Monthly Archives: October 2019

199 years ago, Little Rock named capital of Arkansas

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On October 18, 1820, Territorial Governor James Miller signed legislation designating Little Rock as the new capital for Arkansas.  This was a mere 10 months after the first permanent settlement was established in Little Rock.

While Little Rock became the Capital, technically it was not the Capital City, since it would not be incorporated as a City until 1835. It wasn’t even incorporated as a town until 1831.

The Act provided that after June 1, 1821, the sessions of the Legislature and the Superior Court would be held at Little Rock.  This caused Arkansas Post, the first territorial capital, to fade from prominence.

The move was made based on the lobbying of Amos Wheeler, Chester Ashley and William Russell.  These men all owned land in the Little Rock area and would benefit from the move of the Capital to Little Rock. The official reason given was Little Rock’s geographical center to the Arkansas Territory and that it was elevated land less prone to flooding.

But just as important, Messrs. Wheeler, Ashley and Russell promised to donate land for a capitol building and a guarantee of $20,000 for construction of a suitable building. (That would be the equivalent of $432,000 today.)

Around the time the legislation was approved, several members of the Territorial legislature purchased land around Little Rock.  When a subsequent effort to relocate the Capital upstream was launched, it failed due to the financial ties of these legislators to land in Little Rock.

It’s Showtime! as CALS Ron Robinson Theater shows BEETLEJUICE tonight

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Beetlejuice PosterThe CALS Ron Robinson Theater is scaring up some fun as they show Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy Beetlejuice tonight, October 18.

What’s a couple of stay-at-home ghosts to do when their beloved home is taken over by trendy yuppies? They call on Beetlejuice, the afterlife’s freelance bio-exorcist to scare off the family – and everyone gets more than she, he or it bargains for!

Tim Burton guides this 1988 comedy “monsterpiece” whose stars include Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Winona Ryder, with Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, the ghost with the most who flings one-liners, spins into grotesque forms, gobbles insects, and who just can’t leave the ladies (living or dead) alone. Also in the cast are Catherine O’Hara, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Goulet, and Dick Cavatt.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Film starts at 7:00 p.m. Beer, wine, and concessions will be available!

Eerie Multimedia Sleepy Hollow kicks off 2019/20 Ballet Arkansas Season

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Image result for ballet arkansas sleepy hollowBallet Arkansas, the state’s professional ballet company, is working in partnership with the creative team at Cranford Co. and the Historic Arkansas Museum to breathe new life into Sleepy Hollow. The first production of Ballet Arkansas’ 2019/20 Season, Sleepy Hollow takes the stage on the weekend of October 18-20, 2019 at UA – Pulaski Tech CHARTS Theater for four public performances and one student matinee (school) show.

A world-premiere multimedia ballet designed in collaboration with the creative team at Cranford Co, Sleepy Hollow is a bold retelling of a classic Halloween tale, just in time for the Holiday.

Featuring 360 sound and captivating video and photo projections filmed by Cranford Co. at the Historic Arkansas Museum, this unique take on Washington Irving’s classic tale combines the beauty of visual art with breathtaking original choreography by Executive and Artistic Director, Michael Fothergill.

Ballet Arkansas’ Sleepy Hollow is not your stereotypical story ballet. “We’ve combined dramatic world premiere choreography with stunning multimedia content that features the professional dancers of Ballet Arkansas. Our visionary portrayal is unlike any other and is a bold new take on the classic narrative,” says Fothergill.

“I’ve taken a rather ambiguous storyline and infused it with narrative that dives much deeper into the relationships of those present in the town.” Narratives like these are what stretches the company, and make it a competitor on the national scale. “Not only do we tell stories at Ballet Arkansas, but we tell them well and in unique ways,” says Fothergill.

“A story of love, drama, and mystery, Sleepy Hollow starts off the season with a spooky tone, similar to last season’s wildly popular production of Dracula,” says Associate Artistic Director, Catherine Fothergill. From the musical selections by composers such as Dimitri Shostakovitch, Francis Poulenc, Alfred Schnittke, and Benjamin Britten, to newly created sets and costumes, the production “is a true blending of classic and modern, and eerie, through and through,” says Michael Fothergill.

A part of Ballet Arkansas’ mission as a nonprofit organization is creative collaboration and partnering with both Cranford Co. and the Historic Arkansas Museum makes the ballet a true Arkansas world premiere, which will provide a rich audience and community experience.

