Cultural diversity marks SPA’s 2017-18 season
June Christensen has good reason to be anxious about the future of the National Endowment for the Arts. The CEO and president of Society for the Performing Arts hopes NEA funding will help support a residency next season by a group of multidisciplinary artists who would engage with diverse Houston communities while they are in town to perform “Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic.”
The project offers an opportunity for the kind of collaboration her organization does best, Christensen said. She envisions a weeklong celebration of Persian culture involving the Asia Society, Rice University’s Boniuk Institute and the University of Houston. But right now, much of that hinges on a requested NEA grant of $50,000.
Christensen has booked the one-night show anyway. “Feathers of Fire,” which premiered last fall at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, is a visually stunning, cinematic shadow play by award-winning filmmaker and visual artist Hamid Rahmanian and his producer-wife, Melissa Hibbard. Based on the 10thcentury Persian epic “Shahnameh” (“The Book of Kings”), it follows the story of star-crossed lovers who triumph against all odds through a “live-animation” production involving puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation, with an original score by Loga Ramin Torkian and Azam Ali.
Puppets, which have never been more popular, also figure into another highlight of the society’s next season: “Nufonia Must Fall,” a staged adaptation of Canadian DJ and producer Kid Koala’s graphic novel and score about a robot who falls in love. The production uses 20 miniature movie sets, threedozen puppets, a string quartet, three turntables and five video cameras
Overall, the 2017-18 season looks well balanced, with an increasing emphasis on cultural diversity that extends well beyond the various theaters at which the touring acts perform.
Christensen said she is expanding community-outreach efforts “in a major way.” The “Feathers of Fire” residency is just one of three that will allow Houstonians to engage with visiting artists. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico and maverick organist Cameron Carpenter (who performed last year) all will work for a week across the city.
On stage, Christensen is giving a slight emphasis to classical music, in response to audience requests. She is most excited about booking four-time Grammy-winnning soprano Renée Fleming for a recital accompanied by longtime Houston Grand Opera chorus master Richard Bado.
There are also musical surprises, such as a show by female trumpeter Bria Skonberg, a sultry Canadian who has a mesmerizing voice. Christensen signed Skonberg on the spot last fall after experiencing her standing-room-only show in New York.
She is partnering with the national globalFEST initiative to present a night of Latin music at Warehouse Live by two groups that have previously drawn huge crowds at Miller Outdoor Theatre, Orkestra Mendoza and Las Cafeteras. She’s upgraded Cuban percussionist/vocalist Pedrito Martinez, who also appeared previously at Miller, to a show at the Wortham Theater Center.
The dance front looks diverse, too: Madrid’s Compañía Nacional de Danza will perform its unique take on “Carmen” by the Swedish choreographer Johan Inger. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago makes a long-awaited return, along with the everpopular Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, Tango Buenos Aires and MOMIX.
Christensen also is eager to present U-Theatre, a Taiwanese contemporary performance group known for its unique blend of movement, strength, musicality and staging. She has also planned some literal magic, booking Penn & Teller for their first society show and bringing back Adam Trent of the Illusionists.
Spoken-word fans also will be happy to see the return of “This American Life” host Ira Glass and humorist David Sedaris.