Monthly Archives: June 2019

Grand Re-Opening of Historic Arkansas Museum Children’s Gallery today!

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Join Historic Arkansas Museum today (June 22) from 9am to noon for the grand re-opening of the Sturgis Children’s Gallery.

This free event will showcase a brand new permanent exhibit designed especially for kids 4-10 years old. Based on the museum’s historic site, children can interact with all the things they see but can’t touch on the grounds tour: use a skeleton key to unlock the front door of a period-inspired playhouse, pick plush vegetables from a mini garden, pump a bellows to stoke a cooking fire, and dress up in 19th century clothing.

Featuring hands-on kids’ crafts with Zig Zag art studio, silly songs with comedic duo mömandpöp music, plus a special kids’ art show and yummy snacks!

Sponsored by the Historic Arkansas Museum Foundation

Tonight on South on Main Stage: AJ Ghent

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AJ GhentJoin South on Main tonight (June 21) for an evening of “sacred steel sound” with the gifted AJ Ghent.

Concert begins at 9 pm. Purchase advance tickets for $7 or pay $10 at the door. Tickets do not guarantee you a seat. To reserve a table, please call (501) 244-9660. You must purchase advance tickets to guarantee your reservation.

AJ Ghent [J-ent] and His Singing Guitar are all about energy: musically, physically and spiritually. He takes his family’s heirloom “the sacred steel sound” and brings to a broader audience, by standing up: which allows him more freedom in performing and connecting with others.

Over the years, Ghent has shared music with Zac Brown, Dave Grohl, and legendary freeform artist, Colonel Bruce Hampton. Ghent’s new creation, THE NEO BLUES PROJECT (March 2018) debuted at #7 on the Blues Billboard Charts, and is filled with everything that it should be: grooves, riffs and above all, message.

“Loesser is Morer” – Learn more about GUYS & DOLLS composer Frank Loesser at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre

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Frank Loesser, a composer most well-known for Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying, penned a large body of work that spanned many styles and genres. He wrote for the stage, the screen, and singers.

AST Music Director Robert Frost takes a look at his most popular material, while also delving into his lesser-known works, pieces which signal a significant departure from his commercial hits.

The program is at McAlister Hall’s Mirror Room, UCA and starts at 5pm.

Willy Wonka Jr. opens tonight at Arkansas Rep

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Image may contain: textA local cast of 39 young actors will present Willy Wonka Jr. on the MainStage at Arkansas Repertory Theatre this summer. The production, which runs June 21-30, is based on the classic tale by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

“We were amazed by the level of interest and talent at auditions,” said Anna Kimmell, Director of Education at The Rep, who is the production’s director and choreographer. “These students are serious about theatre – many of them plan to pursue acting professionally. Prepare to be ‘wowed’ by their talents.”

Tickets start at $15 and are available at TheRep.org, by phone at (501) 378-0405 or by visiting the Box Office at 601 Main Street in Little Rock.

Willy Wonka Jr. is a musical adaptation of the story about enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka, who stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka’s rules in the factory – or suffer the consequences!

“This production features many of the iconic songs from the 1971 film,” Kimmell said. “But we’re also putting our own Rep-spin on this classic by adding imaginative, theatrical elements to the design and staging. It will be a perfect mix of ‘nostalgic’ and ‘new’ to entertain the young and the young at heart.”

The cast includes Lucas Bachus (Grandpa George), Collin Carlton (Charlie Bucket), Jacob Grinder (Augustus Gloop), Izzy Hammonds (Mrs. Bucket), Emla Holsted (Mrs. Beauregarde), Jackson Karl (Phineous Trout), Tania Renee Kelley (Veruca Salt), Caitlyn Olivia Luna (Grandma Josephine), Isabella Nguyen (Violet Beauregarde), Jesse Niswanger (Grandpa Joe), Cabe Parrish (Mrs. Gloop), Corbin Pitts (Mike Teavee), Will Porter (Willy Wonka), Alexandra Powell (Grandma Georgina), Anna Reynolds (Ms. Teavee), William Romain (Mr. Bucket), and Grant Wild (Mr. Salt).

Featured dancers are Sela Booher, Chaelie DeJohn, Amaya Hardin, Caroline Perry, Grace Pitts, and Nate Westerman. The Ensemble includes Eliah Boles, Adelaide Bricker, Emilea Derden, Chelsea Elise Franklin, Robert Gatlin, Alex Harkins, Lauren Lasseigne, Chloe Grace Luna, Betsy McClure, Taylor Moore, Charlie Mulhollan, Emily Pyron, Melody Small, Miles Tillemans, Magnolia Vincent, and Walt Wenger

The design and creative team includes Anna Kimmell, director/choreographer; Mark Binns, musical director; Zachery Ingersoll, assistant director; Mike Nichols, scenic designer; Holly Payne, costume designer; Lynda J. Kwallek, properties designer; Josh Anderson, lighting designer; and Luke Mitchell, sound designer. The production manager is Joshua Marchesi and the production stage manager is Merit Glover. Adrian Griffey is the assistant stage manager.

The next Downtown Little Rock Partnership Alley Party is tonight

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Presented by CDI Contractors, join the Downtown Little Rock Partnership in the alley around the corner from Bella Vita Jewelry, just off the Main Street Creative Corridor, for live music from The Going Jessies and craft beer from Stone’s Throw Brewing!

Double Double Toil and Trouble as Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre presents The Scottish Play

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Logo.jpgThe Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre is invoking the spirits by presenting THE SCOTTISH PLAY this season. As the Culture Vulture does not utter nor write the name of that play, one will just have to look at the logo on this entry to see its name.

Brave warrior the Thane of Cawdor emerges victorious from battle to be greeted by three witches who hail him as the future king of Scotland. What follows is a dizzying descent into political machinations, murder, and madness.  It also contains what may be the Culture Vulture’s favorite exchange of dialogue in Shakespeare’s canon.

Lady M: To bed. To bed. To bed. (She exits)

Doctor: Will she go now to bed?

Performances begin tomorrow (June 21 at 7:30pm) and  continue June 22 (7:30pm), June 27 (7:30pm), June 29 (2:00pm), July 3 (7:30pm), July 5 (7:30pm), and July 7 (2:00pm. The play is performed on the stage of the Reynolds Performance Hall.

The cast includes Paige Reynolds, Chad Bradford, Emily Wold, Benjamin Reed, Keith Illidge, Chris Fitzges, Rebecca Brudner, Nick Narcisi, Justin Jones, Ben Grimes, Kevin Alan Brown, Mikala Hicks, Zachary Blair, Jack Hradecky, Regean Allen, Stephanie Craven, and Saxon Whitehead.

The production is directed by Rebekah Scallet, the Producing Artistic Director of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.

Mary Ruth Marotte is the Executive Director.

Memories of Isaac Hayes is the topic of Old State House Museum Brown Bag lecture today at noon

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Memories of a Soul Man: On the Road with Isaac Hayes — A Conversation with Chris Cockrell

Join the Old State House Museum on Thursday, June 20, from 12:00-1:00 pm as Chris Cockrell, an Arkansas native that worked as producer and road manager for Isaac Hayes in the 1990s and early 2000s, shares his stories of working and touring the world with Hayes in a conversational interview.

Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. was an iconic American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. One of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a session musician and record producer.

Hayes teamed with partner David Porter during the mid-1960s on soul standards as “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin,'” and reached the top of the charts on his own in 1971 with the #1 smash, Theme from “Shaft.”

Bring your lunch; they provide soft drinks and water. Admission is free.