Monthly Archives: June 2015

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor and State Rep. Ben D. Brickhouse

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BrickhouseOn June 8, 1873, future Little Rock Mayor Ben D. Brickhouse was born in Virginia.  He moved to Texas as a child before his family settled in Arkansas.

His first job was with the Missouri Pacific Railroad.  He eventually attended law school at the University of Arkansas.  As an attorney, he remained interested in labor relations throughout the rest of his life.

In 1914, Brickhouse was elected to the Little Rock City Council.  He was reelected in 1916.  In 1918, he was appointed Labor Commissioner for the State of Arkansas by Governor Charles Brough.

Brickhouse was elected Mayor of Little Rock in 1919.  He was relected twice (1921 and 1923).  Prior to the change to the City Manager form of government in 1957, other Mayors would seek a third consecutive term, but none would be successful.

Mayor Brickhouse ran for a fourth term as Mayor but was defeated.  In 1923, he had openly opposed the Ku Klux Klan, which was then a major player in Democratic politics in Little Rock, in Arkansas and in the nation. In the next Democratic primary for Mayor, Brickhouse did not secure the nomination.

During Mayor Brickhouse’s tenure the City purchased the land to make Fair Park (now War Memorial Park).  He also served as chair of the State Fairgrounds. Brickhouse remained active in civic affairs, often speaking out in favor or opposition to local issues.

Brickhouse retired from public life in 1925 but returned in 1938 when he was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives.  He was reelected in 1940.  On June 1, 1941, not long after the conclusion of the legislative session, Brickhouse died.

69th Tony Awards Tonight!

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Tony Tony TonyThe 69th Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are tonight. The telecast starts at 7pm central on CBS.

Here are my predictions for winners (in bold) and my favorites (with an asterisk).

Play

  • *The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Simon Stephens
  • Disgraced, Ayad Akhtar
  • Hand to God, Robert Askins
  • Wolf Hall Parts One & Two, Hilary Mantel and Mike Poulton

 

Musical

  • *An American in Paris
  • Fun Home
  • Something Rotten!
  • The Visit

 

Revival of a Play

  • The Elephant Man
  • Skylight
  • This Is Our Youth
  • *You Can’t Take It with You

 

Revival of a Musical

  • The King and I
  • *On the Town
  • On the Twentieth Century

 

Actor, Play

  • Steven Boyer, Hand to God
  • Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
  • Ben Miles, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • Bill Nighy, Skylight
  • *Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

 

Actress, Play

  • Geneva Carr, Hand to God
  • *Helen Mirren, The Audience
  • Elisabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
  • Carey Mulligan, Skylight
  • Ruth Wilson, Constellations

 

Actor, Musical

  • Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
  • *Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
  • Brian d’Arcy James, Something Rotten!
  • Ken Watanabe, The King and I
  • Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

 

Actress, Musical

  • Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century
  • Leanne Cope, An American in Paris
  • Beth Malone, Fun Home
  • *Kelli O’Hara, The King and I
  • Chita Rivera, The Visit

 

Featured Actor, Play

  • Matthew Beard, Skylight 
  • K. Todd Freeman, Airline Highway
  • Richard McCabe, The Audience
  • Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man
  • Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • *Micah Stock, It’s Only a Play

 

Featured Actress, Play

  • *Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You
  • Patricia Clarkson, The Elephant Man
  • Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • Sarah Stiles, Hand to God
  • Julie White, Airline Highway

 

Featured Actor, Musical

  • Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
  • Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century
  • Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!
  • Brandon Uranowitz, An American in Paris
  • *Max von Essen, An American in Paris

 

Featured Actress, Musical

  • Victoria Clark, Gigi
  • *Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
  • Sydney Lucas, Fun Home
  • Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I
  • Emily Skeggs, Fun Home

 

Direction, Play

  • Stephen Daldry, Skylight
  • *Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Scott Ellis, You Can’t Take It with You
  • Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God

 

Direction, Musical

  • Sam Gold, Fun Home
  • Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
  • John Rando, On the Town
  • Bartlett Sher, The King and I
  • *Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

