Monthly Archives: April 2019

Neighbors: True Stories of Fences and Friendship – tonight presented by The Yarn and Arkansas Rep

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Neighbors. We all have them. Perhaps we are separated by a fence, a street, a hallway, or a cubicle, but the question remains; “What makes a good neighbor?”

The upcoming Arkansas Repertory Theatre production Native Gardens explores this.  But before that takes, place, on April 5, The Rep and The Yarn will explore this question in a storytelling performance all about neighbors – what divides us and what connects us.

The program will take place from 7pm to 9pm at the Rep’s Main Street Annex (518 Main Street).

Join them to hear stories about funny, outrageous, sweet, or challenging neighbors, stories about someone who makes the place they live a better place to live, and more!

See the 2018 film THE HATE U GIVE tonight at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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Tonight (April 4) at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater, there is the chance to view the 2018 movie The Hate U Give.  The screening starts at 7:00.  Admission is $5.00.

This movie is a part of the CALS Movies of a Movement: the Civil Rights & Social Change Collection.

Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends.

The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

The Hate U Give is based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas and stars Amandla Stenberg as Starr, with Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Common and Anthony Mackie.

A Night at the Museum: Raiders of the Lost Arkansas – tonight at the Old State House Museum

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Get ready for the next Night at the Museum on Thursday, April 4,  from 6-9 pm! This month’s theme is “Raiders of the Lost Arkansas!”

Nights at the Museum is an event for ages 21+ that offers attendees a chance to enjoy games and activities, libations, and a fun new way to interact with history. Nights at the Museum will take place on the first Thursday of each month seasonally, March-October, on the iconic front lawn of the museum.

Nights at the Museum is hosted by the Arkansas State House Society, and all proceeds will benefit the museum’s educational programs.

Admission is $5; food and beverages will be available for purchase at the event. Tickets may be purchased in advance HERE or at the gate.

The museum can validate parking at the DoubleTree Hotel; all metered parking downtown is free after 6 pm.

Little Rock Look Back: How LR reacted to Assassination of Dr. King

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On April 4, 1968,  when Dr. King was assassinated, Little Rock did not see the unrest that many cities did.  Part of that was probably due to quick action by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller.

The Governor released a statement fairly quickly expressing his sorrow at the tragedy and calling for a day of mourning. He also made the State Capitol available for the NAACP to have a public memorial, as well as worked with a group of ministers to host an interdenominational service.

Little Rock Mayor Martin Borchert issued a statement as well:

We in Little Rock are disturbed about the incident in Memphis. We are disturbed regardless of where it had happened.  Killing is not the Christian solution to any of our problems today.

In Little Rock, we feel we have come a long way in 10 years toward solving some of our problems of living and working together regardless of race, creed or color.

The city Board of Directors in Little Rock has pledged itself toward continuing efforts to make Little Rock a better place in which to live and work for all our citizens.

We feel the efforts of all thus far have proved we can live in harmony in Little Rock and are confident such an incident as has happened will not occur in Little Rock.  We will continue our most earnest efforts toward the full needs of our citizens.

The day after Dr. King was assassinated, a group of Philander Smith College students undertook a spontaneous walk to the nearby State Capitol, sang “We Shall Overcome” and then walked back to the campus.  President Ernest T. Dixon, Jr., of the college then hosted a 90 minute prayer service in the Wesley Chapel on the campus.

On the Sunday following Dr. King’s assassination, some churches featured messages about Dr. King.  As it was part of Holy Week, the Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of Little Rock had instructed all priests to include messages about Dr. King in their homilies. Some protestant ministers did as well. The Arkansas Gazette noted that Dr. Dale Cowling of Second Baptist Church downtown (who had received many threats because of his pro-integration stance in 1957) had preached about Dr. King and his legacy that morning.

Later that day, Governor Rockefeller participated in a public memorial service on the front steps of the State Capitol. The crowd, which started at 1,000 and grew to 3,000 before it was over, was racially mixed. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Governor and Mrs. Rockefeller joined hands with African American ministers and sang “We Shall Overcome.”

That evening, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral was the site of an interdenominational service which featured Methodist Bishop Rev. Paul V. Galloway, Catholic Bishop Most Rev. Albert L. Fletcher, Episcopal Bishop Rt. Rev. Robert R. Brown, Rabbi E. E. Palnick of Temple B’Nai Israel, Gov. Rockefeller, Philander Smith President Dixon, and Rufus King Young of Bethel AME Church.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Borchert stated:

We are gathered this afternoon to memorialize and pay tribute to a great American….To achieve equality of opportunity for all will require men of compassion and understanding on the one hand and men of reason and desire on the other.

Violinist YouJin Jang in concert with pianist Renana Gutman tonight sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock

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Image may contain: 1 person, on stage, playing a musical instrument, concert and nightDescribed as a “a performer without fear or technical limitation”, YooJin Jang’s performance, alongside brilliant pianist Renana Gutman is sure to delight audiences.  The duo will be in concert tonight (April 4) under the auspices of the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock.

The event will take place at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.  Tickets are $25 for adults. Children and students of all ages, kindergarten through college, have free admission. Tickets are available for purchase at the event or online, www.ChamberMusicLR.com.

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served following the performance.

The program includes: J.S. Bach: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1016; John Corigliano: Sonata for Violin and Piano; and Robert Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121.

