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August 20, 2004 > Arts & Entertainment > Stepping out in style:

Stepping out in style:

A night at the symphony

By Jonathan Schumann | Thresher Editorial Staff

As you will soon learn, college life rarely affords you the opportunity to dress up. Sure, sweatpants are just fine for midterms and finals, and I like the fact that casual attire is a must for most parties, but I can’t be the only one who likes putting on a suit and tie and hitting the town, right?

I don’t know what it is, but I feel dressing up lends a certain panache and credibility to even the most mediocre night, rendering it somehow memorable. But given our age and location, dressing up can be dangerous; I’m not going to wear my blue blazer to a party only to put it in peril of being spilt upon.

Fortunately, those of you out there like me are in luck. We’re in Houston, where there are several cultural venues that invite donning such attire. The best place for a formal evening out is the Houston Symphony, in Downtown’s Bayou Place, and easily accessed by the light rail.

Located in the pristine Jones Hall, a night at the Symphony gives you all you could want for a night of dress-up. First, there is the venue’s great staircase in the lobby; descending it lends even the most slovenly suitor a certain Cary Grant-esque appeal (hint, hint – this is the perfect place for a great date).

And then there are the symphony’s obvious cultural advantages. No matter what a person’s background, everyone could use a little more classical music education. The Symphony offers a wide range of programming, featuring American and European composers from various time periods.

There are also great special concerts as well. Last spring, I attended the kickoff for k.d. lang’s symphonic tour. It was exciting to hear such an esteemed vocalist backed by local musicians. Lang performed a varied range of songs, from her hits such as “Constant Craving” and “Miss Chatelaine” to standards like “Crying” and Patsy Cline’s incomparable “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray.” Lang also performed several songs from her newly released album, Hymns of the 49th Parallel, which features classic songs from Canadian artists such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Lang’s voice is both smooth and powerful, and when backed by such serene arrangements, the combination is unforgettable.

For more information on such special programming, I suggest checking the Symphony’s website, www.houstonsymphony.org. When buying tickets, you should keep in mind that there is not a bad seat in Jones Hall — no matter where you end up, you will have a great experience.

So there you go — the perfect recipe for a memorable evening — great music, a perfect venue and, of course, a killer outfit.

Jonathan Schumann is a Baker College junior and arts and

entertainment editor.

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