Arts and Entertainment

​​Review: ‘The Hardest Part’ is the sound of love’s funeral

Like a prism turns light into color, Noah Cyrus turns pain into music. Emotion moves through Cyrus’s sound without resistance, leaving nothing lost in translation between her experience and her expression. While Cyrus cultivates a beautifully melancholic palette in “The Hardest Part,” I’m left equally impressed with her lyricism as I am with her musicality. “The Hardest Part” does more than provide listeners with ten pretty songs to cry to, it paints Cyrus’ world of doomed love, addiction and fragility with vivid colors and palpable grief.

Review: Houston Ballet’s ‘Peter Pan’ soars above expectations

Neverland has never been so magical. The last time choreographer Trey McIntyre’s “Peter Pan” appeared at the Wortham Theater Center for the Houston Ballet was ten years ago during the 2012-2013 season. This season, the show returned from Sept. 9 to Sept. 18 in full fashion, featuring fairies, flying flips and fantastical sets. 

Rice’s newest a cappella group chimes in on Chinese culture

Rice’s newest a cappella group, the Chimes, is adding to campus’s vibrant music community. According to the club’s vice president, Anita Zhou, it is the first and only Chinese a cappella group at Rice. Co-president Alexia Huang was inspired by the chimes, a Chinese instrument, in creating its name.

Houston’s Arte Público Press triumphs over ‘slings and arrows’ for 40th anniversary

Arte Público Press, the oldest and largest Latine publishing house in the nation, has never taken things by the books. Instead, they’ve promoted Latine writing and culture despite national pushback. The Press celebrated their 40th anniversary on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month with a performing arts gala held at the University of Houston’s Moores Opera House, featuring performances from Solero Flamenco, Brazilian dance company Sambabom, the Houston Grand Opera and more.

Review: ‘Pinocchio’ continues Disney’s live-action cold streak

It seems that Disney has officially become inescapable, especially in the world of film. From Star Wars to Marvel to Pixar, Disney has their stamp on movies of every genre, seemingly designed to appeal to every person. Yet despite this rapid expansion, Disney has recently been unable to capture the magic found in the works that put them on the map in the first place. Released on Disney+ last Thursday, “Pinocchio” epitomizes the lack of creativity seen in recent Disney productions, remaking the original film without any of the style or substance that gave the original its staying power.

Review: ‘age/sex/location’ is an album we wouldn’t miss

It is important that we address mediocrity when we encounter it, especially when the source of mediocrity is something you see greater potential for. My criticisms of “age/sex/location” all come from a place of disappointment resulting from my belief in Ari Lennox’s potential as an artist and musician. 

Discover these local Latine artists

This Thursday marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes the achievements and influence of Latine communities and individuals around the U.S. To celebrate, here are five Houston-based Latine artists to check out and support this month and beyond. More amazing local artists can be found through the Houston Latino Artists Registry from the Inter-University Program for Latino Research.

Celebrated essayist Kiese Laymon reconciles with grief in new release

Kiese Laymon, a critically acclaimed essayist, hosted a book reading at Kraft Hall that featured an excerpt from his highly-anticipated upcoming release, “Good God,” which centers on themes of forgiveness and intimacy. 

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of home away from home

Sept. 10 marked the celebration of one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture — the Mid-Autumn Festival. Every year, the festival is a vibrant and beautiful tradition centered around giving thanks to the harvest, worshipping the moon and reuniting with family around a full table. 

Moody’s new exhibit deconstructs the built environment

Inspired by our built environment and the diverse way that cities are portrayed in art, the Moody Center for the Arts fall exhibition “Urban Impressions: Experiencing the Global Contemporary Metropolis” challenges its audience to reflect on how they move through cities. The opening reception for the exhibition will take place on Friday, Sept. 16 with a student reception on Saturday, Sept. 17. The exhibit will run until Saturday, Dec. 17.

Weekly Scenes and Screens, Sept. 7

These coffee spots are grounds for a caffeine run

The Thresher likes coffee, and we’ve written about our favorite Houston spots before. That said, there are still a latte of great finds beyond the hedges. To avoid the risk of giving you déjà brew, here are some new coffee shop finds you might not have heard of yet.

Bookstores you’re bound to love

Now that school is officially in full force, students have been hitting the books. However, there are plenty of literary worlds waiting to be discovered beyond the rigid spines of our Organic Chemistry textbooks. Now is the perfect time to check out the local independent bookstores hidden around Houston. Whether you have specific titles in mind or want to help support your community, there’s a store for everyone.

Review: ‘Rings of Power’ is a solid albeit muddled start

It’s safe to say that in regards to the high expectations surrounding it, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has proven to be a solid start for the next story to come from the world of Tolkein. Though not immediately gripping like HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” the first two episodes of “Rings of Power” effectively build the foundation of the plot while presenting some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen from a television show.

Review: Kenny Beats exhibits his producing prowess on ‘Louie’

Kenny Beats is one of the best producers working in hip-hop today. The producer’s status as a go-to collaborator for many of the genre’s innovators (with Vince Staples, Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty, to name a few) is certainly enough to prove this lofty endorsement. With “Louie,” Kenny proves that his success is not a result of his clients’ star power but rather because of his ability to converge seemingly conflicting sounds and confidently use authentic instrumentation.

Kanisha Feliciano makes Broadway history

This summer, Rice alumna Kanisha Feliciano graced the storied Broadway stage, performing as the first Latina and second Black woman to play the leading role of Christine Daae in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” Feliciano said that the experience was a dream come true.

Review: ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ attempts flimsy romance

Seven years after “Mad Max: Fury Road,” filmmaker George Miller returned to cinemas this past Friday with “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” a film distinctly opposite from the genre work Miller is known for. While Miller’s  tendency to capture excitement is present in the film, this is a new territory for the director. “Three Thousand Years” is a romance-fantasy drama centered around Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) who discovers a genie (Idris Elba) while on a trip to Istanbul. This heady and almost saccharine premise about the power of storytelling is a great setup for a blissful drama, but ultimately becomes messy as Miller’s style and writing are antithetical to the romance at the core of the story.

‘ones & zeros’ powers digital and interpersonal connection

Created from plywood, corrugated plastic, Arduino circuits and LED strips, “ones & zeros” was created by senior architecture students Peyton Chiang, Joseph Hsu, Olivia Malone and Jeff Xia for Archi-Arts. The large-scale, interactive exhibition goes on display Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. in the Sewall Courtyard as Sleepy Cyborg’s first fall exhibition, slated to run until Oct. 9.

Review: JID reminisces about his origins on ‘The Forever Story’

It’s been four years since JID’s last studio album, “DiCaprio 2,” but he hasn’t been quiet by any measure. In the past few years, JID has been heard on a wide range of features, from Doja Cat to Joey Bada$$, never compromising on quality and creating even more excitement for his next full work.

‘Pre Pleasure’ compels with introspective confession

Australian indie rock singer Julia Jacklin has returned just three years after her sophomore album with her newest release, “Pre Pleasure.” A bittersweet reflection on self-awareness, sexuality, complicated love and her own mother-daughter relationship, “Pre Pleasure” is another successful product of Jacklin’s introspective and tastefully confessional songwriting.