpture and tapestry will become a window through which the viewer can penetrate and hopefully share my world and dreams,” states Leonardo Nierman.

This rhythmic collection of sculptures and paintings speaks volumes of Nierman’s musical passion. Nierman attributes his studies of the Psychology of Color and the Harmony of Form in Space as playing an instrumental role in shaping his artistic voice and interpretation.

“I feel that music is a perfect vehicle to liberate the soul from the anxieties of life, experiencing the joy of enjoying the memories, colors and sounds floating in the universe. The work of many artists deals with the conflicts of the human race in everyday life. I personally prefer that my art will stimulate the relation of man with the stars and with the poetic elements that may give us the appreciation of the great miracle of having being born,” states Leonardo Nierman.

Leonardo Nierman, by the late 1950s had set an impressive platform of exhibits both domestically and internationally at a time when the art of Mexico was undergoing a period of drastic change. Like many leading Mexican artists, Nierman consolidated his international reputation before receiving full recognition in Mexico.

The International Museum of Art & Science acknowledges Tele-mundo and the Mexican Consulate in McAllen for their invaluable support in helping increase cultural awareness of the work of renowned Mexican artists.

For more information, please call IMAS at (956) 682-1564

December Events at Paragraphs

December is a busy month for everyone and we have a full calendar of events at Paragraphs.

To start things off the Laguna Madre Writers Forum will be having their December get-together this week, on Thursday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. Bring a poem, a song, a play, a story, and yourself.

Then on to the week of December 14, when we have something going on every night, so even if you forget exactly what is scheduled - just stop by, say hello and enjoy that night's activities.

December 14 - 7:00 p.m. - Play Readers Anonymous will have their last meeting of the year. We will be finishing the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder.

December 15 - 6:00 p.m. -There will be a power point presentation of Fahrenheit 451 by a staff member from UTB TSC with discussion following. At the end of the evening we will have a drawing for Fahrenheit 451 T-shirts and distribution of Endowment of the Arts literature in English and Spanish.

An inexpensive mass-market paperback edition of the book by Ray Bradbury can be purchased prior to or at the event and the purchase will include a free readers guide published by the National Endowment for the Arts.

December 16 - 6:00 p.m. - Mikaya Heart will read from and sign her latest book, My Sweet Wild Dance.

The book, which is in the running for a Lambda Literary Award, begins with her experiences growing up in rural Scotland and ends with her experiences learning to kitesurf in various countries around the world.

Don’t miss your chance to meet this unusual author! Reviews say: “Ms. Heart is skilled at dancing her own sweet, wild dance, and the path that her adventurous spirit has forged through the jungle of life is an inspiration to all of us.”

December 17 - 6:00 p.m. - We will have a Children's Story Hour which is being held as part of the 12 Days of Christmas sponsored by the SPI Business Community and in conjunction with SPI Jolly Days. Griff will be reading a story and inviting the participation of his audience, whether young or old.

Our holiday hours are:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 10-6
Wednesday and Friday 10-8
Sunday 12-4

Each Friday in December and continuing through Epiphany we will have happy hour with egg nog or other refreshments. And to make your holiday shopping less stressful we can help you find the perfect selection for anyone on your list plus we offer free gift wrapping.

Sting - If on a Winter's Night

Sting’s latest album, If On a Winter’s Night… released on Deutsch Grammophon, debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top 200 and #1 on both the Classical and Seasonal charts. The album presents an arc of songs that conjure the season of spirits, featuring a collection of carols, lullabies and hymns spanning the centuries, resulting in a haunting, spiritual and reflective musical journey. In collaboration with esteemed producer and arranger, Robert Sadin, Sting is joined by friend and long time colleague, guitarist Dominic Miller – and an ensemble of three remarkable musicians from Northern England and Scotland: Kathryn Tickell (fiddle and Northumbrian pipes) Julian Sutton (melodean) and Mary MacMaster (metal string Scottish harp). Additional guest artists include Vincent Ségal (cello), Daniel Hope (violin), Chris Botti (trumpet), Ibrahim Maalouf (trumpet), Stile Antico (vocal ensemble), Cyro Baptista (percussion), Bijan Chemirani (percussion) and the Webb Sisters (vocals).

I have been enjoying this Christmas release from Sting the past few days. It is one of the December selections from NPR Discover Songs available at independent bookstores, including Paragraphs.