theater
At Mary's, we say “seriously”
“The importance of being serious” Oscar Wilde's “6323 Kernel Glen Road, Little Rock'' opens Wednesday at Marie's Dinner Playhouse and runs through May 25.
Shows take place Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm (Wednesday matinee only, May 1st, 8th, and 15th at 12:30pm) and Sundays at 12:45pm and 6:45pm. Masu. The buffet opens 90 minutes before show time. Tickets (includes food and show): $42-44, $30 for children 15 and under. $30 show only. Call (501) 562-3131 or visit murrysdp.com.
John “Jack” Worthing (Tim Cooper) concocts a fictitious brother, “Ernest,” whose evil ways sometimes give him an excuse to leave his homeland and travel to London to stay with his best friend and best friend. I was able to do that. Algernon (Quinn Gasaway). Jack is deeply in love with Algernon's cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax (Catherine Yacko). Fairfax is obsessed with marrying someone with her confident name, Ernest.
Meanwhile, Algernon falls in love with Jack's protege, Cecily Cardew (Bridget Davies), who has a “something” for his mythical brother Ernest. Jack must convince Gwendolen's guardian, Lady Bracknell (Laurie Pascal), that he is worthy, but Cecily's governess, Miss Prism (Paige Reynolds), reveals dark secrets from Jack's past. It turns out that he holds the key. Don Bollinger, director Roger M. Eaves, and Brianna East round out the cast.
WAC's “Hairspray”
A 16-year-old girl in 1960s Baltimore, with big dreams (and even bigger hair) and hopes of changing the world, takes up dancing on the world's most popular TV show. “hair spray” (Music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Based on the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters). Tour performances will be at Fayetteville's Walton Arts Center (495 W. Dickson St.) on Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., and May 5th at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $50 to $90.
Also at the Walton Arts Center: Tour companies “North,” The musical by writer, composer and vocalist Ashli St. Armant, about a teenage boy and his mother who escape slavery in the South via the Underground Railroad, will be performed today at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Call (479) 443-5600 or visit waltonartscenter.org.
music
jazz gathering
Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation will hold its annual membership party in honor of International Jazz Day on Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Thomson Hall, Unitarian Universalist Church of Little Rock, 1818 Reservoir Road, Little Rock. ). David Higginbotham, bass and vocals; CD Askew, drums. Tom Cox on piano will perform as a trio. Others join in during the jam session. The foundation will announce the 2024 Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame inductees on June 17 at the Old State Capitol Museum in Little Rock. Admission is by payment and/or donation of the $20 annual membership fee (check or cash to AJHF) and includes food and beverages. Call (501) 661-1604 or email arjazzman@sbcglobal.net.
art
El Dorado Tournament
May 14th is the deadline for artists to submit their work. South Arkansas Arts Center's 2024 SAAC Juried Art Competition, June 17 to July 24 at the center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado. This contest is open to all artists over the age of 18 working in 2D and 3D fine art media, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, computer-generated art, video, fiber art, multimedia, and more. Creators can participate. Artists may submit any number of entries via digital images via saac-arts.org. The entry fee for each post is $10. For more information, visit saac-arts.org/juried-art-competition. The juror is Mr. David Huston of the O'Keefe Museum of Art, Miss Cole, Biloxi (870) 862-5474.
etc.
In memory of the first lady
Authors Diana B. Carlin, Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Keegan Smith discuss their books. “Remember the First Lady.” Friday, 6 p.m., at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. This book explores the evolutionary role of the first lady and its historical significance in the American presidency.
Karlin is Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Saint Louis University and former Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. Ms. McBride is the Resident Executive Director and Director of First Ladies Initiatives at the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University's School of Public Affairs. Ms. Smith previously served as Director of the Presidential Materials Division at the National Archives and Records Administration and is President of the Association of First Ladies of Research and Education.
There will also be an autograph session afterwards. Copies are on sale at the Clinton Museum Store. Admission is free, but registration is required. Visit tinyurl.com/5b4tf7rx.
audition
Argenta “Fairlady”
Argenta Contemporary Theater, located at 405 Main Street in North Little Rock, will hold auditions on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Beloved woman” (Music: Frederick Loewe; Book and Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner; Based on the 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion). I will prepare a 16-bar song for him that will allow him to show off his vocal range. Selecting music from the show is also acceptable, but in all cases, “the music selected must have the same mood as the music in the production.” You will receive the pianist's sheet music for your audition. A “side” of the script for cold reading will be available at audition. Dance call and callback will be held June 2 at 2 p.m. Auditions are open to actors of any gender, race, or ethnicity, and performers of all ethnicities are encouraged to audition. All roles require singing and movement. Production dates are October 9th to 29th. To schedule an audition, please email casting@argentacontemporarytheatre.org. We also accept walk-ins. More information, including a breakdown of the cast, can be found at argentacontemporarytheatre.org/auditions.
ticket
brighten up the audience
hot wheels monster truck live glow party — Glow-in-the-dark Hot Wheels monster trucks — take over Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock on Oct. 26 at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 27 at 2:30 p.m. It would be held. Tickets range from $24 to $59 with discounts listed below. Tax and service charge apply for children ages 2-12. Visit hotwheelsmonstertruckslive.com or ticketmaster.com.
hot wheels power smashers preshow, 2.5 hours before each performance, you'll have access to the competition floor, autographs from drivers and performers, the chance to pick up sirens, souvenir passes, and exclusive lanyards. VIP passes are available at hotwheelsmonstertruckslive.com.