Karri along with her costars provide 90 minutes of sheer relatable and hysterical entertainment in this Off-Broadway show. The musical appeals to so many because it features parodies of easily recognizable classic pop songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Think about “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and change that to “In the guest room, my husband sleeps tonight”.

Karri, who has been acting in this show since 2008 says every show is like a party with your best girl friends and makes the perfect ladies’ night out for woman (and men) of all ages. When Karri was first cast in the show, she was nowhere near menopause but still found the show extremely relatable and the first time she saw the performance she said she laughed uncontrollably the entire time. This show is not only for middle aged women, we can all relate somehow. You know you are turning into your mother just as much as I am turning into mine. She said often she sees men accompany their wives against their will but end up rolling in laughter.

The actors hope their patrons leave the show feeling enriched and empowered and that they want everyone to understand that the best is yet to come, and that life does not end at menopause. They want to offer women a new perspective on the joys of aging. The show features not only menopause and how it affects woman, but also touches on fun things we all know are coming like; turning into our mothers, weight gain, wrinkles, not enough sex or too much of it, hot flashes, night sweats and every husband’s favorite; mood swings.

Grab a group of girlfriends and plan a night out to see this show. You will all find a character you can relate to or at least see parts of yourself in them. Or, just as good, bring your husband so you can both laugh at yourself a little and give him a little insight into the fun issues that lie ahead. A little perspective can’t hurt!

Now in its 19th year on tour, and 15th as the longest-running musical in Las Vegas history, it has been seen by more than 17 million fans in 500 cities and 23 countries worldwide.  The show is scheduled to run through November 16^th at the Fort Worth Community Arts center at the W.E. Scott Theatre. The theater is located at 3505 W Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76107.

Remaining Performances Schedule:
● Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m.
● Thursday, October 31 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
● Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.
● Saturday, November 2 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
● Sunday, November 3 at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased through their website or at the theater. Go to their Event Brite page to purchase tickets online: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/menopause-the-musical-21643018997

Use discount code TANGLEWOOD to save 20% on any ticket order.

Angela Weaver is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could. At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her husband and two boys in Fort Worth and spends as much time as possible on fun adventures with her kids. She loves to spend her time with her boys outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns. She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.

The post Finding the Funny in “Menopause” first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Right: Georgia James Clark
Left: Cass Hook

One such opportunity opens this week at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. Home Fires, an art exhibition with hundreds of pieces from seven artists with Fort Worth ties, will run from October 5 to October 26, 2018. The public opening is on Friday, Oct. 5, from 6-9 pm. It’s free, and everyone is invited.

The idea for the exhibit grew out of a conversation in 2017 when I drove up from Austin to attend my high school reunion. During the evening, I had a very interesting discussion with fellow alum, lifelong friend and current Fort Worth resident Georgia James Clarke. Georgia is a painter and graphic arts professional who has shown frequently at FWCAC. As a sculptor, writer, and former music producer myself, I started talking with her about others in our group of friends who were also artists, how we all met, and what that might mean for Fort Worth today.

Georgia Clarke
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

Georgia and I originally met when I moved from what were then the outskirts of Fort Worth — in fact, we originally lived in the area that eventually became Tanglewood and surrounding neighborhoods — to attend an elementary school on Fort Worth’s near west side. We became part of a group of kids who were soon fast friends and frequently walked home together after school.

Willis Lee: Subjacent II
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

In junior high, Georgia and I met Willis F.  Lee, now a renowned photographer and print maker based in Santa Fe (where his work is displayed in some of the finest galleries); Marilyn Maxwell, a fine art photographer; and Paige Kelly (now Paige Hendricks Russey), a designer, former dancer and public relations professional.

Marilyn Maxwell: Cheetah
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

What if we presented a show together? Georgia and I wondered. We discussed getting Paige to help by becoming our curator. I asked Lee, who agreed and brought in Marilyn, who also now resides in Santa Fe where she has developed her artistry and passion for photography and species preservation in Africa.

