A celebration of life

9 ways to celebrate el Día de los Muertos around San Antonio

Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, San Antonio

The final days of October will offer several opportunities for people to celebrate life and their dearly departed.

Courtesy city of San Antonio

The Halloween season in San Antonio offers more than just haunted houses, hayrides, and costume parties. Many people will also be taking part in Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, paying tribute to deceased friends and family by creating ofrendas (altars), filled with photos, personal effects, marigolds, and even pan de muerto (bread of the dead).

This fall, there are many large festivals and smaller, more intimate observances of el Día de los Muertos around San Antonio. Here are a few to check out:

Mission San José ofrendas
Daily through November 2 from 9 am to 5 pm
Visitors to the historic Spanish mission have a chance to view ofrendas made by descendants of the original settlers of the South Side missions. 6701 San Jose Drive, free admission.

Briscoe Western Art Museum
Through November 4, museum hours
This downtown museum is inviting community members to contribute copies of photos of lost loved ones and personal offerings for an altar that will focus on honoring influential figures in Western art and the American West. Additionally, Día de los Muertos-themed crafts are available for those who would like to participate on the afternoon of October 27. 210 W. Market St., museum admission varies.

Day of the Dead Festival and River Parade
October 25-27, times vary
La Villita will be the place to be for San Antonio’s annual Day of the Dead Festival and River Parade. A nearly 39-foot tall Catrina (skeleton doll) statue — the largest in the United States — will easily capture the attention of festival attendees. There, they can enjoy music, food, an artisans market, ofrendas, a colorful exhibit of alebrijes, or “spirit animals,”and artistic workshops for the whole family. Texmaniacs, Los Navaira, and Ballet Folklorico Sol de San Antonio are headlining the musical acts. On the evening of October 25, people will line up along the River Walk to see elaborately decorated floats with altars, catrinas, and costumed riders during the river parade. Parade seating at Arneson River Theater reserved, free admission to La Villita.

Muertos Fest
October 26-27, times vary
This two-day annual Dia de los Muertos festival will feature 80-plus original altars, and five music stages spread across Hemisfair. Visitors can also enjoy an art market, food, workshops, and a traditional procession each early evening. Scheduled musical performers include the recently reunited band Girl in a Coma, La Santa Cecilia, Santiago Jimenez, Piñata Protest, Jesse Borrego y Tribe, and Mariachis Campanas de America. 434 S. Alamo St., free admission.

Market Square
October 26-27, 10 am to 6 pm
Visitors to Market Square will enjoy plenty of Día de los Muertos activities and scenes, including Las Monas Cultural Dance Procession, a display of dance and storytelling that will happen 1-2 pm each day. Visitors may also check out themed altars that will be visible across Market Square daily though November 3. 514 W. Commerce St., free admission.

Rinconcito de Esperanza
October 28 to November 2, times vary
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will present its annual Dia de los Muertos program, complete with traditional marigolds, community altars and offerings, face painting, food, music, and more. Attendees may bring flowers, candles, and reprinted photos of lost loved ones they wish to honor. Additionally, members of MujerArtes Cooperativa de Esperanza will hold their yearly Día de los Muertos exhibit and sale of hand-crafted art works. Visitors are also invited to join a short procession from Rinconcito to the Alázan-Apache Courts development and back. 816 Colorado St., free admission.

Pullman Market's Muertos at Mezquite
October 31 to November 3, times vary
The newest culinary destination at Pearl is kicking off its own Dia de los Muertos program with Muertos at Mezquite. It'll feature delicious bites and drinks inspired by Sonoran regional cuisine, live music, DJs, face painting, costume contests, a celebration of life brunch, and more. Pullman Market will also showcase its first Día de los Muertos ofrenda at the Mezcaleria beginning October 23. 221 Newell Ave., free admission.

Pearl
Saturday, November 2 from 5-9 pm
Pearl’s main Dia de los Muertos celebration features seven altars displayed around the campus including at Hotel Emma, Pullman Market, and a community altar under Pearl’s shade structure. There will also be a showcase of altars by Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Hawthorne Academy, and the Mexican consulate; a Tzompantli art installation with 30 hand-painted skulls by artist Regina Moya; and two large alebrijesby artist Mauro de la Tierra made of recycled materials. Additionally, there will be a Catrin and Catrina costume contest, kids’ art activities, face painting, a procession around Pearl, and performances by the University of Incarnate Word student mariachi and by musician Azul. 303 Pearl Pkwy., free admission.

San Antonio Cultural Arts
Saturday, November 2 from 6-9 pm
SACA’s Dia de los Muertos event involves plenty of culturally rich remembrance activities, murals by young local artists, refreshments, and a short procession to nearby Trinity Convenience Store and back. 2120 El Paso St., free admission.

san antonio day of the dead dia de los muertos holidays

Movie Review

Highly anticipated Wicked movie adaptation lives up to expectations

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked.

The musical Wicked is indisputably the biggest Broadway smash of the 21st century, having grossed more $1.6 billion in New York alone and achieving the rare feat of running for over 20 years. All of which is to say that the long-awaited movie adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel will most likely be a massive success whether it lives up to what longtime fans envisioned or not.

Part one — yes, this 2 hour and 40 minute film is merely the first act of the musical; part two arrives a year from now — introduces Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who goes on to become Dorothy’s nemesis, and G(a)linda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the pink-garbed “good” witch, as they meet at Shiz University in Oz. Glinda is the ultra-popular one with sycophantic hangers-on, while Elphaba is shunned by almost everyone, sometimes including her disabled sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who’s desperate to make her own space away from Elphaba.

Her mistreatment by others leads Elphaba to get angry, which manifests itself in uncontrollable magic. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) notices this and takes a personal interest in her, giving her one-on-one instruction in hopes of harnessing her power. In the meantime, Elphaba and Glinda attempt to go from forced roommates to actual friends, although Glinda’s entitled personality is more of an obstacle than anything else they encounter.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by original book writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, the film does a great job of distinguishing itself from the stage version while still remaining true to what made it so beloved. As Chu showed in his last film, In the Heights, he has an innate feel for how to tap into the essence of the source material while expanding it into something befitting the scope of a blockbuster movie.

In this case, he finds a way to give even greater emphasis to the bigotry that Elphaba faces simply because of her green skin; the fact that she is being played by a Black woman drives home the point even more. The story remains light and fluffy for the most part, but the ostracization/otherness that Elphaba feels is delivered in a powerful way, as is her empathy for talking animals like Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), who are facing their own persecution.

Of course, the highlight of the film is Stephen Schwartz’s music, and while not all of the songs are equal in impact, they still make for a cohesive whole. The number of songs and order they appear in the first act is identical to the stage musical, with the standouts remaining “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Defying Gravity.” While there is some superfluous action and cutaways added to certain numbers, it’s not enough to distract from what makes the songs effective.

Oddly, the progression of the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda works better on stage when the timeline is accelerated, but Erivo and Grande-Butera make up for this slight lack with their fantastic performances. The emotion each brings to their characters fits them almost perfectly, and there’s simply no denying the strength of each of their voices. Bode, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more make for a solid supporting cast.

The well-known ending of the first act of Wicked is a huge high point that is so good that it almost makes up for the fact that audiences won’t see the second film for a long time. But if part one is any indication, part two should turn out to be another great musical theater adaptation in a decade that has already seen its fair share.

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Wicked opens in theaters on November 22.

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