Monthly Archives: January 2014

Little Rock Look Back: Gen. Douglas MacArthur

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MacArthurOn January 26, 1880, Douglas MacArthur was born in the Arsenal Building while his father was stationed at the Little Rock Barracks.  Though he left Arkansas a few weeks later when his father was transferred, he returned to his birthplace on March 23, 1952. On that day he was greeted by crowds welcoming one of the USA’s most famous military figures.

Though Gen. MacArthur spent only a few weeks in Little Rock, he was baptized at Christ Episcopal Church.  The location of the baptism remains a mystery today because the church was meeting in temporary locations due to the first structure having been lost to a fire.

When the General returned to Little Rock in 1952, he did pay a brief visit to Christ Church.  He also spoke at the Foster Bandshell in the park which bore his name.  He was one of three presidential candidates to speak at the Foster Bandshell in 1952, the others were the eventual Democratic and Republican nominees Adlai Stevenson and Dwight Eisenhower.

When General MacArthur died, he was granted a state funeral.  He was one of the few non-Presidents to have been given this honor.

Today, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is located in the Arsenal building.  It was created to interpret our state’s military heritage from its territorial period to the present.

Located in the historic Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal–the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur–the museum preserves the contributions of Arkansas men and women who served in the armed forces.

Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

Bohemian Rhapsody as Arkansas Symphony celebrates Brahms, Dvorak

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aso_2-colorThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra kicks of 2014 with concerts this weekend at Robinson Center Music Hall.  Bohemian Rhapsody celebrating the works of Brahams and Dvorak, will take place at 8pm this evening and 3pm tomorrow afternoon.  The musicians will be led by ASO music director Philip Mann.

Many refer to Dvorak as the greatest Bohemian composer, and he headlines our festive occasion with a selection of his most entertaining and enchanting works. His Slavonic Dances showcase a wonderful juxtaposition of propulsive dance rhythms and sweeping lyricism. The result is a volatile concoction of explosive energy and affecting emotion.

Dvorak’s Scherzo Capriccioso adds another rousing and stylish work known to increase the heart-rate for musician and listener alike.

Pianist sensation and Brahms champion Norman Krieger makes his ASO return following his triumphant Brahms Concerto No. 1, with the exquisite 2nd. A towering and daunting work in the virtuosic demands it places on the pianist, it is beloved by audiences for is beauty, amiable disposition, and charming effervescence.

Fans of romantic symphonic or pianistic works won’t want to miss this perfect combination, and one of Brahms’ greatest works.

    Brahms Concerto for Piano No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83
    Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46/72
    Dvořák Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66

 

A native of Los Angeles, Norman Krieger is one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation, highly regarded as an artist of depth, sensitivity and virtuosic flair.

Norman Krieger regularly appears with the major orchestras of North America, among them the New York, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Dayton and Hamilton Philharmonics, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Baltimore, California, Chicago, Cincinnati, Florida, Hartford, Honolulu, Kansas City, Milwaukee, National, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Saint Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Syracuse Symphony Orchestras.

Little Rock Look Back: City Takes Possession of Robinson Auditorium

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10.+citylittlerock-2On January 25, 1940, the City of Little Rock officially took complete possession of the Joseph Taylor Robinson Memorial Auditorium. By assuming custody of the structure from the contractor and the PWA, the City accepted responsibility for any of the remaining work to be completed.

E. E. Beaumont, the Auditorium Commission chairman stated that an opening date could not be set until more work was completed. A major unfinished task was the laying of the front sidewalk which had been delayed due to cold weather.

The night before Little Rock took possession, Robinson Auditorium had been a topic of discussion at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The new Chamber president Reeves E. Ritchie (who as an Arkansas Power & Light executive had been engaged in the lengthy discussions about the installation of the steam line and transformers of the building) pledged that the Chamber would work to bring more and larger conventions to Little Rock at the Joseph Taylor Robinson Memorial Auditorium.

Prize winning CLYBOURNE PARK at Ark Rep opens tonight

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ClybourneA few seasons ago, the Arkansas Rep produced Lorraine Hansberry’s seminal work A Raisin in the Sun.  Tonight the Rep opens a production of Bruce Norris’ prize winning play Clybourne Park which explores events which happened before and after Hansberry’s play.

