Category Archives: Theatre

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On as Arkansas Rep presents MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

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Million Dollar Quartet, a Tony Award-winning smash hit Broadway musical, is the next production in The Rep’s 2019 Season. Tickets for the production, which runs Sept. 4-Oct. 6, are available at TheRep.org.

Based on the book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet chronicles the epic 1956 recording session of young rock ‘n roll stars Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

“It’s more than just a jukebox musical,” said Director Hunter Foster. “It’s a dramatic play. But, the music is still the star and by the end people are usually dancing in the aisles.”  Foster was an original cast member on Broadway.

Showcased hit songs include “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Walk the Line,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” and more.

“All the music that audiences will hear is actually being played by the actors,” Foster said. “Most audiences can’t believe they are playing because they are so good! We’re bringing some of the best actor/musicians in the country to Arkansas.”

The Arkansas Rep cast includes Trent Rowland (Elvis Presley), Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash), Skye Scott (Carl Perkins), Brandyn Day (Jerry Lee Lewis), Karack Osborn (Sam Phillips), Alyssa Gardner (Dyanne), Brian Wolverton (Jay Perkins) and David W. Lincoln (W.S. “Fluke” Holland).

The design and creative team includes Lauren T. Roark, costume designer; Erin Reed, associate costume designer; Adam Koch, set designer; Steven Royal, associate set designer; James Barry, music supervisor; Kirk Bookman, original lighting designer; Steve O’Shea, lighting designer; and Luke Mitchell, sound designer. The stage manager is Colin JB and Merit Glover is the assistant stage manager.

Tickets start at $20. Discounts are available for full-time students, season subscribers, seniors and military personnel. For complete information, visit TheRep.org.

Upcoming Arkansas Rep production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET focus of Clinton School program at noon today

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The new Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of Million Dollar Quartet. will be the focus of a noontime Clinton School program today (September 5).

On December 4, 1956, in the studios of Sun Records in Memphis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis gathered to meet with legendary producer Sam Philips. What happened next was pure rock and roll magic.

With a collection of hit songs that includes “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and “Hound Dog,” this Tony Award-winning musical is guaranteed to blow the roof off!

Join the Clinton School today at noon for a discussion with the cast and crew.

The production opens tomorrow night and runs through October 6.

All Clinton School Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239

US premiere of play THE ROOSTER REBELLION at the Weekend Theater

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The Weekend Theater will stage The Rooster Rebellion by Little Rock playwright Anthony Mariani on Aug. 30-Sept. 8 at the theater, 1001 W. 7th St. in Little Rock.

Show dates are Aug. 30, 31, Sept. 1, Sept. 6, 7, 8. The Sept. 1 matinee starts at 3 p.m.; the Sept. 8 matinee starts at 2:30 p.m. All other shows start at 7:30 p.m.

The story takes place in fall 2015 and summer 2016 in London. Reese Anne, a London teenager, runs away from home to help her ex-history teacher, Shell, who is homeless. They busk by day in front of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. At night, they live in an underground abandoned tube station, where she tries to create a utopian homeless society, which falls apart on the eve of the Brexit vote.​​​​​

Mariani also directs The Rooster Rebellion, which makes its U.S. debut at The Weekend Theater. The play was staged in 2016 at The Drayton Arms Theatre in Kensington, London, and at The Edinburgh Fringe. In 2017, the play received a third-place award in the London Film Awards Stage Play competition and received third place for best stage play competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2017.

Tickets cost $16 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and military. To reserve online, visit centralarkansastickets.com.

For more information, visit weekendtheater.org or call 501-374-3761.

Shakespeare 101 Workshop planned by Education at the Rep

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Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people sitting, living room, shoes and indoorIn the immortal words of Cole Porter:

If you can’t be a ham and do Hamlet

They will not give a damn or a damlet

The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Education at The Rep program is offering a chance to “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” in a Shakespeare 101 Workshop on Monday, September 9.

The Bard of Avon would doubtlessly be mortified to know that he is often viewed with disdain because most persons exposure to him was in stiflingly dull English classes. There is so much more than just reciting in a sing-song voice “Two house-holds both a-like in dig-ni-teeee…”  (Go back and look at the photo above.  The people are smiling while discussing Shakespeare.)

Learn the basics of The Bard from Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre‘s Artistic Director, Rebekah Scallet. This workshop introduces foundational skills including iambic pentameter and scansion, poetry and prose, and rhetorical devices. Explore Shakespeare’s vocabulary and learn to use the clues found in his punctuation and text to help reveal meaning and intention. A perfect first introduction to working with Shakespeare and heightened text.

Recommended for those who plan to take the Shakespeare Scene Study course without previous experience: https://www.therep.org/education/fall-classes/shakespeare-scene-study-adult/.

SHAKESPEARE 101 WORKSHOP
Monday, September 9, from 7 – 9 p.m.
Tuition: $15
Age: Adult
Instructor: Rebekah Scallet

Registration is open for Arkansas Arts Center Museum School classes

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Art classes and workshops continue this fall at the Arkansas Arts Center’s Riverdale space and select offsite locations. The Museum School offers classes and workshops in painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, metals, glass, jewelry and woodworking for all ages and skill levels. Registration for new students opens August 19, and classes begin in September.

At the Arts Center’s Riverdale location, Museum School students will find more than 15,000 square feet of studio space to create and learn. The Cantrell Road location will also offer convenient and secure parking and new amenities for students.

Select Museum School classes will also be held at offsite locations. Select drawing classes will be held at CALS Main Library in downtown Little Rock. At the Old Mill in North Little Rock, students will find a weekend painting workshop. Bookbinding and letterpress printing classes will be held at Yella Dog Press in downtown Little Rock. Youth studio art and theatre classes will be found at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and Learning Center. Select youth studio art classes will also be held at Maumelle and Terry libraries.

“It is so important that our Museum School students have the creative space they need to continue pursuing their work while our MacArthur Park building is under construction,” said Rana Edgar, Director of Education and Programs. “The Riverdale space and our partnerships with organizations across Central Arkansas have allowed us to do just that.”

The Museum School’s temporary move to Riverdale is just one aspect of the Arts Center’s commitment to remaining accessible to the community while its MacArthur Park facility is under construction. Construction on the MacArthur Park building is scheduled to begin this fall. The Museum School will move back to the Arts Center’s renovated MacArthur Park building upon its completion, scheduled for early 2022.

Registration for Fall Quarter classes opens August 19 for new students. Members of the Arkansas Arts Center get a 20% discount on classes and workshops in the Museum School. Class schedules and registration details can be found at arkansasartscenter.org/museumschool or call 501-372-4000.

National Dog Day is a great day to buy Arkansas Rep 2020 subscription

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August 26 is National Dog Day.

As a tribute to it, one should consider purchasing a subscription to Arkansas Rep’s Spring 2020 season.

Why does that relate to National Dog Day?

Because one of the productions is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel of the same name, this play by Simon Stephens has won five Tony Awards, six Drama Desk Awards, and seven Olivier Awards, including Best Play from all three.  

It tells the story of Christopher, a 15-year-old boy who describes himself as “a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties” who has never ventured alone past his street. Now he is on a mission – an investigative adventure that will upturn the world of his family and community forever.

Through innovative design and storytelling, it puts the audience inside Christopher’s mind as together they go on this incredible journey. The production will run from April 1 to April 19.

The other two shows in the lineup are Ann and Bye Bye Birdie.