Dish-Houston

Former champions Lleyton Hewitt (2009) and Tommy Haas (2004) as well as former finalist James Blake (2008) are among the players added to the field for the 2013 US Men's Clay Court Championship as the preliminary entry list was released this week. Twenty-three players, including six ranked within the Top 25 on the ATP World Tour, have committed to the 28-player field for the tournament at River Oaks Country Club April 8-14.

Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion from Australia, and Germany's Haas headline a list of international stars in the event that includes defending champion Juan Monaco from Argentina, France's Gael Monfilsand Spaniard's Nicolas Almagro and Fernando Verdasco.

Blake, a former Top 5 player, is among a group of seven Americans that includes 2012 River Oaks runner-up John Isner, 2010 finalist Sam Querrey, Ryan Harrison, Tim Smyczek, Houston resident Michael Russell and wild card recipient Jack Sock.

"Getting the entry list always gives everyone around River Oaks a little energy boost because it means the tournament is now less than six weeks away," said Tournament Director Van Barry. "With the players that has signed up for the 2013 tournament, I anticipate a lot of excitement for this tournament. It's such a deep field, I think every day of the week will have plenty of stars and quality matches."

Here are the first 22 entries for the 213 US Men's Clay Court Championship, with their nationality and ranking as of Monday, Feb. 25:
Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 12
Martin Alund (Argentina) 91
Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 87
Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 75
James Blake (USA) 99
Flavio Cipolla (Italy) 100
Somdev Devvarman (India) 85*
Tommy Haas (Germany) 19
Ryan Harrison (USA) 76
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 98
John Isner (USA) 15
Jesse Levine (Canada) 95
Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) 57
Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 77
Juan Monaco (Argentina) 14
Guido Pella (Argentina) 88
Sam Querrey (USA) 23
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) 96
Michael Russell (USA) 72
Tim Smyczek (USA) 101
Jack Sock (USA) 130
Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 24
*Protected Ranking

One more player will join the field as wild cards while four more players will advance into the main draw through the qualifying tournament that will be held begin April 6 at River Oaks.

In addition to these singles players, four-time doubles champion the Bryan Brothers will return to River Oaks. The twin brothers Bob and Mike are the World No. 1 doubles team. They own the record for Grand Slam titles with 13 together as well as total career titles together with 85. 

Individual session tickets and the very popular “Champ Pass” are on sale on now. The Champ Pass for the 2013 US Men’s Clay Court Championship includes a ticket to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions. "The Champ Pass" usually sells out before the tournament begins. A limited number of season ticket packages are still remaining. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294.
 
US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club
The 104th competition for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be held April 8-14, 2013, at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Started by the USTA in 1910, the Clay Court Championship has been held at numerous venues around the country. The tournament has been held in Houston since 2001, and will be held at River Oaks Country Club for the fourth straight year. Prior to hosting the US Men’s Clay Court Championship, River Oaks Country Club hosted its own event, The River Oaks International. Started in 1931, the River Oaks International roster of former champions includes Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas and James Blake. The 2013 US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be the 79^th tournament at River Oaks, with the club hosting a tournament every year since 1946 after a four-year lapse due to the war. More information is available at www.mensclaycourt.com or on Twitter at @mensclaycourt. 

But you can try to get your head around it at the Alley Theatre beginning March 1st. Bringing together an outstanding, large cast with a world-class artistic team, Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd directs Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men. This epic production brings this captivating military courtroom drama to life. 

You may remember the 1992 movie with Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore that was nominated for four Academy Awards. 

Jeremy Webb as Lt. j.g. Daniel A. Kaffee and Lee Sellars as Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep in the Alley Theatre’s production of A Few Good Men. A Few Good Men runs March 1 through March 24, 2013 on the Hubbard Stage. Photo by Jann Whaley.

