For some, music is a hobby, a tool to create background noise, a reason to visit a bar on the weekend. For others, music is the driving force behind everything they do. It may be how they earn a living, or it may be a second job. Or they may be so passionate about music that they devote their lives to the appreciation of it.
B.J. Wexler, host of OETA’s Movie Club, has served up classic films for 24 seasons. Wexler’s insightful and playful commentary brings new relevance to older films ranging from All About Eve to Treasure of the Sierra Madre. His behind-the-scenes looks at films such as Hotel Rwanda and Batman give viewers a whole new take on more current gems. In 2009 he won an Emmy for “Best Host” of a regional television program. He takes no credit for it, insisting that the films are always the stars of his show.
Oklahoma Magazine: You name among some of your favorite movies The Bishop’s Wife. It’s a wonderful movie, and the story still holds up today. But the pacing is different, slower. The characters seem richer than what we’re used to these days. That’s true of many older movies that you show. What has happened between then and now that changed storytelling in film so much?
B.J. Wexler: Here’s the difference. In the old days we bought our tickets and got in the seats, and we didn’t have remotes in our hands. So the film could evolve like a novel, like a regular story, and move an audience through from beginning to end. We’re showing All About Eve soon. Great example. It’s a long, long story. Modern filmmaking is about the aftermarket. Filmmakers are thinking when they’re shooting a film, “Will I get this on television?” So they’ve got to have a car crash, a murder, quick character development, explosions and so on. The things that stop viewers from using their remotes. That’s the difference. In the old days, you sat in your seat and you knew you were going to be watching one show for the whole evening.
OM: Everybody’s got their own criteria for greatest movies. What’s yours?
BW: The test that I apply for my favorite movies is simple. A movie like Gone With the Wind, let’s say, is a classic. Everybody knows it. But I can’t take watching that more than once every 10 years. It’s a classic, but it wears me out. I have some simple movies that I literally can watch every night. The Bishop’s Wife is one. The test that I apply to my favorite movies is, “How often can I enjoy them?”
OM: What’s your role as the show’s host?
BW: Right. Here’s a clue. In 24 years of hosting the show, there’s one word some critics use that I’ve never used.
OM: “Blockbuster.”
BW: Nope. It’s “genre.” That word is not me. It’s not Oklahoma. Actually, I don’t care if it’s Oklahoma or not, it’s just not me. I’m an average Joe sharing my enthusiasm for movies with other average Joes. I can’t do that by coming off as a know-it-all. I’m not a film historian. I try to share in the opening a little bit about what this movie is without sounding like I know it all. I just want to get people excited about these great films.
OM: In a world of Netflix and Video On Demand, Movie Club’s audience is still growing.
BW: Yep. The reason, I think, is simple and important. There is a need, a desire and an appreciation for classic movies out there.
OM: You’re well known for offering interesting trivia and behind-the-scenes stuff about the films you show. But you just claimed not to be a film historian.
BW: Right, and it’s true. I’m just a regular guy who knows how to research and look things up. Obviously, today it’s much easier with the internet. It’s work to pick and choose the stuff that fits in the time allotted and find the right way to talk about it.
Very few people hold such a rewarding and challenging job, but Janienne Bella, Red Cross regional CEO, has made a career out of helping those in need.
But while Bella keeps very busy with the day-to-day operations of the Central Oklahoma Red Cross – including disaster relief in the wake of a tragically stormy spring – she almost missed her opportunity.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in family development-child development, Bella spent two years as a drug and alcohol counselor for a school system in Indiana before returning to her home state and looking for work at the Red Cross.
“I interviewed for a secretarial position, but the deputy director at the time pulled me aside and recommended I interview for a volunteer coordinator position,” says Bella.
Sixteen years, four positions and countless lives touched later, Bella still feels it is one of the most rewarding careers possible.
“There is really something inspiring about working with volunteers,” says Bella. “They give us their time, their energy, their talents, their money to support us.”
With recent natural disasters affecting not only Oklahoma but also much of the country, the need for the Red Cross is as evident as ever.
“It is all about the local footprint, but also how that footprint fits into the big puzzle,” says Bella.
That big puzzle is an ongoing effort from the local to international level of the Red Cross. Regionally, Red Cross divisions routinely cooperate to meet community needs.
“I really think it has helped me in this position to understand how we (Red Cross) fit,” says Bella. “Not just in the United States, but how we fit into the world.”
Everyone working together seems to be the key not just in aiding those affected by natural disasters, but also by single-family house fires and even in the teaching of CPR and swim lessons – additional Red Cross initiatives.
Bella understands what it takes to turn the Red Cross’s goal into a reality.
