Monthly Archives: July 2019

The Ted Ludwig Trio tonight on the South on Main stage

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Ted Ludwig TrioThe Wednesday night Sessions Series at South on Main continues tonight with the acclaimed and very popular Ted Ludwig Trio.

Acclaimed saxophonist, MarQuis Hunt, is curating and hosting the month-long “Jazz in July All-Stars” Sessions series at South on Main each Wednesday in July.

Hailing from New Orleans, acclaimed seven-string jazz guitarist, Ted Ludwig, has been a part of the jazz scene for over two decades. Throughout that time period, he has dazzled audiences with countless club performances, festivals, and recordings. He has released four albums with the Infrared Record Label as a leader and many more as a versatile sideman and co leader. Ted consistently receives accolades from critics and musicians alike for his astonishing virtuosity, technique and prolific originality.

Ted has performed with notable contemporaries such as; Ellis Marsalis, Peter Bernstein, Bob Dorough, Larry Coryell, Nathan East, Nicholas Payton, Howard Alden, Mundell Lowe, Rick Margitza, Julian Labro, Steve Masakowski, John Ellis, Tony Dagradi, Mike Pellera, Jason Marsalis, Ron Eschete’, Johnny Vidacovich, Herlin Riley, and many more.

Ted has been the recipient of an ASCAP award, the Louis Armstrong award, and the Overture to the Cultural Season award. In 2016, Ted was the youngest inductee into The Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame.

Ted’s brand of jazz is unique. He possesses a lyrical style and his guitar sings with clarity and emotion. His rhythm and timing are exquisite and his fingering technique is second to none.

Ted’s Trio:

Ted Ludwig – Guitar

Joe Vick – Upright Bass (An impressive jazz and classical career spanning four decades)

Brian Brown – Percussion (A stellar touring and performing career spanning five decades)

The shows begin at 8 PM. Tickets are $10 at the door. Dinner and cocktails are available before and during the show. Call 501-244-9660 to reserve a table. These shows are expected to sell out; call today to avoid disappointment.

During All Star Week – Movies in the Park presents THE SANDLOT

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Baseball players are sometimes referred to as “The Boys of Summer.”  So it seems appropriate that during the MLB All Star week, the Movies in the Park has a movie about baseball in its purest form.

Movies in the Park continues its 15th season tonight with The Sandlot.

When Scottie Smalls moves to a new neighborhood, he manages to make friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of funny and touching adventures. The boys run into trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad that gets hit over a fence.

Families, picnics, and leashed pets are invited to the park to enjoy movies under the stars, but no glass containers. Don’t forget the bug spray! An adult must accompany all children under the age of 18 and an ID is required. Chaperoned youth, sports, church and other groups are welcome!

The First Security Amphitheater will open an hour before film showings (approx. 7:30) and movies with begin at sundown each week (approx. 8:30).

For more information about Movies in the Park and to see which films will feature live performances or other activities before the showings, visit www.rivermarket.info or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lrrivermarket

Tonight at South on Main – Yuni Wa presents a multi-media music experience

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Yuni Wa :: a multi-media music experienceYuni Wa returns to Arkansas and the South on Main stage on Tuesday, July 9. Join them for a multi-media experience as Yuni Wa shares music and videos he’s crafted to create a truly unique musical experience. Show begins at 8 pm with a $5 cover. Call ahead to reserve a table at (501) 244-9660.
Yuni Wa has been nominated by the Arkansas times for best Electronic artist/DJ and was named one of the top 10 Arkansan visionaries for the year of 2017 by the Arkansas Times. He was also nominated for best Electronic Artist/DJ in the Black Apple Awards and nominated again for Best Producer by The Black and Gifted Blog in 2017. Excited to release his new album “Dawn Of The Black Wings” which is a follow up to his “Dead Idols” project there is much anticipation surrounding it. He has explained it to be an abstract Electronic soundscape texturized strong emotions, returning to his roots of truly focusing on making music to uplift the people, sonically detailing hardships and overcoming them. Leading a new wave of musical freedom and creativity.
Born on April 27th 1997, Yuni Wa is a multi-genre producer and Live Mixer from Little Rock, Arkansas. Yuni Wa is short for “Yunibasaru” which means universal a name he gave himself for being able to make so many different types of music. Painting vivid pictures with his abstract and as he calls it “yuniversal sounds” ranging from Hip Hop, Trap, Electronic, House, Pop, Rock, Future Bass and Drum And Bass he puts an emphasis on releasing diverse quality music. Being surrounded by music his whole life he started making music at the age of 13 and now at the age of 19, he has a craft that people continue to praise and support due to its overall feeling that it gives off. He has already made big accomplishments, two of them being his acclaimed songs “All About You’ that has over 300,000 views on Youtube, and “So 1989” with 400,000. Everything he has accomplished thus far has been accomplished independently without backing from a label or management company. He has released 24 albums and 4 Singles between 2014 and 2016.

