Many museums and cultural institutions in Little Rock remain closed or have limited hours. If in doubt, call ahead.
The Central Arkansas Library System had hoped to open today at 1pm, but announced this morning that they’ll be closed until 10am tomorrow. They recommend contacting a location before driving there because some branches may not be able to be open.
For information on the Arkansas Rep performance of White Christmas call 501-378-0405 or check the Rep’s Twitter account @TheRep.
The Arkansas Repertory Theatre stage will be like Arkansas most years on December 25th. In other words, no White Christmas. Repeat, tonight’s performance has been cancelled.
Ticket holders for tonight’s performance should call the Rep Box Office at 501-378-0405.
This is also a good time to remember the Rep in year end giving.
The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s delightful production of White Christmas continues through December 30. Most performances before Christmas are sold out, but the final week has great seats available, so book now.
Based upon the Paramount Pictures film, White Christmas, was written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. The show features music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a book by David Ives and Paul Blake. The production is directed by Nicole Capri.
When a pair of song and dance men follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters to their Christmas show at a Vermont inn, they realize a lack of seasonal precipitation is causing hard times.
Through delightful plot twists and a dazzling Irving Berlin score that includes “Blue Skies,” “I Love a Piano,” “Happy Holiday,” “It’s Cold Outside” and of course, “White Christmas,” the fellows launch an all-out campaign to save the inn and win the sisters’ hearts.
“White Christmas is the perfect holiday musical,” says Rep Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp. “It’s a trip down memory lane for those who remember the music and the movie, and it’s sure to inspire new appreciation for the timeless songs of Irving Berlin – one of America’s greatest composers – for younger generations.”
To order tickets, visit the Rep’s website.
Tonight at 7 and tomorrow at 2 and 7 are the final three times to catch the Arkansas Rep Young Artist production of Singin’ on a Star. The show is all about the actor’s journey from stardust to stardom, set to a toe-tapping soundtrack of modern song selections from the top pop charts and the Great White Way.
The production is directed by Nicole Capri, who is the Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education. Karen Q. Clark serves as Music Director. Choreography is provided by Capri, Stacy Hawking, Marisa Kirby and Stephen K. Stone. The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Shelly Hall (costumes), Dan Kimble (lighting), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Allan Branson (sound).
The cast is composed of of over 50 junior high and high school students who will literally fill the stage with their acting, singing and dancing. They include: Skylar Bartlett, Cross Brandon, Matthew Carey, Calvin Chester, Cayla Christian, Jacob Clanton, Drew Clark, Andrew Curzon, Drew Dame, Spencer Davis, Anna Bliss Dean, C.J. Fowler, Jennifer Fuller, Melody Garrett, Zach Graham, Kayla Gray, Katie Greer, Christian Hickingbotham, Matthew Hugg, Sydney Ippolito, Mary Kate Jackson, Grace Jackson, Nia Jackson, Jackson James and Dalton Johnson.
Others in the cast include Riley Knight, Bailey Lamb, Julia Landfair, Maddie Lentz, Malik Marshall, Cass Martin, Annie McCurdy, Damon McKinnis, Elena McKinnis, Helen Melhorn, Henry Melhorn, Ella Moody, Angela Morgan, Michael Myers, Annie Niswanger, Yasmin Newman, Caroline Osborn, Adrianne Owings, Cassidy Ratliff, Marina Redlich, Molly Russ, Kennedy Sample, Sterling Saul, Allie Scott, Jake Scott, Abby Shourd, Heidi Sohl, Alyssa Sowers, Sheffield Spence, Shelby Spooner, Mary Katelin Ward, Mia Waymack, Jhonika Wright and Charl Young.
For some observations from one of the summer performances of this production, click here.
This past summer, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Summer Musical Theatre Intensive (SMTI) presented workshops of Singin’ on a Star. This week, the final version of Singin’ on a Star opens for a two week run on the Rep’s stage.
The show is all about the actor’s journey from stardust to stardom, set to a toe-tapping soundtrack of modern song selections from the top pop charts and the Great White Way.