Scout Stormcloud: Ruscha 2
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

I asked my wife, Scout Stormcloud, an oil painter and photographer originally from Houston, if she’d like to be included, too. We show frequently around Austin in the East and West Austin Studio Tours and at the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, where Scout is secretary and a member of the board of directors.

Wendy Hook: Transistor Quilt 2018
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

Then, I called my sister-in-law in Fort Worth, Wendy Hook, a quilt maker whose craft has developed from making practical gifts for friends and family to creating full blown modern art pieces, often dying and printing her own fabrics to create remarkable textile art. Wendy, in turn, invited Betty McBride Alcorn, an accomplished landscape painter whose work is in a number of private collections, to join us.

Betty Alcorn
Photo courtesy of FWCAC

The concept of the show, one that started as an idea of an ex-patriot as an artistic reunion with old friends returning home to share their art with friends and family, had quickly evolved into an exhibition with wider dimensions, with a variety of artistic styles and perspectives. We hope you’ll visit this group showing in your hometown and enjoy the works on display. They represent artists who are keeping the home fires burning in the city that helped form their aesthetics, now one of the key centers of art in the entire country, Fort Worth, Texas.

For more, visit https://fwhomefiresart.org.

Left: Cass Hook
Right: Exotic Resolution 2018

Cass Hook (shown with his piece “Exotic Resolution 2018) is the organizer of Home Fires at FWCAC.  He is a sculptor now living on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, works in bronze, clay, and mixed media and paints in pastel and acrylic. Hook works mostly in abstraction, but has done portrait commissions and many figure sculptures. Lee, Maxwell, Clarke, and Hook have known each other since elementary and middle school.

The post Ft. Worth Childhoods Inspire, Connect Artists at FWCAC first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The difficulties of making a living in the arts field are no secret, and yet our city is dependent on their creations to enrich our everyday lives and to attract tourists. The Fort Worth Community Art Center recently organized Art Aid, a day-long workshop intended to give local artists the tools they need to further their careers. I want to share my experience attending the event and that of my colleagues because Fort Worth needs more programs like this.

Painter and Art Tooth board director Ariel Davis said veteran gallery owner William Campbell’s presentation was insightful.

“Bill spoke about how to get into and deal with galleries as an artist and what to be aware of,” Davis recalled. “What I liked most about his talk was his encouragement to artists to be persistent and to take action. Most galleries are not just going to come find you: it won’t happen. He said artists should consider themselves a business, and in that capacity, should always act professional when dealing with galleries and gallerists. Artists, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and become familiar with gallerists and other people of influence within the art industry around you. He also talked about some details like shipping, contracts, how to send images, etc. So my short take away is — be persistent, continue to make art, don’t be afraid to be outgoing and meet people and tell them about your work, always act professional, and conduct yourself as a business.”

James Talambas, producer/composer/artist, shared his thoughts on two Art Aid speakers he saw.

“Lawyer Thomas Maddrey was engaging and helpful on so many levels,” Talambas said. “He answered most of the questions that we all have about an aspect most of us are the least familiar with, law and financing. He really drove the point home of keeping your business finances away from your personal finances and the best route to take, whether that’s as an LLC or sole proprietorship. He encouraged the artists, of whom there were about 30, that the best way to be a professional is to act professionally. He pointed out the concrete ways to protect yourself and your business, and gave out the link to the PowerPoint that you can download free.”

“I then saw a talk by Megan Henderson of the Near Southside, Inc,” he continued. “She bridged the controversial subject of unprecedented growth in our city and the private sector’s role in public and private art. She guided us through personal anecdotes of her time navigating the inner workings of a changing city and the ways she advocates for local artists with developers. She pushed artists to recognize the wave of gentrification as an opportunity for growth in the arts community and to approach organizations and companies with ideas for art. It was a difficult topic that makes many artists want to throw their hands up and give up, but she gave us some hope for future opportunities.”

