The Cactus Chronicles musical drama

06/19/2024

Excited that the Garland Latino Heritage Cookbook, which made its debut concurrently with the production of "The Cactus Chronicles" musical, is now on sale at the Visitors Center in downtown Garland. Visitors and other patrons have the opportunity to learn about this marvelous cookbook along with other Garland- and Texas-related merchandise in this store, corner of State and 5th in downtown Garland.

01/31/2024

If you enjoyed "The Cactus Chronicles" musical drama, get ready for another spring musical about another Garland story that's not widely known.

"THE FLATS: CRADLE OF A COMMUNITY" MUSICAL DRAMA
SET FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 14, IN THE ATRIUM

"The Flats: Cradle of a Community", a musical drama about Garland's early days Black community that existed in downtown Garland, is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, in The Atrium, sponsored by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street nonprofit.

With an original score and nine original songs, "The Flats" focuses on the free-standing community, with its own stores, homes, churches, and a school, that existed in the area where the Granville Arts Center and the city government complex now sit. The time period in focus is the 1930s and 1940s, during segregation, when students attended the Garland Colored School on the site where The Atrium is now.

The story depicts the solidarity, vibrancy, and community life of "The Flats" citizens as they dealt with the challenges and realities of that particular time period.

This is the fourth musical drama to be produced by Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street, which has as one of its purposes to recognize under-recognized individuals and sites that are a part of Garland's history. In 2019 it produced the sell-out and award-winning musical drama "Becoming Garland Avenue" and in 2020 produced the "Becoming Garland Avenue—2020 Revival" movie as a sequel to the 2019 musical. In 2021 it produced "The Cactus Chronicles" about the Manuel and Maria Valle family, Garland's first Latino family of record.

The April 14 performance is funded by a grant from the Garland Cultural Arts Commission and the City of Garland Cultural Arts Division. A cast representing a variety of schools in the Garland, Richardson, and Rockwall school districts has been recruited for the performance, as the play is told through the eyes of students of the Garland Colored School at the time.

Tickets are available on garlandarts.com at this link https://www.prekindle.com/event/41892-the-flats-cradle-of-a-community-musical-drama-garland Discounted seats are available now; tickets go up in price on the day of the performance. Group rates and student rates are available.

Downtown Garland Garland Cultural Arts Garland Creates! NAACP Garland TX Unit

10/06/2023

Nice article in The Garland Texan about last Saturday's event featuring the Valle family at the North Garland Branch Library.

Pascual Valle was told to go to South Texas "where your people are" when he was denied employment in Garland ISD upon his. hispanic

10/01/2023

Memories of The Cactus Chronicles were front-and-center in this special library presentation.

09/28/2023

Anyone connected with The Cactus Chronicles musical drama in days past will benefit from Saturday's 1 p.m. presentation by Sylvia Valle at the North Garland Branch Library. She'll tell the background of the family experience that was the basis for a number of scenes in the play.

09/25/2023

CACTUS CHRONICLES HONOREE PASCUAL VALLE TO RECEIVE GHS 2023 OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD ON OCTOBER 14

Congratulations to Pascual Valle, honoree in "The Cactus Chronicles" musical drama and last remaining member of Garland's original Latino family of record, as being one of the four 2023 Distinguished Alumni recipients by the Garland High School Alumni Association.

The September 2023 issue of Owl News, hot off the press, announced this year's recipients, to be presented plaques at the October 14 GHS All-Class Reunion at the high school.

Pascual, Class of 1949, was Garland High School's first all-state athlete. He and all of his seven brothers and sisters were GHS graduates. His father, Manuel Valle, settled in Garland in 1928. The Manuel and Maria Valle Family recently was recognized with a Texas Historical Marker, situated near the site of the original Valle homeplace on Avenue C at Santa Fe.

Congratulations also to the other three honorees: Jamie Miller, member of the Garland ISD board of trustees and executive vice-president of Veritex Community Bank Garland Branch, Class of 1976; J.R. Wynne, Class of 1956, and Sharon Hatten, Class of 1981.

The All-Class Reunion will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the high school gym and Commons area. The Owl News says the recipients span five decades at Garland High School, with Pascual having turned 92 in May.

09/19/2023

Hope to have a great turnout to hear this special focus on the Valle family and on Garland history.

08/28/2023

The Garland Latino Heritage Cookbook was released in conjunction with The Cactus Chronicles musical drama. Now the cookbook shines again during this upcoming exhibit at the Garland library.

03/18/2023

Happy for pianist/composer Bobby Orozco, who was the subject of a Channel 5 feature tonight on his work at Lake Highlands High School in the Richardson School District. Bobby arranged the musical score for "The Cactus Chronicles" musical drama and "Becoming Garland Avenue", both of which were performed on stage at Garland's Plaza Theatre.

Bobby Orozco’s day starts early before students at Lake Highlands High School in Richardson ISD arrive.

03/12/2023

The Cactus Chronicles production was up in lights again on Saturday afternoon, as efforts to produce it were lauded at a meeting of HOGAR de Dallas.