Ballet Arkansas will present four public performances, Friday, October 18, 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 19, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday, October 20, 2:30pm.

Audience members are encouraged to enjoy the holiday spirit and wear a Halloween costume to the Saturday, October 19, 7:30 pm performance. Tickets range from $25-35.  Students with a valid college ID may purchase $10 student rush tickets 45 minutes prior to the performance. Tickets are on sale now.

Ballet Arkansas’ performance of Sleepy Hollow will run approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, including intermission.

Final ARKANSAS GAZETTE published on October 18, 1991

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Twenty-seven years ago today, on October 18, 1991, the final edition of the Arkansas Gazette was delivered.

The front page featured a story on the demise of a Gazette employee effort to buy the paper.

Max Brantley’s column on the front page of the B section also addressed the then-eminent end of the paper. However, as a newspaper all of the sections spent most of their space on the news of the day. While Gazette staffers felt the end was likely near, few felt that the paper on October 18, 1991, would be the final edition.

The back page of the last section of the Gazette featured an ad for Premiere Pontiac Nissan Audi which was throwing a “Beat Texas” party featuring Craig O’Neill.  The Arkansas Razorbacks were scheduled to play the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, October 19.

Here are the top halves of the front pages of sections B, C, D, and E for the final Arkansas Gazette.  They tell the stories of trials, football games, corporate earnings, and cultural events.

Chatham County Line presented by the Oxford American at South on Main tonight!

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Chatham County Line [AMERICANA SERIES]The Oxford American magazine welcomes Chatham County Line to the South on Main stage tonight, October 17.

This is the second show of their Americana Sub-Series. Doors open at 6:00 PM, with dinner and drinks available for purchase at that time. The series is made possible in part by presenting sponsor Stella Boyle Smith Trust, as well as their season sponsor University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Additional season partners include Chris & Jo Harkins, J. Mark & Christy Davis, Cypress Properties, Inc., UCA College of Fine Arts & Communication, Margaret Ferguson Pope—Thank You Aunt Margaret!, EVO Business Environments, Jay Barth & Chuck Cliett, Stacy Hamilton of Desselle Real Estate, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Arkansas Arts Council, Department of Arkansas Heritage, Rosen Music Company, and Steinway Piano Gallery Little Rock.

 

Chatham County Line has never been shy about crossing borders. The North Carolina-based quartet initially referred to its sound as new traditional. “We were in love with bluegrass, so we wanted to play bluegrass without really being trained in it,” Chatham County Line’s vocalist/guitarist Dave Wilson says. The group used the term “guerrilla bluegrass” to describe themselves in those early years, mainly because they had such a mobile form of playing.

The band’s name comes from one of their very first practices when the group—John Teer (mandolin/fiddle), Chandler Holt (banjo), and Greg Readling (bass, pedal steel, piano)—was trying to find Holt’s place in Chapel Hill and got lost. “We crossed the Chatham County line, and we never looked back,” Wilson says. “Just saw the sign, and said that’d be a good idea for a name, and the next thing you know….”

Their latest release comprises thirteen covers, songs they’ve played on tours, but never recorded for an album. Sharing The Covers is as much a nod to the artists and genres it draws from—Del Reeves, Carter Stanley, Tom Petty, and many others—as it is to the fans who asked how to access those covers other than YouTube. “We hope people enjoy it,” Wilson says. “ We don’t make a lot of money putting out other people’s songs, but we kinda just want it for sharing the snapshots.”

Artober – Arts After Dark

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October is Arts and Humanities Month nationally and in Little Rock. Americans for the Arts has identified a different arts topic to be posted for each day in the month.  Next up is “Arts after Dark”

This theme, like many of them, could go in many different directions.  I’ve chosen to highlight some cultural institutions lit up at night.

Ballet Arkansas and the Annex of Arkansas Rep on Main Street

Jane DeDecker and Alyson Kinkade’s IN THE WINGS in front of Robinson Center Performance Hall.

Darrell Davis’ Lions Pride in War Memorial Park

 

Lastly, while this photo took place indoors, it is a recreation of what the entrance to the Arkansas Arts Center will look like in 2022 when Henry Moore’s STANDING FIGURE KNIFE’S EDGE is located in front of the 1937 entrance to the AAC, which will once again be the main entrance. This was created for the AAC’s Farewell Party in August 2019.

Once and Future Arkansas Arts Center 9th Street entrance