Monthly Archives: October 2015

Zoo & Aristotle Launch Interactive Lit Trees & Map for BOO

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2015 BooThe Little Rock Zoo and Aristotle bring interactive fun to Boo at the Zoo this Halloween with a special Smartphone app and beacon technology that lets guests control lighted trees and provides an interactive online map of the event.

Interactive Tree Display      

Sponsored by Aristotle, the interactive tree display is located in front of the Diamond Express Train and features eight differently colored lit trees that can be controlled by a smartphone.  A part of the Internet of Things, a beacon is a small device that continually emits a specific webpage URL. When a phone is within range of the trees, the app will notify the user that a beacon is near. When visitors can select the beacon on their smart phones, a webpage with a keyboard graphic appears on the phone’s screen.  When guests press a color-coded key on the keyboard, a corresponding colored tree lights up and plays a musical note.  Up to ten (10) people within range of the trees can play at once and are allowed access for a limited amount of time.

Interactive Map

Guests who download the BeaconSage app will also be able to see an online Boo at the Zoo map on any smartphone device and can use the map to tell what rides and attractions are in a particular area. The map displays the number of tickets needed for rides and attractions as well as the age ranges for the rides and attractions.

Beacons have been strategically placed inside the Zoo so that smartphone devices will receive data transmissions from the beacons when the device is within range. Guests can participate in the interactive fun by downloading the BeaconSage app at the Apple App Store or through Google Play.

About Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo runs Oct. 17 & 18 and 23-31. Boo will feature all the fun that Arkansas families have come to expect, with trick-or-treat stations full of toys and candy to choose from, carnival rides and games, bounce house inflatables, Frankenstein’s Dance Party and the Thriller Dance performance, a nightly costume contest, live music every night, free s’mores with every ticket, free milk from Hiland Dairy, the Haunted Carousel ride, Haunted Train ride, a hay maze, face painting, glitter tattoos, kid’s area games, Haunted Bingo, and food trucks with food available for purchase each night.

Admission to Boo at the Zoo is $20 per person for wristband admission and includes all rides, attractions and six tickets for trick-or-treat stations and s’mores. Wristband admission does not include food or retail purchases or Haunted Bingo. General Admission is $10 and includes six tickets that may be used for trick-or-treat stations, s’mores, or for rides and attractions. Rides and attractions take between two and 10 tickets. Individual tickets for rides, attractions, treat stations and s’mores are also sold inside the Zoo for $.50 each and guests purchasing General Admission tickets also have the option to upgrade to a wristband if they chose. Admission passes can be purchased online starting now at www.LittleRockZoo.com/boo or at the Zoo’s front gate entrance.

Boo at the Zoo is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Blue and You Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation; Acxiom; Ambetter of Arkansas; Coca-Cola Cumulus Broadcasting with B98.5, Alice 107.7 and KOKY 102.1; Arkansas Federal Credit Union; Aristotle; Discount Trophy; New Age Distributing; The Wonder Place; TruService Credit Union; Kroger; Target; Wal-Mart; Home Depot; and Premium Refreshment Services.

 

Teen Night Oct. 22

For the first time, Boo at the Zoo will offer a Teen Night for those in grades 7th through 12th. Students are asked to present their student IDs for entry or to present a document verifying their grade level. Chaperone tickets are also available at a discounted price for this event, and the Zoo has added extra security on this night to ensure that teens have a safe and fun experience. Tickets for Teen Night are $20 per person and chaperone tickets are $10 per person.

Dia de los Muertos Oct. 30

In honor of the traditional Hispanic holiday, Dia de los Muertos, the Little Rock Zoo has partnered with Hola! Arkansas to host a special Boo at the Zoo on Oct. 30. The rich culture of Dia de los Muertos will be showcased by members of Hola! Arkansas, who will set up a special altar in honor of deceased relatives – a tradition of many Hispanic families celebrating this holiday that normally falls on Nov. 1. This special night of Boo at the Zoo will also feature Hispanic dancers and performers. All regular Boo at the Zoo activities and events will also be available, and the event is open to the public.

Boo at the Zoo Background

Boo at the Zoo is Arkansas’s largest Halloween festival featuring trick-or-treating in a safe environment along with dozens of Halloween themed activities for the entire family. Now is its 24th year, Boo at the Zoo has become a staple for central Arkansas families. Boo at the Zoo is a nighttime event where the Little Rock Zoo reopens after normal operating hours to host ghosts and ghouls and everything that goes “bump” in the night in all corners of the Zoo. Costumes are not required to attend Boo at the Zoo but are encouraged. The event is known for popular attractions such as the Haunted Train where the Zoo’s miniature train is turned into a haunted nighttime attraction as well as the Haunted Carousel that is free to the public. To learn more visit www.LittleRockZoo.com/boo

See the BEE

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Rep Spelling BeeF-U-N is all the spelling you need to know to go see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This musical comedy with heart and smarts is running now through November 8 at Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

A 2005 Tony winner for Best Book of a Musical, Spelling Bee (as it shall hereafter be abbreviated) explores the twists and turns of both the eponymous academic competition and the struggle known as adolescence. While William Finn’s score may not be as strong as some of his other shows, it is a mixture of peppy and heart-felt songs that illuminate the chaos and character of each competitor.