Applauded by The Strad for her “fiery virtuosity” and “consummate performances,” Ms. Jang is a winner of the 2017 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and is also First Prize winner of the 2016 Sendai International Music Competition in Japan. A native of Korea, YooJin has been performing with top Korean orchestras since age 9. Also a passionate chamber musician, YooJin is a co-founder of The Kallaci String Quartet in 2012, which made its international debut in Seoul.

Praised by the New York Times for her “passionate and insightful” playing, Renana Gutman has performed across four continents as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and collaborative artist. She played at venues like The Louvre Museum, Carnegie Recital Hall, People’s Symphony Concerts, Merkin Hall, St. Petersburg’s Philharmonia, Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, Menuhin Hall, United Kingdom, and Washington National Gallery and Freer Gallery. High in demand as a chamber musician, Renana toured with “Musicians from Marlboro,” and serves regularly as the collaborative pianist of Steans Institute at Ravinia Festival, where she performs chamber music and lieder extensively.

During their time in Little Rock, these musicians will work with local students, including the Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestra, as part of the Chamber Music Society’s mission to foster arts in education.

LRCVB announces agreement with AWAKENING EVENTS to book and promote First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park

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Image result for first security amphitheaterThe Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) has finalized a Promoter Agreement with AWAKENING EVENTS to provide exclusive rights to book and promote ticketed concerts in the First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park downtown.

AWAKENING EVENTS is a nationwide, full service live event company based in Arkansas. They successfully produce over 250 concerts each year. AWAKENING EVENTS has produced concerts at Verizon Arena, Wal-Mart Amphitheater, the First Security Amphitheater, as well as many iconic venues around the country, including Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Forum in Los Angeles. AWAKENING EVENTS is owned by Arkansas native Dan Fife.

AWAKENING EVENTS is proudly partnering with STARR HILL Presents, owned by Red Light Management’s Coran Capshaw. Red Light Management’s extensive artist management roster ranges from Dave Matthews Band to Chris Stapleton and many others. STARR HILL Presents is an independent concert promotion company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, promoting hundreds of events each year, ranging from small club shows to multi-day festivals. The company operates multiple venues and is a partner in festivals across the country including Bonnaroo, SXSW and Outside Lands.

AWAKENING EVENTS responded to a Request for Qualifications released by the LRCVB in late 2018. Following negotiations, an agreement was finalized and signed on March 11, 2019. The agreement requires a minimum of three “A-Tier” concerts in 2019 and six concerts each year in 2020-2023. A-Tier is defined as “Artists that tour nationally or globally, having the documented ability to sell 2,000 or more tickets.”

In addition, it is the desire of AWAKENING EVENTS & STARR HILL PRESENTS to create an additional 2020 series of free, or very low cost, “Live at Five” type events. Dan Fife, president of AWAKENING EVENTS, stated, “We are excited to get back into the Amp business on the River in Riverfront Park. It is a great venue and we need to start offering regular and diverse concert programming again.”

Gretchen Hall, LRCVB President & CEO said, “I am excited about this new partnership and the quality of entertainment it will provide in Little Rock.”

This exclusive promoter agreement is designed to allow a booking window for the concert season, as well as protecting Little Rock’s long time Amphitheater and Pavilion events and provide the flexibility for community events to continue booking in those venues. LRCVB will maintain the booking and coordination efforts for all non-concert bookings.

A formal press conference to announce the initial season is expected in the next 30 days.

SESSIONS :: GENINE DOES NINA – tonight at South on Main

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Sessions :: Genine does NinaIn honor of her April birthday, Amy Bell is curating April Sessions by choosing her favorite local musicians to cover her favorite artists. For the first Wednesday in April, Amy has invited the incredible Genine Latrice Perez to celebrate the music of Nina Simone.

Show starts at 8 pm. Tickets cost $12 cover day of show. Tickets do not guarantee a seat. To reserve a table, please call (501) 244-9660. You must purchase advance tickets to confirm your reservation.

ABOUT GENINE

A self-taught jazz and blues singer with a booming voice, Genine LaTrice Perez “captures the spirit of the live-sound era,” said Rex Bell of Infrared Records. Her performances With elegance, fun, and excitement in a jazz and R&B atmosphere, Genine will keep you entertained by her musical journey back in time to the sounds of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Etta James, and Otis Redding. Not only does she take you on a journey back in time, she moves you forward with neo-soul by Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Leelah James, and Chrisette Michelle. She has two jazz projects: Self-titled, Genine LaTrice Perez on iTunes, and Cafe’ Windsong, a live project. She is also featured on two Rex Bell Trio albums: Two Faces: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday’s 100th Birthday and Let me Sing it for You-A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.

In addition to her musical endeavors, Genine devotes herself altruistically to serving her community as well as the state of Arkansas. A prolific educator, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, leader and visionary, Genine has committed her life to empowering people to thrive, even if the environment dictates otherwise. Although she is dedicated to helping people from all walks of life, she is principally passionate about service to youth. She has been listed on the Arkansas Arts Council Artist in Education (AIE) Roster since 2005. Her AIE residency workshop invites students into the world of jazz through historical accounts using music, creative writing, and dramatizations, while sharing key messages on the importance of good decision-making, dreaming the impossible dream, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

She is executive director of the statewide Arkansas Youth Leadership Initiative, a proud matriculate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree and a Masters of Arts Degree in Professional and Technical Writing. Genine is an adjunct composition and business-writing instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.