Tag: comedy

HHS@TheLyric: Tuck Everlasting, September 30–October 2 at 6pm, as well as Oct. 2 at 1pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

 

The Ozark Arts Council proudly presents
the first-ever entirely student-driven
production by HHS Theatre at the Lyric:

🌲 Tuck Everlasting  ❤️

Thursday–Saturday, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, 6:00PM
Saturday, October 3, 1:00PM

 

HHS•Theatre@TheLyric and The Ozark Arts Council will bring a beloved book to the Lyric stage with a most intriguing cast and crew: Mrs. Hamblin is turning her veteran youth loose on the community to treat us to all of the energy—and all of the angst—that Tuck Everlasting deserves, with Harrison High School’s first student-led (from director to actors to tech!) production. Performed #LiveAtTheLyric September 30–October 2 (with two performances on Saturday), tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. Face coverings for disease transmission are no longer required by the state, but no one will object if you still wish to wear one.

10-year-old Winnie Foster, trapped by the rules imposed by her strait-laced family, runs away and discovers the humble Tucks who had accidentally stumbled upon a spring long ago that gave them eternal life. Winnie promises to keep their dangerous secret but then a sinister stranger in a yellow suit arrives at their door with intentions to steal the immortal water for himself. Ultimately Winnie must choose whether or not to drink the immortal water and join them in an everlasting adventure—or live on in a natural way, living a life full of the ordinary beauty of growth and change.

Directed by Khloe Shorb, the 🌲Tuck Everlasting ❤️ cast includes:

Winnie Foster: Faith Nix
Angus Tuck: Zach Jimerson
Mae Tuck: Mysteri Cotton
Jesse Tuck: Tori Hudson
Miles Tuck: Joe Claus
Stranger: Jude Bilbee
Constable: Charlie Knieff
Granny Foster: Sara Sims
Voices: Kaci Flower, Donovan Walters, Mandy Prpich, Rilee Young, Jenna Wilson, Addie Jones

Join us at The Lyric for Tuck Everlasting! Tickets are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

Get your tickets now, but keep checking back here for updates from the director, cast, and crew!

The cast and crew were so excited to have the Lyric open after nine months being dark that they had their read-through already in May!

OAC Ticketing Link

And for our next act…The One Where the Lyric Recovers!

Click/Tap the poster above to donate. Thank you!

And…if you can’t be with us at the Lyric for the FREE Live Entertainment, tune in on your radio, because it’s also an Old-Fashioned Radiothon
presented by The Original KHOZ!

An Evening with Carol Burnett and Friends, June 11–12 at 7pm, 13 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

 

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Sketch Comedy Cavalcade in Tribute to:

The Carol Burnett Show

Friday–Saturday, June 11–12, 7:00PM
Sunday, June 13, 2:00PM

 

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council will present a tribute to a wonderful lady and the glorious sketch comedy and variety she shared with us through her weekly CBS TV series—a tribute to The Carol Burnett Show, performed #LiveAtTheLyric June 11–13! Tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults. Face coverings for disease transmission are not required, but no one will object if you still wish to wear one.

Eight comedy sketches from Carol Burnett’s televised shows will be performed, including such favorites as “The Old Folks,” the deadbeat “Fusco” family, and a parody of Bonnie and Clyde. Cherished memories of Carol, Harvey, Tim, and the gang are sure to flood back for you, just as they have for the cast.

But that’s not all…

The show is nonstop with entertainment between the sketches, as well, and a half time intermission. Concessions will, of course, be available in the lobby and libations up upstairs.

The Theatre Company is sponsoring this event as a fundraiser for the Lyric to help pay for repairs from water damage sustained during the winter storm.  We will also gladly accept donations (see the potty in the lobby!).

The cast and crew are so excited to have the Lyric open after nine months being dark.

Harrison, welcome back to the Lyric!

 

Join us at The Lyric for some of the greatest comedy sketches in TV history, for the first time ever #LiveAtTheLyric! Performances will be June 11–13. Tickets for our Tribute to Carol Burnett are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Laugh…at the Lyric! Featuring Comedian Sam Adams! — Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 7:00 — #LiveAtTheLyric!

