This week's entertainment includes WT concerts, dance and music

WT Brass Choir to offer free concert Nov. 12

CANYON — The WT Brass Choir will send audience members soaring to a Mediterranean paradise at its fall concert, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on the WT campus. Admission is free.

The concert’s highlight will be a performance of Ottorino Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” which is “renowned for its evocative portrayal of Roman landscapes and historical narratives through a captivating symphonic journey,” said director Dr. Guglielmo Manfredi, professor of music.

“Inspired by the beauty of Rome's majestic pine trees, Respighi's masterful orchestration vividly captures the essence of different locations, each portrayed through a blend of rich harmonies, expressive melodies, and powerful crescendos,” Manfredi said.

The concert also will feature “Fanfare Canzonique” by Brian Balmages and “Nimrod” from “Enigma Variations” by Edward Elgar.

Ensemble members include Emily Sotelo, a graduate student in music performance from Midland; Adam Johnson, a junior music education major from Springtown; Brayden York, a junior music education major from Odessa; Giselle Martinez, a freshman music education major from Amarillo; Diego Arias, a sophomore music education and performance major from Amarillo; Seth Meason, a junior music education major from Amarillo; Norrin Hogdson, a senior music education major from Odessa; Roy Brown, a sophomore agribusiness and economics major from Menard; Christopher Santiago, a junior music education major from Odessa; Elliott Lewis, a freshman music education major from College Station; Abraham Wood, a senior music performance major from Floresville; Spencer Owens, a junior music education major from Levelland; Brandon Trinh, a junior music performance major from Frisco; Gavin Poole, a sophomore music performance major from Clifton; Jack Montgomery, a sophomore music education major from College Station; Patrick Lucas, a graduate student in music from Odessa; Wyatt Hayes, a junior music performance major from McKinney; Chema Garcia, a senior music education major from Wellington; Brandon Garcia, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo; Payton Hayes, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo; and Mason McWest, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo.

WT Great Books Series focuses on poetic and artistic dialogue between Picasso, Stein

CANYON — West Texas A&M University’s Great Books Series will examine a creative conversation between a pair of 20th century art icons at its November meeting. Dr. Rebecca Weir, assistant professor of English, will lead the discussion of Gertrude Stein’s poetic portraits of Pablo Picasso and his famous portrait — on canvas, not the page — of her at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 via Zoom.

The discussion series, sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, is open to those who either have or haven’t read the stories, said Dr. Daniel Bloom, Great Books organizer and associate professor of philosophy.

“Stein’s poems ‘Portrait of Picasso’ from 1912 and ‘If I Told Him, A Complete Portrait of Picasso’ from 1923 offer a compelling window into the expatriate artistic communities who thrived in early 20th century Paris, and our discussion will place Stein’ portraits of Picasso in conversation with his famous portrait of her,” Weir said. “Picasso and Stein's rich and generative friendship lasted for decades, and both painter and poet continually challenged and inspired one another.”

WT professors and guest lecturers lead the monthly Great Books discussions. The series began in 2011 and is traditionally held on the second Tuesday of the month. To register for the October discussion, email Bloom at dbloom@wtamu.edu.

Student choreographers in spotlight for WT’s ‘Falling into Dance’

CANYON — Celebrations of joy and explorations of sorrow will fill the stage with West Texas A&M University Dance’s annual fall concert, all choreographed by senior dance students. “Falling into Dance” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16, 17 and 18 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre inside the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex.

“We are thrilled to present an ensemble of dynamic choreography crafted by nine passionatedance artists,” said Crystal Bertrand, director of dance in the Sybil B. Harrington College of FineArts and Humanities. “Together they have composed a concert full of inspiring and innovativeworks that speak their own choreographic voices.”

The performance will feature solo and group works choreographed by Emily Evans, a senior dance major from Amarillo; Anthony Femath, a senior dance major from El Paso; Kynleigh Hilton, a senior dance major from Lubbock; Eden Lovett, a senior dance major from Amarillo; Alexandra R. McPhillips, a senior dance major from Conroe; Matthew Miller, a senior dance major from Lubbock; Zakyya Taylor, a senior dance major from Lubbock; Jamison Uselding, a senior dance major from Amarillo; and Penelope Welch, a senior dance major from Frisco.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free for WT students, faculty and staffwith a Buff Gold Card. Call 806-651-2810, email artsboxoffice@wtamu.edu orvisit showtix4u.com/event-details/78202.

Cirque Italia bringing Water Circus to Starlight Ranch Dec. 1-3

Have you ever dreamed of going on an epic pirate adventure and discovering a buried treasure?Cirque Italia is doing just that in their brand-new production, which will be having peformances in Amarillo Dec. 1-3 under its white and blue big top tent set up at the Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Dr.

