Tag: current

Auditions: Saturday April 12 at 10:00am and Sunday April 13 at 2:00pm for Mary Poppins!

 

Auditions! Saturday, April 12 at 10AM and Sunday, April 13 at 2:00PM for Mary Poppins!

Auditions for Mary Poppins will be held at The Historic 1929 Lyric Theater. Performance dates are August 1-3 and August 8-10, 2025. Ages 10 and up ONLY. 

Please register to audition at our ticketing page to receive more information!

The Requirements

  • Only those auditioning may be present, unless the auditioner is a minor
  • Ages 10 and up ONLY.
  • Please prepare TWO songs to sing: ONE 30 second to 1 minute song from Mary Poppins AND ONE 30 second to 1 minute completely unrelated song that is contrasting and shows your vocal range and ability. (You will be singing it a capella.) 
  • Sides for cold reads will be chosen by the director.
  • Auditions will consist of singing both songs and then cold reads.

The Story

Mary Poppins will be performed Live at the Lyric August 1-2, 8-9, 2025 at 7:00PM, Sunday August 3, 2025 at 2:00PM, and Sunday August 10, 2025 at 2:00PM.

In Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s Mary Poppins, everyone’s favorite practically perfect nanny takes the stage in this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical adventure.
 

One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts in a whole new way: as a practically perfect musical! Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren’t the only ones upon whom she has a profound effect. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “Anything can happen if you let it.”

Mary Poppins is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stagecraft.

Please register to audition at our ticketing page to receive more information!

Thank you for supporting the Arts and good luck!

An Evening with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Saturday June 7, 2025! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The World Famous
Glenn Miller Orchestra!
Saturday June 7 at 7:00PM

 

The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will be swinging back into the historic Lyric Theater on the Harrison, Arkansas square at 7:00PM on June 7, 2025! After an initial pre-sale period to Ozark Arts Council members, ticket sales are now open to the public.

(To be eligible for our ticket pre-sales—and to avoid ticket company processing and credit card fees—join the OAC today!)

The first Glenn Miller Orchestra did not make it at all. It was a total and absolute economic failure. But Glenn knew what he wanted, held to that dedication and relentlessly worked to succeed. He launched his second band–the one that lives on today–in March of 1938. The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been a “hit” ever since.

The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all dance bandleaders back in the Swing Era of the 1930’s and 40’s. A matchless string of hit records, the constant impact of radio broadcasts and the drawing power at theatres, hotels and dance pavilion, built and sustained the momentum of popularity.

Glenn disbanded his musical organization in 1942 at the height of its popularity to volunteer for the Army. There, he organized and led the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. It went to Europe to entertain servicemen performing numerous live and radio shows. On December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single engine plane from Europe to precede his band to France, disappearing over the English Channel, never to be seen again. The army declared him officially dead a year later.

With the release of the major motion movie “The Glenn Miller Story” featuring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson in 1954, interest and popular demand led the Miller Estate to authorize the formation of the present Glenn Miller Orchestra. On June 6, 1956, and under the direction of drummer Ray McKinley who had become the unofficial leader of the Army Air Force Band after Glenn’s disappearance, the reformed Glenn Miller Orchestra performed its first concert and has been on the road ever since. Other leaders have followed Ray including clarinetists Buddy DeFranco and Peanuts Hucko, trombonists Buddy Morrow, Jimmy Henderson, Larry O’Brien and Gary Tole, tenor saxophonist Dick Gerhart, and vocalist Nick Hilscher. Since January 2022, after five years with the band, tenor saxophonist Eric Stabnau became the leader.

Today, the 18 member ensemble continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements both from the civilian band and the AAFB libraries. Additionally, it also plays some more modern selections arranged and performed in the Miller style and sound. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is owned and operated by Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., under license from the Miller Estate. Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., has the sole and exclusive right to use the Glenn Miller Orchestra name—so, this is not a “tribute to the Glenn Miller Orchestra,” but the orchestra that is in official and unbroken succession to the original.

The big-band business today requires almost constant travel as a result of an arduous schedule of one-night stands. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is “on the road” longer and more continuously than any other in the whole world, having celebrated its 60th year anniversary on June 6. It covers over a hundred thousand miles a year, working most every night for 48 weeks out of every 52-nearly 300 playing dates, performing for an “in person” audience that adds up to more than a half million people annually.

