Spend Your Evening With Comedy Legend David Sedaris

A returning Northwest Arkansas favorite, David Sedaris has charmed audiences with his sometimes neurotic and seemingly mundane, yet profound storytelling for more than 25 years. Don’t miss your chance to see him live on Thursday, April 24 at 7 pm. 

 Beloved for his personal essays, books, short stories and NPR segments, the three-time Grammy Award® nominee’s material isn’t always what you would expect. His anecdotes are riddled with strange addictions, unbelievable job experiences and his eccentric family, but it’s his droll and conversational style that makes him one of the greatest humorists writing today. 

“When you’re walking on that edge, there’s a certain feeling you get, it’s a thrill. I don’t mean trying to shock people just for the sake of it,” Sedaris explained in an interview with The Guardian. “I mean you’re doing something you think is funny, but you’re just not sure how [it will pan out].” 

Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and Calypso, which was a Washington Post best book of the year. He is the author of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of fables with illustrations by Ian Falconer. 

The first volume of his diaries Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) was a New York Times best-selling book. As a companion piece to the book, Jeffrey Jenkins published and edited an art book of Sedaris’s diary covers, entitled David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium. The second volume of his diaries, A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020) was also a New York Times bestseller and the audiobook was selected as part of Apple’s best audiobooks of the year for 2021. His book, Happy-Go-Lucky, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.   

Tickets are $55 and can be purchased by visiting waltonartscenter.org, by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm or in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10 am until 2 pm. 

Enjoy the Biggest Hits and Ha Ha Ha’s with The Second City

The Second City is celebrating 65 years of legendary laughs on Tuesday, April 1 at Walton Arts Center! Showcasing some of their audience’s favorite songs, sketches and characters created on their stages by their illustrious alumni. With material handpicked from the iconic comedy archive and brought to life by an all-star ensemble, see for yourself why The Second City continues to be the world’s most influential name in comedy.   

The Second City opened its doors on a snowy December night in Chicago in 1959, and a comedy revolution began. The small cabaret theater has become the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world, developing an entirely unique way of creating art and fostering generation after generation of superstars. 

Founded by Viola Spolin, Paul Sills, Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins, the group was experimental and unconventional in its approach to both theater and comedy. In 1976, Second City launched “SCTV” which has been hailed as one of the greatest sketch comedy series of all time. The two-time Emmy winning series featured an all-star cast with Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty and Rick Moranis.  

Today, The Second City is home to a world-class entertainment company with three locations in Chicago, Toronto and Hollywood. Some of the notable alumni include Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Amy Sedaris and Chris Farley. 

Tickets are $25 - $51 and can be purchased by visiting waltonartscenter.org, by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm or in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10 am until 2 pm.

Walton Arts Center Tickets are the Trendiest Gift of the Season!

Gift the joy of a live performance this holiday season with tickets to shows at Walton Arts Center. There is guaranteed to be a show for everyone on your holiday gift list, from live music and hilarious, cabaret-style comedy shows to your favorite Broadway performances and even something for the kids too! We have created an easy holiday gift guide to make giving easy this year! 

For the live music lover: 

For 50 years, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet has been making some of the most potent and popular Cajun music on the planet. Their distinctive sound derives from the distilled spirits of New Orleans jazz, blues rock, folk, swamp pop, Zydeco, country and bluegrass. The first Cajun band to win a Grammy®, critics unanimously agree that it is “bon temps, every time they play,” (New York Times). BeauSoleil will bring audiences to their feet on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 pm. Tickets are only $10! 

For the thrill seeker: 

Brace yourself for the scare of a lifetime on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 pm, as the world of Insidious jumps off the screen and into your theater seat with INSIDIOUS: THE FURTHER YOU FEAR – an immersive live horror experience that brings your darkest nightmares to life right before your eyes. When a paranormal demonstration goes horribly wrong, dark forces are unleashed, and the horror becomes all too real. But what is real? What’s just part of the show? And who—or what—might be sitting next to you? The house is full. The stage is set. The Red Door is about to open. Will you make it through? Tickets are $40 - $95.  

For the jazz connoisseur:  

Vocalist René Marie has cemented her reputation as a singer, composer, arranger, theatrical performer and teacher. She borrows various folk, R&B, classical and country elements to create a captivating style. Her body of work is more than just music. It’s an exploration and affirmation of the bright and dark corners of the human experience. Don’t miss Marie’s heartfelt tunes on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 - $55.  

Something the kids will love: 

Set to the sound of the n’goni, balafon, djembe, naffar, derbouka and dhol instruments, this dynamic concert invites kids and their families to discover Africa, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance. From African rap and desert dance to Sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance, award-winning artist and percussionist Kattam takes you on an entertaining and educational journey on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 4 pm. Tickets are only $10! 

For the jokester:  

Helen Hong is a beloved comedian and actor who is bringing the laughs to Walton Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 pm.  Her sharp wit and pulse on current events have regularly landed her on CNN, The Young Turks and “The Stephanie Miller Show.” She’s performed standup comedy on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen,” Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and for troops in the middle east and international audiences all over the world. Tickets are $25 - $35.  

For the Broadway fanatic:  

Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is the electrifying, smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Ain't Too Proud tells the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal, as the group's personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America. Ain’t Too Proud is bringing signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies to the local stage Jan. 22 – 23 with three performances. Tickets are $45 - $94.  

For the nightlife enthusiast: 

Cheers to a fun time! Purchase a cocktail class for $39 and enjoy light appetizers from Fayetteville High School's Brightwater culinary students while you learn how to mix two specialty cocktails crafted by our in-house team of local mixologists. You'll leave with recipes, great memories and new friends! 

Have tickets to a show that night? Add-on a cocktail class before your show and you'll be in your seat before the theater lights dim. No show tickets? Come anyway for a fun, hands-on experience. Cocktail classes are available in February, March and April.  

Need more options? Look at our calendar to find a show and a ticket price that is just right for everyone on your gift list.

Gift certificates are also available, totally customizable and valid for shows at both Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP. Tickets and gift certificates can be purchased by visiting waltonartscenter.org, by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm or in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10 am until 2 pm.