Tag Archives: Robinson Center Performance Hall

Kevin! The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is presenting HOME ALONE with live orchestra this weekend!

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Home Alone PosterThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra presents the first concert of the 2019-2020 Acxiom Pops! Live concert series: Home Alone: Film with Orchestra, Saturday, December 21th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 22th at 3:00 p.m. in the Robinson Center. The Pops! Live concert series is sponsored by Acxiom.

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacations, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!

The Symphony, under the direction of Geoffrey Robson, will be playing John Williams’ Oscar-nominated score as the film plays.

Joining Culkin (whose aunt Bonnie Bedelia is a star in another Christmas move: DIE HARD) in HOME ALONE are a group of seasoned veterans.  While the adults are meant to be more cartoonish, they still keep the film grounded.  Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern have wonderful chemistry as the Wet Bandits.  John Heard’s slightly befuddled father is an apt foil for Catherine O’Hara’s intense mother. The latter displays much warmth when needed, as well. John Candy turns in a fun cameo in the first film. If you blink, you may miss future Tony nominee and The Newsroom actress Hope Davis as a French ticket agent.

Tickets are $16, $36, $57, and $70; active duty military and student tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Robinson Center street-level box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 1. All Arkansas students grades K-12 are admitted to Sunday’s matinee free of charge with the purchase of an adult ticket using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket, downloadable at https://www.arkansassymphony.org/freekids.

Original bonds sold for construction of Robinson Auditorium on Dec. 20, 1937

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On December 20, 1937, the Little Rock City Council adopted Resolution 1,418 which authorized the sale of municipal bonds to fund the municipal auditorium.

Earlier that year, Little Rock voters had authorized the sale of $468,000 of Municipal Auditorium Bonds.  Since that January election, city leaders had been undertaking various steps to plan for the project.  Finally, they were ready to sell the bonds.  On December 20, a public sale was held.  The US federal government made a bid for the purchase of $418,000 of the bonds. It was the only bid received.

The sale was accompanied by an Emergency Clause so that it would go into effect immediately.  The clause noted: “It is ascertained and declared that by reason of the present economic conditions many citizens of the City are out of work, and the improvements herein provided would furnish work for a large number of persons and thereby add to the peace and happiness of the City; further, that the City has no Municipal Auditorium or facilities for large conventions or gatherings…”

The offer by the US Government to purchase the bonds was in addition to an outright grant of $342,000 to help fund the auditorium.

While there would be other issues in financing and funding the project, the sale of the bonds on December 20, 1937, set things in motion which led to the February 16, 1940, opening.

51 years since first full-length, locally produced THE NUTCRACKER was presented in Little Rock at Robinson Auditorium

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In December 1968:

  • the final stretch of Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis was completed. (Little did anyone know that milestone merely meant work would change from construction to non-stop reconstruction.)
  • Talks were underway about merging private Little Rock University with the University of Arkansas system (which would be finalized in the summer of 1969).
  • On the TV on December 19, “The Little Drummer Boy” TV special was being shown for the first time.  Also, Arkansan Glen Campbell was one of the guest stars on Bob Hope’s Christmas TV special.

For those who did not sit at home watching TV, at Robinson Auditorium on December 19 and 20, 1968, the nascent Little Rock Civic Ballet (a forerunner to today’s Ballet Arkansas) presented its first production of THE NUTCRACKER.

Under the direction and choreography of D. Cater Cranford, this production featured 135 performers, a fifty piece orchestra under the direction of Vasilios Priakos, and the largest number of stagehands in Robinson Auditorium’s history.  The production cost $25,000 to mount.  That would be the equivalent of just over $184,775 in 2019.

A large portion of the money went to renting sets from Dallas for the production. The costumes were designed and sewn by Cranford.  He also appeared as Drosselmeyer in the production.  His wife Lorraine, assisted with the choreography and also appeared on stage.

Though most of the dancers were local, the leading roles were danced by Bill Martin-Viscont, Nathalie Krassovak, Linda DiBona, Margo Dean and Carl Tressler.  Some of the dancers who had rehearsed for the production were unable to participate due to several cast members coming down with flu in the days immediately prior to the production.

The production sold out both public performances as well as the daytime matinee for school children.  The dress rehearsal on December 18 was opened up for children with disabilities to attend.

Though The Nutcracker has not been presented in Little Rock every year since 1968, it has certainly been on stage most of the years since then.  The overwhelming response to this production set the stage for it to become a much-loved holiday tradition in the city.

Go “Home for the Holidays” with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra tonight

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Home for the HolidaysTonight, December 19, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra will present its traditional holiday concert Home for the Holidays

ASO’s traditional holiday show is back for a one-night-only performance including music from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Holst’s In the Bleak Midwinter, music from the hit film Polar Express, and your favorites like “O Holy Night”, “Sleigh Ride”, and “It’s Beginning to look a Lot like Christmas!”