Just as it was in Glenn’s day, the Glenn Miller Orchestra today is still the most sought after big band in the world, and this year, The Lyric is the place to see them! With the overwhelming response to the special appearance of The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Lyric in 2016, the band has loved returning to Harrison and is doing so again at 7:00PM on Saturday June 7!
 

The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform #LiveAtTheLyric on Saturday June 7 at 7:00PM. Tickets are on sale now!

Stand-Up Comedy: Josh Pray #LiveAtTheLyric – April 12, 2025 at 7:00pm

The Ozark Arts Council Presents:
Comedian Josh Pray!

Saturday April 12 at 7:00PM

Josh Pray will perform Live at the Lyric Saturday April 12 at 7:00pm.

Tickets are $35 for VIP seating, $30 for Prime seating, $20 for Main seating, and $18 for Super Discounted seating!

With Josh Pray, ‘Stand-Up’ is more than just a form of comedy: Josh is a true ‘stand-up guy’. His description on Facebook resonates with everyone who’s seen him: “Probably the most positive-inclusive-insightful-plus size comedian, model and person on the internet!” His commitment on his website is forthright and to the point: “As a passionate, creative professional, I believe in putting my skills and innovation at the forefront of my work for everyone I work with to experience. From creating my own content to working with brands to synthesize unique campaigns that harness my social media presence, I instill liveliness into everything I do.

“I have had the pleasure of visiting many states from my homeland of America, as well as making appearances abroad. I cherish every single experience and look forward to more.”

Comedian Vinnie Ward will be joining Josh as an opener, as will a yet-to-be-determined local comedian. Details soon!

And we look forward to having Josh with us—and with you! Join us at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater on Saturday April 12 at 7:00pm to see comedian Josh Pray!

Tickets are $35 for VIP seating, $30 for Prime seating, $20 for Main seating, and $18 for Super Discounted seating!


Many thanks to Jeff Crockett of Crockett Outdoor Media and Crockett Properties for his help in making this event come to life!

OAC Ticketing Link

SCHOLARSHIPS open thru Apr. 4, 2025

The 2025 Mary Bishop Scholarship

Scholarship application here.

The Mary Bishop Scholarship, established by the Ozark Arts Council, is for high school students who have been involved with their high school Theatre program in Arkansas and/or with productions at the Lyric Theater. 1st place will receive $1000, 2nd place will receive $500.  Eligibility requirements: senior in high school, must be involved with the Lyric Theater in Harrison, OR school Theatre department in Arkansas. Scholarship applications are open from February 18, 2025 – April 4th, 2025. Decisions will be made in April 2025 and applicants will be notified via the email provided.

Scholarship application here.

Art Contest for Hadestown: Teen through Friday Aril 4

The Ozark Arts Council and NorthArk Drama Present:
An Art Contest, Hadestown: Teen

Hadestown: Teen Student Art Contest – Sponsored by Harrison Art League and Ozark Arts Council

Purpose: The purpose of the Hadestown: Teen Art Contest is to recognize the artistic achievements of our area students and to increase community involvement in live theatre. This student art contest is open to students grades 7-12 in public, private, and home schools, as well as high school students enrolled at NorthArk.

Theme: The theme for the Art contest comes from one of Broadway’s newest and brightest hits, Hadestown, based on the beautiful Greek myths of Perspephone and Hades, and Eurydice and Orpheus. Students are encouraged to use the synopsis attached to create a piece of artwork to be used at the playbill cover for the Ozark Arts Council/NorthArk Drama’s production of Hadestown: Teen.

Originality: All work must be created by the student. The entry must be conceptualized, developed, and completed by the student. 

Entry form here.

Recognition:

There will be FIVE winning pieces which will be used as the Hadestown: Teen playbill in a rotating print. The artists will receive a framed copy of the playbill and will be recognized on opening night of Hadestown: Teen (Friday May 9, 2025 at 7:00PM). The artists will receive free admission to the production on Friday May 9, 2025, along with 2 complimentary tickets to be used at their discretion. The artists’ Art teachers will also receive 2 complimentary tickets to the Friday May 9, 2025 production. Artists will also receive a $50 cash prize.

Deadline: Deadline for submitting entries along with the forms is no later than Friday April 4, 2025. Artists/parents of Artists, please email in**@oz**************.org to arrange for drop off of artwork March 1-April 4.