“I don’t really know that there are words to describe what the last 16 years have given me,” Bella reflects, during a relatively calm moment for the Red Cross in Oklahoma.
“I kind of get emotional. It’s just incredible to work side-by-side with the staff and volunteers. At some point for me, those people that I get to interact with everyday surpass the mission.”
Bella says the support she receives compensates for the often-tense nature of her work.
“My husband, Tony, is just incredible,” says Bella. “He is not only supportive of me, but also of our mission and what we’re doing. I think that’s a great example for our son.”
When she’s not working or spending time with her son, Blake, playing sports or working on projects, Bella enjoys reading and working outside in her yard.
“We spend a lot of time as a family, but they understand when I have to be gone for work,” says Bella.
Cold soups dominate the globe in the summer months. You’ll find gazpacho in Spain, sour cherry soup in Hungary and mango soup in both India and Guyana. Each of these refreshing soups celebrates the country’s best produce as it reaches its peak, often at the hottest time of the year. The soups are rich in flavor, refreshing and – because they haven’t been cooked – choc full of nutrition.
If only I’d known about chilled mango soup when I was pregnant with my daughter, Ava. During my last trimester, over the course of four painfully hot days, I ate a case of 12 mangoes all by myself. While this might have been the result of a wild, off-the-wall pregnancy craving, I like to think all that vitamin A, known to support good vision, went straight to baby Ava. Wouldn’t it be fun to think her eyes were developing that very same week?
Even today I adore the golden, sweet mango more than almost any other fruit – as does Ava, now 2 years old. It should come as no surprise that we’re particularly fond of the light and creamy chilled coco mango soup eaten by the people of Guyana. This smooth puree of coconut, mango, yogurt and rum is a rich and tropical blend that reflects the Caribbean and Indian influences on this small South American country.
While many cold fruit soups risk tasting like a glorified smoothie, this recipe is delicate in a way that no smoothie can be and is suitable any time of the day, either as a main course in the morning or an elegant dessert soup after dinner. Part of the reason it is so delicate is the addition of electrolyte-rich coconut water, also known as coconut juice. Straight from the heart of the coconut, coconut water thins the soup to the perfect consistency. The glorious final touch is dripping coconut milk over the top; it’s modern and fun.
Take a mini vacation to South America with this refreshing summertime soup from tropical Guyana. Sweet and full of vitamins, it is indulgent and good for you. Serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner, either as a light entree or dessert.
4 medium ripe mangoes (about 3 1/2 c. chopped)?
1 1/3 c. coconut water (1 can)?
1 c. yogurt?
1/2 c. coconut milk?
1/2 c. milk?
1 tbsp. dark rum (optional)?
Honey, if necessary
Coconut milk, and coconut chips or shredded coconut, for garnish
Stand mangoes up and cut on either side of the long pit. Scoop out flesh into the blender.
Add coconut water, yogurt, coconut milk, milk and rum. Puree until perfectly smooth.
Add honey if you think it needs sweetener and process again. Thin with more milk if desired. Refrigerate for at least two hours. This chills the soup and gives time for the air bubbles to surface and makes for a silkier finished product.
Dip spoon into coconut milk and drip it onto the surface of the soup. Finish it off with a few coconut chips or shredded coconut.
Grown throughout the tropics, people have used coconut for millennia, and almost every part of the coconut palm is put to good use. Most culinary uses for coconut derive from the seed (which is not actually a nut at all). Americans are familiar with the grated interior flesh of the seed, which is used in many candies and baked goods. Further afield, though, coconut is found in many parts of the diet.
Coconut water – Also known as coconut juice, this is the clear, nutty flavored liquid found inside immature coconut. It’s served as a refreshing drink throughout the tropics – coconut stands are a common site in many areas of Asia and Central America. Due to its high electrolyte and mineral content the drink has recently been popularized in the West as a natural sports drink.
Coconut milk – is a sweet, milky liquid made by processing the interior flesh of the mature coconut seed. It’s a common cooking base in many parts of the world.
Coconut cream – is a paste made in a similar manner to coconut milk. Variants include creamed coconut, a solid block of processed coconut flesh, and cream of coconut, the sweetened coconut cream used in piña coladas.
Those who toil in the gilded Art Deco high-rise palaces of downtown Tulsa have it all except for one thing: sushi. And now, with the opening of the first sushi place in the Deco District, they have even that.
Hidden in an otherwise undistinguished block, in a space with lofty ceilings and stark yet casual red and white decor, The Sushi Place gives downtown sushi-lovers a reason to rejoice. For the traditionalist, there are eight varieties of nigiri, carefully arranged plates of sashimi, and even cone-shaped temaki, all made with the freshest fish available.