Aaron Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose film credits include The Social Network, Moneyball, Charlie Wilson's War, and the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic. Sorkin's HBO hit series, The Newsroom, debuted in 2012 bringing in an average of 7 million viewers per episode. Sorkin produced and wrote the television series Sports Night, winning the Humanitas Prize and the Television Critics Association Award. He spent the next four years writing and producing The West Wing, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series all four years, two Peabody Awards and the Humanitas Prize.

Aaron Sorkin returns to the Alley Theatre after The Farnsworth Invention in 2009 with this captivating courtroom drama. A Few Good Men ran for nearly 500 performances on Broadway in 1989, became an Oscar-nominated film in 1992 and was re-conceived for a 2005 London revival. This taut, tense thriller, originally inspired by true events, erupts when two Marines are accused of the hazing death of a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay. This hard-hitting, suspenseful story puts the Marine code of honor on trial.

"Sorkin's plays live in a way most theatre writing doesn't," Artistic Director Gregory Boyd says. "As scene follows scene his plays have a tempo-rhythm, a quickening and almost musical life - in orchestrating the entire event, Sorkin uses all the tools. His writing is alive - and he is, and rightly, a model of contemporary dramatic storytelling. We're very pleased to welcome him back to the Alley's stage."

The cast of A Few Good Men features Alley Theatre Resident Company Members Jeffrey Bean as Cmdr. Walter Stone, James Black as Capt. Matthew A. Markinson, Emily Neves as Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway, David Rainey as Judge Julius Alexander Randolph, Jay Sullivan as Cpl. Howard, and Todd Waite as Capt. Isaac Whitaker.

Making their Alley Theatre debuts are Max Carpenter as Pfc. Louden Downey, Robert Eli as Lt. Jack Ross, David Pegram as Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson, Michael Schantz as Lt. Jonathan James Kendrick, Lee Sellars as Lt. Col. Nathan Jessep, Jeremy Webb as Lt. j.g. Daniel A. Kaffee, and Jared Zarilli as Lt. j.g. Sam Weinberg. 

Houston actors making their Alley debuts are Daniel Bevan, Andrew Garrett, Dain Geist, Darnea S. Olson, Benjamin Reed and Tristien Marcellous Winfree. Houston actors returning to the Alley stage include Ross Bautsch, Mark Jackson, and Justin O'Brien.

A Few Good Men, by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Gregory Boyd, begins performances Friday, March 1, opens officially Wednesday, March 6, and runs through Sunday, March 24, 2013, on the Hubbard Stage.

ABOUT THE ALLEY THEATRE 
The Alley Theatre is a nationally recognized Theatre Company based in Houston, Texas.  The Alley was founded in 1947 and is one of the few US companies with a commitment to resident artists. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean R. Gladden, the Alley creates a wide-ranging repertoire of innovative productions of classics, neglected modern plays, and new works in its 11 production season. The Alley has brought its productions to Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, 40 American cities, to Berlin, Paris, and St. Petersburg, as well as to major European festivals (including two in one season at the Venice Biennale). A recipient of the Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, the Alley has premiered plays by Edward Albee, Horton Foote, Robert Wilson, Rajiv Joseph. Kenneth Lin,  Eve Ensler, Keith Reddin, and Herbert Siguenza, as well as creating the premieres of the musicals Jekyll & Hyde, The Civil War, and Wonderland. Other notable collaborations include The Roman Plays (with Vanessa Redgrave), Hydriotaphia (by Tony Kushner), and Danton'sDeath. The Alley's productions are built and rehearsed in the Alley Theatre Center for Theatre Production - a 75,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the theatres themselves and are performed on the 824-seat Hubbard Stage and the 310-seat Neuhaus Stage. The Alley continues to provide its audiences with thought-provoking, diverse and transformative theatre. alleytheatre.org

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to A Few Good Men start at $26. All tickets to A Few Good Men are available for purchase at alleytheatre.org , at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713.220.5700. Groups of 10 or more can receive special concierge services and select discounts by calling 713.220.5700 and asking for the group sales department. 

