Tag: archive

Comedy/Drama: Steel Magnolias #LiveAtTheLyric July 26-27, August 2-3 at 7:00pm and July 28, August 4, 2024 at 2:00pm

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:
Steel Magnolias
Friday–Saturday, July 26–27, August 2–3, 7:00PM
Sunday, July 28, August 4, 2:00PM

Steel Magnolias will be performed Live at the Lyric (with 2 different casts!) July 26–27, 2024 at 7:00PM, August 2–3, 2024 at 7:00PM, Sunday July 28 at 2:00PM, and Sunday August 4 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married) (Laken Rudelis & Jerry Carter), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy (Jane Harrison) dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years”) (Lisa Johnson & Toinette Madison); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee (Kelly Goodwin & Ann Lemley), who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn (Julianna Hamblin & Lisa Bailey), whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town) (Katie Davis & Ella Rush), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, when the play moves towards tragedy, the ladies must rely on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.

Concerned with a group of gossipy southern ladies in a small-town beauty parlor, the play is alternately hilarious and touching—and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters.

Chinqapin Parish Cast July 26–28

  • Truvy: Jane Harrison
  • Annelle: Jerry Carter
  • Ouiser: Lisa Johnson
  • Clairee: Ann Lemley
  • M’Lynn: Lisa Bailey
  • Shelby: Ella Rush

Natchitoches Cast August 2–4

  • Truvy: Jane Harrison
  • Annelle: Laken Rudelis
  • Ouiser: Toinette Madison
  • Clairee: Kelly Goodwin
  • M’Lynn: Julianna Hamblin
  • Shelby: Katie Davis

“…suffused with humor and tinged with tragedy.” 

– New York Post

“Harling has given his women sharp, funny dialogue…The play builds to a conclusion that is deeply moving.” 

– New York Daily News

Steel Magnolias will be performed Live at the Lyric (with 2 different casts!) July 26-27, 2024 at 7:00PM, August 2-3, 2024 at 7:00PM, Sunday July 28 at 2:00PM, and Sunday August 4 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

OAC Ticketing Link

National Park Radio and Big Buffalo Golden Gals, a short film — Friday, June 14, 2024 at 7pm — #LiveAtTheLyric!

National Park Radio and Big Buffalo Golden Gals
Friday, June 14, 2024 at 7:00PM

Help us kickoff our 2024/2025 Ozark Arts Council Membership Drive, with a concert by fan favorite National Park Radio and a short film celebrating our beloved Buffalo River, “Big Buffalo Golden Gals” by Misty Breedlove.

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at TheLyric.org or by clicking here!

About Big Buffalo Golden Gals and Misty Breedlove:                 

In 1837 Abraham Villines and family moved to and settled what is now the Ponca Wilderness area of the Buffalo National River. One hundred and eighty-five years later, many of those descendants are still living and making their lives in the area. Misty Langdon is one of those descendants. This year, with the help of friend Ranger Lauren Ray, she took her 75 year old mother and three of her cousins aged 73-83, on a raft trip down river to reminisce and tell stories from the women’s point of view, of growing up and living on the creek, before it became America’s first national river. In “Big Buffalo Golden Gals” we invite you to hop in the raft and paddle along with these amazing women as they share their stories and memories of days gone by.

Director Biography – Misty Langdon

Misty Langdon has lived her life on the homestead settled by her mother’s family in the 1800’s. As a small child she enjoyed stories of the old times passed down by her family and neighbors. Her love of home, the Buffalo River, has been inspiration for many forms of creativity. Her latest, the Remnants Project, showcases her love of the people, their history, homesteads & family photos, to create an historical account of life on the Buffalo River before it became the nation’s first national river. Big Buffalo Golden Gals is the first production for the Remnants Project, being accepted into and securing a win for Best Documentary 2023 at the Roger’s Short Film Festival.

