Monthly Archives: September 2013

PINKALICIOUS opens tonight at Ark Arts Center Children’s Theatre

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aacctpinkThe Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre kicks off its 2013-2014 season with Pinkalicious the Musical.  The production will run from September 20 – October 6.

Pinkalicious is a contrary little girl who can’t stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her indulgence lands her at the doctor’s office with pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe which sounds like a dream come true for a pink enthusiast, but she soon realizes that she may have gone too far.

“Children who love the original book will recognize all their favorite characters in this delightful tale that reminds us all of the importance of moderation,” said Arkansas Arts Center executive director Todd Herman. “The talented cast will capture the young audience’s attention while also proving enjoyable for the adult chaperones.”

The cast for Pinkalicious the Musical includes:
Veronica Lowry, of Charlottesville, Va., as Pinkalicious
Jeremy Matthey, of Little Rock, Ark., as Peter/Bird
Aleigha Morton, of Little Rock, Ark., as Alison/Dr. Wink/Butterfly 2
Sissy Anne Quaranta, of Denver, Colo., as Mrs. Pinkerton/Butterfly 1
Dennis Glasscock, of Little Rock, Ark., as Mr. Pinkerton/Bee
Abby Bannerman, of Little Rock, Ark., as Cupcake Girl/Swarm of bees
Gretchen Bush, of Little Rock, Ark., as Cupcake Girl/Swarm of bees
Riley Melton, of Little Rock, Ark., as Cupcake Girl/Swarm of bees
Tasha Snyder, of Little Rock, Ark., Cupcake Girl/Swarm of bees
Madison Stolzer, of Little Rock, Ark., Cupcake Girl/Swarm of bees

Bradley D. Anderson is the artistic director for the production. Direction and choreography by Scott Ferguson, costumes are designed by Erin Larkin, technical direction by Drew Posey, lighting design by Penelope Poppers, scenic design and properties by Miranda Young and Rivka Kuperman is the production stage manager.

Pinkalicious  is written by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann and is based on their book with the same title. Music is by John Gregor and lyrics by John Gregor, Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann.

Presenting sponsors for the event are Landers Fiat and Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The production is also sponsored by Centennial Bank, JPMS Cox, PLLC with in-kind support provided by Boulevard Bread Company.

Pinkalicious the Musical is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018. For more information, visit www.theatricalrights.com  or call (866) 378-9758.

Recognized by The Drama League as one of the best regional theatre companies in America, the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre is the only professional company in Arkansas that produces children’s literary works for the stage. Since 1979, Children’s Theatre has been creating unique experiences for family audiences. During the 2012-13 season, nearly 43,000 children and families enjoyed Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre productions which included more than 200 schools across Arkansas.

For more information, visit arkansasartscenter.org or call (501)372-4000. “Like” the Arkansas Arts Center on Facebook for the most up-to-date information on exhibitions, events and educational offerings.

UALR Public Radio welcomes Frank Deford

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book3-maggyThe Friends of KLRE/KUAR will host a fundraiser featuring an evening with legendary sportswriter and public radio commentator Frank Deford on Thursday, September 19, at 7 p.m.

Admission to the event at Embassy Suites in Little Rock is $100, and tickets can be purchased online or by calling us at 501-569-8485.

$50 of the ticket amount is a tax-deductible donation to your non-profit public radio stations.

“Sports: The Hype and The Hypocrisy” will be the theme, and the event will include a dinner, talk and book signing with Deford.

Arkadelphia native and Southern Fried blogger Rex Nelson will be the master of ceremonies. A cash bar will precede the dinner in the foyer of the Embassy Suites ballroom.

“We are very excited to welcome Frank Deford to Little Rock,” says Katherine Lu, board president of the Friends of KLRE/KUAR. “He’s more than just an NPR personality. He’s a writer of great fiction and a national sports icon,” she says of the Baltimore native whose work appears regularly in Sports Illustrated, on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and on National Public Radio.

Deford is the author of 18 books, nine of them novels, and was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President Obama on July 10. His Wednesday morning sports commentaries are broadcast on KUAR FM 89 at 7:50.

Rex Nelson will be introducing Deford and conducting a question-and-answer session at the end of Deford’s presentation. Nelson is a regular political commentator on KUAR news, head of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges & Universities association, and a columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. His career started as broadcaster and sportswriter covering the Ouachita Baptist Tigers.

“Nelson is going to be a great host because he’s an expert on Arkansas culture with a background in politics, sports, and writing,” says Lu. “We hope that this event will help public radio reach a new segment of our listeners and get to know some of our more occasional listeners better.”

klre_logoImportance of the Fundraiser
The top priority is replacing the stations’ aging audio control boards used to broadcast programming and record local content.

“The equipment is more than 15 years old and starting to fail,” says General Manager Ben Fry, “and some of the parts for these control boards are getting hard to replace because they are no longer available.”

“Reporters, producers, and board operators are having technical problems. It’s time to update,” says Fry.

KUARAbout The Friends of KLRE/KUAR
The Friends of KLRE/KUAR is a non-profit organization that financially supports the two stations of UALR Public Radio.

With public radio, “members” of the Friends of KLRE/KUAR make financial contributions to support the stations’ annual operating budgets.

“Hundreds of listeners participate in our semi-annual fund drives and become members of UALR Public Radio,” says Development Director Mary Waldo. “But it’s been several years since we’ve hosted a major fundraiser,” she says. “This year our focus is to improve the equipment for KUAR FM 89 and KLRE Classical 90.5. We do rely on the support of our listeners and members to serve central Arkansas.”

