Author Archives: Scott

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About Scott

A cultural thinker with a life long interest in the arts and humanities: theatre, music, architecture, photography, history, urban planning, etc.

QQA Preservation Conversation tonight

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The Quapaw Quarter Association’s monthly award-winning Preservation Conversation series continues tonight.

QQA

The program takes place this evening at Curran Hall, 615 East Capitol Avenue. From 5 to 5:30 a reception will take place. The program will run from 5:30 to 6:30

This month Rachel Miller and Anita Reddig will discuss ASU’s Heritage Sites Program.  The program will focus on Arkansas State University’s four Arkansas Heritage Sites: Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum in Piggott, the Historic Dyess Colony: the Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash, the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza, and the Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village.

Each site reflects the rich heritage and cultural diversity of the Arkansas Delta.  Rachel and Anita will discuss the historical and cultural significance and the development of each site, as well as the many educational opportunities these sites offer to the public.

The Quapaw Quarter Association’s mission is to promote the preservation of Little Rock’s architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education. Incorporated in 1968, the QQA grew out of an effort to identify and protect significant historic structures in Little Rock during the urban renewal projects of the early 1960s. Throughout its existence, the QQA has been a driving force behind historic preservation in Greater Little Rock.

LR Culture Vulture Tony Award predictions

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Here are the Little Rock Culture Vulture predictions for the Tony Awards.
My predictions are marked with an asterisk.

67th Tony Awards

PLAY
The Assembled Parties, Richard Greenberg
Lucky Guy, Nora Ephron
The Testament of Mary, Colm Toíbín
*Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Christopher Durang

MUSICAL
Bring It On
A Christmas Story
Kinky Boots
*Matilda

PLAY REVIVAL
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
*Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

MUSICAL REVIVAL
Annie
Cinderella
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
*Pippin

ACTOR, PLAY
*Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans

ACTRESS, PLAY
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, Ann
*Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful

ACTOR, MUSICAL
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Santino Fontana, Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
*Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots

ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown
*Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Cinderella

FEATURED ACTOR, PLAY
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
*Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Billy Magnussen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy

FEATURED ACTRESS, PLAY
Carrie Coon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
*Judith Light, The Assembled Parties
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful

FEATURED ACTOR, MUSICAL
Charl Brown, Motown
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Gabriel Ebert, Matilda
*Terrence Mann, Pippin

FEATURED ACTRESS, MUSICAL
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Cinderella
*Andrea Martin, Pippin
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda

DIRECTION, PLAY
Pam MacKinnon, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
*George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy

DIRECTION, MUSICAL
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
*Diane Paulus, Pippin
Matthew Warchus, Matilda

CHOREOGRAPHY
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On
Peter Darling, Matilda
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
*Chet Walker, Pippin

BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Douglas Carter Beane, Cinderella
Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots
*Dennis Kelly, Matilda
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story

SCORE OF A MUSICAL
Trey Anastasio, Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody
*Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots
Tim Minchin, Matilda
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, A Christmas Story

ORCHESTRATIONS
*Chris Nightingale, Matilda
Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots
Ethan Popp & Bryan Crook, Motown
Danny Troob, Cinderella

SCENIC DESIGN, PLAY
*John Lee Beatty, The Nance
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy

SCENIC DESIGN, MUSICAL
*Rob Howell, Matilda
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Scott Pask, Pippin
David Rockwell, Kinky Boots

COSTUME DESIGN, PLAY
Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
*Ann Roth, The Nance
Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy

COSTUME DESIGN, MUSICAL
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Rob Howell, Matilda
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
*William Ivey Long, Cinderella

LIGHTING DESIGN, PLAY
*Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Jennifer Tipton, The Testament of Mary
Japhy Weideman, The Nance

LIGHTING DESIGN, MUSICAL
Kenneth Posner, Kinky Boots
*Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Kenneth Posner, Cinderella
Hugh Vanstone, Matilda

SOUND DESIGN, PLAY
John Gromada, The Trip to Bountiful
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
*Leon Rothenberg, The Nance
Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, Golden Boy

SOUND DESIGN, MUSICAL
Jonathan Deans & Garth Helm, Pippin
*Peter Hylenski, Motown
John Shivers, Kinky Boots
Nevin Steinberg, Cinderella

TONY AWARDS tonight — Some Arkansas connections

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TonyAwards-328x253.328.254The American Theatre Wing and Broadway League present the 67th Antoinette Perry Awards – also known as the Tony Awards – tonight. They will be aired on CBS (THV11 in Central Arkansas) at 7pm CDT.

There are a few Arkansas connections to this year’s nominees of the best of Broadway.

Arkansas natives and previous Tony winners Will Trice and Remmel T. Dickinson are each nominated again this year for producing. Trice is one of the producers of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, nominated for Best Revival of a Play. Dickinson is a producer of Best Musical nominee Matilda. Both of those productions received multiple Tony nominations.

Tony winner Roger Horchow of Texas was married for nearly 50 years to Little Rock native Carolyn Pfeifer, until her 2009 death. Horchow and his daughter Sally are both nominated for producing the revival of Annie which is currently pleasing crowds on Broadway.

Chet Walker is nominated for his choreography for the revival of Pippin. Walker’s parents live in Maumelle. He has been a guest instructor for the Arkansas Dance Network. (Thanks to Christen Burke Pitts–herself an outstanding choreographer–for pointing out this Arkansas connection.)

