Yearly Archives: 2012

Sculpture Vulture: Forever Ready

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Today’s Sculpture Vulture is once again in the Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden. It is more fun to spend time in this garden where one can passively enjoy art with a nice cold bottle of water instead of having to labor in a vegetable or flower garden.

Ken Newman’s Forever Ready was donated in 2009 by the Sculpture at the River Market.  Mr. Newman is a member of the National Sculptors’ Guild.  One of Mr. Newman’s specialties is animals.  Cast in bronze, Forever Ready depicts a Labrador.  Here is Mr. Newman’s artist statement on the piece.

Forever Ready is based off my 30 years experiences with and my love of the Lab. The sculpture was created during the absence of a lab in my life, this was important, because I wanted to reflect on all the past labs, not a present companion. So, ‘Forever Ready’ is that reflection of the breed (hunter, companion and teacher)…Capturing its intense nature with discipline and loyalty, I have set the lab on edge so intense, that if not given the command to go, it will just fall off. But, it is able to maintain balance – wet and ready to go again. The lab’s shadow is cast in the water below, for a I cannot think of a lab without water.

Four Reps Farewell tomorrow night

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THE FOUR REPS: Askew, Melhorn, Morley, Dowden

Fittingly, the farewell will take place where it all began.

Since their introduction in the 2009 SMTI production of Follie Holidays, The Four Reps have been entertaining audiences with their  accappella/rock/doo-wop/barbershop group sounds.  For those who don’t know, The Four Reps are Charlie Askew, Henry Melhorn, Jack Dowden and Matt Morley.

Since 2009, they have representing The Reps’ young artists program and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre as they have performed all over Central Arkansas including the Clinton Library, the Governor’s Mansion, Little Rock City Hall, Barton Coliseum and The Rep’s Saints and Sinners Ball.

The Four Reps have also spent time cutting two albums, winning the Arkansas Democrat Gazette’s Pops on the River competition to sing the National Anthem with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and recently opening for the nationally recognized Yale University Whiffenpoofs.

But all good things must come to an end.  The Four Reps will give their farewell concert on Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s MainStage on Sunday, July 29 at 7 p.m. 

Produced by Nicole Capri, Karen Q. Clark and Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Four Reps will entertain with audience favorites from their repertoire as we say goodbye to two of their members, Jack Dowden and Matt Morley, who recently graduated from high school.

Following the concert will be a screening of the film “Cain and Abel” (mentioned on yesterday’s Culture Vulture entry).
A few tickets still remain, but they are going fast.  Call the Arkansas Rep box office at 501-378-0405 or visit www.therep.org.

CAIN AND ABEL this Sunday night

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CAIN AND ABEL Public Screening! One Night Only!This Sunday at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, the award winning film short “CAIN AND ABEL” will be shown at 7pm.

Written and directed by Mark Thiedeman, the film stars Samuel Pettit and Keith Hudson.  They two actors also did the camera work for the film.  Also in the cast is local actor Tucker Steinmetz.

Theideman describes the film as “a loose interpretation of the Biblical story of the first murder, enacted as a rebellion against a God who favors some of his children over others.”

At the 2012 Little Rock Film Festival, Pettit received the award for Best Performance in an Arkansas made film.  The film was nominated for Best Film and Theideman was nominated for Best Director.  The team is hoping to enter “Cain and Abel” in other film festivals.

Pettit and Hudson are both alumni of the Arkansas Rep’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI).

A limited number of tickets are still available. They can be purchased at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre Box Office – 501-378-0405 or http://www.therep.org.

Start Celebrating with CABARET

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Argenta Community Theater's CabaretThe Argenta Community Theatre is inaugurating producing its own productions with the Tony winning Cabaret.  Unfortunately, if you don’t already have a ticket, you won’t be able to “come to the Cabaret” because this production has been sold out for over a week.

Cabaret, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1967, is a musical adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s “Berlin Stories” and John van Druten’s I Am a Camera.  It features a book by Joe Masteroff and score by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Producer Vince Insalaco and director Robert Hupp have assembled a cast and creative team to transform the Argenta Community Theatre into the Kit Kat Klub.  The choreographers are Marisa Kirby and Christen Burke Pitts with Kurt Kennedy serving as musical director.

