Monthly Archives: August 2015

August Wilson’s TWO TRAINS RUNNING is running in August at the Weekend Theater

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twt-Two-Trains-Running_smNext up at the Weekend Theater is August Wilson’s Two Trains Running.  It opens tonight and plays Fridays and Saturdays through September 5.

The play is a story about love, hate, and the struggles that ordinary African Americans faced in a Pittsburgh neighborhood in 1969. The gossip, debates, philosophizing, and storytelling that take place in Memphis’ restaurant reflect the oral tradition of African American culture. Wilson’s characters appear engaged in talk that seems detached from the racial riots, assassinations, and antiwar protest that marked this era and damaged black areas economically. The restaurant and the neighborhood are on the brink of economic development.

Wilson explores their social and psychological manifestations of changing attitudes toward race. Seeking to escape from poverty, racism, and “Jim Crow” laws, many black Americans migrated to northern industrial cities during the early and mid-20th century where Wilson reveals simple truths, hopes and dreams for a community on the brink of change.

The play is directed by Jamie Scott Blakey and Margaret Parker.  The cast features Jermaine McClure, Rodney Ford, Eric Tate, Keith Harper, Kearie Saine, Ronald Coleman and Cherisse Coleman.  

Performances begin at 7:30pm.  The box office opens at 6:30pm. Seating is general admission and begins at 7:00pm.

Little Rock Look Back: First City Auditorium Approved

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1906 auditoriumOn August 20, 1906, the Little Rock City Council approved plans for the City’s first municipal auditorium.

A week earlier, businessman A. C. Read petitioned the City for the right to construct a skating rink.  The matter was referred to the Street & Fire Committee, the Superintendent of Public Works and Aldermen Louis Volmer and Benjamin S. Thalheimer, who represented the Sixth Ward, in which the structure would be located.

Neither the Gazette nor the Democrat carried a mention of this petition in their coverage of that meeting.  By the next Council meeting a week later, the committee had reported back with a recommendation for approval.  Resolution 288 was adopted giving Mr. Read the right to build the skating rink.  Interestingly, the resolution did not contain the words “skating rink” though the original petition had.  Instead it permitted Mr. Read to construct a building “suitable for purposes as defined” by the City.  The resolution also stated that within three years the building would become property of the City.

Based on photos and postcards, the exterior of the building appears to have been covered in stucco.  It was said to be modeled after San Antonio’s Alamo, but what that really meant was that it was in the Spanish Revival style.  It was shorter and had more entrances than the Texas building did.  The Markham Street façade featured faux windows and a front portico which extended the length of the building only interrupted by three entrance archways. The center one was taller and wider than the eastern and western entrances.  All three, which projected southward from the building, mimicked the outline of the auditorium building.

The building was located on the western half of the City Hall property (and was constructed before City Hall).  In 1912, the new Little Rock Central Fire Station (now the City Hall West Wing) was built between the auditorium and Markham Street.  The auditorium stood until 1920.  During that time it was used as a roller rink, opera house, rifle range, National Guard armory, convention hall, and gymnasium.

Back to School Cinema: HOOSIERS

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HoosiersNot just one of the best sports movies ever made, but one of the best movies of any genre, Hoosiers is also a back to school movie.  This 1986 opus embraces the cliches of the underdog sports team, Gene Hackman as a washed up lost soul, and Dennis Hopper as a drunk.  Through all of the reasons this movie could be a failure, it is the exact opposite.

There is an elegant honesty and humility that runs throughout the movie.  Hackman, Hopper and Barbara Hershey trust the script and the situation. This keeps what could be a hackneyed and melodramatic story from losing its honesty.

The actors playing the basketball players were hired more for their basketball ability. With similar haircuts, they sometimes become interchangeable. But instead of being a detriment, instead this becomes one of the assets of the film.  The movie is about a team. While each player has his own story, the more important story is that of the team.

The sepia-tinged cinematography and languid pace of the movie also add to the period feeling. While it doesn’t look like a movie filmed in the 1950s (that would have been in Technicolor or black & white), it seems like it should be a movie filmed in the 1950s.

This movie never fails to induce goosebumps and misty eyes each time I watch it.  I KNOW how it is going to end, and I still get caught up in it.  When Gene Hackman measures the distance between the net and the floor to demystify the enormity of the championship arena, I am reminded of the importance of keeping things in perspective.

Scenes from new opera on Richard III to premiere on Saturday, August 22

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R3 OperaScenes from a new opera will premiere on Saturday evening in downtown Little Rock.  Composer Karen Griebling’s third opera Richard III: A Crown of Roses, a Crown of Thorns will be performed at 7:30pm at Christ Episcopal Church.

The performance will take place on the 530th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field.  The scenes will be under the direction of conductor Geoffrey Robson. Timothy Allen is the répétiteur.

