Monthly Archives: December 2011

Weekend Theatre: Judgment at Nuremberg

Posted on by

The Weekend Theatre’s production of Abby Mann’s Judgment at Nuremberg concludes this weekend.  Ralph Hyman directs this tale of honor, humanity, justice, and duty.

The cast is led by Alan Douglas and Tom Crone as opposing forces in this tug of war between different aspects of the justice system.  Also in the cast are matt Maguire, Frank Butler, Ebon Jones, Tucker Steinmetz, Chris Biagini, Thomas Sullivan, Wyatt Jones, Ovid Lamb, David Anderson, Byron Taylor, Jenifer Hamel, Deb Lewis, Johnnie Brannon, Drew Ellis, Samantha Porter and Patti German.

The show plays at 7:30pm tonight and tomorrow.  To reserve tickets, $16 for general admission and $12 for students and seniors age 65 and older, call (501) 374-3761 or visit the Web site at www.weekendtheater.org.

Classical Piano by Gio at Afterthought

Posted on by

Giovanni Antipolo will be performing classical solo piano pieces at the Afterthought tonight.

As the Afterthought says, “There are piano players and then there are PIANO players…Giovanni fits this last description as he treats the crowd to everything from classic to very modern tunes. Come enjoy with us!”

A Little Rock Central graduate, Gio himself describes the evening as “an an effort to deliver classical music to the masses in informal venues.” An expert on the keyboard, he is as comfortable playing Rachmaninoff and the Razorback fight song.

Among the composers who will be featured are Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and Prokofiev.

The evening starts at 8pm, but for guaranteed seating an earlier arrival is recommended.  There is no cover charge.

On Stage at Children’s Theatre: A Frog and a Toad

Posted on by

The charming Tony nominated musical A Year with Frog and Toad returns to the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre for the 2011 holiday season.  It continues through this Sunday, December 18. 

Based on Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories, it was written by brothers Willie and Robert Reale.  One of the show’s original producers was Lobel’s daughter Adrienne.  Lobel’s son-in-law Mark-Linn Baker was one of the original actors.  The production premiered at the Children’s  Theatre Company in Minneapolis and then played Off Broadway before transferring to Broadway.  The Broadway production received three Tony nominations: Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score.

The cast is led by Mark Hansen and Dennis Glasscock as the title characters respectively.  The other parts are played by Paige Herschell, Vanessa Sterling and Chris Straw.  The set design is by Miranda Young, costume design by Erin Larkin, lighting design by Adam Britt and Lori Isner is the musical director.

Children’s Theatre alum Scott Ferguson is the guest director of this production.  He was a fixture on the Children’s Theatre stage in the 1980s as a teen. Since then he has received recognition as a director and author.  His work Schoolhouse Rock Live!has been performed Off Broadway, nationwide and on the Arts Center stage.  Based in Chicago, he is Artistic Director, Theatrebam Chicago; Collective Member/Director of Project Development, Bailiwick Chicago; a director and teacher at the National High School Institute of Northwestern University; Artistic Associate, About Face Theatre and a residency artist and teacher for Urban Gateways: Center for Arts In Education.

QQA – Festivus

Posted on by

Festivus Founder Frank Costanza inspects the original Festivus pole

An organization dedicated to historic preservation is making history by hosting the first ever official Festivus party in Little Rock.

Festivus is a festival for the rest of us.

No Festivus is complete without the airing of grievences or the feats of strength.  There will also be the official ceremonial pole which has no decorations because “tinsel is too distracting.”

When: Tuesday, December 13 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: Concordia Hall at the Arkansas Studies Institute

401 President Clinton Avenue Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

 Tickets are $50 and available at the door.  The price includes food and open bar.

Proceeds benefit the preservation programs of the Quapaw Quarter Association.

 

March of the Nutcracker

Posted on by

Ballet Arkansas continues the tradition of presenting The Nutcracker this weekend at Robinson Center Music Hall.

The title role is being essayed by Ballet Arkansas company trainee Jake Catlett while Michael Bearden, Ballet Arkansas’ artistic adviser, is a guest artist and dances the role of the Cavalier.  Alternating in the role of Clara are Lauren Frances Wood and Kathryn Latham.  Other roles are being danced by Leslie Dodge (Sugar Plum Fairy), Lauren McCarty Horak (Snow Queen),Toby Lewellen (Snow King),  Anna Maris (Frau Von Stahlbuam and Dew Drop Fairy), Sean Porter (Rat King), Stephen Stone (Drosselmeyer), Allison Wilson (Rat Queen) and Perry Young (Herr Von Stahlbaum, Mother Ginger).

The choreography for this production was created by a Jana Beard, Sydney Ippolito, Marius Petipa, Traci Presley, and Allison Wilson.  Geoffrey Robson, associate conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, will conduct musicians from the ASO in performing Tchaikovsky’s ballet score.  Tickets are available from the Arkansas Symphony box office at 666-1761 or http://www.arkansassymphony.org.

Wildwood Park for Arts: Holiday Tour of Homes

Posted on by

Wildwood Park for the Arts celebrates not only performing arts but also gardening, culinary and design.  This weekend, the focus is on design as Wildwood presents the Holiday Tour of Homes.

Little Rock’s interior design legend Tom Chandler and regionally known design expert Chris Olsen have organized this visit to six houses in the Little Rock area.

Tickets are $25 plus a $1 service fee.  On Friday evening, there is a special preview which includes a seventh house.  Tickets for that are $66.

Homes being showcased range from Little Rock’s newer neighborhoods in the west to the oldest suburbs in Pulaski Heights.  The streets are:

 

  • Livree Lane in Chenal Downs
  • Spring Valley Lane in Valley Falls Estates
  • Bella Rosa Court
  • Woodbrook Court
  • Country Club Boulevard
  • Valley Club Circle in Pleasant Valley

 

For a complete listing and ticket information, visit Wildwood’s website.

CALS hosts annual Food for Fines week

Posted on by

The Central Arkansas Library System has been hosting its annual Food for Fines this week.  It began on Monday, Dec. 5 and continues through Sunday, Dec. 11.

The Food for Fines program gives patrons an opportunity to help others in our communities while offsetting fines for overdue library materials. When returning overdue materials, patrons are encouraged to bring at least one non-perishable food item per overdue item to any of the library’s 12 branches in Pulaski and Perry County. Food items may not be used to cancel fines already on record for materials that have been returned prior to Food for Fines week.

Food collected during the drive will be donated to Arkansas Rice Depot’s Food for Kids program which provides backpacks and ready-to-eat food to over 600 public schools in Arkansas for more than 30,000 children. Items needed for Food for Kids are ravioli, peanut butter, tuna, canned fruit, pudding cups, cereal, and granola bars.