$2 Terror Tuesdays at CALS Ron Robinson Theater – Tonight is 1959’s TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE

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Teenagers from Outer Space Poster$2 Terror Tuesdays continue tonight (7/9) at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater with 1959’s TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.  Now while most parents may feel their teens are from another planet at times, this movie is about some teens who really were.

Teenagers from Outer Space is a 1959 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film released by Warner Bros. The film was produced, written, and directed by Tom Graeff. In the film, alien teenager Derek abandons his crew to search for a new life on Earth, while one of his crewmates is sent to kill him while they attempt to eradicate human life in order to farm Earth with giant lobster-like livestock they call Gargons.

For this film, all the dialogue was recorded first and the actors lip synced to it. This is the reverse of where actors usually record sound while filming and may have to go back into a sound stage to re-record dialogue and match the mouth movements on film.

The film was picked up by Warner Brothers for release because the studio needed a second film to be part of a double feature with a Godzilla sequel.

The showing starts at 7pm.  Cost is $2.

July 9, 1906 – plans for new Little Rock City Hall are approved. And the fun has just begun

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The 1906 plans for City Hall with the Municipal Auditorium on the left portion.

On July 9, 1906, the Little Rock City Council approved Resolution 281 and Ordinance 1,295. These actions approved the plans for a new City Hall complex to be constructed on land at the northwest corner of Markham and Broadway Streets.  A few days later, the contract was awarded for the construction of the new building.

Mayor Warren E. Lenon had first called for a new city hall complex in his annual address in April 1904. He repeated his request in April 1905.   The City Council took up Mayor Lenon’s quest for a new city hall in December of 1905.  The Council appropriated money for the purchase of land for a city hall, jail and auditorium.

In response to this, the Arkansas Gazette daily newspaper ran a story featuring the viewpoints of a few civic leaders weighing in on the need for a new city hall complex which would also include a new jail and a city auditorium.  Two of the respondents, L. B. Leigh and P. Raleigh, stressed the need for paved streets and better sewers instead of a new city hall and auditorium.

The other three businessmen interviewed were more favorable to Mayor Lenon’s proposal.  Morris M. Cohn, a former Little Rock City Attorney, stated “I do not think we can make a better investment than in a fine city hall and auditorium.”  (Mr. Cohn, though an M. M. Cohn, was not related the M. M. Cohn who was the namesake for the longtime Little Rock department store.) County Judge William Marmaduke Kavanaugh offered his satisfaction with the action of the City Council on that matter.  R. E. Walt, a banker, opined that he thought $150,000 was not enough; he suggested $200,000 should be spent.

Later that month the Gazette reported that a site had been selected for the city hall and auditorium complex.  The proposed location was most of a city block located at the corner of Markham and Broadway Streets.  Mayor Lenon was vague as to the details of the deal because negotiations were still underway with the property owners

As 1906 dawned, Mayor Lenon and other city leaders continued to take steps to build the new city hall and auditorium.  They invited three local architects to make presentations for the chance to design the new complex.  The three were Charles L. Thompson, Frank W. Gibb and George R. Mann.  Mr. Thompson was chosen to receive the assignment.

On February 5, 1906, Mayor Lenon announced the creation of a special committee to work on the planning for a future city hall complex.  This committee consisted of Aldermen Louis Walther, A. B. Poe, L. N. Whitcomb, Christopher Ledwidge, and John A. Adams.

Mayor Lenon further stated that the new city hall complex and several private developments would “put us in that march of progress with which nothing can prevent us from having a 100,000 population in a few years.”

The saga to get the building built was just starting.

Planning to create Arkansas Arts Center authorized by City of Little Rock

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Twenty-two years after authorizing the creation of the Museum of Fine Arts in City Park, the Little Rock City Council was asked to consider expanding the facility.

By 1957, the existing structure was felt to be inadequate.   There was a desire for more gallery space as well as for more space for educational programming.

On July 8, 1957, the Little Rock City Council passed an ordinance authorizing the Board of the Museum of Fine Arts to be able to raise the funds for an expansion.  This was merely the start of the process which would eventually lead to the creation of the Arkansas Arts Center.

The ordinance allowed for the expansion or extension of the building. It also authorized the museum’s board to accept gifts for the project and to invest those gifts for the purpose of the museum.  Since the museum only received City funds for maintenance and salary, the ability to raise funds for the expansion was key to the future of the institution.

Lastly, the ordinance gave the museum’s board the ability to increase its membership by up to six positions without having to get additional approval by the City Council.  With a fundraising drive underway and a larger facility planned, these additional board members could certainly prove to be key.

The ordinance passed with nine Ayes, zero Noes, and one absent.

2019 Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre season “were done quickly” as the final performance today

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The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre wraps up 2019 by invoking the spirits in presenting THE SCOTTISH PLAY. 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.

The final performance of THE SCOTTISH PLAY is at 2pm today at Reynolds Hall on the UCA campus.

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?

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.