Japhy Weideman is nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Play for his work on the new play The Nance. This is his first Tony nomination and his first season to be lighting plays on Broadway. He has previously received acclaim for his work Off Broadway. Weideman has been a lighting designer at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in the past.

One final nominee with an Arkansas connection. A couple of years ago, the Clinton School of Public Service brought actor Holland Taylor to Little Rock to discuss her play Ann about Texas Gov. Ann Richards. At that point in time, Ms. Taylor was performing the play throughout the country, but she did not know if it would be performed in New York. It made it to Broadway this season, and she received a Tony nomination for Actress in a Play for her work.

Whether these nominees win or lose tonight, it is a testament to Little Rock’s cultural richness that there are several nominees this year with connections to The Rock.

LR Look Back: Mayor Ben D. Brickhouse

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BrickhouseOn June 8, 1873, future Little Rock Mayor Ben D. Brickhouse was born in Virginia.  He moved to Texas as a child before his family settled in Arkansas.

His first job was with the Missouri Pacific Railroad.  He eventually attended law school at the University of Arkansas.  As an attorney, he remained interested in labor relations throughout the rest of his life.

In 1914, Brickhouse was elected to the Little Rock City Council.  He was reelected in 1916.  In 1918, he was appointed Labor Commissioner for the State of Arkansas by Governor Charles Brough.

Brickhouse was elected Mayor of Little Rock in 1919.  He was relected twice (1921 and 1923).  Prior to the change to the City Manager form of government in 1957, other Mayors would seek a third consecutive term, but none would be successful.

During Mayor Brickhouse’s tenure the City purchased the land to make Fair Park (now War Memorial Park).  He served as chair of the State Fairgrounds.

Brickhouse retired from public life in 1925 but returned in 1938 when he was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives.  He was reelected in 1940.  On June 1, 1941, not long after the conclusion of the legislative session, Brickhouse died.

Flag Day Concert in MacArthur Park tonite

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flagdayOn Saturday, June 8, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will host the 17th annual Flag Day concert, A Stars and Stripes Celebration, featuring the Little Rock Wind Symphony.

The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and is free to the public.

Our annual Flag Day salute to the red, white, and blue, features hand-clapping marches, flag-waving patriotic songs, toe-tapping happy tunes.  There will be free American flags, ice cream and water.

The program will featured Timothy Tucker, baritone in selections with the LR Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Karen Fannin.  The performance will include:

  • Dudley Buck: Festival Overture on the Star Spangled Banner 
  • John Philip Sousa: Washington Post March
  • Sousa: Who’s Who in Navy Blue
  • Aaron Copland: Old American Songs
  • James Barnes: Star-Spangled Salute!
  • Henry Fillmore: The Klaxon
  • Henry Fillmore: Circus Bee
  • Irving Berlin: God Bless America
  • Bob Lowden: Armed Forces Salute
  • Samuel Ward / Carmen Dragon: America the Beautiful
  • Sousa: The Stars and Stripes Forever

 

flagdayaudienceBring a picnic dinner for your family, lawn chairs or a blanket, and enjoy the concert at historic MacArthur Park in downtown Little Rock.   Dogs on leashes are welcome — and don’t forget there is a new dog park in MacArthur Park as well.

Black Hound Barbecue and Hot Dog Mike will be available to purchase food as well.  In the event of rain, the concert will be rescheduled for Sunday, June 9.

This event is sponsored by MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock Wind Symphony, Blue Bell Creameries, Woodmen of the World, Central Arkansas Water and Premium Refreshment Service.

Sidney Moncrief at Children’s Library today

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moncriefThe new Children’s Library and Learning Center will welcome Little Rock Hall and Arkansas Razorback basketball standout Sidney Moncrief today at 2pm.  Moncrief, of course, went on to an oustanding NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and has been a coach and businessman since retiring as a player.

He will be discussing his books Passport to Reinventing You and Your Passport to Becoming a Valuable Team Player.  Moncrief will be available to sign books after the presentation. All are welcome. Takes place in the theater.

The Central Arkansas Library System’s Children’s Library and Learning Center is located at 4800 W. 10th St.  Set on a six-acre site, the $12 million, 30,000 square foot Children’s Library includes a computer lab with fourteen computers, teaching kitchen, large activity area, individual and group study rooms, theater, and community room in addition to a collection of more than 21,000 books, DVDs, and CDs.

Actor Julie Adams – UALR Distinguished Alum – will speak on UALR campus today

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julieadamsUALR’s 2013 Distinguished Alumna Julie Adams will return to campus for a one-on-one interview with Dr. Jay Raphael, chair of UALR Theatre and Dance, at 2 p.m. Friday, June 7 at the Haislip Arena Theatre.

A book signing will follow.

Adams landed her first leading role in the The Dalton Gang in 1949. After a series of Western films, Adams starred alongside James Stewart in Bend of the River. She became a Hollywood star following 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Guests may purchase Adam’s memoir, The Lucky Southern Star: Reflections from the Black Lagoon, for $30 at the Bailey Alumni Center. Copies may also be reserved by calling 501.683.7208.

The book provides an in-depth look at Adam’s rise to stardom in Hollywood following her time in Depression-era Arkansas and graduation from then-Little Rock Junior College.

All are invited to attend, including those who met Adams at the awards luncheon in May.

Adams will make another appearance in Little Rock at the Old State House Museum for the opening reception of the new exhibit, Lights! Camera! Arkansas! The event will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, June 7.