Cirque Italia has sought to bring a high-class experience to audiences all over the United States sinceits inception in 2012. This year will be no exception as we take you on an exhilarating expedition insearch of a pirate’s booty with Cirque Italia's Water Circus.

"The story begins with our Ringmaster 'Clown Rafinha' fishing when he unexpectedly catches a bottlewith a treasure map stuffed inside," a news release says. "His ensuing journey takes the audience through storms on the high seas, dreams of angelic aerialists, pirate fights, and more. You will see swashbucklers balancing upside down on a rum barrel, juggling knives, and even one having a run-in with a mermaid. Your jaws will be dropped and you will be hanging on the edge of your seats with our suspenseful Crossbow act and our dangerous Wheel of Death performances. ... Will Clown Rafinha finally defeat the other pirates who are after his treasure and claim it for himself? You’ll have to see our show for yourself to find out!"

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1; 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2; and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. The box office opens on site on Tuesday, the week of the show, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended box office hours on the days of the shows, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Tickets may be purchased through their website at cirqueitalia.com/tickets or by phone at (941) 704-8572. For more information, visit www.cirqueitalia.com or check out their social media accounts.

K-LOVE'S Celebrate Christmas Tour to be at Amarillo Civic Center on Dec. 16

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Awakening Foundation, powered by Awakening Events, has announced K-LOVE'S Celebrate Christmas Tour featuring Natalie Grant and Danny Gokey with special guest Mac Powell. The 12-city tour will kick off on Nov. 29 and runs through Dec. 17, celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.

Immerse yourself in the timeless classics that bring people together during this special season, according to a news release. Gather your loved ones, invite your friends, and make this a Christmas tradition to remember. KLOVE's Celebrate Christmas Tour featuring Natalie Grant and Danny Gokey with special guest Mac Powell is an invitation to experience the reason for the season.

The tour is scheduled to make a stop in Amarillo on Dec. 16 at the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium. Tickets are available for purchase at the Amarillo Civic Center box office, by phone (806) 378-3096, online at www.panhandletickets.com, and participating United Supermarkets stores in Amarillo, Canyon, Borger, Dumas, Dalhart, Hereford, and Pampa.

AMoA hosts 'Critical Mass' exhibit

The Amarillo Museum of Art presents Critical Mass: Photoworks by Meridel Rubenstein on display through Dec. 3.

The term “Critical Mass” means the smallest amount of fissionable material that, when amassed, will sustain a self-supporting chain reaction. CRITICAL MASS was a collaborative photo/text/video installation that takes as its subject the worlds of scientists and Native Americans as they intersected at the home of Edith Warner during the making of the first atomic bomb in 1944 in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

The Amarillo Museum of Art is located at 2200 South Van Buren on the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; adnd 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit www.amoa.org, email amoa@actx.edu, or call (806) 371-5050 or (806) 371-5392 (weekends).

Art of State Parks exhibit opens at PPHM

Canyon — Visitors are now able to see scenes from a host of state parks around Texas, as shared via art displayed on gallery walls. In honor of the Centennial Celebration of Texas State Parks, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) in Canyon is displaying a new traveling art exhibit, now through Feb. 18.

"The Art of Texas State Parks" is a visual arts survey of state parks, featuring more than 30 locations as depicted by some of Texas' finest artists. Along with the traveling exhibit is a commemorative book published by Texas A&M Press. Proceeds from book sales and the sale of the artwork through Foltz Fine Art in Houston will be donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to benefit Texas State Parks at the conclusion of the exhibition run.

Participating artists include: Randy Bacon (Abilene); Mary Baxter (Marfa); David Caton (Utopia); Charles Criner (Houston); Margie Crisp (Elgin); Ric Dentinger (San Antonio/Santa Fe NM); Fidencio Duran (Austin); Janet Eager Krueger (Encinal); Joel Edwards (Waco); Malou Flato (Austin); Gordon Fowler (Austin); Pat Gabriel (Fort Worth); David Griffin (Lubbock/ Dallas); Brian Grimm (Fredericksburg); Clemente Guzman (San Antonio); Karl E. Hall (Houston); John Austin Hanna (Fredericksburg); Billy Hassell (Fort Worth); Hailey Herrera (Bryan); Lee Jamison (Huntsville); Denise Mahlke (Whitehouse); Jim Malone (Fort Worth); Talmage Minter (Waco); William Montgomery (Elgin); Kermit Oliver (Waco); Noe Perez (Corpus Christi); Jeri Salter (Hutto); Jim Stoker (San Antonio); Bob Stuth-Wade (Dublin); and Terri Wells (Austin).

Earlier this year, PPHM created its own homage to Palo Duro Canyon State Park with the exhibition "On the Edge of the Plains," which runs concurrently with this exhibition to show off the beauty of the parks.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo entertainment in brief for Nov. 12, 2023