Comedian (and Hall of Fame Sportswriter) Sam Adams Invites you to
Laugh at the Lyric!
Thursday, November 19 at 7:00PM

Join us on November 19 at 7:00pm, for a great time with Sam Adams! Sam is an acclaimed sports journalist, who is able to be both funny and serious in a way that draws you in, making him in great demand as a motivational speaker, as well. Unlike some entertainers who are inclined to ‘coast’, Sam is both fearless and a student of places to which he travels to entertain—even becoming a dedicated fan of Harrison Golden Goblin Football before his first trip to the Lyric! Now, he has heard of how this year’s pandemic has harmed our theater and is coming to provide us all with some time to laugh and to raise some funding to keep the Lyric alive.

That’s the kind of guy Sam is: his humor comes from caring and his performances are hilarious precisely because of his deftly touching on things that everyone can relate to, in a way that doesn’t just entertain, but helps you see ‘the funny’ in things, so that the show goes on long after he has left the stage and you have left the theater. That’s why his comedy has resonated so well at the Lyric, where we are not typically bombarded with entertainers to distract us from life, but enjoy concerts, plays, and the like that involve a lifestyle and help us get more out of life. That is to say, the comedy of Sam Adams ‘fits’ an organization that has as its goal the enriching of lives through making the Arts available to all—his comedy shows him to be what his listing with the Denver Speakers’ Bureau says: a true Renaissance Man.

Brought to You By…

About Sam Adams

On the pages and the stages, Sam Adams always tells a story. They are shared often when he performs an energetic, hilarious brand of comedy that is 100-percent profanity-free.

Sam is the only dual prize winner in the history of the Great American Comedy Festival. It happened in 2009, just four months after his newspaper employer of 13 years abruptly went out of business. Sam won the festival’s amateur competition, and when asked to compete with the professionals, he placed second — giving him an impetus to pursue a professional career in stand-up comedy at age 49.

During the summer of 2018, the “True Color” video clip from Sam’s Dry Bar Comedy special (titled ‘Incoherently True’) went viral, with more than 10 million Facebook views in less than 72 hours. Since then, the “True Color” video clip has amassed more than 32 million Facebook views, and the overall social media views from all of Sam’s Dry Bar Comedy clips for one year have surpassed 41 million.

Sam has received a befitting label of ‘Renaissance Man.’ Prior to his established career in entertainment, Sam spent three decades as an award-winning newspaper sports journalist. In October 2019 he was honored by the prestigious Denver Press Club with induction to its Hall of Fame. Sam is the first African-American sports journalist to be inducted, and only the fifth African-American journalist inducted in the club’s 153-year history.

Sam's Book Cover
Sam’s book is a great read that moves from ‘sports’ to ‘more’.

In 2003 Sam’s media peers elected him Colorado’s Print Journalist of the Year. His experiences as a sports journalist for major daily newspapers in the U.S. began with the Denver Post in 1986, included a stint with the Charlotte Observer (1995-96) and finished with 13 years at the Rocky Mountain News. His coverage for many of the world’s most popular sporting events (from Super Bowls to Olympiads) helped Sam gain perspective for his book titled, If You Don’t Believe Me: Lessons Learned from Listening To The Greats (released in April 2013.) In the book, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway offers the following tribute to Sam…“Through the ups and downs of an NFL career, I developed great trust, respect, and appreciation for him. Blending an uncanny ability to mix humor with keen insight and knowledge, Sam is a one-of-a-kind storyteller.”

Sam’s motivational keynote presentation is titled ‘Going Up: Taking Steps To Elevate Your Levels Of Success.’ The keynote offers riveting stories and intriguing references from his personal and professional odysseys. The audience will gain insightful and humorous tips for success gleaned from Sam’s numerous encounters with an A-List of stars — from professional sports Hall of Famers to world-renown, award-winning entertainers.

Comedian. Storyteller. Journalist. Speaker. Commercial actor.

