Monthly Archives: November 2019

15 Years Ago, Little Rock gave Aretha Franklin R-E-S-P-E-C-T in her concert with ASO

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On November 16, 2004, the rafters of Robinson Center Music Hall were shaken by the vocal prowess of Aretha Franklin.

She shared the Robinson stage with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.  The ASO brought Miss Franklin to town as part of the festivities surrounding the opening of the presidential library.  Long a favorite of the Clintons, Miss Franklin sang at his 1993 inaugural festivities the night before he took the oath of office.

Resplendent in a series of white dresses, Miss Franklin was in top form feeding off the love from the audience.  While backstage she may have been dealing with back and knee issues (which the Culture Vulture saw first hand), when she stepped on to the stage she was giving her all as she rolled through hit after hit from her starry career.  She sang, she played the piano, she entertained!

It was a sold out house and her voice and energy reached the last row of the balcony.

Prior to her appearance, the ASO played a few selections including variations on “Hail to the Chief” and “America.”

Earlier in the day, I had the privilege of picking up several copies of Bill Clinton’s autobiography for her to get signed by him.  I delivered them to her as she was resting between rehearsals. She was preparing for an interview with Craig O’Neill, and I hated disturbing her. But I wanted to be sure she got the books.  She was gracious and very appreciative.

2 PET SEMETARYs for the price of 1 tonight at CALS Ron Robinson Theater

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Pet Sematary double featureTonight (November 16), the Stephen King Rules! Book Club and the Bookstore at Library Square present a special double feature screening of the 1989 and 2019 adaptations of Pet Sematary (R). Enjoy both films for the price of one — only $5!

The road in front of Dr. Louis Creed’s rural Maine home frequently claims the lives of neighborhood pets. Louis has recently moved from Chicago to Ludlow with his wife Rachel, their children and pet cat. Near their house, local children have created a cemetery for the dogs and cats killed by the steady stream of transports on the busy highway. Deeper in the woods lies another graveyard, an ancient Indian burial ground whose sinister properties Louis discovers when the family cat is killed.

The 1989 version stars Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, and Fred Gwynne while 2019’s version has Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz and John Lithgow.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Pet Sematary (1989, R) starts at 5:30 p.m. Pet Sematary (2019, R) starts at 7:30 p.m. Beer, wine, and concessions will be served!

All is Right as tickets for THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG are now on sale for Little Rock performances

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THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG, the hilarious Tony Award®-winning hit Broadway comedy, will make its Little Rock debut at Robinson Performance Hall March 28-29, 2020. Tickets are now on sale at Celebrity Attractions, by phone at 501.244.8800 or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.

Get thee to the theatre for this one!  The first time I read the script I nearly hyperventilated I was laughing so hard.  If you love NOISES OFF or Monty Python or laughing, you must see this play! – Scott Whiteley Carter

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is a riotous comedy about the theatre. The play introduces The ‘Cornley University Drama Society’ who are attempting to put on a 1920’s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong…does, as the accident-prone thespians battle on against all odds to get to their final curtain call.

Entertainment Weekly calls THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG “Hilarious! Non-stop pandemonium.” The Huffington Post calls it “The funniest play Broadway has ever seen!” And the New York Post says it’s “Broadway’s funniest and longest-running play! Nothing is as fall down funny. GO.”

The Broadway production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG opened at the Lyceum Theatre on April 2, 2017 and by its closing on January 6, 2019 played 27 previews and 745 performances, making it the 2nd longest running show in the history of the Lyceum Theatre. Not yet done with New York, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG officially opened Off-Broadway on February 20, 2019 at New World Stages – Stage 4, where it continues delighting audiences. THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG received a Tony Award® for Best Set Design, Broadway.com’s Audience Choice Award for Best Play, and the Theater Fans Choice Award for Best Play.

Awarded the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, 2014 WhatsOnStage Best New Comedy and 2015 UK BroadwayWorld Best New Play Awards, THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is now in its fifth year in the West End and playing on six continents. The producers have avoided Antarctica for fear of a frosty reception.