American favorites such as California Rolls and Caterpillar Rolls are also offered. These are fine choices and come beautifully presented on a white porcelain platter. But most noteworthy are the two chefs’ own inventions. They mix such unlikely ingredients as shrimp tempura, cream cheese, baked smoked salmon and spicy mayo. Brash, brazen and exuberant, with names like Naughty Roll and 918 Crunch Roll, these flamboyant creations are worthy of a neighborhood that once was Oil Capital of the World.
A Guatemalan take on home-cooked dishes makes Café Kacao a unique jewel in the crown of Oklahoma City’s dining scene. Serving breakfast all day, Café Kacao also offers a variety of lunch entrees, sandwiches and salads. For those unfamiliar with the tastes of Guatemala, try the carne guisada, a Guatemalan-style beef stew, which is served with Russian salad – a potato salad with peas, carrots and celery, a traditional side dish in Guatemala – and rice of the day. Familiar fare, such as enchiladas, receive a Guatemalan spin, served on a fried corn tortilla with beef picadillo, beet and cabbage vinaigrette, finished with red salsa, hard-boiled egg, sliced onions and dry cheese. Café Kacao has developed a devoted following for its breakfast dishes. Try the divorciado eggs topped with green and red salsa and served with refried black beans, fried plantains and tortilla chips; spicy tecpan, which is scrambled eggs with chorizo, jalapenos and onions served with refried black beans and house potatoes; and mosh, a traditional Guatemalan oatmeal that is slow-cooked with whole, condensed and evaporated milk and accompanied with bananas, strawberries and toast. 3325 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City. www.cafekacao.com
Arriving on a Friday evening permits the time to check into your accommodations and acquaint yourself with whichever village or hamlet you’re staying in. Enjoy a stroll through East Hampton or Southampton and consider dinner featuring local flavors at Nick & Toni’s (www.nickndtonis.com) in East Hampton or the beautiful Savanna’s Restaurant (www.savannassouthampton.com) in Southampton. A gelato or coffee and dessert at the Southampton location of Sant Ambroeus (www.santambroeus.com) definitely brings home the feeling of summer.
Settle into your choice of beach Saturday morning and take advantage of local farmers’ markets en route. Grab a spectacular lunch at Citta Nuova (www.cittanuova.com), Sant Ambroeus or enjoy a picnic. In the afternoon, you will want to see the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum (www.sagharborwhalingmuseum.org) to really explore local history and view works by Fairfield Porter and William Merritt Chase at the Parrish Art Museum (www.parrishart.org). Enjoy dinner at the new Southampton Social Club (www.southamptonsocialclub.com), or Sag Harbor hotspot Tutto Il Giorno (co-owned by Donna Karan’s daughter, for guaranteed star power) or Plaza Café (www.plazacafe.us). Follow the crowds to popular nightlife or check in at Red Bar Brasserie (www.redbarbrasserie.com) for dinner and popular nocturnal socializing.
Sunday at the beach is a Hamptons tradition, but as an option consider arranging for a full- or half-day sail tour at the Hamptons Marine and Charter in East Hampton or, for the more adventurous, try your own hand at sailing with a rental from Sag Harbor Sailing (www.sailsagharbor.com). Alternately explore what’s beneath the surf at Atlantis Marine World Aquarium (www.atlantismarineworld.com). Enjoy a farewell meal before departure at East Hampton’s terrific Fresno (www.fresnorestaurant.com) or any new favorite restaurant.
Most regular visitors to the Hamptons are well-healed individuals with second homes in the area or those who reserve rental homes well in advance of the busy season. However, there are accommodations in the area for travelers, particularly guest houses and B&Bs.
The Mill House is an East Hampton B&B that earns routine praise for its quaint, picturesque setting, comfortable environs and excellent staff. A front porch overlooking the historic Old Hook windmill is just the start of a quintessential Hamptons experience. www.millhouseinn.com
The 1770 House Restaurant & Inn has welcomed guests to East Hampton for 235 years and today features six distinct guest rooms, a private carriage house and scenic grounds for a truly elegant, highly personalized environment. Acclaimed Chef Kevin Penner’s contemporary American cuisine is a handy asset, and with so few guests at any time, service is impeccable and warm. www.1770house.com
1708 House, an historic bed and breakfast centrally located in Southampton, has become renowned for its museum-like cellar dating back over 350 years, rooms representing several different centuries, private cottages and beautiful common rooms. The dining room featuring Limoges china and sterling silver and a brick patio are favorite gathering places for guests. www.1708house.com
“The Hamptons” generally refers to a number of villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on the far east end of Long Island and is collectively one of the historical summer colonies of the American Northeast.