The cast features: Matthew K. Tatus, tenor, as Richard III and Kara Claybrook, soprano as Princess Elizabeth of York.  Other roles are performed by sopranos Jaimee Nicole Jensen and Arlene Barkley Biebesheimer; lyric soprano Stephanie Smittle; mezzo soprano Hannah Smashey; tenors Chase H. Burns and Daniel Foltz-Morrison; baritones Ronald McDaniel II, Robert Holden, Andrew Morgan and Jerry Biebesheimer; bass/baritone Phillip J. Murray; and bass George Mayo.

In addition to writing operas, Griebling is a violist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Cross Town Trio, and Professor of Music at Hendrix College, Griebling founded and conducts the Hendrix College Chamber Orchestra and teaches music theory, composition, and world music.  She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas. http://www.karengriebling-composer.info

Musical DOGFIGHT up next at The Studio Theatre – this weekend only

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(LtoR) Koty Mansfield, Payton Justice, Ethan Patterson, Xavier Jones, Ben Mills, Chase Cundall

(LtoR) Koty Mansfield, Payton Justice, Ethan Patterson, Xavier Jones, Ben Mills, Chase Cundall

The Studio Theatre presents the regional premiere of Dogfight, a story of compassion, heartbreak and redemption adapted from the 1991 movie. With music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (James and The Giant Peach, A Christmas Story) and book by Peter Duchan, Dogfight offers audiences the winning combination of a great musical score, an unexpected love affair and a genuine soul.

It’s November 21, 1963. On the eve of their deployment to the small but growing ‘little conflict’ in Southeast Asia (and unbeknownst to them, also the eve of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination), three young, fresh and cocky Marines are looking forward to one final night of partying. They set out to find the ugliest girl to bring to the “dogfight”, a cruel game where the men put up money for a party and a cash prize for whoever brings the ugliest girl. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win the cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion. Dogfight is a powerful and haunting musical about the end of the age of innocence in the 60’s.

Winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical in 2013, Dogfight runs August 20- August 23 at The Studio Theatre located at 320 West 7th Street. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, August 20, 21 and 22, 2015 at 7 PM and Sunday August 23, 2015 at 2 PM. Ticket price is $20 for Adults and $15 for Students, Senior Citizens and military (with valid id). Seating is general admission. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com.

Due to mature themes, adult content and strong language, this production is not recommended for young children.

The cast is led by Ben Mills and Kayla Walker. Others in the cast include Payton Justice, Koty Mansfield, Bridget Davis, Ethan Patterson, Xavier Jones, Chase Cundall, James Norris, Georgeann Burbank and Jennifer Restum.  Rounding out the cast are Rachel Caffey, Brooke Melton and Hayley Coughlin.

The production is directed by Mark A. Burbank.  Bob Bidewell is the music director.  Others on the crative team include Hannah M. Sawyer, Anthony McBride, Stacey Johnson, Sarah Scott Blakey and Tye Davis.  Justin A. Pike is the Artistic Director of The Studio Theatre.

 

Guido Ritchie and Steve Hudelson at Local Live tonight

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llsom s gTonight at 7:30pm at is this week’s installment of Local Live concert series at South on Main.  The artists tonight are Guido Ritchie and Steve Hudelson!

Presented by the Oxford American magazine, Local Live showcases the best of local and regional music talent and is always free and open to the public. Call ahead to South on Main to make your reservations and ensure a table: (501) 244-9660. Local Live is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Ben and Jane Hunt Meade.

Guido Ritchie and Steve Hudelson have been performing together as a duo for over twenty years, presenting some the finest jazz Arkansas has to offer. They first began playing together in the early 90’s where they were both music majors at UALR. Hundreds of gigs in restaurants, private parties, and concert stages later, Ritchie and Hudelson have honed their unique trumpet and guitar pairing into a beautiful and exiting sound. Recently, both musicians were added to the Arkansas Art Council’s Arts on Tour roster.

Back to School Cinema: CLUELESS

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cluelessJane Austen meets 1990s Beverly Hills in Clueless – Amy Heckerling’s take on the classic tale of matchmaking gone awry before a happy ending.

This 1995 movie starred Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash as the benevolent rulers of a Beverly Hills high school.  With snappy, smart dialogue it is reminiscent of screwball comedies of the 1930s.  Unlike some films of the same genre (and many of its imitators), it relies heavily on scenes at school and involves the students interacting with teachers.

Brittany Murphy plays the newcomer whose arrival sets many plans in motion while Elisa Donovan, Donald Faison, Jeremy Sisto, Breckin Meyer, and Justin Walker play fellow students. Paul Rudd’s performance as the older ex-step-brother of Silverstone helps anchor the film.  (He also keeps the ick factor from creeping in at the ending of the movie based on the character who becomes the object of his affection).  Julie Brown, Wallace Shawn and Twink Caplan bring hilarity and heart to their roles as teachers.

As with Beverly Hills itself, this movie has a distinctive look.  The costumes by Mona May are exaggerated without becoming parodies.  Interesting, this movie is heavily dominated by females behind the camera.  It was written and directed by Heckerling.  Casting and editing were both led by women as well as two of the assistant directors and one of the film’s producers.

Appreciation or even familiarity with Austen is not necessary to enjoy this film.  It is literate, witty, smart, and fun.