About NPR, from NPR.band:

“The BIGGEST little indie-folk duo”

National Park Radio is a nationally touring indie-folk “power duo” based in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. With an impressive and consistently growing grassroots fanbase across the U.S. (and the world), husband and wife duo Stefan & Kerrie Szabo have made a name for themselves over the past several years with their beautiful harmonies, incredibly inspiring and relatable songwriting, and their unique and energetic live shows.

Perfect for fans of: The Avett Brothers, Caamp, The Lumineers, The Head and the Heart, First Aid Kit, Mumford & Sons

What makes National Park Radio unique?

Aside from their incredibly relatable songwriting and harmonies that connect with so many of their fans, their high-energy live shows – created by the duo bringing in a unique setup and multitasking configuration – brings a new level of sound created by just two people on stage. National Park Radio has been described as the “biggest sounding indie-folk duo” that there is, and between the two of them, many say they create the sound and energy of a 5-piece band.OAC Ticketing Link

Auditions: Saturday May 18 at 1:00pm and Sunday May 19 at 1:00pm for Steel Magnolias!

Auditions!

Auditions for Steel Magnolias will be held at The Historic 1929 Lyric Theater. Ages 18 and up ONLY Please register to audition at TheLyric.org to receive more information!

The Requirements

Only those auditioning may be present. Auditions will consist of sides from the script, chosen by the director. To see more information, please register here.

Ages 18 and up.

The Story

Auditions for Steel Magnolias will be May 18 and 19 at 1:00pm. Performance dates are August 8-11, 2024, with a tentative second weekend August 16-18.

Ages 18 and up ONLY.

The action is set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years”); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a “good ole boy.” Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength—and love—which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.
Concerned with a group of gossipy southern ladies in a small-town beauty parlor, the play is alternately hilarious and touching—and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters.

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Musical at HHS PAC: The Addams Family, A New Musical #LiveAtThePAC April 12-13 at 7:00pm, April 19-20 at 7:00pm; April 14, 21 at 2:00pm

Harrison High School Theatre Dept. Presents:
The Addams Family, A New Musical
Friday, Saturday April 12-13, April 19-20, at 7:00PM
Sunday April 14, 21 at 2:00PM

The Addams Family, A New Musical will be performed at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center April 12 & 13, 19 & 20 at 7:00 pm and April 14 and 21 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are on sale at HHSPAC.org.

Hundreds of years ago, a family’s ancestors came from the old country and settled on a plot of land in what has now become New York’s Central Park. The family flourished for many generations, enjoying their seclusion in a huge house built where a great Spanish oak protected the ancestral graves from such annoyances as tourists and…sunlight.

As the play begins, the last dead leaf of autumn falls from the Family Tree, and all is right in the morbid, macabre world of the Addams Family—Gomez (Bannon Jones), Morticia (Rilee Young), Fester (Isaiah Wallis), Grandma (Reagan Hersh), Wednesday (Liani Cash), Pugsley (Ally Hyatt), Lurch (Chase Moak), Cousin It (Mick McCormick) and, of course, Thing. They’ve gathered—where else?—in the family graveyard, to celebrate life and death in a yearly ritual to connect with their past and ensure their future. They are at peace, not just with each other and their inimitable, unchanging Addams-ness, but with their dead ancestors, too—who emerge from their graves on this night each year to join in the celebration (Makayla Alsobrook, Ricky Bates, Emma Bock, Laith Boswell, Milo Briggs, Maci Bright, Julie Davis, Leigh Dayanan, Ella Domini, Mattea Emerson, Bella Gibson, Delaney Hodges, Ellison Jones, Kamyron Lefebvre, Zachary Linn, Wynn Mahoney, Mick Morrell, Beck Nelson, Nicholas Padilla, Jerome Sweatman). At the end of the ritual this year, though, Fester blocks the ancestors’ return to their graves! Those unchanging Addams family values are about to be tested when we find out that Wednesday, “that bundle of malice,” is in love…with a “normal” person, Lucas Beineke (Garret Cox)…and he, his mistrusting father Mal (Mark Green), and his cloying mother (Valeria Carbajal) are on their way to dinner. But how ‘normal’ are these regular Ohioans? The night will take a crazy turn when the Beinekes sit down to dinner with the Addams! Will everyone live happily ever after or go home slightly depressed?