Guidelines for Artwork:

  • Submit only one piece of artwork per student in any medium, including graphic design. If photography is used, there cannot be any facial recognition.
  • No lettering, signatures, or initials may appear on the front of the design. Any artwork with such identifying characteristics will be disqualified and eliminated from the competition,
  • Artwork must be original and can be from any medium. AI content is NOT acceptable. Artwork must not have clippings from newspapers, magazines, found objects, etc.
  • Minimum entry size for digital work is width=2120px; height=2811px. Maximum size for all work is 18×24 inches, not including matting.
  • Photographs not originated by the student (e.g., found in magazines, newspapers, other media) may not be used as source material for artwork submissions.
  • Artwork must be completely dry or fixed.
  • Works on paper should be matted to protect the artwork. Works on stretched canvas or canvas board do not need to be matted.
  • No framed artwork.
  • Use a clear glue stick to affix your completed entry form to the back of the artwork. Affix the entry form the upper right hand corner of the artwork. Please do NOT staple, paper clip, or tape as it will damage the artwork.

Forms: All entrants must complete the Student Art Contest Entry Forms, which should be attached to the back upper right hand corner of the artwork using a clear glue stick. The Student Art Contest Statement Form should be submitted with the artwork. This form provides the contest committee with vital contact information and certification signatures from the student, parent/guardian, and art teacher, which confirm that the student has abided by the rules and regulations of the contest. The form also releases Harrison Art League and Ozark Arts Council from responsibility in cases of loss, theft, or damage to the artwork, and gives permission for displaying and reproducing the artwork.

Judging Criteria: 

Technique: The student chooses and utilizes media and tools competently to enhance the appearance of their work.

Personal Expression: The evidence of imagination, creativity, and individuality. The result is distinctive and the concept presented in a unique way that is imaginative and inventive.

Organization: The use of elements and the principles of art, effectively selecting those which enhance the overall appearance of the work.

Integration: The work combines technique, expression, and organization through artistic and critical judgment to achieve an effective interpretation or result.

Note: Jurors have the right to exclude any work from consideration in the contest – the decision of the jurors is final as relating to all contest matters.

Judging:

Judging will take place soon after the deadline for submissions has passed and the winner will be notified by a member of Harrison Art League or one of their designees.

Synopsis:

Hadestown: Teen Edition is a full-length adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown, modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences. The Teen Edition is only available for school and youth groups with performers 19 years old and younger.

This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone – Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. 

The plot follows Orpheus, a hopeful young musician, who embarks on a perilous journey to the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice after she is lured there by the promise of security by the enigmatic ruler Hades. In the underworld, Eurydice faces the harsh realities of Hadestown, a factory where souls toil endlessly, forgotten by the world above. Meanwhile, the strained relationship between Hades and his wife Persephone mirrors the cycles of decay and growth, influencing the fates of those below and above. Hadestown: Teen is not only a narrative of individual journeys but also a commentary on societal issues such as power, wealth, and the resilience of human spirit in the face of adversity. With its emotive performances, rich lyrical storytelling, and dynamic score, Hadestown offers a profound theatrical experience that invites audiences to question what it means to make sacrifices for love and to dream of a better world.

Entry Form here.

Musical: A love story and a classic Greek Myth – Hadestown: Teen #LiveAtTheLyric – May 9-10, May 15-17 at 7:00pm and May 11, 2025 at 2:00pm

The Ozark Arts Council and NorthArk Drama Present:
Hadestown: Teen

 

Friday–Saturday, May 9-10, May 16-17, 7:00PM
Sunday May 11, May 18, 2:00PM

Hadestown: Teen will be performed Live at the Lyric May 9–10, 2025 at 7:00PM,  Sunday May 11 at 2:00PM, and May 15–17, 2025 at 7:00PM.

PLEASE NOTE: There will
NOT be
a performance on Sunday, May 18.
Saturday evening, May 17 is the finale!

Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $11 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

 
Hadestown: Teen Edition is a full-length adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown, very gently-modified for performance by teen actors for family audiences. The Teen Edition is only available for school and youth groups with performers 19 years old and younger.
 
This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone—“Hadestown” invites audiences on an inspiring journey to the underworld and back. Rooted in traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling, sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.
 
The plot follows Orpheus, a hopeful young musician, who embarks on a perilous journey to the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice after she is lured there by the promise of security by the enigmatic ruler Hades. In the underworld, Eurydice faces the harsh realities of Hadestown—a factory where souls toil endlessly, forgotten by the world above. Meanwhile, the strained relationship between Hades and his wife Persephone mirrors the cycles of decay and growth, influencing the fates of those below and above.
 
