Walton Arts Center overflows with entertainment

 

JOCELYN MURPHY

jmurphy@nwadg.com

The Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville announced its full 2017-18 season at the end of June, offering eight collections of diverse programming in addition to the Broadway Series that begins Oct. 3. The 2017-18 season will be the first non-abbreviated season in several years following the expansion and renovation that now enables the center to utilize both its performance spaces at the same time. Create-your-own subscriptions and several ticket packages are available for purchase already at 443-5600 or waltonartscenter.org, and individual tickets for most performances go on sale Aug. 7.

American Music Series

Opening the season on Sept. 19 will be two legendary blues artists, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo,’ joining together on stage as part of the American Music Series. The series sees several acclaimed musicians returning to Baum Walker Hall and two new faces: Although LeAnn Rimes and Charlie Daniels have both played the area, neither has performed on the WAC stage before.

Sept. 19 — TajMo: The Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ Band with special guest Black Pacific

“These guys have known each other for decades,” says WAC public relations director Jennifer Wilson. “Taj actually played a role in Keb’ getting his first recording deal, but this is really the first time they’ve joined forces.” Wilson and WAC director of programming Jennifer Ross both express excitement over two generations of blues icons opening the season.

Oct. 18 — Jake Shimabukuro

“Some of the songs he plays on his uke are just amazing, because I can’t fathom how he gets that sort of sound out of his instrument, but it’s thrilling,” Ross gushes of the international ukulele player.

Dec. 12 — LeAnn Rimes

May 10 — Charlie Daniels Band

Tickets start at $30

Sept. 28 — Hot Club of Cowtown

Oct. 19 — Joe Ely Acoustic

Nov. 9 — Susan Werner Trio

Feb. 3 — John McEuen & Friends: Will The Circle Be Unbroken

March 1 — Raul Midón

March 31 — An Evening with Peter Yarrow

“Peter, Paul & Mary is music I grew up listening to because my parents listened to it, and I’ve always been in love with it,” Ross shares enthusiastically. “I’m really excited to bring Peter Yarrow for that intimate experience.”

10X10 Arts Series

One of the WAC’s most popular series is designed to bring people through the doors for the first time as well as experience art forms they might not otherwise consider at a higher ticket price. The 10×10 Arts Series presents 10 performances of varying mediums for $10 each and includes a pre-show “Creative Conversation” with the artists, as well as a post-show party. “It has a little bit of everything, and we want people to be explorers and to be curious, because we tend to put some shows on that series that are maybe a little more outside the box, along with things that are very tried and true,” Ross says.

New this year is the 10×10 Ambassador Membership. In addition to the usual benefits of purchasing a membership — the same seats for every show, special events, a tax-deductible portion of the ticket price — 10×10 members will have “ambassador” tickets for several shows, enabling them (as an arts ambassador) to bring a guest to the performance.

Oct. 13 — Ballet Arkansas “Emergence”

Oct. 26 — Cas Public “Symphonie Dramatique”

Dec. 3 — Voces8

Jan. 17 — Béla Fleck and Brooklyn Rider

Feb. 1 — The Triplets of Belleville Cine-Concert

Feb. 24 — Pasadena Roof Orchestra

March 8 — Aquila Theatre Company’s “Sense and Sensibility”

March 9 — Dublin Guitar Quartet

May 24 — Ravé Mehta’s “FLOW”

June 19 — Artosphere Festival Orchestra 10×10 Concert

Starrlight Jazz Club Series

Photo Courtesy Jimmy King
“What may be the edgiest and most eclectic group [of the Jazz Series] is Donny McCaslin,” says jazz guru Robert Ginsburg of the musician whose band backed up David Bowie on his final album, “Black Star,” released last year. “So you think about a jazz quartet and David Bowie saying, ‘This is the band I want,’ for what he knew was going to be his last album, that really speaks to the idea of how jazz has infiltrated other music and been infiltrated by other music. It is undoubtedly the most modern and even experimental [music of the series], and yet from one tune to the next, it completely changes.”

“If you ask 50 different people what jazz is, you get 50 different answers because it encompasses so much, and this series reflects that,” says Robert Ginsburg, jazz curator at the Walton Arts Center.

As old as the WAC itself, the Starrlight Jazz Club Series highlights names well known in the jazz world as well as rising stars. The intimate setting of Starr Theatre puts guests up close to performances that range from meeting their expectations of traditional jazz to throwing expectations out the window with elements of the genre that are influencing today’s blues, rock, pop and more.

“It’s much easier and more impactful to appreciate when you see it because you actually see the telepathy that occurs among musicians,” Ginsburg says. “They’re literally improvising in real time, which could translate to composing in real time, because that’s what jazz musicians do.”

Oct. 14 — The Huntertones

“[They] remind me of like a New Orleans brass band,” Ginsburg offers. “They’re really wacky and fun — [like] if you [blend] Louis Armstrong and Frank Zappa. Young, energetic, upbeat — it’s going to be kind of a jubilant concert.”