Count on Sam Adams to live up to the professional quality of entertainment he promises to give audiences of all ages.

There were two stars on the night…….Host Sam Adams….not the beer guy…..who was hysterical in a PG way that reminded us of Bill Cosby. They should have let him do the whole two hours. The other big winner was the funnel cake fries which were sweet and delicious and served in a big basket. Sam Adams, in my opinion, is a spectacular talent waiting to be discovered on a national stage. If you see him on the list of performers, you should go. — Review of Comedy Works of Denver

Sam has appeared with the likes of Daniel Tosh, Mike Epps, Jake Johannsen, Wendy Liebman, Greg Warren, and Frank Caliendo, as well as opening for musicians and bands like The Guess Who, Three Dog Night, Al Jarreau, Air Supply, Al Stewart, and Starship. A world-class entertainer—and a classy guy in general—the Ozark Arts Council is thankful for the sponsorship of Arvest Bank (and the Arvest Foundation) that allows us to bring Sam Adams back to the Lyric stage to fight the financial and emotional damage caused by nearly a year of Covid-19 and the attempts to prevent its spread!

Comedian Sam Adams #LiveAtTheLyric Saturday, November 19, 2020 at 7:00. Tickets are available on our ticketing page, by visiting the OAC office at 115 W. Rush Ave. (just to the left of the Lyric doors) or by calling (870) 391-3504; $15 in advance, $18 at the door.

OAC Ticketing Link

Farce of Habit, August 14–15 & 21–22 at 7pm, 16 & 23 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

 

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Jones Hope Wooten Comedy:

Farce of Habit

Friday–Saturday, August 14–15 & 21–22, 7:00PM
Sunday, August 16 & 23, 2:00PM

 

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Farce of Habit, a typically raucous Jones Hope Wooten comedy, #LiveAtTheLyric the middle two weekends of August, 2020 (August 14–16 & 21–23)! Tickets are available through The Lyric’s ticketing page with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

Just when you thought it was safe to fish in the Ozarks…

Kay Arthur

Comic fireworks explode in Farce of Habit (the sequel to 2016’s Farce of Nature), an absurdly funny Southern-fried romp that takes us back to the Reel ’Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. The proprietor, D. Gene Wilburn (Preston Garrison), is looking forward to a peaceful weekend on the lake. But there are only two chances of that happening: slim and none!

Why, for example, has his wife, Wanelle (Michelle Dees), picked these three days to white-knuckle her way through caffeine withdrawal? Why is his son Ty’s (Shade Roberts) marriage to Jenna (Shelby Waters) falling apart so fast? Could it have something to do with the French can-can costume Ty is wearing? How on earth would D. Gene’s feisty sister, Maxie (Kay Arthur), allow herself to get caught up in such a bizarre undercover police assignment?

L-R: Emily Still, Carl Palmer, Michelle Dees

And that’s just his family. If this isn’t enough to thwart D. Gene’s weekend plans, he’s got a gaggle of nuns who’ve converged on the Inn, hell-bent on experiencing a nature retreat—which might be tolerable if D. Gene didn’t have a chronic fear of anything in a habit. Add to this the presence of Jock McNair (Carl Palmer), a nationally known relationship guru whose colossal ego threatens everyone’s sanity; a shy retiree, Huddle Fisk (Joseph Cotton), anxious to cut loose and embrace his “inner caveman,” and a couple of wild women, Barb Stratton (Emily Still) and Sister Myrtle Agnes (Emily Perkins), who may or may not be who they claim to be. Throw in the storm of the century that’s fast bearing down on Mayhew, Arkansas, and D. Gene has no prayer of baiting a hook any time soon. Oh, and did we mention there’s an ax murderer on the loose?

L-R: Shade Roberts, Joseph Cotton, Michelle Dees

If you enjoy gloriously preposterous hilarity, then laughing your way through the take-no-prisoners lunacy of a Jones Hope Wooten comedy is one habit you’ll never want to break! Tickets on sale right here on our website…and don’t forget to check out our new Theatre Company Season Passes!  When you become an Ozark Arts Council member, you become eligible for these exclusive passes, which will save you money on our upcoming season, including Farce of Habit, Nunsense II, Freaky Friday, and…Arsenic and Old Lace! Visit the ticketing page or call 870-391-3504 for more info!