The production is directed by Nicole Capri, who is the Rep’s Resident Director and Director of Education. Karen Q. Clark serves as Music Director. Choreography is provided by Capri, Stacy Hawking, Marisa Kirby and Stephen K. Stone. The design team includes Mike Nichols (sets), Shelly Hall (costumes), Dan Kimble (lighting), Lynda J. Kwallek (props) and Allan Branson (sound).
The cast is composed of of over 50 junior high and high school students who will literally fill the stage with their acting, singing and dancing.
There is a preview performance on Wednesday the 24th with opening night on Friday, October 26. Performances will continue with evening performances at 7 on Saturday, October 27 as well as November 1 – 3. There will be 2pm matinees on October 27 and 28 as well as November 3.
For some observations from one of the summer performances of this production, click here.
Tonight, October 8th, 2012 there will be a special one-time performance of Claude Bolling’s Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio at The Afterthought, the jazz club on Kavanaugh Blvd. in the Hillcrest section of Little Rock.
With music starting at 8pm, saxophonist Brandon Dorris will perform a trio set with bassist Joe Vick and drummer Brian Brown. The Bolling,which is about an hour of music, will feature violinist Geoffrey Robson,pianist Louis Menendez, bassist Joe Vick, and drummer Brian Brown.
The evening will conclude with more music from Brandon Dorris and the trio.
Sophisticated jazz piano stylings blend seamlessly with lyrical and virtuosic violin playing in the music of Claude Bolling. $5 cover only.
Geoffrey Robson, violinist, is the Associate Conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and violinist in Trio Arkansas with pianist Louis Menendez. Louis Menendez, of Hot Springs, AR, is a fine concert pianist, opera coach, and conductor, and is a faculty member at
Ouachita Baptist University. Joe Vick is a member of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and a Little Rock jazz mainstay. He also teaches music at College Station Elementary and Fuller Middle School in Little Rock.
Brian Brown, also a local jazz mainstay, has performed on just about every stage in town, and appears four nights a week at the Capital Hotel with the Ted Ludwig Jazz Trio. Brandon Dorris is one of the more versatile musicians in town. Recent appearances include the Hot Springs Jazz Festival, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Repertory Theater, and Dugan’s Pub.
Ballet West Principal Artist Christopher Ruud will teach an open master class for intermediate and advanced dancers this evening, September 12th. The class begins at 7:00pm and will conclude at 9:00pm. This is the second class in Ballet Arkansas’ Master Class series. Son of respected dancer and choreographer Tomm Ruud, Christopher is proud to be responsible for his father’s works. Christopher has set and performed his fathers ballet’s, such as Mobile, for companies including Stuttgart Ballet, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet Co. and now Ballet Arkansas.
During his time in Arkansas, Mr. Ruud will be setting Mobile on the company to be performed in Ballet Arkansas’ spring concert, Spring into Motion, at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in April 2013.
The master class will be offered at the Ballet Arkansas Studio at Shuffles and Ballet II. There is a $25 class fee or a $15 observer fee. Space is limited, please email us at info@balletarkansas.org to reserve your spot.
A native of San Francisco, Christopher began his training at the San Francisco Ballet School. There he studied for seven years before training at the University of Utah Ballet Department. Christopher joined Ballet West in 1998, was promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2004. Since joining the company Christopher has toured throughout the United States and abroad including multi-city tours in China and in Scotland at the Edinburgh International Festival.
Some of his notable roles include Petruchio in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew, the Second Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Prince Seigfried in Swan Lake, Christopher Bruce’s Ghost Dances, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet . Christopher has performed the principal roles in multiple versions of such classics as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Cinderella , Don Quixote and Le Corsaire Pas de Deux. He has also danced leading roles in works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Antony Tudor, Val Caniparoli, Hans van Manen and Nicolo Fonte.
Christopher’s favorite Balanchine credits include Liza in Who Cares?, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Serenade, Melancholic and Sanguinic in The Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, El Capitan in Stars and Stripesand the principal in Theme and Variations. Recently he has had works created on him by Nicolo Fonte in The Immeasurable Cadences Within, Helen Picket in But Never Doubt I Love and Charlotte Boye-Christensen in Row.
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