Boxers on Broadway

Say it ain't so: Spike Lee to direct Mike Tyson in one-man show on Broadway

On the same day we learned there's a musical cheerleading version of Bring It On coming to Broadway, The Today Show dropped another bomb that is almost too much for our brains to fathom.

Spike Lee is directing a one-man show starring Mike Tyson telling Mike Tyson's story about being Mike Tyson.

Take a second and let that all sink in.

The Spike Lee, the filmmaking genius behind the renaissance of black film in the 90s, is making his Broadway directorial debut with Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth, a one-man show from the face-tattooed, squeaky-voiced ex-convict who has been making wincingly painful cameos in films like The Hangover. Now we're going to get to see him — and only him — on stage for 90 minutes at a time, telling us how hard life has been for him.

"It takes courage to get into the ring, but it takes courage to get onto the stage," Lee said in all seriousness about the former heavyweight boxing champion, in a press conference Monday. (Guaranteed, actors across the globe are simultaneously rolling their eyes and considering taking up boxing.)

The show, which will only be performed six times in July and August, will document Tyson's difficult childhood, his turn to athletics and drugs to cope, his legal problems after being accused multiple times of rape, and his eventual redemption through prison and religion.

Or as Tyson outlines it: "I'm just telling you who I am and where I'm from and how this happened and how I lose all this damn money and how I had all these children and how I go to prison, and, you know, you know what happened guys, right?"

It's pretty easy to criticize and ridicule and hate Tyson for his rather public and well-documented mistakes. The question is whether or not hearing his side of the story will change anyone's minds or make anyone empathize with his choices.

All we know is that someone had better do the writing for him and get him some diction classes immediately. Because an autobiographical stage show told by a crying heavyweight man-baby justifying his addiction to pretty girls just sounds like an experiment in torture.

Either that, or the best performance art money can buy. Maybe Lee really is a genius.

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Interactive art space Meow Wolf broadcasts Texas opening, radio theme

Photo by Tarick Foteh

Travel to another dimension at Meow Wolf.

Art-loving Texans will soon have a new venue to explore. Houston’s Meow Wolf has set its opening date and revealed the theme that governs its interactive installations.

Set to open on October 31, Houston’s Meow Wolf will be called Radio Tave — a riff on “radio wave.” Described in press materials as a radio station that’s been transported to another dimension, Meow Wolf visitors will be able to explore dozens of rooms filled with interactive elements such as hidden doors, paths, and portals.

For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based art collective that’s opening its fifth installation in Houston’s Fifth Ward. Think of it as a choose your own adventure contemporary art museum loaded with sculptures, murals, video, and light and sound artworks that each contribute a small piece of the overall theme.

Towards that end, Radio Tave will be stocked with a mix of characters — some created for the venue and others that nod to Meow Wolf’s installations in four other U.S. cities, including the Dallas suburb of Grapevine. That includes a radio station with the call letters ETNL and its own slogan, “Big Sounds From Little Thicket.” As seen in the photos above, the radio station already has a website with a placeholder page.

“Houston is a powerhouse of creativity, and our artists and collaborators have been channeling that electric energy into this exhibition for years,” Meow Wolf CEO Jose Tolosa said in a statement. “They've taken it to the next level, capturing the city's vibrancy in every corner of the experience. We can't wait for you to step inside and explore it for yourself.”

As CultureMap has previously reported, a diverse ensemble of more than 50 contributing artists from Texas has collaborated with Meow Wolf’s in-house artist team to bring the facility to life. The list of local creative superstars included such well know artists as innovative theatrical set and puppet designer Afsaneh Aayani, art activist Kill Joy, and two longtime pillars of Houston’s installation and immersive art community in Dan Havel and Dean Ruck of Havel Ruck Projects.

"The visuals and soundscapes of Radio Tave are on another level,” senior creative producer Susie Cowan added. “Visitors will be immersed in a rich, multi-sensory experience that invites them to explore a world that feels both vast and deeply personal."

Meow Wolf Cowboix Hevvven jukebox Cowboix Hevvven's jukebox will feature 30 tracks recorded by Texas artists. Photo by Kate Russell

Meow Wolf will feature a venue space, a gift shop, and Cowboix Hevvven, a dive bar-inspired bar and restaurant that will offer “otherworldly Texan hospitality and comfort food.” Cole Bee Wilson, a fifth generation Texan and Meow Wolf’s lead artist, took the lead in creating Cowboix Hevvven. True to the venue’s theme, it will feature a jukebox with 30 songs created by Texas artists for Meow Wolf.

Annual season passes are currently on sale for $84. They include unlimited visits to the venue and perks such as a 10-percent discount at both the gift shop and Cowboix Hevvven.

Subscribers to Meow Wolf’s email list may purchase single-day passes beginning September 24. General tickets will go on sale October 1.

Photo by Tarick Foteh

Travel to another dimension at Meow Wolf.

meow wolf openings visual-art