Five stories that have North Texas talking: Buddy Holly the hologram; Stagger Lee opens in Dallas Friday; former Gov. Rick Perry denounces the criminal case against him; and more.
Get ready for a virtual Buddy Holly to make the rounds next year. (Should we call it a hollygram?) The Hollywood Reporter has the details: “A virtual Buddy Holly performance will headline a new show that’s planned to debut in Holly’s birth state of Texas during 2016. Hologram USA Entertainment will present the show in partnership with Maria Elena Holly, the star’s widow and head of Buddy Holly Licensing; plans are to use this debut to kick off a show tour.” Maria Elena Holly says she is excited that the project “will allow a new generation of fans to experience the thrill of seeing Buddy ‘live.’” Hologram USA says in a press release: “Fans will see Holly singing the songs that changed the course of rock and roll.” Buddy Holly died in an airplane crash in 1959.
- Stagger Lee opens Friday. It’s the Dallas Theater Center’s new musical – and KERA’s Art&Seek has spent the past year following the cast and crew. In the latest installment of the series, KERA’s Jerome Weeks gets a music lesson from composer Justin Ellington. Weeks reports: “Stagger Lee was born here, with a black cast and creative team – and lots of New York connections. A central challenge in this journey through the history of African-American music: how to evoke the spirit of a decade in just a few chords.” Explore the Stagger Lee series here.
- Former Governor Rick Perry offered some strong words Wednesday about the criminal case against him. On Tuesday, a state judge refused to throw out two abuse-of-power indictments against the former governor. The indictments stem from a controversial veto two years ago. Perry vetoed funding for the Travis County Public Integrity Unit after the drunk driving arrest of District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Perry on Wednesday again defended that veto, saying he is “proud to stand for the rule of law.” Perry’s defense team is appealing the matter. The former governor says the indictments won’t stop him from exploring a possible 2016 presidential bid. Read more here from The Texas Tribune.
- Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price announced Wednesday she plans to run for reelection. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: “Price has yet to face any organized opposition in her bid for a third term. … [Price] said she will focus on transportation and water supplies. … ‘For the last ten years, we have been the fastest growing city in the nation and managing that growth and still keeping the feel of Fort Worth is critical to our success,’ she said. She also cited strengthening neighborhoods as a top priority, referring to her walking, biking and caffeinated town halls as examples of engaging residents.” You might recall that Price told KERA back in November that she would “absolutely” be running again for another term. “There’s just a lot to do in Fort Worth and I love what I’m doing and I’ve had great connection with the citizens,” Price told KERA.
- A small Texas school district says it's investigating an incident in which several students were ordered to pull their pants down after feces were found on a gym floor. A parent of a Gustine student, who says she was forced to expose her underwear for inspection, tells WFAA-TV that boys were taken to one room and girls to another on Monday. Parent Maria Medina says she was furious after learning students were told to lower their pants so school workers could find the culprit behind the waste. Superintendent Ken Baugh says he acknowledges that partially strip-searching students went too far. Gustine is about 90 miles southwest of Fort Worth and has a population of nearly 460. [Associated Press]