Join us at the Harrison High School Performing Arts Center to see this creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky family and their ancestors deal with the trials of modern young love! 

The Addams Family, A New Musical will be performed at the HHS PAC April 12, 13, 19, 20 at 7:00pm and April 14 and 21 at 2:00pm. Tickets are on sale at HHSPAC.org.

OAC Ticketing Link

Comedy/Drama: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten! #LiveAtTheLyric March 1-2, 2024 at 7:00pm and March 3, 2024 at 2:00pm

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
Friday–Saturday, March 1–2, 7:00PM
Sunday, March 3, 2:00PM

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten will be performed Live at the Lyric March 1–2, 2024 at 7:00PM, and Sunday March 3 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

PLEASE NOTE: Adult themes and language.

Based on Robert Fulghum’s best-selling books, Kindergarten takes a funny, insightful, heartwarming look at what is profound in everyday life. It’s an evening of theatrical storytelling in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple-voice narration, enhanced through the use of live piano underscoring, which provides fluidity and charm to the experience. While not a musical per se, the play also includes some well-placed songs to enhance the emotional texture of the storytelling.

Heartwarming, charming, funny and touching. The stories are about all of us.

– National Public Radio

The delightful stories feature colorful characters such as: a shy little boy who insists on playing the “pig” in his class production of Cinderella and steals the show; a man whose dream of flying carries him high over Los Angeles…in a lawn chair buoyed by surplus weather balloons; a “mother of the bride” who’s staged a perfect wedding—until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle; and a modern-day Greek philosopher who finds the meaning of life in a piece of broken mirror from World War II.

These stories celebrate our very existence, from the whimsy of childhood to the wisdom of old age, giving performances of Kindergarten the sort of lasting relevance that is fitting for those who know Fulguhm’s book.

A refreshingly intimate combination of theatre and storytelling. Gentle…funny…joyous. Sparks of recognition ignited the audience.

– The Chicago Sun-Times

Our cast includes a wide range of ages and experience levels all brought together by new-to-us-but-highly-experienced director Leslie Austin (who taught Theatre and worked with several troupes in the DFW area for several decades). Actors include Lisa Johnson, Shelly Watson, Beth Lambeth, Rachel Hayes, Kelly Copeland, Susan Spradlin, Andrew Coble, Fred Lutz, Amy Sorenson, Alexis Poor, Ann Lemley, and Daniel Seay.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten will be performed Live at the Lyric March 1–2, 2024 at 7:00PM, and Sunday March 3 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door by standing in the cold wind and rain of early March in the Ozarks…

OAC Ticketing Link

Auditions: Friday February 2 at 6:00pm and Saturday February 3 at 6:00pm for The Wild Women of Winedale

Auditions!

Auditions for The Wild Women of Winedale will be held at Twelve Oaks Estate (7210 AR 7 S) on Friday February 2 at 6pm and Saturday February 3 at 6pm. Ages 18 and up, looking for women who can look mature (youngest part is 40 years old). Please register to audition at TheLyric.org to receive more information!

The Requirements

Only those auditioning may be present. Auditions will consist of sides from the script, chosen by the director. To see more information, please register here.

Ages 18 and up.

The Story

Performances for The Wild Women of Winedale will be April 5-7, 2024 at Twelve Oaks Estate. Dinner prices on Friday and Saturday will be $40 and Dessert price on Sunday will be $30.