In trying times, what could be better than a healthy dose of Jones Hope Wooten comedy? Three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the country, with Broadway, film, and TV credits (e.g., The Golden Girls and Disney’s Teacher’s Pet), Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten specialize in laugh-out-loud comedies, and this will be a great one!

Please Note for Your Safety and Comfort: We have our patrons’ health and well-being first and foremost in our minds as the Covid-19 numbers rise but we’re all learning to work around it, so please make sure you read the guidelines below that we have put into place (per the Arkansas Department of Health’s directives) to keep you protected. Please read carefully, as we are required to abide strictly by these guidelines—and please note that, as we’ve seen these past several months, these guidelines may change at any moment. If they do, we will be sure to update you. We are doing everything we can in our cleaning procedures and following of the ADH guidelines to keep you safe, and we appreciate your doing the same for our volunteers and performers.

The ADH Requirements

  • Patrons must be required to wear a mask if over 10 years of age.
  • Every patron’s temperature must be checked upon entrance and will be asked several questions pertaining to travel and health. Patrons will not be able to enter if:
    • They have fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.
    • They have had known exposure to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days.
  • A 6-foot gap must be maintained between patrons who do not “shelter together,” so only groups with family members should get tickets with adjoining seats. If you plan on going with anyone who does not live in the same household with you, please call 870-391-3504 for our help on getting you seats as close together as possible, while still allowing for the “social distancing” regulations.
  • We are allowed to serve refreshments, so our concession stand and the upstairs Immortal BarD will be open. However, we will have signs posted reminding patrons to keep a 6 foot distance, and we will not be able to accommodate clustering of groups at the counters.
  • Though it is a tradition at the Lyric to allow audience members to come up and greet the cast at the end of plays, we will forego this for now to keep the required 12 feet of distance between those on stage and those in the audience. If you wish to tell the cast “good job!” you can leave comments right here on this page!

If you have any questions about how we are protecting our volunteers, or about any of the guidelines, please don’t hesitate to call 870-391-3504 or send an email here.

Join us at The Lyric for great southern comedy August 14–16 & 21–23. Tickets for Farce of Habit are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Always a Bridesmaid, June 25-27 at 7pm, 28 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and
the Ozark Arts Council Present a
Jones Hope Wooten Comedy:

Always a Bridesmaid

Thursday-Saturday, June 25–27, 7:00PM
Sunday, June 28, 2:00PM

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present Always a Bridesmaid  #LiveAtTheLyric the last weekend of June, 2020 (June 25–28)! Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

In trying times, what could be better than a healthy does of Jones Hope Wooten comedy? Three of the most popular and widely-produced playwrights in the country, with Broadway, film, and TV credits (e.g., The Golden Girls and Disney’s Teacher’s Pet), Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten specialize in laugh-out-loud comedies, and this will be a great one!

Please Note for Your Safety and Comfort: We have our patrons’ health and well-being first and foremost in our minds as the Covid-19 numbers rise but we’re all learning to work around it, so please make sure you read the guidelines below that we have put into place (per the Arkansas Department of Health’s directives) to keep you protected. Please read carefully, as we are required to abide strictly by these guidelines—and please note that, because the play is still a month away, these guidelines may change. If they do, we will be sure to update you. We are doing everything we can in our cleaning procedures and following of the ADH guidelines to keep you safe, and we appreciate your doing the same for our volunteers and performers.

Wedding Season is just around the corner…

…and we can’t wait to see our darling Southern Belles marry their soulmates this month (June 25-27 at 7:00pm and June 28 at 2:00pm) at our own beautiful and historic “wedding venue,” The Lyric Theater! More about the story will follow the ADH guidelines for attending plays this Summer.