Hadestown: Teen is not only a narrative of individual journeys, but also a commentary on societal issues such as power, wealth, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. With its emotive performances, rich lyrical storytelling, and dynamic score, Hadestown: Teen offers a profound theatrical experience that invites audiences to question what it means to make sacrifices for love and to dream of a better world.
 

Hadestown: Teen will be performed Live at the Lyric May 9–10, 2025 at 7:00PM,  Sunday May 11 at 2:00PM, and May 15–17, 2025 at 7:00PM.

PLEASE NOTE: There will
NOT be
a performance on Sunday, May 18.
Saturday evening, May 17 is the finale!

Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55 and up) and students, and $11 for children (under 12), when purchased in advance; prices are $3 higher if purchased at the door.

OAC Ticketing Link

Become a Patron of the Arts!

It’s OAC Membership Time!

It’s time to renew your membership in the Ozark Arts Council (or to become an OAC member for the first time)! See below for the perks. Click HERE to join online.

History has taught us that the most vibrant societies are produced by giving, not by taking—and the very most vibrant are those that have a thriving and active Arts community! Having such a thriving Arts community has always been a matter of patronage, and it is no different today.

In a time when many are still struggling, some may think the Arts a luxury, something only of which those with ‘extra’ time and money on their hands may partake. Often, people feel that it’s too lofty a pursuit for communities that are rooted in farms and factories and retirees. But both history and statistics tell us that these contentions are untrue: the Arts are what help such communities survive!

The very nature of the Arts is to be both welcoming and challenging, to bring you in and to lift you up…and in a time of upheaval and widespread dissatisfaction, isn’t that exactly what you want to encourage and support? The Lyric and the OAC’s Member Organizations provide a place full of experiences that put all of the noise of this world’s discontent aside, a place that welcomes you into a moment where you neither have to be consumed with the woes of the world, real and imagined—or even what you’re going to make for supper, or find on your next day at work. For all of the ‘escapism’ that television promised, it is no match for joining with the rest of your community in a place where all that divides us is set aside and a team of volunteers seeks to be their best selves and to help us, at least for a few hours, to be ours.

This is what membership in the OAC promotes, so please consider becoming part of a community that truly builds community…that welcomes, educates, enjoys, and feasts on those things in our culture that build better people, stronger communities, and the general promotion of love and joy: please join the Ozark Arts Council today!

Below, you can find the perks that come from being an OAC member (with some fun new swag!), but we also want to hear from YOU! What would YOU like to see as a perk from being an OAC member? Email

in**@oz**************.org











 and let our Executive Director know!

The Ozark Arts Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission to enrich lives by promoting the arts in Harrison and North Arkansas through exhibitions, performances, and education. Memberships and donations allow the OAC and its six Member Organizations to provide quality cultural programming and maintain the historic Lyric Theater for performances and community events.

The easiest way to become a Member is to use our online membership system.

QR Code for Memberships
A quick click here or a scan with your phone camera will take you to our online donation and membership processor!

You can also download and mail in the OAC Membership Form, if you prefer. (It is a PDF: click to print and fill out by hand; right-click to download and fill out in Adobe Reader or MacOS Preview, etc.).

Please Note: When you become an OAC member online (and make your membership donation online), you will receive a promo code to save money on a Theatre Company of the Ozarks Season Pass, so be sure to let the payment processor bring you back to our page, so you can learn how to use it right away! If you mail in your membership form, we will include the code in your mailed receipt.

Annual Memberships are available at the following levels:

Executive Producer: $10,000 and up

  • One-time use of the Lyric Theater (for a non-ticketed event)
  • Recognition in playbills and/or on-screen before events
  • Two (2) complimentary tickets to the annual fundraiser
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting
  • Two (2) complimentary tickets to the annual fundraiser
  • Two (2) invitations to the Annual OAC Christmas Party
  • Logo and name link to your website on OAC website
  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Personal and/or business name listed in playbills
  • Recognition on-screen before events
  • Pre-sale ticket purchasing opportunities (get your seats before sales open to the rest of the world…and eliminate ticketing fees!)
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting
  • Backstage Tour after a production!
  • Are there even larger discounts on Season Passes‽ Yep!