 

Choreography

  • Joshua Bergasse, On the Town
  • Christopher Gattelli, The King and I
  • Scott Graham & Steven Hoggett for Frantic Assembly, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
  • *Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

 

Book of a Musical

  • Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell, Something Rotten!
  • *Lisa Kron, Fun Home
  • Craig Lucas, An American in Paris
  • Terrence McNally, The Visit

Original Score

  • John Kander & Fred Ebb, The Visit
  • Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick, Something Rotten!
  • Sting, The Last Ship
  • *Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron, Fun Home

 

Orchestrations

  • *Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris
  • John Clancy, Fun Home
  • Larry Hochman, Something Rotten!
  • Rob Mathes, The Last Ship

 

Scenic Design, Play

  • *Bunny Christie & Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Bob Crowley, Skylight
  • Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • David Rockwell, You Can’t Take It with You

 

Scenic Design, Musical

  • *Bob Crowley & 59 Productions, An American in Paris
  • David Rockwell, On the Twentieth Century
  • Michael Yeargan, The King and I
  • David Zinn, Fun Home

 

Costume Design, Play

  • Bob Crowley, The Audience
  • *Jane Greenwood, You Can’t Take It with You
  • Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • David Zinn, Airline Highway

 

Costume Design, Musical

  • *Gregg Barnes, Something Rotten!
  • Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
  • William Ivey Long, On the Twentieth Century
  • Catherine Zuber, The King and I

 

Lighting Design, Play

  • Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • Paule Constable and David Plater, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
  • Natasha Katz, Skylight
  • *Japhy Weideman, Airline Highway

 

Lighting Design, Musical

  • Donald Holder, The King and I
  • *Natasha Katz, An American in Paris
  • Ben Stanton, Fun Home
  • Japhy Weideman, The Visit

LR Look Back: The Rice Family and LR Auditorums

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1906 LR auditoriumOn June 7, 1920, the Little Rock City Council finally authorized the demolition of Little Rock’s 1906 temporary auditorium.  The structure had originally been built as a skating rink which, when chairs were added, could be used for public meetings.  Since the mid 1910’s, the City Council had discussed tearing it down over safety concerns.  But since Little Rock had no other structure as a substitute, the Council kept delaying the decision.

J Rice 1920In 1920, though there was not alternative space available, the Council decided that the structure had to come down.  So City Engineer James H. Rice was authorized to have the building removed.

JimRice RobinsonToday, Rice’s grandson, also known as Jim Rice is the COO of the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau.  In that capacity he is overseeing the renovation of Little Rock’s 1940 municipal auditorium – Robinson Center Music Hall.

Tony Awards Week – Will Trice

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Trice at the 2014 Tony Awards

Trice at the 2014 Tony Awards

Though he has been referenced in every Tony Awards Week story this week, today’s entry is devoted to three time Tony winning producer Will Trice.

It is fitting he is a young, Tony winning Broadway producer.  When his mother, Little Rock actress and teacher Judy Trice, was pregnant with him, she was directing the Hall High production of The Pajama Game.  The original Broadway production of that title was produced by another young, Tony winner – Hal Prince.

Will Trice literally grew up on stage and backstage. In addition to his mother, his late father Bill Trice and his sister Kathryn Pryor have graced every conceivable stage in Central Arkansas.  Will, himself, has been an actor and entertainer.  Most recently, he and Kathryn performed their cabaret act for patrons at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Tabriz earlier this year.

Trice’s Tony Awards came for the 2014 Best Play All the Way, 2013 Best Play Revival Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the 2012 Best Musical Revival Porgy and Bess.  He also received a nomination for 2012 Best Play Revival for The Best Man.  At the 2014 Tonys, of the 26 awards presented, seven went to shows produced by Trice and his producing partner Jeffrey Richards.

This year Trice is nominated for producing Best Play nominee: Wolf Hall Parts One and Two and Best Play Revival nominee: You Can’t Take It with You.  Between those two productions and a revival of The Heidi Chronicles, Trice-produced projects earned fourteen Tony nominations this season.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Richards and Trice have already announced revivals of Fiddler on the Roof and Sylvia for the 2015-2016 season.

