Tag Archives: Nichole Henry

Pulitzers Play Little Rock: CTLR’s production of RENT

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CTLR RentJonathan Larson’s through-sung updated La Boheme was an instant success from its first Off Broadway preview.  Unfortunately with his death that day, Larson never enjoyed the success.  After a long Broadway run, the rights were made available for other productions.

Though not the first to present Rent in Little Rock, the Community Theatre of Little Rock closed out its 58th season in 2014 with a production of this winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

The cast included Michael Goodbar, Ryan Whitfield, Charles Holloway, Jeremiah Herman, Angel Monroe, Brittany Sparkles, Kelsey Padilla, Jess Carson, David Weatherly, Courtney Williams, Douglas Hammon, Elijah Ash, Manny Urban, Brian Christopher Roberson, Robert Warner, Claudia Moskova-Cremeens, Ashley McPhearson, Vivian Murray-Colyer, Nichole Henry, Allison Bode, Courtney Speyer, Makayla Ealy, and Beth Ross.

The production was directed by Frank O. Butler.  Matthew Tatus was the Music Director, while the producers were Liz Clark and Jerry Woods.

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the first Pulitzer Prize for Drama being given. To pay tribute to 100 years of the Pulitzer for Drama, each day this month a different Little Rock production of a Pulitzer Prize winning play will be highlighted.  Many of these titles have been produced numerous times.  This look will veer from high school to national tours in an attempt to give a glimpse into Little Rock’s breadth and depth of theatrical history.

Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! pays tribute to late, great Sandy Baskin

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ROT Pagans SandyPagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! is newest installment in the long running holiday tradition for Red Octopus Theater. Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! will run December 10-12, 2015 at The PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock, AR.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military and students.  Tickets are general admission, no reservations and there will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences, child tickets are $490.

Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash! a memorial to Sandy Baskin, long time head writer and director of Red Octopus Theater, who passed away earlier this year.  There is no adequate way to measure the influence Sandy Baskin had on the central Arkansas performing arts community and countless actors in her 3 decades of performing, writing and directing.  Sandy Baskin performed with Red Octopus theater for over 20 years and for much of that time was the head writer and director of countless live sketch comedy shows, short films and other performances.  Ms. Baskin may have left this plane of existence, but she will always be the head redhead in Red Octopus.

This year, Pagans on Bobsleds, the long running Red Octopu holiday tradition, will be a greatest hits of Sandy’s  favorites including Fauzio’s, The Nutcracker Suite, Elves What Woo, The Old Lady, They’re Having Eggnog, Devil Hound, Santaman, Fruitcake and many more. Unfortunately, due to her passing, Sandy really left the other Octopi in a lurch for a funny lady with a red bouffant that can cuss like a sailor.  That role is in a lot of these sketches, but  Red Octopus thought, the only thing to do without Sandy Baskin, was to make everyone try to fill her comedy shoes.  It will take a cast of 12 including Frank Butler, Alli Clark, Brian Chambers, Sarah Cunningham, Lesley Dancer, Michael Goodbar, Jeremiah Herman, Nichole Henry, Anderson Penix, Luke Rowlan, Brittany Sparkles, Evan Tanner, Jason Thompson and Jason Willey

Current Executive Director of Red Octopus, Jason Willey said, “Sandy loved hanging out with her people and often she’d say she was just going to have “one more splash” before we called it a night. That usually turned into another hour and a lot of laughs. Everyone in Red Octopus will miss having one more splash with Baskin.  We thought, that’s what this show should be for Red Octopus and our fans, one last splash, for Baskin.”

Red Octopus Theater looks forward to seeing all our friends and fans for Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV: One More Splash, a tribute to the one and only Sandy Baskin.

For more information please contact Jason Willey, Executive Director, Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online atwww.redoctopustheater.com.

To contact The PUBLIC Theatre, call 374-PLAY.

 

Red Octopus is doing the “Electrick Boo-galoo”

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ROT Halloween2015

Photo by Sarena Kaye (LtoR) Scott Dombrowski, Jason Willey, Sara Cunningham, Michael Goodbar, Alli Clark and Anderson Penix pose as characters from the upcoming Red Octopus Theater Halloween show “Electrick Boo-galoo!”

Electrick Boo-galoo!, the new original sketch comedy show by Red Octopus Theater, runs through October 24, 2015, at The PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military, students and anyone in costume.  No reservations or online ticketing and there will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences, child tickets are $876.

Red Octopus Theater is one of the oldest and scariest sketch comedy troupes in the nation having continuously performed since 1991.  This year’s Halloween show promises to be one of their battiest original shows ever.

