Houston’s Theater District is filled with music and art. It is so filled, in fact, that the artistry is spilling over into the streets – specifically in the form of hand cranked music boxes that dot the downtown area as part of Harmonies. This series of interactive installations are positioned throughout the entertainment district, but run, don’t walk, as the experience closes this weekend.
Presented by Houston Theater District, Houston First and Downtown Houston+, the Harmonies installations are located in Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, Market Square Park, Trebly Park, Alley Theatre, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Jones Hall and Wortham Theater Center’s Fish Plaza. The series showcases music from Houston Theater District performing arts organizations, including Ars Lyrica, Performing Arts Houston and more.
These 10 music boxes, created by LeMonde Studio, are set to create magical soundscapes and illuminate their surroundings with enchanting lights and sounds. The giant creations include a Nutcracker, a guitar slide, a massive boombox, a banjo, a violin, a music note, a theater mask, a microphone and an elegant harp, each accompanied by its own distinctive soundtrack.
Having this interactive experience is something that has been in the works for a while, says Hillary Hart, executive director of Theatre Under The Stars and chair of Houston Theater District Board.
“The genesis of it started several years ago when Houston Theater District went through a strategic planning process that resulted in us working with a placemaking consultant in order to find meaningful ways for us, as a district and independent organizations and independent artists inside the district, to more meaningfully engage with our community,” she said.
The setup goes as follows:
Hobby Center
Music Box: Microphone
- “Circle of Life,” from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection: The Lion King, to be presented at Broadway at the Hobby Center in July 2024.
- “Ah! mes amis,” from The Daughter of the Regiment by Gaetano Donizetti. Tenor performed by Lawrence Brownlee with piano by Kevin Miller at Houston Grand Opera’s first annual Giving Voice performance on January 19, 2020.
Music Box: Guitar
- “Folia & Canario” by Gaspar Sanz from Don Quixote’s Excellent Adventures, guitar by Richard Savino, performed in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center in 2017, presented by Ars Lyrica Houston.
- “Folia” (Anonymous, Spain, c.1700) from Don Quixote’s Excellent Adventures, guitar by Richard Savino, violin by Kurt Johnson. Performed in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center in 2017, presented by Ars Lyrica Houston.
Wortham Center
Music box: Nutcracker
- Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Act 1, Scene 1: No. 2 March Philharmonia Orchestra John Lanchbery ©1988 EMI Records.
- Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Act II: No. 12d, Russian Dance Philharmonia Orchestra John Lanchbery ©1988 EMI Records.
- Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Act II: No. 13 Waltz of the Flowers Philharmonia Orchestra John Lanchbery ©1988 EMI Records.
Alley Theatre
Music box: Tragedy/comedy mask
- Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Shanahan, Composed by John Gromada. Performed at Alley Theatre, 2023.
- The Servant of Two Masters, translated, adapted, and directed by Rob Melrose from the original play in Italian by Carlo Goldoni. Co-Composed by Cliff Caruthers and Mike Whitebread. Performed at Alley Theatre, 2023.
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
Music box: Harp
“Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel.
“Wings of an Eagle” composed and produced by Jelando Johnson. Drums performed by Mark Simmons and guitar by Kerry Wilkins.
Lynn Wyatt Square
Music Box: Guitar Slide
- “Mbandu Ni Mbandu (Side by Side)” by Vivalda Ndula, presented by Performing Arts Houston.
- “Mr. Stanky Leg” written by Armov and Chad Wesselkamper, performed by Houston Ensemble.
Music Box: Banjo
- “Cowboy Bob” created by Molly Beach Murphy, Jeanna Phillips & Annie Tippe. Music and lyrics by Jeanna Phillips, directed by Annie Tippe. Performed at Alley Theatre, 2023.
- “So Surreal” by Bee Honey.
Music Box: Violin
- “Desert Shelter,” composed by J.E. Hernandez in collaboration with the Ponce Project musicians, commissioned by Performing Arts Houston.
- “Road Noise” composed by Erin Rodgers, commissioned by Performing Arts Houston.
Trebly Park
Music box: Boombox
“Take Me To The Good Times” by the The Suffers. Written by Steve Watkins, Moorea Masa, Kam Franklin, The Suffers.
“Beaches,” produced by Amaru TMN and The Biggest Brandon.
Market Square Park
Music box: Treble
- “Filho Bonito,” vocals performed by Bee Honey, vibraphone by Jalen Baker, all other instruments by AmaruTMN.
- “Be You” by The Suffers featuring The Vapor Caves. Written by Andrew ”Boombaptist” Thaggard, Yadira Brown, Kam Franklin, The Suffers.
The music boxes serve as an overarching goal to ensure that theater district feels welcoming, engaging and invites people to not only experience the art that happens inside venue spaces but also in the public domain.
Right now, Houston Theater District is working on what the next engagement will be.
“We’re conscious of wanting to make sure that whatever opportunities for engagement or activation we launch next in the in the district will be well supported and well thought out,” Hart said. “The music boxes are our first foray into creating areas of interest inside the district for people to engage with. The next steps will be to select the next placemaking opportunity that we have in order to build upon kind of the fun and excitement that we built with the music boxes.”
In what seems like an increasingly isolated and remote world, the music boxes are instill a sense of nostalgia and childlike wonder.
“Our industry is predicated upon bringing people together. There’s something to be said for returning to those tactile moments of engagement,” Hart said. “They remind you that there is a world out here and in places for you to go to create community. The arts are absolutely positioned to be the perfect mechanism by which community is built.”
The music boxes are a good reminder that Houston is a burgeoning region, rife with opportunities to consume and explore artistic opportunity.
“The arts, regardless of what the medium is, regardless of where it may be located, are all around you. They are a part of your everyday life, whether you recognize it or consciously of it or not, and they are absolutely here in service to their communities,” Hart said. “Engaging with the arts is not reserved for only a select few. Our organizations exist to serve the entire community. If we can create with these music boxes a playful, interactive opportunity in a public space that doesn’t require you to buy a ticket or enroll in a class, then we’re going to do that, and we’re going to find other ways to expand upon that so that people understand that the Houston Theater District as well as the other cultural districts are here for them.”
To learn more about the music boxes, visit visithoustontexas.com/event.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
