Blue Man Group To Leave Audiences "Speechless" In New Tour

Blue Man Group will rock your world. Blow your mind. And unleash your spirit. As three bald and blue men explore our world, together we’ll discover music, laughter and surprises at every turn.

By the end of this spectacular journey, you’ll be saying “I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED BUT I LOOOVED IT.”

35 million people of all ages, languages and cultures have experienced the unexpected with Blue Man Group. Now it’s your turn to see what all the hype is about!

Speechless, the newest show from the famous trio, will feature new and original compositions, acts and instruments alongside iconic Blue Man Group moments based in joy, art, music, comedy, social commentary and profound absurdity. We see fun in your future. If you like normal, think again —‘cause Blue Man Group is a rollicking rave of a good time.

---

---

ALL-NEW TOUR LAUNCHING AT WALTON ARTS CENTER!

Blue Man Group

Speechless

DATES: Sept. 12-19*

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES: Tuesday, Sept. 10 & Wednesday, Sept. 11**

Perfect Pairings for Date Night, Family Fun & So Much More - Broadway Sampler Subscription

Broadway@WAC is bigger and better than ever. With our new Broadway Sampler Subscription you can pick 3-6 shows and create your perfect subscription at a great price.

To help make the selection process a bit easier, we pre-packaged some sampler subscriptions just for you. Explore what speaks to you - sample it all and have an amazing theater experience while doing it.

---

Date Night Broadway

• The Play That Goes Wrong

• Once on this Island

• Fiddler on the Roof

• The Band’s Visit

• *ADD ON: Book of Mormon

Date night made easy! Schedule your nights out with your significant other to see shows throughout our Broadway season. You know the drill: dinner, specialty drinks at WAC and an amazing night of beautiful theater. Travel around the world every time you take your seat, all in your backyard. It’s just that simple!

Family-Friendly Broadway

• A Christmas Story, The Musical

• Anastasia

• Fiddler on the Roof

• *ADD ON: Blue Man Group

Delight your young audience members by introducing them to musicals they will love with this family-friendly Broadway package. Whether you decide to pull out the pink bunny costumes or sing along to “Journey to the Past” is up to you, but know you’ll be able to win major cool-parent points with a trip to the theater.

Girls’ Night Out Broadway

• Escape to Margaritaville

• The Play That Goes Wrong

• Once on this Island

• Anastasia

• *ADD ON: Book of Mormon

Text your gals and plan your GNOs throughout the upcoming Broadway season. Starting with Escape to Margaritaville’s island love story, then the big laughs set at Haversham Manor with The Play That Goes Wrong and onto the powerful characters of Ti Moune and Anya looking for their places in the world in Once on This Island and Anastasia, respectively. You can even add on The Book of Mormon for a wild ride from Utah to Uganda!

Direct From Broadway

• Escape to Margaritaville

• The Play that Goes Wrong

• Once on this Island

• Anastasia

• The Band’s Visit

From the streets of New York City to Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center - see five shows on their first national tours! Sing-a-long music, big laughs and classic tales make up this “Direct From Broadway” package, full of exciting new musicals that premiered on Broadway within the last two years.

Classic Broadway

• A Christmas Story

• Once on this Island

• Anastasia

• Fiddler on the Roof

• *ADD ON: The Book of Mormon

For lovers of the glitz and grandeur of traditional Broadway musicals, you will not want to miss these four musicals on our upcoming season. Stunning costumes, brilliant sets and classic Broadway song and dance numbers will take the stage in Baum Walker Hall.

LOL@Broadway

• Escape to Margaritaville

• The Play That Goes Wrong

• A Christmas Story

• *ADD ON: Blue Man Group

• *ADD ON: The Book of Mormon

Gut-busting, side-splitting and roll-on-the-floor laughter is in store for this round-up of Broadway shows. A guaranteed good time is a ticket away for the perfect night out. Parrotheads, wannabe thespians & pink bunnies unite for this three show line-up. Add on Blue Man Group and Book of Mormon for even more LOLs!

Broadway Sampler Subscriptions

For Broadway fans with busy lives who need a little more flexibility in a subscription package!

The Broadway Sampler Subscription includes 3-6 performances – chosen by you – at a GREAT price! Packages start at just $124.

West Street Live Line-Up is Soul-FULL!

In an atmosphere reminiscent of neighborhood listening rooms and nightclubs, West Street Live caters to live music fans, bringing artists from a variety of genres to Walton Arts Center’s Starr Theater for intimate, relaxed concerts.

The setting allows patrons to connect with the music and musicians in a performance like no other. Get access to all these amazing concerts with a West Street Live subscription package. Tiered seating subscriptions are $174 per seat. That's just $29 per concert!

