Best in arts and entertainment as summer fades into fall

This is a fall of firsts in San Antonio. Admirers of art and architecture will be able to set foot for the first time in Ruby City, the David Adjaye-designed museum devoted to the collection of the late philanthropist Linda Pace. Theatergoers will have a chance to see “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Elf ” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” for the first time on San Antonio stages.

But it’s also a time of goodbyes: San Antonio Symphony Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing begins his final season with the orchestra, and a band beloved by San Antonio hard-rock fans will play a stop here on its farewell tour.

From first to last and everywhere between, here are our picks for the best the arts events the fall season has to offer.

“Romeo and Juliet”: Classic Theatre kicks off its 2019-20 season with a fresh take on Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy in which the young lovers are separated by a wall. Joe Goscinski, who directed last year’s gorgeous staging of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Classic, returns to direct “Romeo.” Through Sept. 29, Classic Theatre.

“Tosca”: Opera San Antonio’s big fall staging is Puccini’s tale of the romance between the title character and Cavaradossi, an artist, and the vile scheme that corrupt police chief Scarpia cooks up to break them apart and have Tosca for himself. Jennifer Rowley sings Tosca, which she played at the Metropolitan Opera last year. Thursday and Saturday, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Stereolab: The club show of the season is a reunion gig by this British band that gathered a cult following in the ’90s by making lounge music for grad students. Their most-streamed song is “Brakhage,” named after avant-garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage, and they called their best album “Emperor Tomato Ketchup.” Sept. 19, Paper Tiger.

San Antonio Symphony season opener: The symphony’s final season with Sebastian Lang-Lessing as music director kicks off with a program that’s got a full-circle feel. It holds Mahler’s intense Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection,” which Lang-Lessing conducted in both his 2010 debut with the orchestra and for its first concert at the Tobin Center. Sept. 20-21, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Jeff Beck: Guitar hero Beck will make a rare San Antonio appearance this fall. He’s a two-time member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once with the Yardbirds, alongside fellow guitar greats Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and also as a solo performer. Sept. 22, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

“Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids”: The American Museum of Natural History touring exhibit looks into the history and science of a range of imaginary creatures. Sept. 28-Jan. 12, Witte Museum.

“Teardowns”: One of Blue Star Contemporary’s fall exhibits is Joey Fauerso's “Teardowns,” a new installation exploring themes of culture, family, gender and humor in response to the current sociopolitical climate. Oct. 4-Jan. 5, Blue Star Contemporary.

Wu-Tang Clan: Iconic New York rap group, recently the subject of a Showtime documentary and a miniseries on Hulu, is bringing its “36 Chambers” 25th anniversary celebration to town. The group’s debut album featured such classic tracks as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Protect Ya Neck.” Oct. 5, Majestic Theatre.

Tony Bennett: Jazz and pop singer Tony Bennett, who continues to record and tour into his 90s, is in the midst of his “I Left My Heart” tour.

Bennett released a duets album with Diana Krall, “Love Is Here To Stay,” last year. Oct. 9, Majestic Theatre.

“Priscilla Queen of the Desert”: This marks the San Antonio debut of the musical adaptation of the 1994 movie about the journey of two drag queen and a trans woman across Australia. The hit-laced score includes “Boogie Wonderland,” “Like a Prayer, “Hot Stuff” and “It’s Raining Men.” Christopher Rodriguez is directing. Oct. 11-Nov. 3, Woodlawn Theatre.

“Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement”: One of the San Antonio Museum of Art’s big fall shows takes a look at the revolutionary British art produced at the end of the 19th century, including pieces dealing with class and gender, the relationship between art and nature, and the value of machine-made versus handmade. A number of the pieces in the show have never been shown outside the U.K. Oct. 11-Jan. 5, San Antonio Museum of Art.

Ruby City: The contemporary art center designed by noted architect Sir David Adjaye to house the Linda Pace Foundation Collection will open with “Isaac Julien: Playtime,” “Jewels in the Concrete” and “Waking Dream.” Works by Chuck Ramirez, Ana Fernandez, Do Ho Suh and Teresita Fernández will be included. Oct. 13, Ruby City.

UFO: This is the last chance for fans to see the British rockers who were longtime staples of rock radio in San Antonio. Especially loved songs include “Doctor Doctor” and “Lights Out” from their ferocious 1979 live album “Strangers in the Night.” Oct. 17, Aztec Theatre.

“Picasso to Hockney: Modern Art on Stage”: The McNay Art Museum’s vast Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts comes center stage in this exhibit, which features more than 120 pieces of performance design by art world superstars such as Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró and Louise Nevelson, among others. Oct. 17-Dec. 29, McNay Art Museum.

