Yearly Archives: 2012

Final Weekend to go SINGIN’ ON A STAR

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Tonight at 7 and tomorrow at 2 and 7 are the final three times to catch the Arkansas Rep Young Artist production of Singin’ on a Star. The show is all about the actor’s journey from stardust to stardom, set to a toe-tapping soundtrack of modern song selections from the top pop charts and the Great White Way.

The production is directed by Nicole Capri, who is the Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education.  Karen Q. Clark serves as Music Director.  Choreography is provided by Capri, Stacy Hawking, Marisa Kirby and Stephen K. Stone.  The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Shelly Hall (costumes), Dan Kimble (lighting), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Allan Branson (sound).

The cast is composed of of over 50 junior high and high school students who will literally fill the stage with their acting, singing and dancing.  They include: Skylar Bartlett, Cross Brandon, Matthew Carey, Calvin Chester, Cayla Christian, Jacob Clanton, Drew Clark, Andrew Curzon, Drew Dame, Spencer Davis, Anna Bliss Dean, C.J. Fowler, Jennifer Fuller, Melody Garrett, Zach Graham, Kayla Gray, Katie Greer, Christian Hickingbotham, Matthew Hugg, Sydney Ippolito, Mary Kate Jackson, Grace Jackson, Nia Jackson, Jackson James and Dalton Johnson.

Others in the cast include Riley Knight, Bailey Lamb, Julia Landfair, Maddie Lentz, Malik Marshall, Cass Martin, Annie McCurdy, Damon McKinnis, Elena McKinnis, Helen Melhorn, Henry Melhorn, Ella Moody, Angela  Morgan, Michael Myers, Annie Niswanger, Yasmin Newman, Caroline Osborn, Adrianne Owings, Cassidy Ratliff, Marina Redlich, Molly Russ, Kennedy Sample, Sterling Saul, Allie Scott, Jake Scott, Abby Shourd, Heidi Sohl, Alyssa Sowers, Sheffield Spence, Shelby Spooner, Mary Katelin Ward, Mia Waymack, Jhonika Wright and Charl Young.

For some observations from one of the summer performances of this production, click here.

Darragh Distinguished Lecture Tonight at CALS

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Henry Petroski, the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and professor of history at Duke University, will give the Fred K. Darragh Jr. Distinguished Lecture tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library’s Darragh Center, 100 Rock Street.

In his talk, Why Ships Sink and Bridges Fall Down, Petroski will discuss how success and failure are related to each other from engineering and design perspectives. His newest book, To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure, is about why ships sink, bridges collapse, and engineered systems of all kinds can misbehave. The lecture will be followed by a book signing and reception.

Seating is open, and reservations are requested, but not required, to Lee Ann Blackwell, CALS PR Specialist, or 918-3029.

Petroski has written broadly on the topics of design, success, and failure, and the history of engineering and technology. His seventeen books on these subjects include To Engineer Is Human, Design Paradigms, and Engineers of Dreams, which deal principally with large structures like bridges. He has also written about small, common things in his books The Pencil, The Toothpick, The Evolution of Useful Things, and Small Things Considered. His most recently published books include An Engineer’s Alphabet: Gleanings from the Softer Side of a Profession, which is a collection of serious and not-so-serious observations, lists, reflections, and speculations relating to the engineering profession.

Fright Night Movies in the Park tonight

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In the spirit of Halloween, Movies in the Park will host a special “Fright Night,” screening two spook-tacular films for a howling good time on Halloween night. It will take place in Riverfront Park by the Riverfest Amphitheatre.

The evening will kick off at 6:30pm with Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic The Birds. This classic about an unexplained visit from thousands of avians stars Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette and Jessica Tandy.  It is based on a short-story by Daphne DuMaurier.

Following an intermission, the 2002 film The Ring will be shown.  It stars Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Jane Alexander and Amber Tamblyn.

Families, picnics and pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the harvest moon. The amphitheater will open an hour before film showings and movies will start at sundown. Alcohol is allowed, but no glass is allowed for any beverages or foods.