Kirby leads the cast as tragic heroine Sally Bowles. Cipher-like scribe Cliff Bradshaw is played by Michael Klucher.  Brandon Higdem is the leering MC of the Kit Kat Klub.  Also starring are Tricia Spione and Alan Rackley as a mismatched pair of older Germans struggling with their relationship in the midst of the onset of the Third Reich.

Others in the cast are David Weatherly, Jessica Smith, Carl Carter, Matt Morley, Kris Waltermire, Dylan Dugger, Sydney Ippolito, Emily Karnes, Bailey Lamb, RaeLeigh Narisi, Rachel Powell and Brittany “Sparkles” Rorie.

Insalaco hopes to produce a musical and a play at the Argenta Community Theatre each year.

Movies in the Park tonight: CADDYSHACK

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A sure sign of summer — duffers with their mashies and niblicks — in other words GOLF.  The quintessential golf movie Caddyshack is on tap tonight at Movies in the Park.

Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight star in this 1980 movie. (The movie is as funny today as it was 32 years ago.)  The cast also includes Michael O’Keefe, Brian Doyle-Murray, Sarah Holcomb, Scott Colomby, Cindy Morgan and everyone’s favorite motorized gopher.  Harold Ramis directed this romp around the golf course.

Movies in the Park is a free outdoor movie series in Little Rock’s River Market. The mission of Movies in the Park is help foster a sense of community and enjoyment in downtown Little Rock and throughout Central Arkansas by bringing people together to enjoy a movie in a unique setting along the scenic banks of the Arkansas River.

Movies start at dark.You’re welcome to bring picnics but please no glass containers and pick up afterwards. If you choose not to bring your own picnic we do have concessions available for sale. Bring your bug spray, picnic and family and have a good time!

The park opens at 6:30 pm.

The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau Technical Services department provides all the equipment for the movies.

Science After Dark tomorrow night at Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery’s monthly program series designed for people ages 21 and older, titled “Science after Dark,” will be Wednesday, July 25, 2012 6-8 pm.

This month’s theme, “Science Fiction”, will bring an exciting, interactive evening with multiple stations focused on the science surrounding this entertainment phenomenon. Guests will learn about science in a unique, social setting. Admission will be five dollars, and a cash bar will be available.

Did science inspire science fiction, or was it the other way around? Museum staff will facilitate an open discussion addressing this question, and explore interesting facts about ancient and modern science fiction.

Little Rock resident Leslie Singer, author of Zap! Ray Gun Classics, will bring part of his massive science-fiction memorabilia collection, and provide a fascinating retrospective.

Guests will have the opportunity to build their own unidentified flying object (UFO) and take it for test flights. There will be a delightful, and humorous, discussion on UFOs in history and culture.

Guests will get to race robots on a race track complete with an asteroid field, enemy ship and black hole. Also, they will be able to destroy their “enemies’ ” ship during a laser maze constructed of mirrors.

If so inclined, guests are invited to dress as one of the following: alien, robot, mad scientist or radioactive lizard.

Science after Dark occurs the last Wednesday of each month. Museum educators pick a science-related topic, and develop an event around it. The event is for ages 21 and older. General admission is $5 per person. Museum members get in free.

For more information on Science after Dark or the Museum of Discovery, visitwww.museumofdiscovery.org, follow us on www.facebook.com/scienceafterdark or call (501) 396-7050.

Tales from the South explores Family Tensions

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We all have families of some shape, form or fashion — which means we all probably have experienced family tension.  Tomorrow night (7/24) at Tales from the South, the program is “Family Tensions” featuring Randi Romo, George Smith, and J.B. Hogan.  Music is by Mark Curry and blues guitarist Mark Simpson

Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by Paula Martin Morell, who is also the show’s host. The show is taped live on Tuesday. The night is a cross between a house concert and a reading/show, with incredible food and great company. Tickets must be purchased before the show, as shows are usually standing-room only.

“Tales from the South” is a showcase of writers reading their own true stories. While the show itself is unrehearsed, the literary memoirs have been worked on for weeks leading up to the readings. Stories range from funny to touching, from everyday occurrences to life-altering tragedies.

The program takes place at Starving Artist Café.  Dinner is served from 5pm to 6:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.  Admission is $5, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Tales from the South airs on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.