At the Wildwood Pavilion tonight – House Concert with Dan Weber

WW WeberA gifted storyteller and inspired performer, Dan Weber’s songs have been described as “timeless” and “authentic.” In 2015 Weber begins a new chapter with “What I’m Lookin’ For,” a 14-song CD of classic Americana that includes the stirring Folk tribute “Oh Woody,” Country-Roots on “Cowboy Style,” and the crowd sing-a-long favorite “(I Deal with) Crazy ALL Day,” an everyman’s anthem that is poised to be a break-out hit.
The concert, which is hosted by Melissa and Martin Thoma, will take place at the Wildwood Pavilion.  It will start at 7pm, doors will open at 6:30.
Beer, wine and snacks will be available for purchase, and there is a suggested $15 donation at the door to support the artist during his 2015 tour.

69th Tony Awards wrap up (published on 6/9)

Tony Tony TonyThe 69th Tony Awards have been distributed. The medallions have been spun. Producers are already starting to think about their shows for the 70th ceremony in June 2016. And actors are auditioning for the next jobs.

While Little Rock’s Will Trice did not personally pick up another Tony this year, two of the Tony winners were for shows he produced.  Annaleigh Ashford won the Tony for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in You Can’t Take It with You.  Christopher Oram won the Tony for Costume Design of a Play for Wolf Hall, Part One and Two.  Catherine Zuber, who won a Tony for her costume design of The King and I will be working with Trice next season on a production of Fiddler on the Roof.

One of the Tony Awards went to Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for Scenic Design of a Musical for An American in Paris.  Ben Pearcy is the American representative of 59 Productions.  Ben’s father grew up in Little Rock, and his grandmother Janet Pearcy was a longtime supporter of Wildwood, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Arkansas Rep.   One of Ben’s first Broadway projects was on the lighting design team of the Broadway revival of Chicago which earned him a mention from Ken Billington in his Tony acceptance speech.

Time will tell, but undoubtedly some of the titles nominated for Tonys will eventually be performed in Little Rock either at the Rep, on tour courtesy of Celebrity Attractions, or as part of one of the seasons of one of the volunteer theatre seasons. This month, on stage in Little Rock are 2008 Tony winning Best Play August: Osage County at the Rep, 2009 Tony nominee 9 to 5 at Community Theatre of Little Rock and 2010 Tony nominee The Addams Family.

A couple of more Little Rock connections to Sunday’s ceremony.  Nick Jonas, who appeared at the Clinton Center 10th anniversary concert, was one of the presenters at the ceremony. Darren Criss, who attended the Clinton Center 10th anniversary events, hosted a red-carpet preview program.

I went 19 for 24 in my predictions.

The ones I got right:

Play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Simon Stephens

Revival of a PlaySkylight

Revival of a Musical – The King and I

Actor, PlayAlex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Actress, Play – Helen Mirren, The Audience

Actor, MusicalMichael Cerveris, Fun Home

Featured Actress, Play – Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You

Direction, PlayMarianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Direction, MusicalSam Gold, Fun Home

ChoreographyChristopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Book of a MusicalLisa Kron, Fun Home

Original ScoreJeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron, Fun Home

OrchestrationsChristopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris

Scenic Design, PlayBunny Christie & Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Scenic Design, MusicalBob Crowley & 59 Productions, An American in Paris

Costume Design, PlayChristopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two

Costume Design, MusicalCatherine Zuber, The King and I

Lighting Design, PlayPaule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Lighting Design, MusicalNatasha Katz, An American in Paris

 

I missed:

Musical – Fun Home (I picked An American in Paris)

Actress, Musical – Kelli O’Hara, The King and I (I picked Kristen Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century)

Featured Actor, Play – Richard McCabe, The Audience (I picked Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two)

Featured Actor, Musical – Christian Borle, Something Rotten! (I picked Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century)

Featured Actress, Musical – Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I (I picked Judy Kuhn, Fun Home)

 

The glorious song-stylings of Bonnie Montgomery are on display tonight in concert at Wildwood Park

BonnieMontgomeryHouse_UpdateBonnie Montgomery and band, penned by San Diego Beat as “…like Patsy Cline fronting a twangier Crazy Horse…more or less a perfect formula for country rock..” is tearing a streak across the country with her Arkansas/Austin-based sound. Following the release of EPs “Cruel” (2012, Fast Weapons) and “Joy” (2013, Fast Weapons), Arkansas born and bred Bonnie Montgomery released her self-titled LP in July 2014 on Portland/Arkansas label Fast Weapons.