Access: The Hamptons is easily accessible from New York City via a number of means, from driving oneself to private plane and even helicopter. The Hampton Jitney (www.hamptonjitney.com) is one low-priced bus option; the Hampton Luxury Liner (www.hamptonluxuryliner.com) a more plush one. The Long Island Rail Road (www.mta.info) adds its special summer service to the Hamptons in season.
Population: Varies dramatically depending on geographic parameters preferred and time of year. The region swells with seasonal residents and visitors in the warmer months.
Climate: An island environment, the Hamptons is more mild and damp during the summer months than is New York City. Fog is common in early mornings and overnight. Summer days can be hot with variable humidity. Nights are cooler than in tropical waterfront destinations.
Main Attractions: Cooper’s Beach in Southampton and Main Beach in East Hampton are two of the most celebrated in the country and are the centers of most activity during the summer. Galleries, fine dining and eclectic shopping abound. Other attractions include the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, a respected summer film festival and chartered sailing.
Sample: Nearby is Long Island Wine Country and the chance to sample scores of well regarded local wines, notably along the South Fork (Hamptons Wine Trail). www.liwines.com.
See: Besides its early fall main event, the Hamptons International Film Festival offers various screenings in the summer for a shot of culture into a beach oriented vacation. http://hamptonsfilmfest.org
Stage: The Guild Hall of East Hampton benefits from its proximity to NYC and attracts big-name performers in unusually personal “hometown” mode such as Jerry Seinfeld, Colin Quinn, Alec Baldwin and many others. www.guildhall.org
www.discoverlongisland.com
It’s the snack choice of summer, slowly melting away those memories of miserable heat and replacing them with cool comfort.
Ice cream in Oklahoma is a big business. Two of the state’s largest ice creameries – Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores and Blue Bell Ice Cream – offer tours of their production facilities in Tuttle and Broken Arrow, respectively, by appointment only. Spectators get a chance to see how ice cream is made on a large scale. Braum’s churns out more than 120 flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt, while Blue Bell is hard at work providing dozens of flavors – including perennial favorites Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Moo-llennium Crunch – for Oklahoma and surrounding states.
If visiting an ice cream factory isn’t in the cards for this summer, create a mini-factory at home by concocting homemade ice cream. Recipes are available all over the internet and in cookbooks that can be checked out from the local public library. Most recipes call for milk, sugar, cream, egg yolks and just a pinch of salt. Add your favorite flavoring, fruit or nuts, churn and enjoy.
Oklahoma’s arts groups, organizations and venues have the state covered and booked through the late spring.
ATC begins its 42nd season with The Full Monty, Oct. 21-29, in which a group of steel workers put on a ladies-only strip show. Men show their insecurities, and possibly more.
Also: Fully Committed, Dec. 2-10; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 8-23; The Bomb-itty of Errors, March 2-10; Lombardi, May 11-19. www.americantheatrecompany.org
In Edmond, theater, music and arts fans flock to Armstrong Auditorium for some of the finest acts anywhere, including The Gershwin Project, when award-winning star conductor/composer Marvin Hamlisch performs with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Sept. 8. Hamlisch has won every big award out there (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), which makes him tops in Armstrong’s new season. There’s more where that came from: Chanticleer, Oct. 25; Romeros Guitar Quartet, Nov. 3; Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nov. 10; soprano Dawn Upshaw, Jan. 19; cellist Lynn Harrell with the Miró String Quartet, Feb. 16; The Chieftains, Feb. 27; Moscow Festival Ballet performs Sleeping Beauty, Jan. 31; Tchaikovsky St. Petersburg State Orchestra, March 1; Doc Severinsen and His Big Band, March 8; StepCrew dance group, March 20; baritone Jubilant Sykes, March 27; Eugenia Zukerman, flute, and Yolanda Kondanassis, harp, April 15; Kuleshov-Mogilevsky Piano Duo, April 22; HWAC Choral Union playing Brahms’ Requiem and Handel’s Coronation Anthems, May 3. www.armstrongauditorium.org
The finest of Broadway shows return to the Bartlesville Community Center in the series, which this season features golden paths, love in paradise and a new musical just wrapping its Broadway run.
In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical, shows a Manhattan community bracing for change with exciting music and dance numbers. The tour stops for one performance March 11.