Vocalist Stephanie Smittle will be performing with the ASO for “It’s Beginning to look a Lot like Christmas,” “This Christmastide (Jessye’s Carol),” “O Holy Night,” and “Mary Did You Know.”

Tickets are $16, $36, $57, and $70; active duty military and student tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Robinson Center street-level box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 1.

Artists
Israel Getzov, conductor
Stephanie Smittle, vocalist

Program
HOLST – In the Bleak Midwinter
TCHAIKOVSKY – Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a, “Waltz of the Flowers”
Arr. O’Loughlin – Christmas Canticles
WILLSON/Arr. Holcombe – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas*
FRASER – This Christmastide (Jessye’s Carol)*
SILVESTRI/Brubaker – Polar Express Concert Suite
ANDERSON – Sleigh Ride
TORME/ Lowden – A Christmas Song
ADAM/ Ryden – O Holy Night*
LOWRY/SCHRADER – Mary Did You Know?*
O’NEILL/Phillips – Mad Russians’ Christmas
O’NEILL/Phillips – Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24

*denotes a song that Stephanie Smittle will be performing with the ASO

80 years ago today, Christmas carols rang out from the steps of Robinson Auditorium

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In front of Robinson Center, one of the sculptures is called “Let the Music Play.” 80 years ago today, the music played on the front steps of the building as construction continued on the inside.

On the afternoon of December 18, 1939, 500 school children from elementary schools were joined by the A Capella Choir of Little Rock High School as they sang Christmas carols on the front steps of the auditorium on a weekday afternoon. The singers were accompanied by the Little Rock High School Brass Sextet. The invocation for the event, which was sponsored by the Little Rock Council of Parents and Teachers, was delivered by the Right Reverend Richard Bland Mitchell, the Episcopal Bishop of Arkansas.

A Christmas tree in front of City Hall was lit up as part of the ceremony as well. Media coverage noted that the audience witnessing the program stood on the front steps of the Pulaski County Courthouse, the side lawn of City Hall and in front of the steps of Robinson Auditorium. It was also noted that most windows in the nearby government buildings were filled with people watching the festivities.

Celtic Woman perform at Robinson Center tonight

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2019 Robinson Center Celtic Women 560x400

Multi-platinum international music sensation Celtic Woman celebrates the holiday season with its eighth annual “Symphony Tour.”  Tonight (December 16) they are in Little Rock at Robinson Center Performance Hall.

These concerts offer an unparalleled live musical experience, with Celtic Woman performing timeless holiday songs accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. The show will feature music from the all-female ensemble’s much loved holiday releases, such as the platinum-selling A Christmas Celebration and Deck The Halls.

Celtic Woman promises an enchanting and festive evening filled with lots of holiday favorites and a few Celtic twists here and there, all with the accompaniment of magnificent orchestras across the country.

The performance starts at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available here.

2019 edition of Ballet Arkansas’ THE NUTCRACKER is this weekend!

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Ballet Arkansas’ Nutcracker Spectacular is the largest holiday production in the State of Arkansas, and a beloved holiday classic that is perfect for all ages.

Featuring recently updated choreography, Ballet Arkansas’ production has been a holiday tradition for families across the state for 41 years. The production features the talents of the 15 professional dancers of Ballet Arkansas, and a community cast of more than 225 children and adults from every corner of the state.

The community cast rehearses for 11 weeks to prepare for the performances and consists of multiple generations of cast members – with many cast members participating in Ballet Arkansas’ productions for more than 20 years.

All public performances feature live music by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Robson, and either The Mount Saint Mary Concert Belle’s, directed by Chelsea Frazier, or the Episcopal Collegiate Choirs, directed by Stephen Vano, who will sing during the infamous snow scene at the end of Act I.

Take a journey with Clara Stahlbaum to the “Land of the Sweets” this Holiday, and enjoy the magic of the Nutcracker Spectacular, set to Pyotry Illyich Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score.

The Nutcracker Spectacular takes the stage at the Robinson Performance Hall on December 13-15, 2019. Ballet Arkansas will present four public performances, Friday, December 13, 7:30 pm, Saturday, December 14, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday December 15, 2:30pm. Purchase ‘sweet seats’ to sit in the best seats in the house, and receive a gift, for $99. Tickets range from $18-102 and are available here or by calling Celebrity Attractions Box Office at (501)-244-8800. Tickets on sale June 3, 2019.

Learn more about Ballet Arkansas’ 2019/20 Season at www.balletarkansas.org.

Ballet Arkansas, the foremost professional ballet company of the State of Arkansas, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through a roster of talented artists and dancers, Ballet Arkansas presents vibrant and diverse repertory featuring classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by world renowned choreographers. A driving force in the State, Ballet Arkansas is committed to creative collaboration, community outreach, high quality dance education, the evolution of arts programming across the region, and is devoted to making high quality professional dance performance accessible to all. The productions of Ballet Arkansas promise to enrich the lives of all in attendance.