It is a remarkable rags-to-riches story for a play which started its life at a London fringe venue with only four paying members of the public at the first performance and has gone on to play to an audience of over 2 million people around the world.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG tour is directed by Matt DiCarlo with original Broadway direction by Mark Bell, featuring set design by Nigel Hook, lighting design by Ric Mountjoy, sound design by Andy Johnson and costume design by Roberto Surace.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is produced on Tour by Kevin McCollum, J.J. Abrams, Kenny Wax, Stage Presence Ltd., Catherine Schreiber, Ken Davenport, Double Gemini Productions / deRoy- Brunish, Damian Arnold / TC Beech, Greenleaf Productions / Bard-Roth, Martian Entertainment / Jack Lane / John Yonover, and Lucas McMahon.

 

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG will appear at Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock for four performances only March 28-29, 2020 (Saturday at 2pm & 7:30 pm, Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm).  Tickets may be purchased in person at Celebrity Attractions, via phone at 501.244.8800 or online at Ticketmaster.com.  Groups of 10 or more receive a discount by calling 501.492.3312.

 

Ticket buyers are reminded that for Celebrity Attractions’ productions, Celebrity Attractions and Ticketmaster are the only official retail ticket outlets and the only way to guarantee that you are paying face value for legitimate tickets.  Ticket buyers who purchase tickets from a ticket broker or any third party should also be aware that Celebrity Attractions is unable to reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets and is unable to contact patrons with information regarding time changes or other pertinent updates regarding the performance.

Little Rock bids “HELLO” to Carol Channing in November 1966

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53 years ago tonight, on November 15, 1966, Carol Channing opened a six day stint in HELLO, DOLLY! at Robinson Auditorium.  She would play 8 sold out shows over those six days.

Channing, who had won the 1964 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in this show, had recently returned to the national tour.  She had just wrapped filming THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (for which she would receive an Oscar nomination). She had specifically requested that Little Rock be added to the tour.

Her breakout role was in 1949’s GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDS. In that show she introduced the song “Little Girl from Little Rock.”  Since it had helped make her a star, she had long felt an affinity for the Arkansas capital.  Therefore when she rejoined the tour, she required that LR be one of her stops before she left the tour.

While in Little Rock, Channing was entertained at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and feted at parties.  She was made an honorary citizen of Little Rock, as well.

But she was here to perform. And perform she did. She was rarely known to miss a performance and always gave her utmost.  Bill Lewis, in his review in the ARKANSAS GAZETTE, stated “To hear Channing sing ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Is one of the great experiences of all musical theater to date…”

In assessing the show’s run in Little Rock (which would be seen by more than 20,000 people), Lewis summed up what many felt at the time — and to hear the reminiscences from a half century later, it still is a heartfelt sentiment — “A week’s too little.”

1984 documentary THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AL GREEN is being shown at CALS Ron Robinson Theater tonight

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Gospel According to Al Green PosterJoin CALS for a rare screening The Gospel According to Al Green, Robert Mugge’s 96-minute portrait of soul singer, gospel preacher, and Arkansas music legend Al Green filmed at a concert in Washington, D.C. and a church service in Memphis, TN.

The 1984 film delves into the tension between the singer’s secular hits and his sanctified calling. As noted in DECIDER: :The film is unobtrusively directed by Robert Mugge, who’s made a career out of documenting the greats of American roots music, and presents Green in a variety of different settings playing music and discussing his life.”

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

Tonight at South on Main – the Oxford American presents the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet

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The Oxford American magazine welcomes the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet to the South on Main stage! This is the second show of their Jazz 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 UCA College of Fine Arts & Communication, as well as their season sponsor University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Additional season partners include Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Cypress Properties, Inc., J. Mark & Christy Davis, Chris & Jo Harkins, 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.

Single tickets are $30 (General Admission), $40 (Reserved), and $42 (Premium Reserved).

In 2008, Jason Marsalis was asked to perform with the Lionel Hampton Big Band in New Orleans. Shortly after the performance, Marsalis was officially selected by the Hampton estate to be the band’s official vibraphonist. It was around that time that Marsalis was studying the music of the Benny Goodman Quartet and decided to form a group with the same instrumentation. While the first shows were dedicated to songs the Benny Goodman Quartet recorded, the music has evolved to include songs that were written from the 1940’s through 2000, shortly after the Goodman Quartet’s initial records.

Because of the change in repertoire, the group’s name is “The 21st Century Trad Band: BGQ Exploration.” Members include Marsalis on vibraphone, Joe Goldberg on clarinet, Kris Tokarski on piano, and Gerald T. Watkins, Jr. on drums. The band will be recording their first album in December of 2019, and it will be released in 2020.