Also: The Wizard of Oz, Nov. 15; South Pacific, Jan. 17; Damn Yankees, March 27; Cirque: Pop Goes the Rock, April 20.
www.bartlesvillecommunitycenter.com
What a beginning – Broken Arrow’s first show of the season comes straight from the halls of artistic excellence. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis, Sept. 29, not only highlights one of the most famous trumpeters in the world, but also builds the reputation of this new local arts center.
Also: Cirque Mechanics: Boom Town, Oct. 27; Ernie Haas & Signature Sound, Dec. 17; Elvis Lives – The Ultimate Elvis Tribute, Jan. 31; Blast!, Feb. 26; In the Heights, March 10; In the Mood, April 2012. www.thepacba.com
Once again, Celebrity Attractions brings Broadway excellence to Oklahoma. We’re looking forward to a new musical adaptation, The Addams Family, based on the cult TV favorite, and the crowd-pleaser Jersey Boys, which tells the story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. Look for shows at Tulsa’s Performing Arts Center and at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall.
Tulsa: Memphis, Nov. 1-6; The Addams Family, Jan. 24-29; Stomp, March 6-11; Fiddler on the Roof, May 8-13; Jersey Boys, June 6-24.
Oklahoma City: Memphis, Nov. 8-13; The Addams Family, Jan. 17-22; Mamma Mia!, Feb. 15-18; Stomp, March 13-18; Fiddler on the Roof, May 1-6. www.celebrityattractions.com
Bringing the best chamber music ensembles to town requires serious focus and a stellar reputation for excellence and appreciation. This season is no different as CMT welcomes the Imani Winds, considered North America’s leading wind quintet, to Tulsa Oct. 1-2.
Also: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, Nov. 5-6; Miró Quartet, Jan. 28-29; Trio Solisti – Feb. 18-19; American String Quartet, March 17-18; Aviv Quartet, April 14-15. www.chambermusictulsa.org
For an organization that has been around but for a few years, Choregus Productions remains as committed as ever to bringing performances of the highest caliber to Tulsa.
South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jan. 22, is booked to bring music tradition and spiritual alchemy to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. A month later, look for The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers, March 17, featuring original cast members from London’s West End run production bringing moments and songs from the classic comedy film.
Also: Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Sept. 16-17; Time for Three, Nov. 5; Keigwin + Company, Nov. 18-19 (dance); Mark Morris Dance Group, Feb. 3-4; Batsheva Dance Company, March 15; Music of the Son: ETHEL with Robert Mirabal, April 28;
Diavolo, May 19. www.choregus.org
Norman’s been waiting since 2007, and the new Stuart Wing – future home to the Eugene B. Adkins Collection of fine art works – is almost ready for the public. The big celebration is set for Oct. 23 from noon-5 p.m. Also on that day, look for reinstallation of the Permanent Collection of Western and Native American art, the icons from the Permanent Collection and No Heaven Awaits Us: Contemporary Chinese Photography & Video.
Also: Rauschenberg: Prints from Universal Limited Arts Editions, 1962-2008, Sept. 24-Dec. 30; Highlights from the Permanent Collection of Photography, Part I, Jan. 27-April 29; A Century of Magic: The Animation of Walt Disney Studios, March 2-Sept. 16, 2012; Oklahoma Clay: Frankoma Pottery, April 20-Sept. 16, 2012; Nineteenth-Century French Master Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, May 13-Sept. 16, 2012. www.ou.edu/content/fjjma
What would Woody Guthrie have thought of the world today? We’ll never know, yet the simple, plain message he heralded in the 1940s reverberates in the time of overt political spin and rampant celebrity excess. This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie at 100, Feb. 5-June 3, coincides with a national salute to the "Dust Bowl Troubadour" beginning with the Grammy Awards in March.
Also: Continuation of To Capture the Sun: Gold of Ancient Panama, thru Jan. 15; America: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of the Nation, thru Jan. 2; Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon, June 24-Sept. 23. www.gilcrease.org
Henthorne Performing Arts Center continues to illuminate as the resident Heller Theatre begins work on a new season that includes the contemporary work it’s well known for doing plus challenging, transcendent works, such as Bertold Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Jan. 27-Feb. 4.
Also: Miss Witherspoon, Sept. 9-18; Becky’s New Car, Oct. 28-Nov. 6; Banished Children of Eve, May 11-20. www.hellertheatre.com
Watch for this glimpse into the future of art – Momentum: Art Doesn’t Stand Still features the work by Oklahoma artists 30 years and younger in film, performance and a variety of media. This Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition event opens in grand style Oct. 8 with a reception but stays open through Oct. 26.