Creepy comedy will commence with a fireside chat with the president in “The State of Breakfast”.  Things will get weird in the “The Witchiest Witch Doctor” and even weirder in the new game show, “Find Me A Cult.”  But don’t worry, if you aren’t freaked out by that, you will be by “Pumpkin Spice Apocalypse” and “The Camp Fire Gories”  There will also be some serious political insights in “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Rose.” A special old lady will be making an appearance, along with a few other crowd favorites that it just wouldn’t be Halloween without.

The cast includes Alli Clark, Sarah Cunningham, Scott Dombroski, Michael Goodbar, Sam Grubb, Nichole Henry, Anderson Penix and Jason Willey with special guest, Luke “Ramthor” Rowlan. Performances are open to all ages, but recommended for mature audiences because of adult language and situations, again, child tickets are $867.

Red Octopus will begin working on their annual holiday show, Pagans on Bobsleds XXIV, almost immediately following Electrick Boo-galoo! and it will run December 9-12, 2015.

For more information please contact Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online at www.redoctopustheater.com.

AMERICAN IDIOT rocks into Weekend Theater

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American Idiot at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock, ARFirst there was the album and the tour, then Billie Joe Armstrong and Tony winner Michael Mayer collaborated to create the stage musical.  Now Green Day’s American Idiot is coming to the Weekend Theater stage for four weeks.

The two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical American Idiot is based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. This energy-fueled rock opera, which includes every song from the album, as well as several songs from follow-up release, 21st Century Breakdown, brings us face-to-face with the perils of war, drug addiction, and escapism, and the power of true friendship.

The story centers on Will, Johnny, and Tunny, who struggle to find meaning in a post-9/11 world. When the three disgruntled young men flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life, their paths are quickly estranged when Tunny enters the armed forces, Michael is called back home to attend familial responsibilities, and Johnny’s attention becomes divided by a seductive love interest and a hazardous new friendship. We follow the three as they try to find themselves and learn that, with acceptance, comes the possibility of hope.

The cast features Robert Warner, Peyton Hooks, Courtney Williams, Luke Johnson, Brittany Sparkles, Charmaine Foster, Mackenzie Holtzclaw, Xavier Jones, Adam Smith, Jordan Lott, Nichole Henry, Angel Monroe, Angela Morgan, Anna Darr, and Simmery Branch.

The production is directed by Frank Butler with music direction by Lori Isner.  The show runs through August 9.  Performances are at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 on Sunday afternoons.  On Friday, August 7, the curtain time is 8pm.

The Peeps Show is latest offering from Red Octopus

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The Peeps Show, a new original sketch comedy show by Red Octopus Theater, will run April 24, 25, 30 and May 1, 2, at The PUBLIC Theatre, located at 616 Center Street, in downtown Little Rock, AR.  Doors will open at 7:30PM and the show will start at 8:00PM.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens, military and students and are available before the show.  No reservations are necessary and there will be refreshments available.  The show is recommended for mature audiences, children tickets are $549.

Red Octopus Theater, performing since 1991, starts off their 2015 season with The Peeps Show, a show about spring, warm weather, rebirth and marshmallow candies.  The Peeps Show will also begin a series of productions featuring aspiring Red Octopus members.

The Peeps Show will feature five new faces for audience members as well as a strong cast of veteran performers.  New performers auditioned earlier in 2015 for a spot in a Red Octopus show and perhaps an invitation to join the regular cast.

Jason Willey, Red Octopus Board Member said, “Sketch comedy and theater, in general, need new blood to keep it going and to keep it fresh.  We held auditions after getting a lot inquiries and we found some funny people.  Hopefully, we won’t scare them all off.”

The Peeps Show will exam the many facets of Spring, sparing no one or thing in it’s path.  Religious themes pop up in “Jesus Saves”, about the onslaught of retail business on holidays.  The show will feature live coverage of the Arkansas Legislature in, “So This Is What They Did Now…”  The children’s PBS show “Bumblechunks & Friends” will teach kids about Easter around the world.  And Park rangers, Thomas and Tom will get you ready for your “first date hike” up Petit Jean in “Love at the Top.”  There will be some old favorites mixed in and a bunch of new material all lampooning all your favorite things to love and hate about the change in seasons.  So come out and support live sketch comedy with Red Octopus Theater.

The cast includes Brian Chambers, Alli Clark, Drew Ellis, Michael Goodbar, Evan Tanner, David Weatherly and Jason Willey and featuring Scott Dombroski, Sam Grubb, Nichole Henry, Jeremiah James Herman and Anderson Penix.. Performances are open to all ages, but recommended for mature audiences because of adult language and situations, again, child tickets are $549.

For more information please contact Red Octopus Theater at (501) 291-3896, or RedOctopusTheater@gmail.com. Red Octopus is also online at www.redoctopustheater.com.