Show Synopsis:
This joyful and exuberant, yet ultimately touching, comedy focuses on three women at crossroads in their lives—the Wild sisters of Winedale, Virginia—Fanny and Willa and their frustratingly quirky sister-in-law Johnnie Faye. This feisty and fun-loving trio has supported and cheered one another through life’s highs and lows through the years, including the early demise of two of their husbands. And they really need each other now, as Fanny experiences a hilariously inappropriate reaction to her 60th birthday, while Willa is so stressed out from her nursing job she resorts to vodka and speed-knitting to cope, and Johnnie Faye, determined to put her year of fraught widowhood behind her, desperately tries to find a man—preferably a man with a house, since hers is somewhere at the bottom of a Florida sinkhole. These women’s lives are further upended by the responsibility of caring for their free-spirited, ailing aunt and the realization that they are drowning under loads of family keepsakes and possessions nobody wants—especially them! With equal doses of hilarity and heart, these extraordinary women come up with delightful and surprisingly unorthodox ways to clear the clutter from their lives, their homes and their relationships so they can move their lives forward. Together they prove it’s never too late to take another one of life’s paths for a grand new adventure. This Jones Hope Wooten comedy is guaranteed to drive you wild with laughter—and motivate you to keep hounding the kids to please take that stack of quilts and Granny’s Christmas china!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Auditions: Monday January 29 at 6:00pm and Tuesday January 30 at 6:00pm for Laundry and Lonestar & Bourbon

Auditions!

Auditions for Lonestar and Laundry & Bourbon will be held at North Arkansas College on Monday January 29 at 6pm and Tuesday January 30 at 6pm. Ages 18 and up. Please register to audition at TheLyric.org to receive more information!

The Requirements

Only those auditioning may be present. Auditions will consist of sides from the script, chosen by the director. To see more information, please register here.

Ages 18 and up.

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Dramedy: Lone Star and Laundry & Bourbon, at the Lyric Theater May 2–4, 2024 at 7:00pm and May 5, 2024 at 2:00pm

Northark Drama and
The Ozark Arts Council Present:
Lone Star
and
Laundry & Bourbon
Thursday–Saturday, May 2–4, 7:00PM
Sunday, May 5, 2:00PM

Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon, two one-act plays by James McClure that are meant to be performed together, will be performed Live at the Lyric May 2–4, 2024 at 7:00PM, and Sunday May 5 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

PLEASE NOTE: Adult themes and language.

Lonestar, Laundry, and Bourbon will be performed at the 1929 Historic Lyric Theater May 2, 3, 4 at 7:00pm and May 5 at 2:00pm. Tickets are on sale at TheLyric.org.
These two one-act plays will be back to back, and are about the same small town in Texas.


In the first part, the setting is the front porch of Roy and Elizabeth’s (Emma Bock) home in Maynard, TX on a hot summer afternoon. Elizabeth and her friend Hattie (Kylan Mayes) are whiling away their time folding laundry, watching TV, gossiping, and of course, sipping bourbon. The hot day gets a bit more heated when they are joined by the self-righteous Amy Lee (Brinkley Brewer), the new wife of Cletis, the local hardware owner’s son, who can’t resist blurting out that Elizabeth’s husband has been seen around town with other women. While the ensuing conversation in increasingly edged with bitterness, it is obvious that Elizabeth will stand by her man.

In the second part, Roy (Hayden Allen), Elizabeth’s husband, a brawny, macho type, is back in town after serving in Vietnam, and is trying to re-establish his place back in the community. He is joined by his younger brother, Ray (Donovan Walters), who worships him, but has a dangerous secret.. With the arrival of Cletis (Isaiah Wallis), the underpinnings of Roy’s world begins to collapse when Ray’s secret comes out: he has slept with Roy’s wife during his absence and also demolished his beloved Thunderbird. While the three men try to regain the status quo, we are left with the feeling that, with Elizabeth’s love, things may just work out.


Please note: subject matter and language caution. While infused with humor, Lone Star presents a man’s raw emotions about his shattered life using the coarse and crude language one might not want their children exposed to, so parental discretion is advised.

Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon, will be performed Live at the Lyric, May 2–4, 2024 at 7:00PM, and Sunday May 5 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $8 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door…maybe even more for the Sunday afternoon performance, depending on how blisteringly the May sun comes through the box office window, scorching the eyeballs of our poor volunteer. No, seriously: do yourself a favor and save that three (or more) bucks.

(Many thanks to Dan Zadorozny, the artist who runs Iconian Fonts, for graciously allowing us the free use of his Texas Ranger font for our graphics!)

OAC Ticketing Link

Auditions: Saturday January 20 at 2:00am and Sunday January 21 at 2:00pm for All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Auditions!

Auditions for All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten will be held at the Lyric Theater on Saturday January 20 at 2pm and Sunday January 21 at 2pm. Ages 16 and up. Please register to audition to get a copy of monologues and cold reads to prepare for auditions.

The Requirements

Only those auditioning may be present. Auditions will consist of sides and monologues from the script, chosen by the director. To register and see the sides and monologues, please register here.

Ages 16 and up.

The Story

Performances for All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten will be March 1-3, 2024.

Show Synopsis:
Based on Robert Fulghum’s best-selling books, Kindergarten takes a funny, insightful, heartwarming look at what is profound in everyday life. This tightly woven adaptation has earned standing ovations from Singapore to Prague— from L.A. to D.C. It’s an evening of theatrical storytelling in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple voice narration, enhanced through the use of live piano underscoring, which provides fluidity, charm, and emotional texture, and seven optional original songs. The delightful stories feature colorful characters such as: a shy little boy who insists on playing the “pig” in his class production of Cinderella and steals the show; a man whose dream of flying carries him high over Los Angeles … in a lawn chair buoyed by surplus weather balloons; a “mother of the bride” who’s staged a perfect wedding—until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle; and a modern-day Greek philosopher who finds the meaning of life in a piece of broken mirror from World War II. These stories celebrate our very existence, from the whimsy of childhood to the wisdom of old age. Kindergarten is a sure hit for almost any performing group.

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

Drama: Radium Girls! #LiveAtTheLyric January 25-27, 2024 at 7:00pm and January 28, 2024 at 2:00pm

Radium Girls will be performed Live at the Lyric January 25-27 at 7:00pm, and Sunday January 28 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $8-12 and raise $3 at the door. Tickets at TheLyric.org.

In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie (Mattea Emerson) an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, Radium Girls traces the efforts of Grace Fryer (Emma Bock), a dial painter, as she and the other “Radium Girls – Irene (Liani Cash) and Kathryn (Ella Domino) fight for their day in court. Their chief adversary is former employer, Arthur Roeder (Isaiah Wallis), an idealistic man who cannot bring himself to believe that the same element that shrinks tumors could have anything to do with the terrifying rash of illnesses among his employees. As the case goes on, however, Grace finds herself battling not just with the U.S. Radium Corporation and their lackeys (Markley, played by Wyatt Villines; and Lee, played by Mark Green), but with her own family and friends (Tom, her fiancé, played by Laith Boswell, and Anna, her mother, played by Destiney Walker), who fear that her campaign for justice will backfire. Called a “powerful” and “engrossing” drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science. For more information of this incredible story of strength, we recommend visiting Juris Magazine to be linked to a fascinating and informative article.

Other cast members include the allies, scientists, reporters, and witnesses that were part of the trial, played by: North Phifer, Angie Briggs, Natalie Sims, Nicole Olcott, Cordelia Kaeser, Fred Lutz, Emily Akins- Sexton, Hayleigh Rodery, Julie Davis, Caylee Arthur, Arrowyn Arthur, Joseph Cotton, Trinity White, Kathern Scott-White, Simone Ruff.

Radium Girls will be performed Live at the Lyric January 25-27 at 7:00pm, and Sunday January 28 at 2:00pm. Tickets are $8-12 and raise $3 at the door. Tickets at TheLyric.org.

OAC Ticketing Link