Also: Cipher, Sept. 2-23; OK Electric Electronic Music Festival, Sept. 17; Indie Emporium, Sept. 30-Oct. 1; Brady Gallery Walk, Oct. 26; Altered Spaces, Nov. 1-5; The Four Elements, Dec. 2-22; Lucas Greco and Marty Coleman, Jan. 6-26; Hack Art Lab and Lindsey Allgood, Feb. 3-19; Erica Mott – Revised & Revisited (New Genre Festival), Feb. 24-25; Joe DalPra and Kate Rivers, April 6-26 (concurrent shows).
Musicals just keep coming at Oklahoma City’s Lyric Theatre. We’re especially keen on what the troupe does with A Chorus Line, Aug. 2-6, the tale of young dancers with big, bright Broadway dreams.
Also: Altar Boyz, Oct. 12-22; A Christmas Carol, Dec. 9-31; Xanadu, Jan. 25-Feb. 11; Spring Awakening, March 28-April 14; Bye Bye Birdie, June 26-30; Sweet Charity, July 10-14; Call Me Madam, July 24-28; Chita Rivera: My Broadway, Aug. 7-11, 2012. www.lyrictheatreokc.com
The season is upon us, yes, even before Thanksgiving has been crossed off the calendar. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, Nov. 17, comes to the Mabee Center and brings plenty of acclaim with it, but audiences who love the traditional telling are sure to enjoy the lavish costumes, sets and dancing. www.mabeecenter.com
What do you get when you combine the opening weekend for the Cowboy Artists of America 46th Annual Exhibition and Sale (Oct. 14-Nov. 27), with the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association 13th Annual Exhibition (Oct. 14-Jan. 8)? You get Cowboy Crossings, Oct. 14-15, an uncompromising collection of fine Western art in one location.
Also: Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby, Sept. 23-Jan. 8; Rodeo Historical Society Weekend, Sept. 23-24; Small Works, Great Wonders, Nov. 18. www.nationalcowboymuseum.org
This original Tulsa theater group pushes to get contemporary and sometimes startling treasures to its audience. Last year, for instance, saw Tracy Letts’ Bug, Patrick Marber’s After Miss Julie and Neil LaBute’s Reasons to Be Pretty. In November, the gang gets cozy with It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, adapted to the stage by Joe Landry. Odeum will tour the show in Tulsa and through other parts of the state Nov. 18-Dec. 23.
Also: She Stoops to Conquer, Spring 2012; Alice & Dorothy, Summer 2012. www.odeumtheatrecompany.com
The 40th anniversary season of Oklahoma City Ballet promises a series of holiday tradition, romantic comedy and enchantment, but the stand-out production is sure to be The Firebird, Feb. 11-12, set to Stravinsky’s powerful composition. The piece accompanies the world premiere of In Between Dreams.
Also: Coppelia, Oct. 22-23; The Nutcracker, Dec. 9-11, 16-18; The Wizard of Oz, April 20-22. www.okcballet.com
Franco Mondini-Ruiz and his works have been called clever, nostalgic and exploratory of conceptions of art. Decide for yourself with the installation of more than 1,000 paintings of whimsical objects in Poodles and Pastries – and Other Important Matters, Sept. 8-Dec. 31.
Also: Faded Elegance: Photographs of Havana by Michael Eastman, Sept. 8-Dec. 31; Dale Chihuly: The Collection, reopens January 2012; Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces, 1600-1800, Feb. 16-May 13; Reflections: Glass in Contemporary Culture, June 14-Sept. 9, 2012. www.okcmoa.com
Once again, the OKC Phil has outdone itself with a schedule of splendor booked through Spring 2012. Be sure to watch the classics series’ big Season Finale, May 19, with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, considered one of the world’s best pianists and a special Nov. 3 concert when rock musician Ben Folds joins the Phil for a sophisticated jam session.
Classics: Grand Opening Night, Sept. 24, featuring Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes; The Heart of Romanticism, Oct. 15, with pianist Jon Kimura Parker; Mahler 4 & Mozart, Nov. 19, featuring soprano Sari Gruber and pianist Shai Wosner; Commoners and Kings, Jan. 7, with pianist Louis Lortie; Great Moments in Opera, Feb. 4, with fearless soprano Sarah Coburn; Musical Surprises, March 3, with violinist Rachel Barton Pine; Sumptuous Strings, March 31, with violinist David Kim and cellist Carter Brey.