I had the pleasure of guest speaking as well on how artists can attract media attention. I gave practical advice about press releases but also tried to get the message across that artists often need to engage the public and seek out writers when they can. The presentation ended with someone asking how many publications cover the arts. Even with the several I could name off the top of my head (including Tanglewood Moms, of course), it was apparent that arts coverage is woefully low in North Texas. I hope that changes.

The community arts center was a fitting venue for the inaugural event. The space has served area artists for decades. The building is also in need of extensive repairs and upgrades. Hopefully, city officials and private donors are watching what is happening at FWCAC and will find ways to support this important building and their programs.

Edward Brown writes about music, arts, and news for a variety of publications. He’s an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and volunteers for numerous Fort Worth nonprofits. 

The post Art Aid: Aiding Artists in Fort Worth first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

As the Uber driver dropped me off at my first Spring Gallery Night stop, Fort Worth Black House, I was feeling giddy — like 5^th-grade-field-trip giddy. A large chartered bus parked nearby was being stocked with vino, suds, and Cheetos. The itinerary for the day was enviable: Artspace 111, Gallery 76102, Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, Fort Works Art, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, and The Foundry District.

The joy ride was organized by a new hybrid art collective, Art Tooth, and sponsored by The Foundry District. Our first stop was nearby. Artspace111 combines a rustic, industrial exterior with a minimalist gallery space and a bucolic outdoor patio. The main attraction was the works of Al Souza, an artist internationally known for his painterly creations that are fabricated from thousands of jigsaw puzzle pieces. For the most part, the subject matter (food, nature, knick-knacks) and medium invited lighthearted, playful observation. As my friend Guillermo Tapia pointed out, everyone has tried to build a jigsaw puzzle at some point in their life. Al Souza’s works will be on display through May 6.

One hour and two drinks later, we were in Gallery 76102, a University of Texas at Arlington-managed contemporary artspace. MAKING WAVES/MOVING MINDS features works by Amie Adelman, Taylor Barnes, Morgan Chivers, Gregory Scott Cook, Joshua Goode, and Letitia Huckaby. The show was notable for the unconventional use of sound, electronics, and fabric-based creations.

TCU’s Fort Worth Contemporary Arts has long been on my list of galleries to visit. The large single room space is straightforward. RAWIYA: We Do Not Choose Our Dictators features works by female photographers. From everyday events to depictions of the perilous life of refugees, the show humanizes the lives of men, women, and children living in the Middle East. The subject matter is prescient in a time when forces (political and otherwise) are working to stereotype and stigmatize Muslims. RAWIYA runs through May 13.

Gallery newcomer Fort Works Art has made a big splash in a short time. Its owner Lauren Childs, a fine artist in her own right, has sought innovative artists (mostly local) of all stripes for shows that have engaging themes. #28grams features artists who have cultivated large numbers of Instagram followers, some in the hundreds of thousands. The show also featured pieces by local artists like Riley Holloway and Hillary Dohoney.

Fort Worth’s arts community finds a home at FWCAC. The sprawling former home of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is under new gallery and program management. Jonathan Levy recently announced his big plans for the space. One centerpiece of the Gallery Night event was Katherine Toon’s Bloom. The installation had a strong temporal element not usually found in the visual arts. The metaphor of a fading rose reminded me of how many of my artist friends are currently in the full “bloom” of life.

It was obvious why our last official stop was The Foundry District. Large crowds, a DJ, and endless pours of mixed drinks and beers added a not-so-subtle party feel. It was a great way to end the evening. (I recently interviewed one of the Foundry’s directors for a TanglewoodMoms.com blog.) The center attraction was a 180-foot mural that local artists (including Jay Wilkinson, Jeremy Joel, Hillary Dohoney, Jana Renee, and others) were hard at work on, creating as we watched.

The evening didn’t end with our return to FWBlackHouse. In fact, people were just starting to arrive for a party that lasted well past midnight and featured an exhibit by Dallas-based musician/artist Sean Miller and grub from Funky Town Food Truck.

Hopefully, this article whetted your appetite for modern art or at least got you a little curious about it. Don’t forget to follow Art Tooth and FWBlackHouse for the best ways to keep up with the cutting edge of Fort Worth culture.

