Profiles
Open Season: Top Picks from Birmingham’s Arts & Culture Calendar
A large part of our city’s livability, tourism, and economic growth is due to our wonderful arts and cultural organizations — and the talented and passionate staff members who work tirelessly to make the magic happen.
Summer is unofficially over and we are back to our regularly scheduled programming, and by that we mean the programming of Birmingham’s incredible arts and cultural institutions. A large part of our city’s livability, tourism, and economic growth is due to our wonderful arts and cultural organizations — and the talented and passionate staff members who work tirelessly to make the magic happen. This week, we asked some champions for the arts what they are most looking forward to in the embarrassment of riches that is the 2019-2020 season.
“I’m really excited about a couple of upcoming exhibitions at the Birmingham Museum of Art: Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now, which is coming to the BMA from the National Portrait Gallery and Redline, which features the work of local artist Celestia Morgan. Outside of the BMA, I’m looking forward to Moonstone, a festival in November celebrating women in music and art with a percentage of sales benefits Girls Rock Birmingham.”
Birmingham Museum of Art
(pictured above)
“This season I think everyone should make plans to spend some of their Valentine’s Day weekend with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. February 14 & 15 we’ll have three performances of our Tango, Flamenco, & More! program, featuring romantic and dance-inspired music with phenomenal returning soloist Claudia Chapa.Personally, I always love to see what the Alabama Ballet is doing, and I can’t wait for Blue Suede Shoes, coming up the first weekend in October! That’s also the weekend of our season opener… why not see both?”
Alabama Symphony
“Even if I didn’t work at the Alabama Theatre, the Showplace of the South would be my number one recommendation for an arts and culture event this fall. The Alabama chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society presents Phantom of the Opera on Sunday, October 27. This is the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film classic and legendary organist Tom Helms will provide a live soundtrack on the Mighty Wurlitzer.Masks matter a lot in the other event about which I am most excited — Behind the Mask at Rojo on Thursday, Oct. 3. One month before Birmingham’s massive Day of the Dead celebration, Rojo will host an exhibit of dozens of masks made for the event.”
Birmingham Landmarks, Inc.
“I am most excited about directing A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry with Theatre Downtown and Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre. Opening December 5th, this piece is a classic, and I’m excited to bring those themes to Birmingham for the first time in a while.I’m also very very excited about Birmingham Festival Theatre’s upcoming season of work! They are the oldest community theatre in the city, they’ve got a big season planned. I cannot wait to see what they’ve got cooked up!”
Birmingham Black Repertory Theatre Company
“My recommendation for a Birmingham Art Music Alliance event is the Birmingham New Music Festival, happening October 12-22. Represented are most strands that make up modern art music, including improvisation, acoustic chamber music, and electronica.In the spring, I’m looking forward to Invoke, a fresh take on the string quartet concept, hosted by the Birmingham Chamber Music Society on March 24.”