Nov. 10 — Bria Skonberg

Dec. 8 — The Latin Jazz All Stars featuring Steve Turre & Nestor Torres

Feb. 10 — Donny McCaslin

March 2 — Alicia Olatuja

April 28 — Conrad Herwig

LOL @ WAC

Courtesy Photo
Part of the LOL @ WAC series, the Walton Arts Center hosts “Disenchanted,” an evening of laughs featuring favorite Disney princesses. But this one isn’t for the kids! “It is a musical with Snow White and all the other famous princesses that you know, and they are setting the record straight on their lives,” says WAC public relations director Jennifer Wilson. “I think it will be so much fun, especially as like a girls’ night out thing.”

Though it hasn’t been its own full series in a while, LOL @ WAC is back this year with plenty of laughs.

Oct. 24 — David Sedaris

Oct. 30-31 — “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”

With two sold-out showings at George’s Majestic Lounge last year, the October favorite moves its location and its dates this year for a showing actually on Halloween at Starr Theatre.

Dec. 13 — Robert Earl Keen “Merry Christmas from the Fam-O-Lee” Show

Feb. 8-9 — “My Funny Valentine”

March 14-15 — “Disenchanted”

Coca-Cola Night Out Series

Ross says patrons have come to know that with the Coca-Cola Night Out Series, for a little bit of money, they can get out of the house and have a great night of entertainment for date night, girls’ night or whatever. These shows are for the grown-ups, not necessarily not family-friendly, but the art form or the length of the show may not be appropriate for younger children.

“The reason we put things in series is sometimes somebody just wants a show the entire family can come to, or they just want musical experiences,” she says. “Or maybe they love jazz and that’s all they are interested in. So we put things in these buckets so people have an easier time finding like content or things they might be more interested in.”

Jan. 29 — “At This Performance…”

“This show was created exclusively for the Walton Arts Center,” says Wilson. “This is Broadway standbys and understudies who are being brought together and are actually going to get to perform and stand out on their own. They’re going to perform, they’re going to give you anecdotes and stories about being on Broadway, and then they’re actually going to do a Q and A session as well.”

Feb. 2 — Classic Albums Live: “Rumours”

Feb. 27 — Mummenschanz “you & me”

March 9-10 — “PostSecret: The Show”

April 6 — VoicePlay

Kimberly-Clark Family Fun Series

The Kimberly-Clark Family Fun Series and Mattel Kids Series provide families a diverse selection of entertainment based on the age of their little ones.

“I have a 17-year-old son so now my experience at the theater is totally different than when he was little,” Ross says. “Used to, I would watch him while he was watching the show, trying to see what his reactions were. And now we can enjoy the show together and have a conversation about it after the show. So that’s sort of the difference in the kids and the family fun series — it’s more about the age and the engagement of the family at large.”

Both series include performances as part of a collaboration with Trike Theatre, the region’s theater for youth that hires professional mentors and local children for its productions. The 2017-18 season, Trike’s 10th, marks the first time the company will present its works to the community on the big stage.

“The great thing we are able to do as a professional theater for youth here in the area is we’re able to choose the plays that best meet the needs for and reflect our community,” reveals Kassie Misiewicz, Trike artistic director and founder. “So we chose ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and ‘Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse’ because they are part of the school curriculum, the teachers love them and they very much reflect our young people. So it’s not just about the play, but it’s about the outreach and those ways we’re able to connect our community to a deeper appreciation and love of the arts.”

Oct. 27 — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

Nov. 17, 19, 25, 26 & Dec. 1-2 — Trike Theatre presents “Charlotte’s Web”

Dec. 7-8 — Martial Artists and Acrobats of Tianjin of the People’s Republic of China

Dec. 10 — Danú: “A Christmas Gathering: Féile Na Nollag”

Dec. 17 — SoNA’s “The Snowman: A Family Concert”

The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas returns by popular demand for the third annual performance of “The Snowman.” The WAC holiday tradition offers a screening of the 1982 film, based on Raymond Briggs’ classic children’s book of the same name, while SoNA performs the film’s score and other holiday tunes.

May 5 — Slingsby Theater Company’s “The Young King”

May 11 — Ailie Cohen and Unicorn Theatre’s “The Secret Life of Suitcases”

Mattel Kids Series

Dec. 1-2 — “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical”

Feb. 25 — Theatre Company Cahoots NI presents “Shh! We Have a Plan”

March 29 — Claire Parsons’ “And Then…”

April 13-14 & 20-21 — Trike Theatre presents “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse”

“So ‘Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse’ is one of my favorites, partly because of Lily’s journey and how as a main character, she makes mistakes and she learns from them; she’s not perfect,” shares Misiewicz. “So Lilly is just a wonderful, brave character who embraces her emotions and lives life to the fullest. Then when she does make a mistake, she feels the weight of it, like all of our kids do. Then she’s able to figure out how to make amends — how to say she’s sorry.”

Non-series Offerings

April 7 — VoiceJam Competition

June 23 — Artosphere Festival Orchestra Finale Concert

FYI

Broadway Series

· Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King and I” — Oct. 3-8

· Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” — Nov. 7-12

· “Finding Neverland” — Dec. 19-23

· “Cabaret” — Jan. 19-21

· “An American in Paris” — Feb. 6-11

· “RENT”: 20th Anniversary Tour — March 2-4

· “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” — April 24-29

· “The Sound of Music” — May 15-20