The ADH Requirements

  • Patrons must be required to wear a mask if over 10 years of age.
  • Every patron’s temperature must be checked upon entrance and will be asked several questions pertaining to travel and health. Patrons will not be able to enter if:
    • They have fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.
    • They have had known exposure to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days.
  • A 6-foot gap must be maintained between patrons who do not “shelter together,” so only groups with family members should get tickets with adjoining seats. If you plan on going with anyone who does not live in the same household with you, please call 870-391-3504 for our help on getting you seats as close together as possible, while still allowing for the “social distancing” regulations.
  • We are allowed to serve refreshments, so our concession stand and the upstairs Immortal BarD will be open. However, we will have signs posted reminding patrons to keep a 6 foot distance, and we will not be able to accommodate clustering of groups at the counters.
  • Though it is a tradition at the Lyric to allow audience members to come up and greet the cast at the end of plays, we will forego this for now to keep the required 12 feet of distance between those on stage and those in the audience. If you wish to tell the cast “good job!” we will have a digital guestbook set up where you can leave your well wishes!

If you have any questions about how we are protecting our volunteers, or about any of the guidelines, please don’t hesitate to call 870-391-3504 or send an email here.

The Story

Always a Bridesmaid is a Jones Hope Wooten Southern Comedy.

If you’ve ever elbowed a stranger out of the way to catch a brideís bouquet, seriously questioned the mental stability of the duo saying “I do” or been forced to wear the world’s ugliest bridesmaid dress, this deliriously funny Jones Hope Wooten comedy is definitely for you—and your dearly beloved!

In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their Senior Prom: to be in each other’s weddings—no matter what. More than thirty years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow. Libby Ruth (Julianna Hamblin), the hopeful romantic with the perfect marriage, believes—in spite of all evidence to the contrary—that her friends can find the very same happiness. Headstrong Deedra’s (Spree Hilliard) “rock-solid” union hangs by a thread when she discovers her husband of many years not only has a wandering eye, but the hands to match. Monette (Kirstyn Walker), flashy, high-spirited and self-involved, continues to test her friends’ love and patience with all-too-frequent trips down the aisle. And salt-of-the-earth, tree-hugging Charlie (Emily Akins) discovers—the hard way—that marital bliss is not the end of her rainbow and panics in outrageous style when the opportunity presents itself.

Narrated hilariously by blushing bride Kari (Callie Johnson) and with energetic life-force Sedalia (Linda Henson) running the show, this is sure to make you believe in what friendship can do. Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette and Charlie are committed to the notion that careers, waistlines and even marriages may disappear, but real friendships last a lifetime. Forsaking all others, in sickness and in health, they repeatedly struggle to stage the perfect wedding in spite of fistfights at the altar, runaway brides and the mistaken, and unfortunate, release of a flock of white doves on the first day of hunting season.

Hop on this marriage-go-round for a laugh-out-loud journey with these beleaguered bridesmaids as they navigate the choppy waters of love and matrimony. Always a Bridesmaid is the rollicking tale of four loyal and determined women who definitively answer the question, “Just how far are you willing to go to keep a promise to a friend?”

Join us at The Lyric for great southern comedy June 25–28. Tickets for Always a Bridesmaid are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, by stopping by the OAC office at 115 W. Rush Ave. between 9 & 1 Tuesday through Friday, or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Auditions Monday, May 18 and Tuesday May 19 at 7:00pm

Auditions! But carefully…

As we slowly reopen Arkansas, our patrons’ health and well-being is first and foremost on the OAC’s mind. After much discussion, we have come to, what we hope, will be the safest measures for our volunteers and audience, while still bringing you the quality entertainment you deserve. So, to do that, we will be postponing Nunsense II to September (dates to be announced soon!), and moving into some more plays that have fewer cast and crew so that we can continue practicing social distancing. We will have auditions for the first of these shows, Always a Bridesmaid, on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday May 19 at 7:00pm. Please closely read the guidelines below that we have set in place for these auditions and the rehearsals to follow. For more questions, please click to email us or call 870-391-3504.