BY DISH CONTRIBUTOR: SCOTT ARTHUR

The first thing you notice about Robert is his voice. It’s deep and rich and very reminiscent of the late Robert Goulet. If you’re a fan of audio books, the voice might be familiar to you because he has narrated quite a number of best sellers.

Houston has heard this voice before ….Petkoff, an award winning stage actor, voice actor and singer, last appeared in the Bayou City reprising his Broadway role of Sir Robin in the TUTS production of Spamalot. Now, in CAMELOT, he graces the stage as Arthur, the man who will be king. Was it challenging as an actor to transform from the goofy version of the classic to the real deal?

 “I admit that there were times in rehearsal that we’d look at each other with a sparkle in our eye and go a little astray,” Petkoff chuckled.

CAMELOT, Lerner and Loewe’s timeless masterpiece, is one of history’s greatest love stories. A sumptuous tale set in a land where honor and chivalry reign. The musical follows the love triangle of King Arthur, his Queen Guenevere, and the young Lancelot. With one of Broadway’s most enchanting scores featuring the hauntingly romantic If Ever I Would Leave You, I Loved You Once in Silence, and Follow Me, CAMELOT is the definitive musical theatre fable.

Petkoff’s seasoned career shows that the California born actor is very much at home on stage performing Shakespeare or sitting behind a microphone reading books …but in the last decade he has become a Broadway musical star.  Since he had no musical training, how did that come about?

“A director saw me playing Hamlet and asked if I would audition for a singing role. I thought –what the heck, I sing in the shower all the time – why not?” 

His performance hit all the right notes and Petkoff’s musical career was launched in 2002 when he got the role of George in the Chicago production of Sunday in the Park with George.

He was pleasantly surprised at the reaction. “I told my agent to start booking me in musicals …and here I am.” he said. Since then, Petkoff’s Broadway credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Spamalot, and most recently Anything Goes with Joel Grey.

In CAMELOT Arthur sort of “sing-talks” his musical part. Are you comfortable with that?

“Absolutely,” Petkoff says enthusiastically. “The part was originally written for Richard Burton … much more a Shakespearean actor than a singer. This (sing-talk) style allows the actor to actually act out the song in the moment and lets the audience feel the passion. It also worked well for Richard Harris in the 1967 movie version."

Speaking of those two iconic King Arthurs, do you base your performance on either of their portrayals?

“Part of them creeps into whom you are on stage,” said Petkoff. “I saw Burton do it early in my career and it influenced me greatly. And I sometime occasionally slip into my James Mason impression. But for the most part – it’s my interpretation.”

The story of CAMELOT is more than half a century old. What about it has made it a classic that never seems to get old?

Petkoff smiles as he says,

“I think the idea of royalty still attracts us. And the story is really about a guy who won the lottery. He pulled a sword out of a stone and was allowed to rule a country. Arthur was an everyman – a good man with a sense of humor and a youthful awkwardness. We can all relate as we watch him grow into becoming a wise king.” 

CAMELOT runs from January 22 through February 3 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. An audio described performance is available Sunday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m.; open captioning is available Sunday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Hobby Center is wheelchair accessible. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. Group tickets may be purchased by calling (713) 558-8888 or via email at groupsales@tuts.com.

By DISH Contributor Scott Arthur

Children searching the Houston skies for something magical this time of the year might just see a flying boy before they spot a red sled. With a burst of fairy dust, Peter Pan lands at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts for a dozen days beginning December 11. Somewhere on stage in between the Carol of Christmas and the Cracker of Nuts, try to make time to see a holiday show where you probably don’t already know all the dialogue and music. As part of TUTS’ “A Lot To Love” season, Peter Pan is a unique, family friendly attraction of spectacle and fantasy. The thrill of flying, timeless magical moments and a captivating hook promises to mesmerize young and old alike. Highly recommended!

