We are excited to announce our upcoming summer workshop! We are now accepting applications for students ages 8 to 17. Applications are due by Monday June 30, 2025.
The dates are Monday-Thursday July 14-17 and July 21-24 from 1pm-4pm. We will provide snacks and water, but it is always a good idea to have your child bring their own water bottle and snacks if they prefer something in particular or have allergies.
The cost of the workshop is $25 per child. There are several scholarships available based on need. Please email us at in**@**************il.org if you feel you are in need of a scholarship.
This workshop will be a combination of mini workshops for improv, acting, set building, lighting design, and much more! They will be hosted by qualified and experienced adults and Theatre students in high school and college.
Please make plans to attend the mandatory parent/guardian meeting on Monday July 7 at 5:30pm to get all the info. Please bring your registered child(ren) so we can meet them! But don’t forget to register first!
Auditions! Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 at 6:00PM for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!
Auditions for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Beewill be held at The Historic 1929 Lyric Theater. Performance dates are September 26-28 and October 3-5, 2025. Ages 16 and up ONLY.
Only those auditioning may be present, unless the auditioner is a minor
Ages 16 and up ONLY.
Please prepare ONE 30 second to 1 minute portion of a song to sing that showcases your singing ability. We recommend songs from musical theatre, but anything that shows off your voice is acceptable. (You will be singing it a capella.)
Please prepare a 1-2 minute comedic monologue (memorized if possible, but not required). If you are unable to find a monologue, directors will have a selection from which you may choose.
Sides for cold reads will be chosen by the director.
Auditions will consist of singing your song, reading your monologue, and cold reads.
The Story
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will be performed Live at the Lyric September 26-27 and October 3-4, 2025 at 7:00PM, Sunday September 28 and October 5, 2025 at 2:00PM.
Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience.
An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.
A riotous ride, complete with audience participation, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius. The small cast and unit set make this a perfect option for high schools or community theatres. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a fast-paced crowd pleaser and an instant theatre patron favorite.
Friday–Saturday, August 1–2 & 8–9, 7:00PM Sunday, August 3 & 10, 2:00PM
The Ozark Arts Council present Disney’s Mary Poppins performed at the Historic 1929 Lyric Theater August 1–2 and August 8–9 at 7:00PM, August 3 and 10 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. Tickets are on sale now!
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. This show is a perfect opportunity to showcase a strong, iconic female performer, as well as unique special effects and illusions.
Join us at the Lyric for Mary Poppins, August 1–2 and August 8–9 at 7:00PM, August 3 and 10 at 2:00PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (55+) and students, and $11 for children (11 and under), when bought in advance; prices rise $3 if purchased at the door—$18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, and $14 for children. #LiveAtTheLyric.
The Ozark Arts Council Presents…a Sponsorship Opportunity for: Mary Poppins!
Mary Poppins will be performed LIVE Friday–Saturday, August 1–2 & 8–9, 7:00PM
Sunday, August 3 & 10, 2:00PM, and we are wanting YOU to be a sponsor!
We at the Lyric Theater/Ozark Arts Council would like to offer you/your business an opportunity to sponsor our summer musical, Mary Poppins!
The levels of sponsorship are below, and of course we are also open to giving discounts for Lyric tickets with a receipt from one of your businesses and vice versa.
If you’re interested, need more information, have questions or perhaps you have an even better idea, please email us at in**@**************il.org. If you know anyone who might be interested, please feel free to let them know, too!
Levels of sponsorship:
$100-499: 2 free tickets to any performance of Mary Poppins, playbill recognition, social media recognition
$500-999: 2 free tickets to any performance of Mary Poppins, $50 concessions credit, playbill recognition, social medial recognition
$1000-1,999: 2 free tickets to any performance of Mary Poppins, $50 concessions credit, $50 bar credit, playbill recognition, social media recognition
$2000-4,999: 4 free tickets to any performance of Mary Poppins, name or business name on-screen before the performance, name or business name in playbill, social media, newspaper, and electronic billboard shoutouts in weeks leading up to the play, $100 concessions credit, $100 bar credit
$5000-9,999: 12 free tickets to any performance of Mary Poppins, open bar for you and guests, name or business name on-screen before the performance, name or business name in playbill, social media, newspaper, and electronic billboard shoutouts in weeks leading up to the play
$10,000 and up: private preview performance of Mary Poppins for you and any guests, open bar for you and guest, name or business name on-screen before the performance, name or business name in playbill, social media, newspaper, and electronic billboard shoutouts in weeks leading up to the play
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**@**************il.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.
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.).
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.
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 Lyriconce 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 playin our season!
A Concert Investor ($750) receives a code for two seats at every concertwe 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.