Clybourne Park is a bitingly funny and fiercely provocative play about the volatile combination of race and real estate. Written by Bruce Norris and directed by Rep founder Cliff Baker, its searing wit, intriguing plot twists and hard hitting social commentary make Clybourne Park a theatrical tour de force not to be missed.

In 1959, a white couple sells their home to a black family (the fictional Younger family from A Raisin in the Sun), causing an uproar in their middle-class neighborhood. Fifty years later in 2009, the same house is changing hands again, but the stakes have changed.

As neighbors wage a hilarious and pitched battle over territory and legacy, Clybourne Park reveals just how far our ideas about race and identity have evolved.

The cast includes Shaleah Adkisson, Ryan Barry, Katie Cunningham, Lawrence Evans, LeeAnne Hutchison, Robert Ierardi, Jason O’Connell, and David Tennal.

The creative team includes scenic designer Mike Nichols, costume designer Yslan Hicks, lighting designer Yael Lubetzky, sound designer Allan Branson and properties designer Lynda J. Kwallek.

The play was first performed in 2010 at Playwright’s Horizons. Following that production Norris received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  A subsequent production was mounted on Broadway in 2012.  The Broadway production was nominated for four Tony Awards and won the Tony for Best Play.

Clybourne Park is made possible in part by a grant from the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation, a component fund of the Arkansas Community Foundation.

Ark Rep production of prize winning CLYBOURNE PARK focus at Clinton School today

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ClybourneThe Arkansas Repertory Theatre works in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service to participate in the UACS’s Distinguished Speaker Series, hosting educational panel discussions on various Rep productions. The latest in these takes place today, Thursday, January 23 at 12 noon at Sturgis Hall in Clinton Presidential Park.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre producing artistic director, Bob Hupp, will host a panel discussion on the upcoming production of Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park, winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and 2012 Tony Award for Best Play.

Clybourne Park is a bitingly funny and fiercely provocative new play about the volatile combination of race and real estate. In 1959, a white couple sells their home to a black family, causing uproar in their middle-class neighborhood. Fifty years later in 2009, the same house is changing hands again and neighbors wage battle over territory and legacy revealing how far our ideas about race and gentrification have evolved.

Panelists director Cliff Fannin Baker, Jess Porter and John Kirk from the UALR History Department, along with Bob Hupp, will discuss how Clybourne Park relates to issues of race, real estate, history, and legacy in our own community.

Clybourne Park opens tomorrow night (with previews last night and tonight). It runs through Sunday, February 9. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday evening performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday Matinees performances are at 2 p.m.

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Preserve Our Past Art and Essay Invitational for students in grades 5-8 announced

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ahpp logoStudents in grades five through eight throughout Arkansas are invited to participate in the 23rd annual “Preserve Our Past” art and essay invitational sponsored by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, AHPP Director Frances McSwain announced earlier this month.

Students can enter an artwork or essay based on a historic Arkansas property that is at least 50 years old, focusing on how those places reflect Arkansas history or why it is important to preserve the state’s historic sites. All entries must be postmarked by April 1, 2014.

First-, second- and third-place winners in each category will receive a trophy and winners in the art division will have their artwork framed, while those awarded honorable mention will receive ribbons. All students who enter will receive a certificate. Winning entries will be displayed at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock throughout May, which is Arkansas Heritage Month.

For more information or an entry form, write AHPP Art and Essay Invitational, AHPP, 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, call (501) 324-9786, send an e-mail inquiry to shelle@arkansasheritage.org, or download the form at http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/preservation-services/youth-education/Pop.aspx. Please include your name and mailing address on any phone or e-mail messages.

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is the Department of Arkansas Heritage agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering and preserving cultural resources. Other agencies are the Arkansas Arts Council, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and the Historic Arkansas Museum.

“Miscommunications” at Tales from the South tonight

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talesfromsouthThe Tuesday, January 21 edition of  ”Tales from the South” is themed “Miscommunications.” We’ve all done it.  Tonight will be the chance to hear stories Alan Reese, Jan VanSchuyvel, and Guy Choate. Music is by Jamie Lou and blues guitarist Mark Simpson

“Tales From the South” is a radio show created and produced by 2013 Governor’s Arts Award recipient 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.  This episode will air on January 23.