The Requirements

Doors will open at 6:45pm. Only those auditioning may be present.

The following Social Distancing and sanitation guidelines will be followed at auditions and rehearsals. If you feel sick or have had a fever within the last 24 hours, please do not attend.

  1. Temperature will be taken of everyone coming to auditions and rehearsals, keeping a log of names and temps, and if anyone has a fever, they must immediately go home; as well as asking the screening questions (have you been out of the state, have you been sick, have you been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19, etc).
  2. Everyone must wear masks at all times. Please wear your own clean mask.
  3. Scripts for cold reads will not be shared. Each person auditioning will get a copy of audition material to use and it will be disposed of at the end of evening auditions.
  4. Everything will be disinfected before and after each night of auditions.
  5. Everyone must maintain 6 ft distance at all times.
  6. Only cast and crew may be present during rehearsals. No other family members or children.
  7. Children under 18 will not be cast and will not be allowed at auditions or rehearsals, in order to adhere to ADH guidelines. Children under 18 will be able to attend the performances.

The Story

Always a Bridesmaid is a Jones Hope Wooten Southern Comedy. Cast is 6 women.

Kari—20s—Kind-hearted Southern charmer
Libby Ruth—-late 40s, hopeless romantic, sweet country woman, plain spoken
Sedalia—60s—- gregarious, energetic hostess of wedding venue
Monette—late 40s—kinda flashy, kinda trashy, voluptuous southern flirt,
Charlie—late 40s—-tree hugging, Birkenstock wearing, Southern free spirit
Deedra—late 40s—headstrong dry wit, no-nonsense Northern transplant attorney

Characters ages are relative—no one under 18 will be cast.

Show dates: June 25-28
Rehearsals begin: May 25–4 days per week

Thank you for supporting the Arts and please be safe and healthy.

RESCHEDULED: Nunsense II: The Second Coming, September 10-12 at 7pm, 13 at 2pm! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and the Ozark Arts Council Present:

Nunsense II:
The Second Coming!

Thursday-Saturday, September 10–12, 7:00PM
Sunday, September 13, 2:00PM

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, will present the raucous comedy, Nunsense II: The Second Coming  #LiveAtTheLyric the second weekend of September (September 10–13)! Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

Nunsense II: The Second Coming takes place six weeks after the convent has staged its first benefit. The sisters are back presenting a “thank-you” show for all the people who supported them in the past. They’re a bit slicker, now, though, having been “bitten by the theater bug”…

Things get to off to a rousing start as the sisters sing Nunsense, the Magic Word, but before long. chaos erupts. Two Franciscans come to claim Sister Mary Amnesia (who has won the Publishers’ Clearing House Sweepstakes) as one of their own. At the same time, the nuns hear that a talent scout is in the audience to see them strut their stuff. From the riotous bingo game run by Sister Amnesia to the hilarious duet, “What Would Elvis Do?”, to the rousing finale (“There’s Only One Way to End Your Prayers and That’s to Say Amen!”, this show will have you rolling in the aisles!

Join us at The Lyric for music and laughter September 10–13. Tickets for Nunsense II are available now here at TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, by stopping by the OAC office at 115 W. Rush Ave. between 9 & 1 Tuesday through Friday, or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Comedian Sam Adams Returns…a LOT Has Happened in 9 Months! — Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 7:00 — #LiveAtTheLyric!

Comedian Sam Adams Is ‘Coming Home’ to Harrison…with News of a Documentary Inspired by YOU!
Saturday, September 7 at 7:00PM

Join us on September 7 at 7:00pm, for the return of sports writer, TV personality, author, motivational speaker, Pop-a-Shot record-setter, dedicated fan of Harrison Golden Goblin Football, and…oh, yeah, massively funny standup comic!…Sam Adams!