---

Nace Brothers Acoustic

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019

Led by brothers David and Jimmy, the Nace Brothers have been performing together for more than 37 years – and in that time they’ve become seasoned professionals, considered by most to be models of artistic integrity. As fourth generation performers, the brothers were raised on regional radio and television programs like “Hillbilly Jamboree” in the golden age of honky-tonk – and you can hear that rich musical heritage in their unique blend of country, blues and roots rock. Their music exudes brilliant songwriting, expressive vocals, soaring guitar and a rock solid rhythm section. The history of roots rock is full of bands that have flared up brilliantly and promptly disappeared, but fans can count on the Nace Brothers at the end of those weeks when they need some time with old friends and a few hours to clear our minds.

Martha Redbone

Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019

Martha Redbone is one of today’s most vital voices in American Roots music. An award-winning musician celebrated for her tasty gumbo of folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Kentucky Appalachian hills mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn. With the power of her gospel-singing father’s voice and the determined spirit of her Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw mother, Redbone broadens all boundaries of Americana. Described by Billboard magazine as “the kind of woman who sets trends,” her songs are a brilliant collision of cultures, telling stories that bring to light an important piece of American history that has never been told.

An Acoustic Set with Amy Ray featuring Jeff Fielder and Kerry Brooks

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020

One half of the Grammy Award®-winning folk duo Indigo Girls, Amy Ray takes the stage in this “solo” performance with band mates Jeff Fielder, the shape-shifting multi-instrumentalist on guitar, dobro, bass and mandolin; and Kerry Brooks on upright bass and mandolin. With the group’s intuitive chops serving as a foundation and Ray’s knack for straddling the line between the personal and the political, her newest album, Holler, focuses on the American South. With songs about Southern identity, racism, poverty and the living history that hides all around us, the album reminds us that we are all merely temporary visitors in the spaces that we inhabit.

Tab Benoit

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Tab Benoit is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable 30-year career on the foundation of his repertoire that ranges from swamp-pop classics to gritty blues and rootsy jams. Two-time winner of the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award, winner of five Blues Music Awards and a Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee, Benoit also serves as the founding member of the “Wetland All-Stars,” a group of New Orleans natives – including the late Dr. John, George Porter Jr. The group is dedicated to forging a musical plea about the fragile eco-system that is the increasingly depleted wetlands surrounding their home. Tab Benoit is a pioneer of the sound and style indigenous to Louisiana’s wetlands, and every performance is filled with a passion for that purpose.

Bonnie Bishop

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Called “a gifted songwriter and a powerhouse singer” with a voice that “booms with the force of a Texas straight-line squall” (Nashville Scene), Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Bonnie Bishop may just be the “new queen of country soul” (Houston Press). More than a decade after her song “Not ‘Cause I Wanted To” topped the New York Times song of the year list, Bishop got her second big break when she started working with Nashville’s hottest producer, Dave Cobb – who helped Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell become award-winning chart toppers. Inspired by the Motown greats, like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, Cobb encouraged Bishop to break up with her old identity – moving away from country to pursue a career as a soul singer. As Nashville’s establishment and legions of roots-music fans are now well aware, she ain’t who she was. 

Jayme Stone’s Folklife

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Jayme Stone is a composer, banjoist, instigator, producer and educator who has developed a process of trawling for understudied sounds in the more arcane corners of the world to see how they’ll land in his musical universe. On his newest album, Folklife, Stone treats old field recordings as heirloom seeds passed down from a bygone generation that he plants in modern soil, burgeoning into vibrant Sea Island spirituals, Creole calypsos and stomp-down Appalachian dance tunes for contemporary listeners. Performing alongside an ensemble with virtuosity, musical integrity and irrepressible charm, Stones’ album is full of beautiful, intriguing, thoughtful music that rewards our attention as much as it captures it, and proves that folk songs are indeed perennials for the people.

Get early access to all these amazing concerts with this subscription package!

West Street Live lineup:

1. Nace Brothers Acoustic, Oct. 10

2. Martha Redbone, Nov. 16

3. An Acoustic Set with Amy Ray
   featuring Jeff Fielder & Kerry Brooks, Jan. 16

4. Tab Benoit, Feb. 6

5. Bonnie Bishop, March 21

6. Jayme Stone's Folklife, May 14

Tiered seating subscriptions are $174 per seat. That's just $29 per concert!

Theater Celebrating Theater - Behind the Curtain of an Award-Winning Arts Program

Supporting artmakers in our vibrant community is a priority for Walton Arts Center, and in June Artist’s Laboratory Theatre’s Southside Civic Lab received the Robert E. Gard Award for exemplary work at the intersection of the arts and community life. ALT was nominated by Laura Goodwin, VP of Walton Arts Center’s Learning & Engagement.