“Sebastián in San Antonio: 50+ Years / 20+ Sites / 100+ Works”: The citywide exhibit, designed to celebrate the career of “Torch of Friendship” sculptor Sebastián and the connections between San Antonio and Mexico, will feature works in public spaces all over town. Oct. 17-May 31; various locations.

“Alice in Wonderland”: Ballet San Antonio kicks off its new season with an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of Alice’s adventures down the rabbit hole. Brian Enos choreographed and Luis Grané created the aptly surrealist visuals. Oct. 18-20, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Gladys Knight: The legendary soul singer released such hits as “If I Was Your Woman,” “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye)” with the Pips. She headlines the Tobin Center’s annual gala concert. Oct. 24, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

“Driving Miss Daisy”: The Sheldon Vexler Theatre has pulled together a sensational team for its staging of Alfred Uhry’s much-loved play. John O’Neill is directing; Anna Gangai plays the title role, Jim Mammarella plays her son, and Keith Wilson plays the driver he hires for her. Oct. 24-Nov. 17, Sheldon Vexler Theatre.

Tool: The prog-metal band’s long-awaited new album, “Fear Inoculum,” is getting rave reviews. The album’s sprawling, complex songs are likely to join fan favorites such as “Schism” and “Vicarious” on the band’s set list. Oct. 25, AT&T Center.

Mala Luna Music Festival: Crowd-pleasing headliners Russ, Diplo and Miguel are the big draws at the hip-hop and dance festival that takes place every year around Halloween, but the must-see is Megan Thee Stallion, the Houston rapper whose song “Hot Girl Summer” set social media on fire. Oct. 26-27, Nelson Wolff Stadium.

Body Traffic: The Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company works with noted choreographers from across the globe. It has a reputation for cutting-edge, must-see work; it also has a reputation for its commitment to community outreach. Nov. 2, Carver Community Cultural Center.

Bad Bunny: The Puerto Rican reggaeton and trap artist is one of the best-known faces of urbano, the sound that is pushing Spanish-language music into the mainstream in the U.S. His big hits include “Callaita” and “Mia,” with Drake, and he appears on Cardi B’s smash “I Like It.” Nov. 9, Freeman Coliseum.

Luminaria: The 12th annual arts blowout will feature works by more than 50 artists from San Antonio and around the world. The weekend will end with an artist-led program at Mission San José. Nov. 9 at Hemisfair; Nov. 10 at Hemisfair and Mission San José.

Farruquito: The dance superstar is part of a Spanish Gypsy flamenco dynasty started by his late grandfather, who was known as El Farruco. His performance is being presented by Arts San Antonio. Nov. 15, Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University.

“Elf”: The Public Theater is staging the San Antonio premiere of “Elf,” the musical based on the 2003 Will Farrell movie about a young man raised as one of Santa’s elves and his journey to connect with his birth father, a cranky publisher who is (gasp!) on the naughty list. Nov. 22-Dec. 22, The Public Theater of San Antonio.

Ranky Tanky: The jazz ensemble specializes in a contemporary take on the music of the Gullah culture of South Carolina and Georgia. The band’s latest release is “Good Time.” Dec. 6, Carver Community Cultural Center.

“Dear Evan Hansen”: The big-buzz Tony winner is built around an isolated teen who ends up becoming a viral sensation after going along with a serious misunderstanding of his connection to a classmate who killed

Venues

AT&T Center, 1 AT&T Parkway at East Houston Street, 210-444-5000, attcenter.com

Blue Star Contemporary, 116 Blue Star, 210-227-6960, bluestarcontemporary.org

Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry St., 210-207-7211, thecarver.org

Classic Theater, 1924 Fredericksburg Road, 210-589-8450, classictheatre.org

Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston St., 210-226-1177, freemancoliseum.com

Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place (off East Mulberry Avenue at U.S. 281), trinity.edu

Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., 210-226-5700, majesticempire.com

McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave., 210-824-5368, mcnayart.org

Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., 210- 841-3771, papertigersatx.com

The Public Theater of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Place, 210-733-7258, thepublicsa.org

Ruby City, 150 Camp St., 210-227-8400, rubycity.org

San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., 210-978-8100, samuseum.org

Tobin Center for the Preforming Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, 210-223-8624, tobi.tobin.org

Sheldon Vexler Theater, 12500 NW Military Highway, 210-302-6835, vexler.org

Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway, 210-357-1900, wittemuseum.org

Nelson Wolff Stadium, 5757 U.S. 90 (Mala Luna website: malalunamusic festival.com)

Woodlawn Theater, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, 210-267-8388, woodlawn theatre.org himself. Dec. 17-22, Majestic Theatre.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”: This is another San Antonio premiere of a big-buzz show. The play is based on Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel about the quest of a teen on the autism spectrum to figure out who murdered his neighbor’s dog. Dec. 27-Jan. 19, Cellar Theater, The Public Theater of San Antonio. jkiest@express-news.net | Twitter: @jimik64