Movies in the Park is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

ASO River Rhapsodies Continues Tonight with DUOS

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Tonight at 7pm, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s second concert of the Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series will features duos of ASO Musicians. The concert will be held at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The program is an intimate showcase of the ASO’s musicians, in duo format and features ASO Associate Conductor Geoffrey Robson, co-concertmaster Drew Irvin, Quapaw Quartet members David Gerstein and Ryan Mooney, principal bassist Barron Weir, principal violist Kater Reynolds and violist Tatiana Kotcherguina.

General Admission tickets for River Rhapsodies concerts are $22, and Student tickets are available for $10. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org, over the phone at (501) 666-1761 or at the door.

The program will include

Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola, K. 423 featuring Irvin and Mooney
Rossini’s Duetto for Cello and Bass featuring Gerstein and Weir
Frank Bridge’s Lament for Two Violas with Kotcherguina and Mooney
Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 featuring Gerstein and Robson

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 47th season in 2012-2013 under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than thirty concerts each year for more than 42,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series and River Rhapsodies Chamber Series, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 24,000 school children and over 200 schools.

Governor’s Arts Awards

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Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas Arts Council will present the Governor’s Arts Awards at a ceremony and luncheon at noon, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, at The Peabody Little Rock.

Sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize individuals and corporations for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas. The recipients were nominated by the public and then selected by an independent panel of arts professionals from around the state. Each recipient will receive an original work of art created by glass artists Charles and Michael Riley of Hot Springs, owners of Riley Art Glass Studio in Hot Springs. The following is the list of 2012 recipients. Click HERE to read each recipient’s bio.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Zeek Taylor – Eureka Springs

ARTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Jeff Baskin – North Little Rock

ARTS IN EDUCATION AWARD
Christen Burke Pitts – North Little Rock
Clayton Scott – Fayetteville

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARTS AWARD
TRUE Marketing − Jonesboro

FOLKLIFE AWARD
Marty Phillips – Crossett

INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARD
John Jeter – Fort Smith 

PATRON AWARD
Drs. Mack and Vern Ann Shotts – Paragould

JUDGES RECOGNITION AWARD
Jim D. Johnson – Little Rock

Sculpture Vulture: THE CENTER

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One of Little Rock’s two newest sculptures is featured in the Sculpture Vulture today.  Chapel’s THE CENTER was dedicated on Friday, October 19. It is located in Riverfront Park just to the west of the Junction Bridge and north of the Peabody Playground. The piece was commissioned in 2011 at the 5th annual Sculpture at the River Market.

Chapel uses a variety of materials including steel and colored glass to create this tall sculpture. It represents that Little Rock is the center of the state and Riverfront Park (and the nearby “Little Rock”) represent the heart of the City.   The steel evokes the nearby Junction bridge and the blue and green glass echo the nearby grass and water.  (Green and Blue are also Little Rock’s colors, so this was a happy accident by the sculptor as well.)  The textured glass that is in the center of the column is also evocative of the Arkansas River.

Chapel is an award winning sculptor who creates both abstract and figurative pieces working in a variety of media.  Though his work can be seen worldwide, most of his commissions have been in the south and west. He is a member of the National Sculpture Guild and Society of Animal Artists among many other professional associations.

 

 

BUNNICULA at Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre

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The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre presents Bunnicula through November 11.  Based on the book by Deborah and James Howe, it features a book and lyrics by Jon Klein.  Music was written by Chris Jeffries.

Bunnicula has been a hit with kids and their parents since the book was published in 1979. When the Monroe family brings home a small black-and-white bunny they find in the movie theater after seeing Dracula, Chester the cat and Harold the dog are instantly suspicious. After the vegetables in the Monroe kitchen start turning white, Chester and Harold are certain that Bunnicula is a vegetarian vampire.

Bunnicula is directed and designed by Keith Smith.  Bradley Anderson is the Artistic Director of the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre.  Todd Herman is the Executive Director of the Arkansas Arts Center.

Performances are at 7pm on Fridays, 3pm on Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays through November 11.