There are six main competitors in the Bee. Each of the adult actors playing these juvenile spellers does a masterful job of balancing the demands of the roles. They must portray youngsters, without it becoming a parody. Ethan Paulini creates yet another endearingly offbeat character at the Rep as Leaf Coneybear. Tessa Faye’s Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre shifts seamlessly between exuberance and frustration. Laura Dadap aptly showcases her many talents as overachiever Marcy Park.

As Chip Tolentino, Tommy Martinez is so clean-cut and charming that his character’s unfortunate physical condition is endearing and not creepy. Conly Basham brings warmth, pathos, and heart to the role of Olive Ostrovsky, which keeps the character from straying into the realm of the pitiful or maudlin. As William Barfee (pronounced Bar-fay, except by everyone else on stage), Patrick Halley embraces the profound oddities and quirks in the character without making him grotesque.

Playing the adults are the warm Andi Watson as a former spelling bee champion intent on reliving her glory days, the officiously hilarious Scott McLean Harrison as a frustrated and frustrating Assistant Principal, and Correy West as a community service grief counselor. Watson and Harrison are kept on their toes throughout the show as they must interact with the guest spellers from the audience.

This is no cookie-cutter production of Spelling Bee. Director Nicole Capri has crafted a production that plays to the unique strengths of each of the actors. She keeps the show moving at a good pace, while allowing it to slow down enough for the audience and actors to enjoy the moments of bliss and melancholy. Capri obviously created a rehearsal environment encouraging the actors to take risks and to have fun.

Musical Director Mark Binns again excels in serving the score, singers and the audience. Mike Nichols’ set recreates a school gymnasium down to the ropes dangling from a ceiling. Shelly Hall’s costumes capture the personalities of each character in a fresh way. Dan Kimble’s lighting and Allan Branson’s sound design are vital to reflecting the different moods and moments as the story sometimes shifts to different planes of consciousness. Lynda J. Kwallek’s props ensure the show has a lived-in look.

While the show may have a message about the value of every person, it is not a “MESSAGE” show. It is intended to be fun. The Arkansas Rep production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee gets the gold cup for providing an enjoyable, entertaining, and enlightening outing at the theatre.

Ron Robinson Theater showing The Tale of the Princess Kaguya this afternoon

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RRT Tale PrincessThe Tale of the Princess Kaguya was nominated for Best Animated Feature earlier this year at the Oscars.

Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime

An international cast of actors voice the characters in this film including James Caan, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, Dean Cain, Oliver Platt, James Marsden and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen.

It screens this afternoon at 2pm at the Ron Robinson Theater.  Admission is $5 with concessions available for purchase.

This is part of the Kid Flix series.

Dvorak Symphony No. 8 featured at this weekend’s ASO concerts

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aso parnasThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor, presents the second concert of the Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, 7:30 PM Saturday, October 17 and 3:00 PM Sunday, October 18, 2015. Under the baton of guest conductor Imre Palló, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will perform Kodály’s Dances of Galánta  , Haydn’s Concerto for Cello in C Major – featuring up-and-comer Cicely Parnas – and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Minor. The Masterworks Series is sponsored by the Stella Boyle Smith Trust.

Concert Conversations – All concert ticket holders are invited to a pre-concert lecture an hour before each Masterworks concert. These talks feature insights from the Maestro and guest artists, and feature musical examples to enrich the concert experience.

Tickets are $19, $35, $49, and $58; active duty military and student tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100. All Arkansas students grades K-12 are admitted to Sunday’s matinee free of charge with the purchase of an adult ticket using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket, downloadable at the ASO website.

 Artists

Imre Palló, conductor

Cicely Parnas, cello

Program

Kodály                  Dances of Galánta

Haydn                   Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major

Dvořák                  Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88

Program Notes:

Guest conductor Imre Palló brings a personal connection to this program: composer Zoltan Kodály was his godfather was involved in his early music education. As a mentor of ASO Music Director Philip Mann, Palló continues a long musical tradition of generational knowledge. Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 appears on this program at the personal request of Maestro Palló, and is built on the folk-flavored Romantic compositional foundations established by Smetana. Of particular interest is the theme and variations of the finale, a musical form not often found in symphonic finales – though notably featured in the matching section of Beethoven’s ‘Eroica.’