About KUAR FM 89.1 and KLRE Classical 90.5
KLRE FM 90.5, Little Rock’s first public radio station, went live in 1973 and became a member of National Public Radio in 1984. KUAR FM 89.1 went on the air in 1986. Today, the two stations serve a third of the state’s population and even more people through live streaming on the internet. KUAR broadcasts news and information programming, including daily newsmagazines from NPR and local news. KLRE broadcasts classical music 24 hours a day.

Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music launched tonight

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butler-welkyWhat do a rockabilly musician turned cinematic swamp monster, an instrument that lent its name to a weapon, and the creator of Schoolhouse Rock! have in common? They all come from Arkansas. The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, a department of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS), will host a cocktail party to celebrate the release of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music, a new Butler Center Book, on Thursday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the Main Library’s Darragh Center, 100 Rock Street. Reservations are appreciated, but not required. To RSVP, email kchagnon@cals.org or call 918-3033.
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music is a special project of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (EOA), an online encyclopedia launched in 2006 by the Butler Center. This colorful, photo-filled reference work spanning all aspects of Arkansas’s musical past and present includes more than 150 entries on musicians, ensembles, musical works, and events.
Also included is a musical map of Arkansas showing important musical sites-both defunct and still in existence-including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway. Covering the genres of blues/R&B, classical/opera, country, folk, gospel/contemporary Christian, jazz, rock, and rockabilly, this encyclopedia has something to interest any lover of Arkansas music and Arkansas history-as the state’s past, present, and future are tied to its music.
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music is available at River Market Books & Gifts, 120 River Market Ave., and from the University of Arkansas Press, Butler Center Books’ distributor, www.uapress.com. Butler Center Books is a division of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. The Butler Center’s research collections, art galleries, and offices are located in the Arkansas Studies Institute building at 401 President Clinton Ave. on the campus of the CALS Main Library. For more information, contact Rod Lorenzen at (501) 320-5716 or rlorenzen@cals.org.

Zoo Brew Tonight

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6_zoobrew2011-logoThe Little Rock Zoo’s annual Zoo Brew  is tonight.  It offers patrons the chance to sample beers and dance to the tunes of Tragikly White! And, on your journey, you might meet some animal friends along the way!

The Zoo will also have food trucks including Southern Gourmasian, Hot Dog Mike, Waffle Wagon & more available for food purchase!

Zoo Brew takes place in and around Cafe Africa and the Civitan Pavilion, rain or shine.
Tickets include a souvenir cup (while supplies last).

Cost is only $25 per person.

Click below to purchase tickets now. Last year’s event was a sell-out success and this year’s event promises to be the same!

http://lrzoobrew.eventbrite.com/

Sponsored by: Budweiser and Golden Eagle of Arkansas, Arkansas Craft Distributors, Vino’s, Bosco’s, Core from Springdale , AR, and Fermentables & Homegrown Hobbies store

Must be at least 21 years of age to attend. Please bring photo ID and remember to wear comfortable shoes! Parking is free during this special event. Sorry, no refunds.

Charles S. Dutton “Bless the Mic” tonight at Philander Smith

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Charles S. Dutton kicks off the 2013-14 Bless The Mic Lecture Series at Philander Smith College tonight.

This award winning actor, director and inspirational speaker will appear at 7pm.  

pscduttonA graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Tony nominee Charles S. Dutton’s career spans theater, television and film. From 1991 to 1994 he starred in the title role and executive produced the critically-acclaimed Fox comedy/drama Roc, for which he received several NAACP Image Award nominations. Dutton has numerous other television credits, having won Emmy Awards for his guest starring roles in Without a Trace and The Practice.  He also won an Emmy for directing the movie The Corner for HBO.  Most recently he can be seen in guest star roles on top shows Criminal Minds and American Horror Story as well as Longmire and Zero Hour.

The Baltimore native is also a veteran of numerous feature films, including Aliens 3; Cry, The Beloved Country; A Time to Kill; Get on the Bus; and Cookie’s Fortune. On Broadway he has starred in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson.  He received Tony nominations for the original productions of those titles. He also won both a Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.  In 2003, he starred in a revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Broadway.

Bless The Mic is a contemporary spin on the traditional President’s Lecture Series. These events, held on hundreds of campuses across the country, have been a way to stimulate the intellectual discourse on the campus. Even today, these series seek to bring in noted scholars, authors, politicians and public intellectuals to expose not only the campus community to their ideas and concepts, but the broader community in which the institution resides.

Mac Park Music Tonight – Kirk Anderton and Quentin May

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macparkmusicFrom the late 1920s through the mid 1950s, Little Rock’s MacArthur Park was a centerpiece of live music.  The Foster Bandshell, named in memory of Mrs. H. H. Foster, stood in the park near 10th and Commerce.  The structure was torn down in the early 1960s.  A portion of the Arkansas Arts Center sits on the site of the old Foster Bandshell.

In 2002, the lakeside pavilion in MacArthur Park was renamed the Foster Pavilion to pay tribute to the memory of Mrs. Foster and the bandshell.

The Foster Pavilion will be the site of a new music series taking place on Wednesday nights in September.  MAC PARK MUSIC! will take place from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on September 11, 18 and 25.

Tonight’s lineup features Kirk Anderton and Quentin May will be playing good ole Southern Rock and all of your sing-a-long favorites.  Clyde & Kiddo’s BBQ will be serving salads, burgers, BBQ, fries and more.  Beer and wine will be available for donations.

 

Tales from the South – Just Between You and Me

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talesfromsouthTonight’s edition of  ”Tales from the South” is Just Between You and Me. It will feature stories by Tyler Thompson and Sandra Hamilton. Music is by The Brad Williams 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 $7.50, not including dinner.

You MUST purchase your ticket before the show

Previous episodes of “Tales from the South” air on KUAR Public Radio on Thursdays at 7pm.  Tonight’s episode will air on October 3.