Category Archives: Music

March of the Nutcracker

Posted on by

Ballet Arkansas continues the tradition of presenting The Nutcracker this weekend at Robinson Center Music Hall.

The title role is being essayed by Ballet Arkansas company trainee Jake Catlett while Michael Bearden, Ballet Arkansas’ artistic adviser, is a guest artist and dances the role of the Cavalier.  Alternating in the role of Clara are Lauren Frances Wood and Kathryn Latham.  Other roles are being danced by Leslie Dodge (Sugar Plum Fairy), Lauren McCarty Horak (Snow Queen),Toby Lewellen (Snow King),  Anna Maris (Frau Von Stahlbuam and Dew Drop Fairy), Sean Porter (Rat King), Stephen Stone (Drosselmeyer), Allison Wilson (Rat Queen) and Perry Young (Herr Von Stahlbaum, Mother Ginger).

The choreography for this production was created by a Jana Beard, Sydney Ippolito, Marius Petipa, Traci Presley, and Allison Wilson.  Geoffrey Robson, associate conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, will conduct musicians from the ASO in performing Tchaikovsky’s ballet score.  Tickets are available from the Arkansas Symphony box office at 666-1761 or http://www.arkansassymphony.org.

River City Men’s Chorus: Songs of the Season

Posted on by

It is perhaps not too early to start standing in line for the final performance of the River City Men’s Chorus 2011 Holiday Concert.  The first two performances (Sunday and Monday) were overflowing.  The final performance is this Thursday (December 8th) at 7pm.

Under the leadership of conductor and artistic director David Glaze, the River City Men’s Chorus concert ranges from the sublime to the silly. There are times it is hard to tell who is having more fun or is more moved – the audience or the singers.

Among the numbers are “The First Noel,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Gaudete!,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “White Christmas” and a soulfully rousing rendition of “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah.

The concert takes place at Trinity Methodist Church at 1101 N. Mississippi St.  The concert starts at 7pm. Doors to auditorium typically open an hour early for the free, open seating.  If weather is inclement, doors to the church (but not auditorium) will be opened even earlier so that audience members can stay warm and dry.

Tis the Season (for Spiced Peacans)

Posted on by

The tree being hoisted into place in the Capital Hotel

Music, design and history converge this evening when Capital Hotel hosts A Capital Christmas today.

The festivities begin at 5:30pm when the UALR Flute Ensemble is in concert in the hotel lobby and the gingerbread village is officially unveiled.  At 6:30 pm, the tree will officially be lit.  Also during the evening, dancers from Ballet Arkansas’ production of The Nutcracker will be on hand.

Throughout the Christmas season, there will be performances of music groups at the Capital Hotel. 

Music and Choir Performance Dates

 •Cavalry Academy on Fri, Dec 2nd at Noon

 •Mann Magnet MS on Mon, Dec 5th at 11 am

 •AR Northeast Community College on Mon, Dec 5th at 1 pm

 •Riverview High School on Tues, Dec 6th at 11 am

 •Sylvan Hills on Wed, Dec 7th at 11 am

 •Abundant Life on Thurs, Dec 8th at Noon

 •Maumelle Middle School on Fri, Dec 9th at 11 am

 •Holy Souls on Mon, Dec 12th at 11:30

 •Episcopal Collegiate on Tues, Dec 13 at Noon

 •Searcy High School on Wed, Dec 14th at 11 am

 •Booker Arts on Wed, Dec 14th at Noon

 •Robinson Middle School on Thurs, Dec 15th at 11 am

 •Hornaments on Saturday, Dec 17th at 5 pm

THEA Foundation

Posted on by

On this day of giving thanks and expressing appreciation, the entry focuses on The THEA Foundation, which gives so much throughout the state.

The mission of the THEA Foundation is to advocate the importance of the arts in the development of our youth.

The THEA Foundation is was founded in 2001 by Paul and Linda Leopoulos, parents of Thea Leopoulos, who was tragically killed in her junior year of high school. Thea had blossomed after discovering her artistic gifts in painting, writing, dance, speech, and drama. The THEA Foundation was created soon after Thea’s untimely death as a way to provide other young people the opportunity to find their confidence through involvement in the arts.

Thea Leopoulos

Thea’s interest in the arts required hard work, focus, and concentration, and she accomplished wonderful things. The harder she worked the better and more satisfying the results. It was exciting to watch her evolve into a whole person who believed she could challenge herself in any area of study.

Programs of the Foundation are designed to provide opportunities for student involvement in the arts. Research into the implementation and results of successful arts-infused programs in schools around the country have led us to become an advocate for improving our schools curriculum through arts administration. This advocacy points to a better curriculum delivery process that motivates all students. When students are engaged and having fun learning, test scores rise, discipline problems diminish, and schools become a place for growth for all students.

The THEA Foundation sponsors scholarships in visual and performing arts, as well as filmmaking. In addition, the THEA Foundation sponsors workshops, the Art Closet (which provides supplies for art teachers to use in classroom instruction), and Art Across Arkansas – in partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation.

The THEA Foundation’s advocacy is based on schools that have successfully motivated and engaged students through an arts-infused delivery system of instruction for the curriculum. An arts-infused delivery system means teaching math, science, social studies, history, spelling, writing, speech, and literature using art, drama, music, and rhyme to enhance the learning process.

The THEA Foundation reaches all corners of the state.  This work emanates from the THEA Foundation Center for the Arts on Main Street in North Little Rock.  Dedicated in 2008, it features the Judy Kohn Tenenbaum Gallery.

UALR Music shines spotlight on JOHN Q. WILLIS

Posted on by

John Q. Willis, who has been entertaining audiences at various venues throughout Central Arkansas for the past several years, is the featured songwriter at the UALR Music Department’s Songwriter Showcase.  As a performer and writer, Willis is firmly planted in the tradition of the great singer-songwriters from the era of standards, pop music, jazz, folk, and gospel. He draws on many musical genres for inspiration, but also presents his own personal stamp.

Willis will perform songs from his upcoming release, The Other World, as well as selections from a larger work called Salvation Songs. The first part of the programme will feature works by students of the UALR songwriting program.

The concert will be tonight, Tuesday November 22 at 7:30pm at Stella Boyle Smith recital hall and is presented by the office of Campus Life and the UALR Department of Music. Admission is free.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra River Rhapsodies

Posted on by

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra River Rhapsodies chamber series continues tonight.  Since it takes place at the Clinton Library, which was designed to evoke the Bridge to the 21st Century and is next to the new Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, it is fitting that this entry is entitled Bridging New and Old.

The program not only bridges new and old pieces of music, but it spans a variety of instruments. 

Haydn’s String Quartet No. 63 in Bb-Major “Sunrise”

Griebling’s Chiaroscuro for Viola, English Horn and French Horn

Dvorak’s Piano Quartet in Eb-Major, Op. 87

The performance begins at 7:00pm.  Tickets may be ordered online here.

UALR Artspree: Ben and Brad in a Tribute to Fred Astaire

Posted on by

UALR Artspree returns with its second offering of the season.  Tonight at 7:30 at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on the UALR main campus, Benjamin Sears & Bradford Conner will perform Ben & Brad: A Tribute to Fred Astaire.

The duo have been hailed by critics and audiences nationwide and received awards for their evening of American popular song and show tunes.  The Boston Globe notes “both Sears and Conner are helplessly gaga over this music. They just radiate happiness when they perform it, and you get happy too.”