Director: $5,000-$9,999

  • Two (2) complimentary tickets to the annual fundraiser
  • Two (2) invitations to the Annual OAC Christmas Party
  • Logo and name link to your website on OAC website
  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Personal and/or business name listed in playbills
  • Recognition on-screen before events
  • Pre-sale ticket purchasing opportunities (get your seats before sales open to the rest of the world…and eliminate ticketing fees!)
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting
  • Backstage Tour after a production!
  • Still larger discounts on Season Passes!

Principal: $1,000-$4,999

  • Two (2) invitations to the Annual OAC Christmas Party
  • Logo and name link to your website on OAC website
  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Personal and/or business name listed in playbills
  • Link to your website from OAC website
  • Recognition on-screen before events
  • Pre-sale ticket purchasing opportunities (get your seats before sales open to the rest of the world…and eliminate ticketing fees!)
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting
  • Even bigger discounts on Season Passes!

Patron: $500-$999

  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Personal and/or business name listed in playbills
  • Link to your website from OAC website
  • Recognition on-screen before events
  • Pre-sale ticket purchasing opportunities (get your seats before sales open to the rest of the world…and eliminate ticketing fees!)
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting
  • Discounts on Season Passes!

Twenty-Niner: $129–$499

  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Recognition in playbills and/or on-screen before events
  • Pre-sale ticket purchasing opportunities (get your seats before sales open to the rest of the world…and eliminate ticketing fees!)
  • One (1) vote at the OAC Annual Membership Meeting

Understudy: $50–$128

  • Quarterly newsletter with upcoming events and other news
  • Recognition in playbills and/or on-screen before events

All memberships valid through June 30, 2025 for the 2024–2025 Season. While we have sought to make sure that our Member benefits are such that they do not compromise the deductibility of your membership donation, members may file a letter with us choosing not to receive Membership benefits so that it is clear to the IRS that you are donating the full amount to the OAC. If Membership benefits are accepted, please check with your tax professional as to what portion of your membership may remain tax-deductible.

Some OAC Membership Perks

  • Early Bird Ticket Sales: For most events, we are able to offer tickets to our members between a few hours and a few days before they go on sale to the general public, so you have a better chance of getting your favorite seat.
  • No Ticketing or Card Fees: We consider your investment in the OAC as what provides us the ability to have ticketing and card processing in the first place, so we give you a code to eliminate fees when you purchase online (and enter the code for you if you purchase them in advance in person or over the phone).
  • Super Popcorn Discount and Collectible Bucket: While we are introducing a new giant-size popcorn for anyone to save on popcorn (and on trips to the concessions stand!) on a per-event basis, we are also introducing a refillable and reusable bucket with our logo and our theme for the year on it. Buy a popcorn for all of the year’s events in advance!
  • Special Merchandise Offers and Discounts: Promotional and event mugs, shirts, window clings (and who knows what else?!) are being developed to help you help the Lyric to thrive and to allow you to remember and celebrate fun times at the Lyric once you return home.
  • Season Passes (and Discounts): All our members have been able to buy Season Passes to productions by the Theatre Company of the Ozarks…and now we’re adding Northark Drama and HHS Theatre productions, as well! Members who join at the $100 level or above also get discounts on season passes, with discounts growing along with membership donations.
  • The Arts Investor Appreciation Pass: Take the lead in providing plays, concerts, or both by making a Membership donation that helps us keep booking artists and paying rights and royalties, and we will provide you free passes that allow you to come and check on your investment.
    • A Theatre Investor ($500) receives a code for two free tickets to every play in our season!
    • A Concert Investor ($750) receives a code for two seats at every concert we produce.
    • An All the Arts Investor ($1,200) receives two tickets for every concert and every play we put on!

Please Note: There may be some events that we do not produce, those that are via a rental arrangement by an outside organization or that are a fundraiser for another nonprofit. We keep these to a bare minimum…and if we can work out a contract with them to get you seated for free, we will do so, and we will let you know in advance. Examples of such events: the recent Buffalo River documentary; the Ozark Rape Crisis Center’s lip sync battle; the Ozarks Dynacom Five Star Talent Contest.

Beauty & the Beast, Jr., July 20, 25, 27! #LiveAtTheLyric!

The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and the Ozark Arts Council Present:
Beauty & The Beast, Jr.

Saturdays, July 20 & 27, 2:00PM & 7:00PM
Thursday, July 25, 10:00AM

What you’ve been waiting for all summer is almost here: the enchanting and exciting story of Beauty and the Beast! The Theatre Company of the Ozarks and The Ozark Arts Council, under license from Music Theatre International, will present Beauty and the Beast, Jr. LIVE at The Lyric Theater in Harrison, Arkansas, on July 20, 25, and 27. Saturday performances will be at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and the Thursday performance will be at 10:00am. 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.