A classically trained singer whose southern roots run deep, Montgomery has taken her authentic spin on golden-era country/western music through the U.S. and Europe, headlining shows and also supporting Gossip, Shovels and Rope, Robert Ellis, Hayes Carll, Billy Joe Shaver, Turnpike Troubadours, Pokey LaFarge, and Wayne “the Train” Hancock, among others.

Bonnie’s composition of the modern folk opera “Billy Blythe”, about the childhood of Bill Clinton, previewed in New York, and has earned her the attention of publications such as The New Yorker, The Economist, The Huffington Post and the London Daily Telegraph.

Doors open at 6:30, concert starts at 7pm.  There is a $15 Suggested Donation.  Beer, wine and snacks will be available.  The concert will be in the Pavilion at Wildwood Park.

KRISHNA Indian performance tonight at Wildwood Park

Wildwood KrishnaWith songs by Oscar winning legend A.R. Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire. The foremost exponent of classical dance in India, the danseuse and actor Shobana is coming with 22 performers from India for a magical show that will be the first ever musical show in Little Rock directly from India.

Please come out and enjoy the show. Free Indian food box dinner for all attending from 6pm to 6:30pm.

The performance begins at 6:30pm.  Tickets are available at Wildwood.

Tonight at Wildwood – Marc Cohn in concert

WWPA CohnTonight at Wildwood Park for the Arts at 7pm – Marc Cohn in concert.

Marc Cohn first rose to fame in 1991 when he won the Best New Artist Grammy Award for his self-titled debut album. That album included the hit song “Walking in Memphis,” which peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His debut album was certified platinum and spawned other popular singles including “True Companion,” “Silver Thunderbird,” and “29 Ways.” Cohn’s next two albums, 1992’s “Rainy Season” and 1998’s “Burning the Daze” were both critical successes.

In 2007, he released his fourth studio album “Join the Parade” that included the single “Listening to Levon.” The album was inspired by the destruction of New Orleans and a failed carjacking in 2005 that saw Cohn shot in the head. His most recent album, 2010’s “Listening Booth: 1970” featuring covers of songs from that iconic year is music. In December of 2014, he released the song “The Coldest Corner in the World” which he wrote for the feature documentary film Tree Man.

Cohn’s concert is the second to be held in the newly refurbished Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre. It will feature a pop-up shop from Cocoa Rouge, featuring hand-made artisanal chocolates from chocolatier Ashton Woodward.

Tonight at Wildwood Park – The Mulligan Brothers

tmb-final-proof-porch-2The Mulligan Brothers, based out of Mobile, AL, are an emerging band known for their lyrical Americana folk songs. They first brought their unique blend of Americana and folk music to Wildwood in 2013, and now they’re back on April 2 at 7pm.

Via Portland is the second album from the band that met playing in bars in Mobile and took a name that means second chances. Expectations are high for the follow-up to The Mulligan Brothers, their popular debut album released in June 2013 that created passionate fans across the country and was in the Top Ten of CD Sales at the 2014 New Orleans Jazz Fest.

The lyrics in Via Portland are built on lead vocalist Ross Newell’s poetic imagery and storytelling in a warm, sincere voice that is full of feeling whether it is relaxed or strained. Touring the country and playing together most nights of the week sharpened harmony, background vocals, and dynamics in the instrumentation.  New songs evolved in front of audiences, giving each musician time to develop his parts and how they fit together. “This album is honest and sincere from the ground up,” lead singer Ross Newell says.  “We stayed true to ourselves.

Other members of the band are Gram Rea (fiddle, mandolin, viola, harmonica and vocals); Ben Leininger (bass and vocals) and Greg DeLuca (drums and vocals).

During the concert, the lobbies of the the Cabe Festival Theatre will host a pop-up shop by Domestic Domestic, a local retailer specializing in goods only made in the United States.

ARKANSAS GIVES today!

Arkansans have a heart for giving. On April 2, 2015, let’s join together to grow the love for our state’s nonprofit organizations. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., we’re challenging all Arkansans to give to the charities of their choice.

During this one-day event, each donation you give will help your favorite nonprofit organizations qualify for additional bonus dollars from Arkansas Community Foundation. All participating nonprofits will receive a portion of a $250,000 match pool; the more a nonprofit raises, the more of the bonus dollars it will receive.

There are many worthwhile non-profits participating.  But since this is a Little Rock culture blog, here is a listing of cultural non-profits serving Little Rock which are participating.