Have a seat with me on the Casting Couch

It’s comfy. Join me.

The last Casting Couch of this season’s Dominc Walsh Dance Theater is this Friday, May 1st. If you haven’t read my post on my first DWDT experience, get on it.  You’ll see why I’m desperately in love with this modern dance troupe.

Casting Couch is the unique opportunity to experience the latest DWDT performance, followed by a chance to join the dancers on the stage for conversation, music, drinks and food.  This weekend’s Casting Couch will feature pizza from Angelo’s downtown, and wine from SoVino.  After the Casting Couch, we’ll be headed to SoVino for POP! a party with Pop Rocks, pop music, popcorn and we will be poppin’ the top off of Pommeroy Pops.  Party goes from 9:30p – close and the special drink of the night will be Pop Rock-rimmed Pommeroy champagne.

Click here for your Casting Couch Tickets

Read more below about this weekend’s performance.

The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
April 30-May 2, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Zilkha Hall

Dominic Walsh and the DWDT company members were in Sarasota for the Florida premiere of Walsh’s Mozart Trilogy this past weekend. The Trilogy features Wolfgang for Webb performed by Sarasota Ballet, Amadeus for Anita performed by DWDT, and Mozart performed by dancers from both companies. The two companies are travelling to Houston for our presentation of this thrilling homage, with stunning scenic design by Houston artist Libbie Masterson and distinctive costumes by Domenico Luciano.

Sarasota Ballet has enjoyed much success since Iain Webb took over as Artistic Director in 2007, including glowing critical and public reviews. Last year, Webb graciously invited Walsh to choreograph a new work for the company and the result was Wolfgang for Webb. Now, Sarasota Ballet and Dominic Walsh Dance Theater join forces to bring Walsh’s complete Mozart Trilogy to audiences in Sarasota and Houston.

To read more about The Trilogy, please click on the links below.

Herald Tribune | Pelican Press | Bradenton Herald

Do not miss this opportunity to see these award-winning contemporary ballets set to the celebrated piano sonatas, operatic works, and symphonies of Mozart.

Mozart
2008 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship

Amadeus for Anita
2007 Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography

Click here for tickets or call the Box Office at 713-315-2525.

Tags: ballet, contemporary ballet, dance, dominic walsh, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, DWDT, parties

Dine Out For Life this Thursday

Peeps,

Please join myself and Chris Valdez this Thursday, April 30th, from 6-9pm as we excitedly host this year’s Dining Out For Life event at t’afia, benefiting AIDS Foundation Houston.

Dining Out For Life is an annual fundraising event where Houston restaurants donate a portion of proceeds to local area AIDS agencies for all lunch and dinner sales. The event takes place all across the country on this night, and Houston is a proud supporter of this cause for the 3rd year.

Each year, Chris and I participate in the event, and this year we are so very excited to have been asked to host a venue, and not just any venue, Monica Pope’s award-winning t’afia in Midtown. If you have not yet been to t’afia, what a great excuse to try out one of Houston’s best restaurants.

If you cannot make it out to t’afia, please consider dining for lunch or dinner at any of the other participating restaurants.  All participating restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to AIDS Foundation Houston.

Chris and I will be at t’afia all night to welcome you, offer some awesome specials from Azur Salon, and enter you for chances to win some awesome raffle prizes. Last year we had a huge group at t’afia and it was a blast! We recommend you make a reservation by calling 713.524.6922

We sincerely hope you will consider spending your Thursday night with us at t’afia for this great cause.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, April 30 | 6-9pm
t’afia in midtown  | 3701 travis
RSVP 713.524.6922
www.tafia.com

Tags: AIDS Foundation Houston, dining out for life, food, monica pope, t'afia

the dichotomy of independence

tumblers, by slightclutter

It feels as if this post is way overdue. On the other hand, it also feels to be entirely immature.

I’m going to cram a lot into this post, so for you ADD readers, here’s the short version:

• Update on Baby Kailey: she’s doing great!
• I moved in with my parents to help with the baby!
• I still have my place, so there will still be a Christmas Tree Viewing Party 3.0!

• I quit my job!

• I’m freelancing! (yes, read above: i quit my job!)
• I’m really, really happy, excited, and scared as all hell!
• Wedding Bells

Whew. That wasn’t so hard?  Now what took me so long to write this post? (Besides painstakingly searching for the exact right image. Which I will always obsess over.) Read more…

Tags: blogging, career, colab, cosmopolitician, family, friends, houston, MagsMac, Politics, schipul, weddings, writing

Bill White Gets It

Mayor Bill White, image by David Brown

This past Saturday, I had the esteemed honor of putting on a Social Media Workshop for Houston Mayor Bill White, his staff, and volunteers for his upcoming US Senate Campaign. We discussed Facebook,Twitter, and other social media tools.

We gathered at the Houston Technology Center and specifically discussed the importance of new media tools in politics. Admittedly so, not a student of politics, I invited two of the most capable teachers I know, Ed Schipul and Katie Laird, to help present.  Ed and Katie explained the importance of storytelling, how to listen first before engaging, and the art of responding.

You can view their full presentation here.

After Ed and Katie presented, Mayor White got up to share a few words.  I was entirely impressed by his understanding of this medium of communication, and more importantly the need for it in politics.  He went on to explain that what politics can benefit most from social media is the transparency and honesty that comes along with it.  No longer can politicians say one thing to one source, and another to another source.

In the time I’ve spent with both Mayor White and his wife Andrea White I’ve come to know them not only as intelligent, capable leaders, but as eager students who both see the value in community.

Big thanks to all of our volunteers: Julie Pippert, Katrina Esco, Ashley Minor, Laura Mayes, Jenni-Rebecca Stephenson, Grace Rodriguez, Katy Bacon, and Felicity Pereyra.

To David Brown of Spacetaker for playing official photog for the day, and for all of his continued support of Mayor White.

Thanks to the Houston Technology Center for hosting us.

To the city’s best coffee, Coffee Groundz, and to the Kolache Factory, who answered my last minute call via Twitter (while in Colorado nonetheless) and provided us with yummy breakfast.

I look forward to being involved in more of these workshops, and wish the Mayor the best in his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat.  I hope he gets it. Because Bill White gets it.

Tags: bill white, bill white for texas, BW4Tx, ed schipul, katie laird, schipul, socia media

Fo' SHO: tweets + birdies

Here’s where I try to do something I’ve never done before: cover sports.

Sure, I’ve had the occasional post on my favorite Men in Orange, but have never taken on the role of broadcaster of los deportes. So here goes nuthin’.

This weekend is the Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club.  (I do know enough about the tournament to know that it used to be in the Woodlands. go. me.) I dated a golf pro for 2 years and never once stepped on a golf course. Much less attended a tournament. So you guys are in for a treat of epic (newbie) proportions. I’ll probably end up looking like a fool with the lack of golf knowledge I have, but if you are interested  laughing at me, or finding out what all the celebs are wearing, I’m your huckleberry.

I’ll be “live tweeting” (like there’s any other kind of tweeting?) on Saturday from about 1-4pm. You can check out my updates via my twitter stream at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitician.

For more info on the tournament, and I’m sure much more accurate information than I could give, check out the SHO’s adorably-named blog, SHO and Tell.  (See? I just called golf adorable. Oh geez.)

In studying up for my assignment (more like cramming for a midterm), I discovered that the SHO is quite the local philanthropist.  Since 1992 they’ve raised $46 million for local charities, among them, Acres Homes Youth Association, a neighborhood very close to where I grew up. View all core charities here.

Wonder if I’ll get to ride in a golf cart? Sa-weet.

Tags: golf, shell houston open, sports, twitter