Shade Roberts and Liani Cash

Don’t let the “Jr.” in the title lead you to expect a watered-down production missing your favorite songs: when Disney commissions an adaptation for young performers, it’s name is still on the line! Based on the original Broadway production that ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and the Academy Award-winning motion picture, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr. is a fantastic adaptation of the story of transformation and tolerance.  Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr. features some of the most popular songs ever written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice.

As with many of our children’s plays, rehearsals were preceded by a two-week-long workshop, which focused on vocals, acting, and choreography, as well as the proper etiquette for being in a play and attending a play, all of which culminated in a short performance for the family and friends of the children—many of whom are gracing the Lyric stage for the first time ever. Only then was attention turned fully to this play, where those new or refined acting, singing, and dancing skills could be put into practice for the sellout performances this July will bring.

Beauty and the Beast tells the story of an arrogant young prince and his castle’s servants who fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress when he turns her away from his door. The enchantress turns the prince into the hideous “Beast” until he can learn to love and to be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle enters Beast’s castle after he imprisons her father, Maurice. With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts, Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation. But when the similarly cold-hearted Gaston and his henchman Lefou decide to destroy the Beast, will Belle be able to save the Beast from eternal doom?

We hope you will join us both for the entertainment and lesson imparted by this classic story and for the building of our community that attendance at Arts events—especially at young people’s theatre—always brings. The OAC and its Member Organizations are committed to having children of all ages learn about the Arts and develop a love for them that reaches beyond their early years, so that they grow up to be well-rounded, empathetic adults. These “Jr.” plays, and the directors who bless us by giving up a portion of their summers, are a huge first step in that direction.

Says Director Debbie Waters:

“I have been blessed with the best cast of young people between the ages of 6-18 who are a joy to work with.  We have a cast of 30 who are working hard and excited to ask everyone to ‘Be Our Guest’ at the Historic Lyric Theater during our 90th Birthday Celebration season.”

Our Cast and Crew include:

Caleb Lord and Liani Cash

Belle: Liani Cash
Beast: Shade Roberts
Gaston: Caleb Lord
LeFou: Jacob Cothran
Maurice: Logan Cole
Mrs. Potts: Alayna Davis
Chip: Ivan Hanschu
Lumiere: Nicholas Prpich
Babette: Chyler Caraway
Cogsworth: Bannon Jones
Madame de la Grande Bouche: Lexi Sprenger
Silly Girls: Brinkley Brewer, Avery Skinner, Emily Still
Enchantress: AnneJanette Cole

Ensemble: Kaden Allen, Zoë Arthur, Laura Bracken, Callie Caraway, Ethan Causey, Landon Clements, Joshua Cothran, Ella Domino, Dierdra Goldman, Jadah Gregory, Kalel Lewis, Tarron Lewis, Mia Ostberg, Emma Claire Pruitt, Natalie Sims, Jerome Sweatman, Jenna Wilson

Director: Debbie Waters
Assistant Directors: Courtney Lantis, Yaffah Lewis, Michele Reynolds

Back: Caleb Lord & Emily Still
Front: Avery Skinner & Brinkley Brewer

Join us at The Lyric for this heartwarming tale of the transformative power of love on July 20, 25, and 27. Tickets for Beauty and the Beast, Jr. are available now through TheLyric.org by clicking any “Get Tickets” link, by stopping by the OAC office at 115 W. Rush
Ave. between 8 & 2 Tuesday through Friday, or by calling (870) 391-3504 (please leave a detailed message if you get our voicemail).

OAC Ticketing Link

Winona Wilde — Thursday May 17 at 7pm — #LiveAtTheLyric!

“Just your
run of the mill,
post-structuralist
cowgirl Americana…”
Crooked Creek presents Winona Wilde!
Thursday, May 17 at 7:00PM

Photo by Brandon Albert, Flare Magazine

“Over simple, well-worn chords, Wilde’s voice sounds weary and wise, and yet still full of life…Her storytelling binds together personal experience and political ideas in relatable ways, the way only the best songwriting can.”

