UPDATE! Holiday-Themed Theatre: Go See "1776" This Weekend

The first Continental Congress as a musical? Yes! Believe it or not, "1776" is a surprisingly intelligent and stirring portrayal of the historic events that July, starring my friend Kyle Andrews as John Adams (pictured). It runs for the next three weekends at the Cailloux Theatre in Kerrville. Showtime on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is 7:30 pm, and Sunday shows start at 2:00 pm. The show on Saturday, July 4 starts at 5:00 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children 14 and under. Be aware that there is some “coarse” language, slavery is addressed, and it's not an action-packed romp filled with dance numbers and special effects--so it may not be the ideal show for young ones. And it's a long show....about 2 1/2 hours.

We thoroughly enjoyed the show. In addition to a great venue, strong performances were turned in by Jeff Cunningham (Benjamin Franklin), Max Smith (Thomas Jefferson), Jeffrey Brown (Edward Rutledge), and Kyle.

Come celebrate our nation's birth with a show in Kerrville!

(Many thanks to Karen Andrews for a good deal of this post.)

Lovely Chamber Music at the Cactus Pear Music Festival

In its thirteenth season, the Cactus Pear Music Festival features four different programs from July 9-19. The chamber music festival was founded by Stephanie Sant'Ambrogio, former concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony; she wanted to fill the classical music void left when the Symphony went on its summer hiatus.

This year's schedule features 16 artists (including Sant'Ambrogio) and works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Ravel. This year's concerts:

• Thursday, July 9, Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7:30pm


• Friday, July 10, New Braunfels Presbyterian Church, 7:00pm


• Saturday, July 11, Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7:30pm


• Sunday, July 12, First Presbyterian Church (New Braunfels), 2:30pm


• Wednesday, July 15, First United Methodist Church (Boerne), 7:00pm


• Thursday, July 16, Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7:30pm


• Saturday, July 18, Travis Park United Methodist Church, 7:30pm


• Sunday, July 19, First United Methodist Church (Boerne), 2:00pm

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students, and $70 for season tickets.

CPMF also sponsors a Young Artists Program, where young musicians spend two weeks learning from professionals.

You can order CDs from past seasons on their website.