S.A. native, ‘All the Single Ladies’ a perfect match
San Antonio native Drea Newell hesitated when she was invited to audition for “All the Single Ladies,” a new show in which Black women share their relationship stories.
Then she realized the OWN series is doing something unique.
“I don’t always hear stories like mine being told,” said Newell, a Roosevelt High School graduate who now lives in Los Angeles. “When I do see something that’s in close proximity to a story like mine, I get really moved by that. And I thought I would like to hear more stories like that. And maybe I can touch someone else and inspire them.”
Newell’s episode debuts today at 8 p.m. on the Oprah Winfrey Network, then will stream on oprah.com and the OWN app.
The titles of each episode capture the gist of the stories women tell: “Red Flags,” “Side Chicks” and “Raised by
Religion” already have aired.
Newel is featured in the “Bad Boys” episode. She talks about the challenges she has experienced trying to forge romantic relationships in L.A. And she talks about dating interracially, including her time with a Paul Walker look-alike she met on Sixth Street in Austin.
She says that it was clear he was a bad idea, but she found herself drawn to him anyway.
“He’s literally burning in flames of a red flag, and I’m like, do you want to be with me?” she recalls on the show.
She shared the story with the same producer she talked to during the audition, she said, so she felt comfortable opening up.
“It’s more of an open therapy session that gets recorded,” she said, laughing. “You completely forget that the cameras are there.”
Newell has been in Los Angeles for 17 years. She’s done some acting and some hosting, often under the name Drea Renee. Her
guide to those four attractions:
Texas Selfie Museum
The lowdown: The corner spot is part of a chain of eight Selfie Museums across the country. It opened about 16 months ago and was the first in Texas. A second Lone Star State location recently opened in Austin.
The space is basically a big photo studio with 30 stations that are a little like small sets, many of them outfitted with a prop or two.
There’s a small stage in the lobby, a few feet away from a space filled with bubblelike white balls, a bathtub and a big yellow ducky. A vault from the building’s past life as a bank has been tricked out with plenty of play money and gold bars. Pink faux fur lines one hallway. And near the back are a couple of Texas-centric visuals: a small Selena mural and a re-creation of the “I love tacos so much” mural.
Ring lights can be found at each station to make sure subjects are literally depicted in the best light. And staffers can help those who aren’t quite sure what to do with them. Those who come in in search of ideas can check out the wall of small Polaroids just inside the entrance for inspiration.
Good to know: Waivers are
required. The space includes a small bar, and there are changing rooms so folks who want to wear the costumes don’t have to change in the restroom.
Details: Noon to 8 p.m. Mondays-thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, 314 E. Commerce St. $19-$25; free for children 3 and younger. originalselfiemuseum.com, 210-570-1199
Magicians Agency Theatre
The lowdown: Magician Scott Pepper opened this theater five years ago following brief stints at Magik Theatre down the street and at Frank’s, a now-shuttered King William restaurant. The master illusionist often headlines, serving a fun, fast-paced show aimed at all ages. The theater also books touring magicians from time to time.
The theater is situated on the third and fourth floors of the Reuter Building, which was constructed in the 1890s. The third floor holds a small magic museum, which includes a deck of levitating cards.
The roomy performance space, which seats just over 100 people, is on the fourth floor. Doors open at 6 p.m., an hour before showtime, and those who arrive early are rewarded for their timeliness. Magicians stroll through the theater, offering to demonstrate their skills one-on-one. And there is a magician performing illusions
in a kiosk that also serves as a shop. In addition, visitors can explore the building with a scavenger hunt; they also can do that after the performance.
Video screens on either side of the stage serve up fun shorts before the show, as well as a smattering of magic history, as showtime approaches.
Good to know: There is a bar stocked with beer, wine and soft drinks. The popcorn, popped fresh in the theater, is free.
Details: Shows take place almost every Saturday at 7 p.m., with more shows during Spring Break and at other times during the year, 217 Alamo Plaza. $24.99 to $36.99 general admission; $29.99 to $39.99 for second-row seating; $39.99 to $52.99 for VIP seating in the front row. magiciansagency.com; 210-290-5502.
Hopscotch
The lowdown: The concept for this interactive gallery got a trial run with a pop-up in Austin in 2019 before opening its first permanent spot right across from Travis Park in 2020. Other locations are in the works for cities across the country
Visual and aural wonders abound in the two-story flagship. Some have been there since the beginning, including a curved space that bathes visitors in soothing light and sound, and the Ames room created by San Antonio artist
Gary Sweeney, a slanted space designed to create an optical illusion that makes folks viewed through a window appear to be much larger or smaller than they actually are. Another fave from the start is the black room in which people can unburden themselves by sharing secrets in soundproof telephone booths; the secrets are recorded, and. after being vetted, play on a loop on oldfashioned wall phones.
Newer installations include “The Light Portal,” in which visitors use a tablet to make changes to vivid kaleidoscopic images projected onto a giant disc; and “Gaze,” a collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign, which is a small maze made of clear walls bearing messages of inclusivity and hope.
Good to know: There’s no need to buy a ticket to sit at the bar, visit the gift shop or hang out in the lobby. Food trucks focused on snacks, such as cotton candy and churros, are on-site most weekends.
Details: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays-thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays-saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, 711 Navarro St. $15 to $24; free for children 3 and younger. letshopscotch.com. 210-9602064.
Liggettville Adventure Center
The lowdown: The Liggettville Adventure Center at the Shops at Rivercenter is one of four across the country and the only one in Texas. They are owned by Jim and Michelle Liggett, who are based in Michigan.
The San Antonio site opened on the second floor of the mall about a year ago. It has two components: the Sky Trail elevated obstacle course and the Clip ‘n Climb walls. Both
are open to all ages.
Those who strap on the required harness to clamber across the Sky Trail have two levels for playing, reaching up to 35 feet in the air, and they can chart their own course. It includes rope bridges and a long, slender cylinder that begins to spin whenever anyone applies weight to it, among other challenges. There is a zip line, too, as well as a horseshoe-shaped section that juts away from the course over the mall floor, where daredevils can propel themselves by swinging from a series of ropes.
Little ones have their own version of the trail, which is just 3 feet off the floor and includes a zip line.
The Clip ‘n Climb is just around the corner from the ropes course and a few feet away from the Pokémania shop. It features16 brightly colored walls for a variety of skill levels. Climbers wear harnesses and can slowly drop to the floor when they reach the top.
Good to know: Waivers are required. Youngsters’ options are determined by height rather than age. They have to be at least 42 inches tall to do the big ropes course; those who stand 42 to 49 inches must be accompanied by an adult.
Details: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, second floor, Shops at Rivercenter, 849 E. Commerce St. $15-$27 in advance and $20-$30 for walkups for both the ropes course and the climbing wall; $8-$18 in advance and $10-$20 for walkups for the ropes course alone; $13.50 in advance and $15 for walkups for the the climbing wall alone. liggettville.com, 210-851-8500.