Sam amazed a lot of people with his first trip to Harrison…friends and media members for one reason, but the Lyric audience for a completely different one! Outsiders ‘warned him’ about Harrison, but they didn’t know to warn him about the Lyric…and from the moment he stepped on stage it was obvious to everyone that he had found a new ‘second home’! When Sam got back to his previously-adopted hometown of Denver, he thought about how best to share his experience in Harrison and, as one might expect, he did so at Comedy Works in Denver. People found his new “not scared…but concerned” routine as hilarious as the Lyric crowd did. There was something more, though: as with his “True Color” routine that brought him to our attention (and, now, about 30 million other people’s!), in the middle of their laughter, people were touched.

One of those who were touched by the new addition to Sam’s repertoire was Ann Macari Healey, who owns (with her husband) about 20 community newspapers throughout the Denver metro area and who set about researching to write a story about Sam…and us in Harrison! Another was Jeff Kingery, a former play-by-play man for the Denver Nuggets and Rockies who had been making films since high school and had now also accumulated years of experience as a sports and news documentary filmmaker. The morning after seeing Sam’s show in January, he got in touch with Sam and said, “I was absolutely captivated last night and I’ve got to tell your story.” (We had hoped that the film would be in production by Sam’s return to Harrison, but fundraising for the high-quality and culturally-important documentary that is envisioned will take some time.)

Don’t know Sam? Smooth. Clever. Hilarious. These words are used often to describe Sam Adams on stage. His energetic, comically-insightful act is 100 percent profanity-free and filled with observations about every-day encounters. Sam is a headline performer, and also has shared stages with national-touring comedians and music recording artists.

In 2009 Sam entered the Great American Comedy Festival held annually in Johnny Carson’s childhood hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska. Sam left the festival as its most unique winner still to this date. Entered in the festival initially as an amateur, Sam won that competition. Later he was asked to compete with the professionals after one of the entrants fell ill. In a field of experienced comedians with national comedy club tours and late-night TV show appearances on their resumes, Sam took second place. It was an impetus for him to pursue a professional career in stand-up comedy.

Sam’s book is a great read that moves from ‘sports’ to ‘more’.

Sam has been described by many in the entertainment field as a Renaissance Man. In addition to performing comedy on stage, Sam also is booked as a Keynote Speaker for his motivational “Laughter Is Good Business” presentation, where he brings comedy and business to an intersection by showing ‘How To Spell Success With The Letter P.’ Sam also has served as Master of Ceremonies for numerous high-profile events and has appeared in several TV commercial ads seen nationally.

Sam’s an author, too, with a book titled If You Don’t Believe Me: Lessons Learned from Listening To The Greats. In the book, Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway offered the following tribute: “Through the ups and downs of an NFL career, I developed great trust, respect and appreciation for him. Blending an uncanny ability to mix humor with keen insight and knowledge, Sam is a one-of-a-kind storyteller.”

Off the record, Sam has nearly 25 years of experience as a newspaper sports journalist. His work, as a staff writer and columnist, has appeared in The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and The Charlotte Observer. In 2003 Sam received the Print Journalist of the Year award from his peers in Colorado. He also is credited with television appearances on ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS and NFL Network, and has covered championship events at all levels — most notably four Super Bowls, two Olympiads, two NCAA men’s basketball Final Fours, one Stanley Cup Finals and one World Series. In 2014 Denver’s NBC affiliate KUSA-9NEWS added Sam as a regular contributor to its sports programming, with weekly appearances on the station’s Sports A to Z and Broncos Game Day Live shows.

There were two stars on the night…….Host Sam Adams….not the beer guy…..who was hysterical in a PG way that reminded us of Bill Cosby. They should have let him do the whole two hours. The other big winner was the funnel cake fries which were sweet and delicious and served in a big basket. Sam Adams, in my opinion, is a spectacular talent waiting to be discovered on a national stage. If you see him on the list of performers, you should go. — Review of Comedy Works of Denver

Sam has appeared with the likes of Daniel Tosh, Mike Epps, Jake Johannsen, Wendy Liebman, Greg Warren, and Frank Caliendo, as well as opening for musicians and bands like The Guess Who, Three Dog Night, Al Jarreau, Air Supply, Al Stewart, and Starship. A world class entertainer—and a classy guy in general—the Ozark Arts Council is thankful for the sponsorship of Jeff Crocket Properties that allowed us to bring Sam Adams to the Lyric stage for the affordable price of just $15 per ticket, which has given us the courage to bring him back at the same price, because we believe that the theater will be completely full this time around!