 

About Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th season in 2015-2016, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

Creative Class of 2015: Erin Martinez

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erin54Moving with ease from a portraying a frustrated actress to an earthy Italian strumpet, Erin Martinez has had a memorable 2015 on Little Rock stages. Along the way, this singer/musician, actor, and music teacher has performed cabaret at various Little Rock night spots as well.

​During her childhood she spent many hours singing, composing, or teaching herself to play various instruments. She has been actively involved in performing in orchestra, band, jazz band, and theatre arts well into her adulthood.

In addition to appearing earlier this year in The Studio Theatre productions of The Last 5 Years and Nine, ​Erin has acted in theatrical productions (sometimes even in shows without numbers in the title) with several Central Arkansas companies such as The Weekend Theater, The Royal Players, The Community Theater of Little Rock. She made her NYC debut in November 2013 at 54 Below with Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown.

​Erin received a Bachelor of Music Performance, Bachelor of Music Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from The University of Central Arkansas. She enjoys a career teaching elementary music to children ages 4-12 and is very passionate about the importance of fine arts education.

$1.5M Grant for Pulaski Tech Center for Humanities & Arts announced

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PTC CHARTSThe Windgate Charitable Foundation has awarded Pulaski Technical College Foundation a $1.5 million grant to furnish and equip the college’s new Center for Humanities and Arts which is nearing completion and is slated to open in January 2016.

The grant is the largest private gift in the college’s history.

“This is such an amazing gift and will be a game changer for the students and the entire community,” said Shannon Boshears, executive director of the PTC Foundation. “Many of our students have never seen a play or been to an art gallery. All of our students will benefit from this by enhancing their college experience and keeping them in school.”

The college will receive $1 million to purchase various and much needed items including musical instruments, art supplies, audio-visual equipment for the performance theater, plus tools and materials for the Big Rock Sculpture Park that adjoins the building. The remaining $500,000 will be used as a challenge grant that Windgate will match dollar-for-dollar to create an endowment to support the building’s operations.

Every student who is pursuing an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree will utilize the new building.

“We know that this gift will dramatically impact the lives of our students and community, and with its support to our Fine Arts curriculum, will cultivate an arts appreciation and perspective never before imaginable. That is a life gift for our PTC students and their families,” said PTC President Dr. Margaret Ellibee.

The 90,000-square-foot center integrates Pulaski Tech’s humanities and arts offerings including visual and studio arts, theatre, music, English, speech and philosophy. Inside are art studios, gallery and exhibit space, music rooms, a black box theatre with flexible seating, and 500-seat theatre that will be available for campus and community events.

Brian Jones & Bruce Adami present recital tonight for Central Ark. Chapter of American Guild of Organists

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Tonight, the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents a benefit concert for Out of the Woods Animal Rescue of Arkansas.  

The organists are Brian Jones & Bruce Adami.  The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted for Out of the Woods Animal Rescue.
It starts at 8pm at First Presbyterian Church.

Brian Jones, one of America’s most highly regarded church musicians, is Emeritus Director of Music and Organist at Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston, where he directed a widely acclaimed program from 1984 to 2004. He has since served in three interim positions: Director of Cathedral Music at the Cathedral of St John, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Director of Music at Old South Church in Boston; and Associate Organist of Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is active as an organ solo concert artist, and is in demand as guest conductor and accompanist.
In June, 2009, he was Organist in Residence at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco while the cathedral choir was on tour in Europe. He is Director of the Copley Singers, a Boston-based choir he founded in 2006, and with which he has appeared in the New England area as well as on Bermuda, where the singers collaborated with the Ensemble Singers of Bermuda in a concert in May, 2009 celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the island. From January through May, 2010, Brian was Visiting Artist at Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington, Kentucky, where he collaborated with Erich Balling, Director of Music, in the outstanding program which features a choir of girls, boys, and men.

Bruce Adami is organist at Christ Episcopal Church, Exeter, New Hampshire. He has given solo organ recitals throughout New England. For more than thirty years, he has taught organists of all ages. From 1984 through 2004, he was director of music and organist at Brookside Congregational Church, UCC, in Manchester. He holds a Bachelor of Music in organ performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Haskell Thomson.

He is active in the New Hampshire chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), for which he has served as treasurer and dean. In 2009, he was the faculty coordinator for the AGO Pipe Organ Encounter in Manchester. Since 2008, he has taught students through the Young Organist Collaborative, and currently serves on the Young Organist Collaborative Committee.