The Houston arts ecosystem is brimming with talent, and Performing Arts Houston has been clued into that fact for years. Known for bringing the world’s arts experiences to Houston, PAH is once again taking part in its annual celebration of turning the attention to local artists with New/Now, which runs Thursday and Friday at Wortham Center.
Through the program, which ultimately is a love letter to Houston’s great artists and an invitation for Houstonians to discover these local gems, New/Now provides a cash award, full technical and marketing support and a bevy of other resources to give local creatives a chance to show off their work.
“Most of us who live here in Houston talk about Houston as one of the most diverse cities in the United States, and certainly the artistic themes and cultures and work that is represented by artists here in Houston is as broad as our population,” said Meg Booth, CEO and president of PAH. “Art has the power to record culture, to share culture and to create a safe space for people to learn about each other’s culture. It records the best of the human spirit, and it helps us process life. New/Now is a reflection of the beauty of the city of Houston, and it creates an opportunity to build community by bringing people together.”
This year’s featured artists are Ben Chavez, Marlon Simon and YUNGCHRIS.
Chavez’ “Last Day, County Fair” is a semi-autobiographical musical theatre work that leans into the idea of becoming comfortable with oneself. The main character gets an opportunity to perform at the county fair on the last day, and the big question is whether or not the parents will come to support the performance after learning of the protagonist’s truth.
Marlon Simon’s “On Different Paths” uses musical movements to strike a balance between the structural clarity of classical music and the spontaneity of jazz, conveying the wholeness and unity in Houston today.
YUNGCHRIS’ “My Posse’s on Broadway” is a celebration of the authentic Houston hip-hop movement that emerged in the early ’90s. It serves as an homage to Houston hip hop dance, which has many individuals who have contributed to the hop-hop dance scene. (Listen to YUNGCHRIS’ discussion about the production here.)
In the beginning of New/Now, the program was a departure from the usual programming for the organization, but it was one PAH felt was a necessary trial.
“We have always had a focus on bringing the world to Houston, and so when we started in 2020 saying we also want to commission and support the Houston artistic ecosystem, in a way, it was really a pilot,” Booth said. “We internally said, ‘Let’s give this three years, because we’ve never done it before. We don’t know where it’s going to go or what the response is going to be.'”
It turns out, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“Year over year, we have found that for all of those who attend and participate, it is one of the most cherished experiences that they’ve had,” she said. “The feedback that we’ve gotten from artists is that making the theaters downtown available to the Houston artists to showcase local performers is extraordinary.”
The reaction from the audience also showed growing promise throughout the years, and the program shows no signs of slowing down.
“Our audience, in the first three years, doubled pretty much every single year,” she said. “We absolutely now have an institutional commitment to keep this project going.”
The variety of performances showcase a value of PAH – that it wants to show the breadth of artistic forms.
“We never want New/Now to be all dance one year or all music one year, so we very intentionally look at different genres and artistic projects and try to create that balance,” Booth said.
The proof is in the numbers that the strategy behind the program is working. Booth says each year PAH is able to allocate slightly larger financial awards as well expand the resources available to the artists. In terms of applications, PAH has seen approximately a 10 percent increase in applicants year over year.
Run, don’t walk, to witness some of the promising creative masterminds who live right here in Bayou City.
Performing Arts Houston’s ‘New/Now’ takes place at 7:30 p.m. on March 6 and 7 at Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater, 501 Texas. For tickets or information, call 713-227-4772 or visit PerformingArtsHouston.org. Tickets are a “pick your price” model ranging from free to $250.