Comedian Sam Adams #LiveAtTheLyric Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 7:00. Tickets are available on our ticketing page, by visiting the OAC office at 115 W. Rush Ave. (just to the left of the Lyric doors) or by calling (870) 391-3504; $15 in advance, $18 at the door.

OAC Ticketing Link

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — Fridays & Saturdays, May 3 & 4, 10 & 11 @ 7:00, Sundays, May 5 & 12 @ 2:00 — #LiveAtTheLyric!

Northark Drama and the
Ozark Arts Council Present:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Fridays & Saturdays, May 3 & 4, 10 & 11, 7:00PM
Sundays, May 5 & 12, 2:00PM

If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times: do not fan the girls when they’re wet! But you’ll never learn; you’ll be a eunuch all your life!
 – Marcus Lycus

This May, come to the Lyric for something familiar…something peculiar…something for everyone…yes, it’s “a comedy tonight”! In fact it’s the comedy of comedies that transcends time and space, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum! Produced by NorthArk Drama and The Theatre Company of the Ozarks, in association with the Ozark Arts Council and under license from Music Theatre International, Forum brings a full 21 centuries of laughs from Rome to the Lyric stage on May 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:00PM and May 5, 12 at 2:00PM. Tickets are available through TheLyric.org with Advance Tickets priced at $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

Set in Rome during the first century A.D., when the Roman Empire was in its youth, the film opens with one of musical theatre’s most famous songs, “Comedy Tonight,” performed by Pseudolus (Preston Garrison). The action, Pseudolus tells the audience, takes place in Rome around three adjacent houses: the house of Erronius (Clark Middleton), an old man who has been searching for his children who were stolen by pirates while they were infants; the house of Marcus Lycus (Jamie Taylor), a buyer and seller of beautiful women, and the house of Senex (Jim Gresham), a Roman senator, his wife, Domina (Ann Lemley), their son, Hero (Laine Hilliard), and the family slaves, Pseudolus and Hysterium (Michael Amburn).

When Senex and Domina leave for the day, Hero declares his love for one of the ladies who live at his next door neighbor’s house, Philia (Katie Blessing), and that’s when Pseudolus begins to hatch a scheme to buy his own freedom.

When the two visit Lycus’s house, once they get past the eunuchs (Donovan Walters and Nicholas Prpich) they meet Tintinabula (Cady Wheeler), a bell-wearing beauty; Vibrata (Kennedy Bottoms), an energetic, lively lovely with a leopard skin bikini; the Geminae (Faith Nix and Dante Lowe), a “matched pair”; Panacea (Nikki Forehand), a seductive dancer; and Gymnasia (Spree Hilliard), with a body upon which “a thousand dramas can be played.” They and the other lovely courtesans (Lena Rocole, Jenna Wilson, Rilee Young, Kaley Jones) are tempting, but Hero and Pseudolus are alarmed to find out that Philia has been sold to the great Captain Miles Gloriosus (Caleb Lord), and will be claimed that very day.

The confusion, comedy, and chases that ensue when Captain Miles and his illustrious soldiers (Kinder Hinrichs, Laken Rudelis, Andrew Coble, Daniel Hart, Wynn Mahoney) come to claim her will have audiences
doubled over with laughter, attempting to keep up with what wackiness will occur next.

So join us again at the Lyric Theater for a fun evening, where “weighty affairs will just have to wait,” and where we promise to have “morals tomorrow, comedy tonight!”

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will be performed May 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:00 pm, and May 5, 12 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now at TheLyric.org or by calling 870-391-3504 or visiting the Ozark Arts Council office M-W-F 8:00-2:00. Advance Tickets are $8 children, $10 seniors, $12 adults. Ticket prices at the door will be $11 children, $13 seniors, $15 adults.

OAC Ticketing Link