As an early Christmas offering, we’re gifted with a legendary performer portraying a legendary character. The ever sparkling Tony Award nominee Cathy Rigby returns to play the elusive Pan. Her early days of gymnastics anchored by decades of theatrical and vocal experience allow her to bring Peter to life on stage as no one else has. When she dons the iconic outfit and takes flight, the years also seem to fly away. Rigby is spry, energetic, and thoroughly delightful. As an added bonus, some of Houston’s Humphreys School of Musical Theatre students are cast as supporting actors in the Lost Boys ensemble.  I’ve seen the previews – and I can’t wait.

And just like Tinkerbelle zips from place to place, allow me to briefly land on another subject. Peter Pan features “lost boys.” As a member of the Star of Hope Homeless Mission staff I see lost boys and girls every day. They seem especially lost over the holidays.

In Neverland the kids don’t want to grow up. Homeless children sometimes have to grow up too quickly or are robbed of their childhood because they are constantly moving from school to school, neighborhood to neighborhood and shelter to shelter. I can easily imagine some homeless families serving a “pretend feast” for dinner ….sitting in front of cold beans and rice …hearing the TIC TOC of approaching doom. They don’t have an ageless boy to save them …but they do have YOU. And I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who have contributed to the Star of Hope Mission during the years – and encourage those who have yet to support us. Your contributions help us offer the tools to change lives ….even save lives. Don’t stop. Your ARE making a difference. Clap if you believe!    

Tickets (starting at only $24) are available on-line at TUTS.com, by phone at (713) 558-TUTS (8887), outside the Houston area at (888) 558-3882, or in person at the Theatre Under The Stars Box Office, located at 800 Bagby at Walker, Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

On Thursday, January 31, 2013, the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH) invites you to celebrate 13 years of youth development social awareness and public art, by joining us at our 2012 “L’Art Nouveau” Masquerade Ball – Peinture a Les Etoiles. This dazzling event will raise awareness of MOCAH’s mission in serving at-risk youth in local communities and further our creative cultural art programming.

This year’s event theme will feature the pairing of influential local celebrities and talented local artists to produce a one of a kind piece of art, which will be live auctioned at the January Gala.

The list of collaboration between Artists and Celebrities include:

Shelby Hodge (Columnist, CultureMap-Houston) and Taft McWhorter

Mayor Annise Parker and Hanh Tran

Michael Garfield (The High-Tech Texan®, Radio Personality) and Allan Rodewald

Peter Remington (Publisher, Houston Magazine) and Katarina Conrad

Connor Barwin (Linebacker, Houston Texans) and Grant Marnier

 MOCAH is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) cultural arts organization with a mission to use art and creativity as tools for social awareness, educational enrichment and community development. Since its inception in 1999, MOCAH has served over 14,900 at-risk underserved Houston youth and our programs have operated in over 40 public schools throughout the city.  MOCAH has invested more than $3MM in community art projects and civic art commissions, providing over 90 professional and emerging artists with employment opportunities.   

The estimated audience of 300 business, civic leaders and patrons of the arts would benefit tremendously from your generosity. We would be most appreciative of a telephone call to let me know of your interest.  We look forward to hearing from you soon.  Thank you for considering this invitation and request.  We would like to meet with you to make a formal presentation about the organization, the event and historical information about the past performance of this function and of the organization.

The Art of Leadership (AoL) is a Spring Break and Summer Camp program that revolves around field trips, guest speakers and hands-on art projects that help middle and high school students recognize the importance of creative expression, innovation, entrepreneurship and civic responsibility.  The purpose of the art-based leadership camp is to enrich, develop, and empower the lives of the young people in and around the Houston area by exposing them to local business/civic leaders, team building exercises and art experiences that reinforce their learning journey.

The first of its kind in the city of Houston, the AoL is the evolution of spring break and summer camps offered by the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH) over the past 8 eight years.  For 2013 MOCAH seeks to refine the camp by providing the students with access and exposure to creative professionals and field trips to the work environments of these professionals.

Join us as we work to empower our youth and beautify Houston by putting the “public” back in to public art.

For more information visit www.mocah.org.