For a true artist’s perspective of the evening, my good friend Christopher Blay has a lengthy Gallery Night review out this week in the Fort Worth Weekly that I recommend reading.

Edward Brown writes about music, arts and news for a variety of publications. He’s an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and blogger for Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has published articles in Musical Opinion (U.K.), Canadian Music Educators Journal, and Clavier Companion,among others. When Brown isn’t writing about music, he’s actively involved in the local music scene as an educator, performer, lecturer, and judge for student music competitions. His professional affiliations include the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, where he volunteers as education director, and the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, where he serves on the board and artistic committee. Brown was born in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1982. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and currently resides in Fort Worth. His favorite leisure time activities include local music concerts and perusing Fort Worth’s growing gastropub scene.

The post Gallery Hopping on the pArty Bus first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

There’s something for everyone in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. The outdoor spaces, especially between the Kimbell’s Renzo Piano Pavilion and Louis Kahn Building, are exquisite, meditative spaces that every local should know about. Within walking distance of these cultural gems are several fine dining spots: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Hanabi Ramen & Izakaya, and Cafe Modern. Keeping up with the newest exhibits can be a task, so here’s an overview.

Arguably one of the hottest contemporary art shows in the United States just opened at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.  KAWS: Where the End Starts, the first retrospective by Brooklyn-based artists Brian Donnelly (a.k.a. KAWS), runs through January 22. The exhibit has a high entertainment factor. Massive cartoonish statues embracing, references to popular cartoon characters of yesteryear, and artistically vandalized fashion posters from the mid-’90s are just a few of the colorful pieces on display. While it’s easy to get caught up in the macabre images of a deceased, dancing Snoopy or decapitated Homer Simpson, the artist himself said at a recent event that he’s not concerned with each cartoon’s history but rather with the shapes and colors cartoonists employ. The Calvin Klein and Gap posters in the rear of the museum are originals that Donnelly pulled, painted, and re-posted in Brooklyn nearly 20 years ago.

Nearby Kimbell Art Museum has a blockbuster of its own, albeit in a decidedly more Impressionistic vain. Monet: The Early Years, through January 29, is the first-ever exhibit devoted to the early years (1858 until 1872) of Claude Monet. The exhibit follows his development from a more traditional artist into the Impressionist force that he became.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art pulls from photographer Richard Misrach and composer Guillermo Galindo to present Border Cantos through December 31. Translated to “Border Songs,” the title is an apt description of the Texas/Mexican border landscape that fills many of Misrach’s images and Galindo’s soundscapes. Galindo has built a reputation parsing together instruments from commonly-found items. For Border Cantos, many of the instrumental works played throughout the exhibit were recorded on discarded items found just north of the border. What struck me most about this exhibit was the neutral political stance the images and sounds created. Questions are posed but left unanswered.

Anyone who’s seen a Kids Who Care show is familiar with the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. Besides being home to W.E. Scott Theater, the center hosts dozens of (mostly free) art shows a year that feature local, regional, and national artists. Through December 22, visitors can see works by North Texas-native Lael Burns, whose works “contrasts imagery from nature with various man-made aspects of our contemporary world to express her interest with the tensions between spiritual and material aspects of life.”

Fort Worth is fortunate to have an astounding array of world-class culture all in concentrated a walkable area. It may take several trips, but make time for the other Cultural District destinations like the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Will Rogers Memorial Center, and Casa Mañana.

Edward Brown writes about music, arts and news for a variety of publications. He’s an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and blogger for Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has published articles in Musical Opinion (U.K.), Canadian Music Educators Journal, and Clavier Companion,among others. When Brown isn’t writing about music, he’s actively involved in the local music scene as an educator, performer, lecturer, and judge for student music competitions. His professional affiliations include the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, where he volunteers as education director, and the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, where he serves on the board and artistic committee. Brown was born in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1982. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and currently resides in Fort Worth. His favorite leisure time activities include local music concerts and perusing Fort Worth’s growing gastropub scene.

The post Cultural District Roundup first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.