It was fitting that Trice, a 1997 graduate of Central High, was a producer of the Tony-winning 50th anniversary revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2012/2013.  Ben Piazza, a 1951 graduate of then-Little Rock High School, was involved in the development of the play in 1962 and performed in the original Broadway production over 500 performances.

9 TO 5 closes out 59th season of CTLR

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9to5musicalWhat better way to end your 59th season than with a show with a 5 and a 9?  The Community Theatre of Little Rock presents the musical 9 to 5 through June 21st at The Studio Theatre (320 West 7th Street).

Performances are at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and at 2pm on Sunday afternoons.

9 to 5 is written by Patricia Resnick, who co-wrote the movie screenplay, with songs by Dolly Parton.  Parton received a Tony nomination for her score.

Set in the late 1970s this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking, and even a little romantic.  Pushed to the boiling point, three female co-workers concoct a plan to get even with their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! While Hart remains “otherwise engaged,” the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down.

The cast is led by Bridget Davis, Becky McAlister and Karena White as the main trio of women working hard to get ahead in the workplace. They are joined by Duane Jackson as the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot of a boss from Hell and Cheryl Troillett as his lackey.  Others in the cast include Chuck Massey, Chase Cundell, Jeremiah Herman, Leon Baggett, Rachel Garrett Bland, Mark Burbank, Jerry Davidson, Katy Fraley, Amanda Garrison Gilmore, Shann Nobels, Tanner Oglesby, Michael Pete, Jennifer Jackson Restum, Hannah M. Sawyer, Danny Troillett, Bruce Ward, Olivia Witcher and Jerry Woods.

The production is directed by Justin Pike with Jo Murry serving as music director.

Arkansas Author Round Up at Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center

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READThe Central Arkansas Library System’s (CALS) Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center, 4800 W. 10th Street, will hold an Arkansas Author Round Up on today, beginning at 10 a.m.
Five Arkansas children’s book authors will give attendees an opportunity to listen and interact with them about their children’s books.  The Arkansas Author Round Up is free and open to the public.

Authors participating in the Arkansas Author Round Up include: Carol Dabney, Bows and Butterflies; Sharrol Frederick, Pickles Play Baseball; Misti Kenison, The Tiny Travelers Series: Egypt and France; Erica Taylor, Figler, My Imaginary Friend; and Ebony White, Mr. Colors Saves the Day.

CALS’ Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center is one of fourteen CALS branches serving Pulaski and Perry counties.  The Children’s Library is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.  For more information, call 978-3870 or visit www.cals.org.

 

Tony Awards Week – Japhy Weideman

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Weideman

Weideman

Last month former Arkansas Rep resident lighting designer Japhy Weideman was recognized with an Obie Award for his continuous outstanding lighting design Off Broadway.  While he was at the Rep, he lit several shows including The Grapes of Wrath, All My Sons and God’s Man in Texas.

Sunday, Weideman is nominated for the Tony for Lighting Design of a Play for Airline Highway. He is also nominated for the Tony for Lighting Design of a Musical for The Visit.  In an even rarer feat, both shows opened the same night.  He is one of a handful of people to ever have two shows open on the same night.

Weideman was nominated in 2013 for Lighting Design of a Play for The Nance which starred Nathan Lane.  Last season he was nominated for his design of Of Mice and Men which starred James Franco, Chris O’Dowd, Leighton Meester and Jim Norton.

Other Broadway credits include The Snow Geese and a Lincoln Center production of The Scottish Play which starred Ethan Hawke.  This season he also designed the lighting for a revival of The Heidi Chronicles which starred Elisabeth Moss, Jason Biggs and Bryce Pinkham.   One of the producers of that revival was Little Rock native Will Trice.  Weideman and Trice will reunite next season in a revival of A. R. Gurney’s comedy Sylvia which is to star Tony winner (and current nominee) Julie White and two-time Tony nominee Annaleigh Ashford.