Pops: Mysterioso, Oct. 28-29, featuring illusions of David and Dania, Les Arnold and Dazzle and Joseph Gabriel set to electrifying music; The Christmas Show, Dec. 1-3, with Broadway’s Judy McLane; ABBA – the Concert, Jan. 27-28, with tribute band Waterloo; Cupid’s Wingman, Feb. 24-25, with Tony DeSare (Our Sinatra); Pink Martini, March 23-24, with Thomas Lauderdale and his orchestra; Wicked Divas, April 27-28, with concert hall showstoppers Julia Murney and Stephanie J. Block. www.okcphilharmonic.org
The OKC group knows how to give its audience variety – a drama of the break-up of the nuclear family (Buried Child) is rarely followed by a light-hearted holiday comedy affirming it (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever). The Native American Play Festival, however, becomes an automatic stand-out for launching new works by rarely heard voices. Watch for it June 1-10 when Diane Glancy’s Salvage anchors the 2012 event.
Also: Quilters, Sept. 16-Oct. 2; Buried Child, Oct. 21-Nov. 6; The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Dec. 2-18; Same Time, Next Year, Feb. 3-19; Gypsy, March 8-25; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, April 13-29. www.okctheatrecompany.org
The exhibit Rauschenberg at Gemini concludes Sept. 11, but Philbrook has more to offer in the months ahead, including a look at Southwest life and art. Black on Black & White: The Southwest of Laura Gilpin and Maria Martinez, Feb. 5-April 15, will exhibit Gilpin’s introspective photography along with Martinez’ signature Pueblo ceramic works.
Also: War and Rumors of War: Combat and Commemoration in Native Art, through Oct. 9; Magnificent Vision: Two Centuries of European Masterworks from the Speed Art Museum, Oct. 9-Jan. 8; About Face: Crafting the Modern Portrait, Oct. 16-Jan. 1; The Sinuous Line: Jacques Callot and the Rebirth of Printmaking in Early-Modern France, Jan. 8-April 8; Seeking the Sacred: Religious Ritual in Native American Art, April 1-June 3; This Great Land: Contemporary America on Paper, April 15-July 8. www.philbrook.org
The company just won top honors from TATE (Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence) for a stellar Macbeth last season. The new season, to us, looks like a stand out, as well: The Origins Project, Oct. 4-9; The Storm Repertory: William and Judith and The Tempest, Feb. 10-19; Urinetown, April 17-22; The Unmentionables, May 6-13. www.playhousetheatretulsa.com
Swedish-American architect and designer Greta Magnusson Grossman set up shop during the Golden Age of Hollywood to design for Greta Garbo, Joan Fontaine and other celebrities. When she arrived, she said she would need a “car and some shorts” to fit in. The late designer’s concept of American living is the title of an upcoming exhibit at Bartlesville’s Price Tower Arts Center. Greta Magnusson Grossman: A Car and Some Shorts runs Jan. 20-May 6.
Also: look for From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden, May 18-Sept. 2, 2012, which looks at the prolific artist’s work in a variety of media. www.pricetower.org
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art continues its exhibit Building the Land: Jewish National Fund Zionist Posters, through Sept. 24, but wait until you see what follows: Andy Warhol: Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century, Oct. 23-Dec. 19, brings depictions of Jewish icons Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Golda Meir, the Marx Brothers and others by the Pop Art idol. Marc Chagall: Drawings for the Bible, Oct. 23-January, examines the Russian-born expressionist artists’ ethereal touch.
Also: Out of a Dark Cabinet: Rarely Viewed Treasures from the Permanent Collection, Feb. 15-Sept. 25; Annual Purim Mask Competition, Spring 2012. www.jewishmuseum.net
Prominent musicians join the symphony in a season giving patrons the Manhattan Transfer on Jan. 21 plus a dinner and concert event, Titanic: The 100th Anniversary. First experience sumptuous dining (April 13) and hear a musical salute to the people aboard on April 14.
Classics: Tchaikovsky Piano Competition 2011 Winner concert, Oct. 1; Signature Symphony and Chorale, Nov. 5, performing new piece by University of Tulsa’s Joseph Rivers about figures from Oklahoma history; Tchaikovsky Gold Medal Cellist concert, Feb. 11, winner from the 2011 competition; violinist Bella Hristova, March 10; Gustav Holst’s The Planets, April 21.
Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie, Sept. 23-24; Donald & Barron Ryan, Oct. 14-15; Christmas with Sarah Coburn, Dec. 9-10; Signature Big Band, Feb. 24-25; Signature Symphony Reflections, March 16-17. www.signaturesymphony.org
Sure, Urinetown, Sept. 16-24, has been done before, but it’ll be interesting to see how the oldest community theater group west of the Mississippi River stages this irreverent comedy of the God-given right to use the loo – without paying a toll.