–  Peter Ellman, Exclaim

Crooked Creek Concert Association presents 2017 Kerrville NewFolk Songwriting Award winner Winona Wilde, who will perform at the Roots Music Palace of the Ozarks, Harrison, Arkansas’s historic Lyric Theater, on May 17 at 7:00PM, with special guest opener Fayetteville’s Elizabeth Scott. Tickets are available in advance for $10; at the door, they will be $15. 

Karl Magi recently profiled Winona Wilde for Spinditty, so we’re going to borrow some quotes from his excellent article there. He shows her love for the Roots Music fans and culture: “If I had known all of these people and festivals existed when I started law school, I probably would have quit instead of suffering through it. The sense of community I have felt from the folkies is unlike anything on this earth. It has made me a better person.”

It’s not having gone to law school that makes people wonder most at her rise to prominence in the Americana scene—nor even her being Canadian, since that’s “North Americana,” at least—but the fact that she is a Canadian of Iraqi descent

Photo by Sim Al-Surraj

who has so embraced—and been embraced by—Western “Roots Music”/Americana and its fans.

Wilde (whose non-stage name is Noosa Al-Sarraj) says that music was a part of her life from her earliest days. “I do not come from a musical family, but opportunities for making music always came into my life at the right time. As a little tiny baby, I used to sing my mother’s lullabies back to her, and as a toddler, I was really good at clapping back rhythms and freakishly repeating back entire verses from the Koran, so my mother suspected there was something at play there.”

Her musical influences are wide-ranging. “I grew up on classical music. My faves were the moody, dense composers like Beethoven and Schumann. I spent hours every day alone with the piano, deciphering the language. To this day, I can still recognize a composer from just a few bars of music. Nobody generally cares when it happens, but it always feels like a little bit of a fist-pump moment.”

“When I hit my teens I got all the way into older blues artists like Ray Charles and Nat King Cole and then started to experiment with the edgier stuff like Tool and Nine Inch Nails. I loved the melodic metal my younger brother Sim listened to, he got me into Opeth, Dream Theatre and stuff like that. The heaviness of my lyrical content might have something to do with that.”

Magi writes: “Her transformation into a country/folk artist is something for which Noosa has an interesting explanation. She says, ‘My parents both worked a ton so we had a nanny whom we affectionately called Nana. She may have had country music radio on all day, so my young brain had the country music of the 80’s hammered into it without my even noticing. When I eventually heard John Prine and Loretta Lynn as an adult, all of this country music came pouring out of me.’”

Photo by Mary Matheson, BC Musician Magazine

 

Eleni Armenakis makes it clear in her review of the Wilnona Wilde album “Wasted Time” that as much as her music can reach the heights and depths of introspection and social commentary, her music is not one dimensional: “‘Buy a Round’ marks a change in the album, as Al-Sarraj laughs into a pure country number that fittingly rolls in and around itself. There’s more of a folk sound to ‘Black Forest Black Forest’ before ‘To The Corner’ finds a balance between the two to quietly see out the album.” Armenakis concludes, “Al-Sarraj knows what she wants to say and how she wants to say it. Despite the title, she’s clearly not wasting any time.”

“The best introduction to troubadour songwriter Winona Wilde’s wry sensibilities is through her delivered-with-a-wink song, ‘Chick Singer’…She sings with both exasperation and good humour, because, as we all know, sometimes the truth is so bleak, it’s hilarious. The same autobiographical song also references the blank stares she gets from people surprised to see an Iraqi-Canadian woman singing country songs. Wilde, whose real name is Noosa Al-Sarraj, fell in love with country music thanks to a nanny she had as a kid. Her kickass songwriting abilities led to win an award at the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition this year—one of few Canadians to do so, and certainly the first of Iraqi descent.”

– Sarah Boesveld, Flare Magazine, 2017-10-18

Winona Wilde will perform at the Roots Music Palace of the Ozarks, Harrison, Arkansas’s historic Lyric Theater, on May 17 at 7:00PM,with special guest opener Fayetteville’s Elizabeth Scott. Tickets are available in advance for $10; at the door, they will be $15.

Can you recall the first song you ever wrote?

From age 11-17, my subjects were mainly animals — for example, “Everything tastes like chicken when you’re not around,” a musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, and a mini-opera about a donkey who eats spaghetti. Although one early song I remember went something like “darkness into darkness” and had some complex chord changes and a heavy subject. I gave it to my teacher and I never got it back, so I am really curious about what was going on in that song. Perhaps she passed it along to a psychiatrist.

– Interview in BC Musician Magazine, 2015-11-07

 tickets