Also: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Oct. 28-Nov. 5; Waiting for Lefty, Jan. 13-21; Effects of Gamma Rays on the Man On the Moon Marigolds, March 9-17; Arsenic & Old Lace, May 11-19. www.theatretulsa.org
Whether its classic or modern, Tulsa Ballet is always contemporary in its approach to dance, meaning stories such as Romeo and Juliet are as timeless as ever in a world premiere event (Feb. 23-25) choreographed by Edwaard Liang.
Also: The Merry Widow, Sept. 23-25; Nine Sinatra Songs, Oct. 28-30; The Nutcracker, Dec. 10-23; A Ballets Russes Evening, March 30-April 1; Off the Floor: Creations in Studio K, April 27-May 6. www.tulsaballet.org
It’s a theater show. It’s a music hall performance. With Tulsa Opera, you get both in addition to a wonderful time spent with other opera fans ready to shout, “bravo!” Oklahoma’s favorite soprano Sarah Coburn opens the season in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Oct. 8, 14, 16.
Also: The Oklahoma premiere of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Feb. 25, March 2 and 4; Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, April 21, 27, 29. www.tulsaopera.com
It’s "All About Bach" this season, well, almost as the TOC schedules programs heavy on Johann with a touch of other influential composers.
Concert 1, Oct. 15, Trinity Episcopal Church; Concert 2, Pirates of the Caribbean performance, Nov. 12, with Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; Concert 3, Dec. 3, at Holy Family Cathedral; Concert 4, March 24, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center, part of TSO’s season; Concert 5, May 12 at Boston Avenue Methodist Church. www.toconline.org
As if there wasn’t enough happening at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center with resident arts groups, the PAC and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust bring in an array of special guests to play T-Town. Steve Martin will be on stage Aug. 24, with his banjo, some awesome musicians and, we hope, a few punch lines. Steve Martin: An Evening of Bluegrass and Banjo kicks off the season.
Also: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, Sept. 30-Oct. 1; The Borrowers, Nov. 4-5; An Evening with Buddy Valastro: The Cake Boss, Nov. 8; Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood: Two Man Group, Nov. 19; Tinkle, Twonkle, March 23-24; Are You My Mother?, April 20-21; Zorro, April 27-28. www.tulsapac.com
Most know the Tulsa Symphony has the classics covered, but look closer, and you’ll see much more.
Classics: Fate & Folklore, Sept. 10; Larger Than Life, Oct. 22, featuring Crescendo Award-winning violinist Siwoo Kim; Musical Migrations, Jan. 7; The American West, Feb. 4; The Universe in 90 Minutes, March 24, (Mahler’s Symphony No. 3); Musical Fireworks, May 5.
Rock ‘n’ Adventure Series: Beatles Tribute, Oct. 29, with the Classical Mystery Tour band at SpiritBank Event Center; Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, Nov. 12, with the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus.
Flavors of Europe Chamber Series: Germany, Nov. 18, at the German-American Society Building; Russia and More, Jan. 13, at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame; France, March 9, at Philbrook Museum. www.tulsasymphony.org
No one thinks of going outside in August in Oklahoma unless the lake, pool or boat are involved. But relief is in sight – college football is almost here. Fall, once again, promises the clash of helmets and crowd howls in school colors and revelry.
Oklahoma State University: v. Louisiana-LaFayette, Sept. 3; v. Arizona, Sept. 8; @ Tulsa, Sept. 17; @ Texas A&M, Sept. 24; v. Kansas, Oct. 8; @ Texas, Oct. 15; @ Missouri, Oct. 22; v. Baylor, Oct. 29; v. Kansas State, Nov. 5; @ Texas Tech, Nov 12; @ Iowa State, Nov. 18; vs. Oklahoma, Dec. 3.
University of Oklahoma: vs. Tulsa, Sept. 3; @ Florida State, Sept. 17; v. Missouri, Sept. 24; v. Ball State, Oct. 1; v. Texas, Oct. 8; @ Kansas, Oct. 15; v. Texas Tech, Oct. 22; @ Kansas State, Oct. 29; v. Texas A&M, Nov. 5; @ Baylor, Nov. 19; v. Iowa State, Nov. 26; @ Oklahoma State, Dec. 3.
University of Tulsa: @ Oklahoma, Sept. 3; @ Tulane, Sept. 10; v. Oklahoma State, Sept. 17; @ Boise State, Sept. 24; v. North Texas, Oct. 1; v. UAB, Oct. 15; @ Rice, Oct. 22; vs. SMU, Oct. 29; @ UCF, Nov. 3; v. Marshall, Nov. 12; @ UTEP, Nov. 19; v. Houston, Nov. 25.
Month after month, we present a colorful kaleidoscope of the people, places and culture that make Oklahoma such a fascinating place.
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