Founder and Artistic Director of the Artist’s Laboratory Theatre, Erika Wilhite, uses community input as a guide as she develops scripts and creates work that explores local topics through immersive performance experiences. Wilhite is also a dramaturg, writer and director for ALT. Her recent projects include South Side Civic Lab, Bango! and The New Now. She received her MFA in Theatre from University of Central Florida and BFA in Theatre from University of Central Oklahoma. She is a facilitator and consultant who uses the tools of theatre to work with communities, organizations and public service agencies in the areas of capacity-building around conflict resolution and cooperative partnerships.  

---

“Socially engaged art is up close and personal and only works when the relationship between artist and community is authentic. The Artist’s Laboratory Theatre project impressed me because it fostered constructive community dialog and change through an art form. I wanted to shine a spotlight on the company’s work and to remind us how powerful the arts can be.”

- Laura Goodwin, VP of Walton Arts Center’s Learning & Engagement

Description of the Project:

To increase awareness and dialogue about issues of neighborhood gentrification in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Artist’s Laboratory Theatre developed the Southside Civic Lab project. Project outputs were collaboratively developed and delivered over a period of 16 months through expansive research, interviews and focus groups with local people who were experiencing food, transportation and housing insecurity in Fayetteville’s Southside neighborhood. “Listening parties” addressed topics affecting the community and offered radical hospitality including food and childcare. "Neighborhood ambassadors" identified barriers and inequities for people who rely on public transit via research driven, task-focused bus rides. A three-day community visioning festival offered workshops on citizen-led community development and civic engagement. Project events and experiences informed an original play script titled "Good Person of South Fayetteville," which was performed by ALT at site-specific venues including during public bus commutes. The project was supported by the Our Town grant through the National Endowment for the Arts.

Project Impact:

Southside Civic Lab project generated impressive outcomes for the neighborhood, a historically low-income minority community, at a time of rapid gentrification. The project united foundational neighbors with new homeowners, city officials and community services providers to explore shared concerns and inspired transformational citizen engagement by underrepresented people.

First-time attendance at public housing planning meetings by Southside neighbors resulted in a change of meeting structure to accommodate citizen input. In addition, the project empowered neighbors to make impressive commitments to civic duties; one ran for City Council while another joined the Housing Authority Board of Directors via appointment by the city’s mayor; this marked a comprehensive change in board membership and operational staffing.

Beyond the project’s scope, neighbors used project-learned skills to implement traffic-calming solutions in a busy roadway. The project stimulated change to public bus routes when it revealed better sites for stops and the need for weather shelters; local routes were redrawn and bus stop shelters added.

Through the Southside Civic Lab project, Artist's Laboratory Theatre created necessary conditions to support a  profoundly changing neighborhood to know one another better, to  transform their own community, and to improve self-identified, every day needs through arts integrated strategies.

Q&A with Erika Wilhite

How did this project originate?

After moving our headquarters to South Fayetteville, we hosted several listening sessions with the residents of the neighborhood to glean insight on the kind of programs would benefit the area. ALT develops scripts based on themes through long-term community engagement, and we were beginning a new project, so we needed a new theme. We learned from our neighbors that housing insecurity and homelessness was a major concern since it was prevalent in the South Fayetteville. We continued those conversations for a year and half as we developed the script the Good Person of South Fayetteville. 

What are your biggest "wins" surrounding the Southside Civic Lab - awards, experiences, conversations, etc?

We created the conditions for conversations on complex economic, social and cultural topics. We workshopped the script with audiences throughout the process, and each performance was followed by a facilitated conversation that included social welfare employees, city officials and impacted community members. Audiences were made aware of the current conditions of homelessness by hearing real stories from their neighbors living without shelter.

 What is your goal for this project in relation to our community - now and moving forward?

The goal was to create a play while getting our community plugged into the issues. The last stage of this project is the production of Good Person of South Fayetteville in summer 2020. It will be staged on the Ozark Regional Transit buses in site-specific locations around South Fayetteville. Moving forward, we are using this Civic Lab model for our next topic. We will spend the next year engaging communities in NWA on the topic of employment. We will develop a script through a similar method, through listening parties, interviews and community audits, but we will expand our reach to Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville in this next project. 

What are you most proud of?

In addition to sharing the script in pieces with public audiences, we did table readings of the script with the clients of Genesis and 7 Hills, who performed the play as actors and gave their feedback about script edits. I am super proud of how that process empowered them take control of the narrative. 

What are your "next steps?"

 Kicking off the NWA Civic Lab. 

Back Stage Access – Behind the Scenes at Our Wedding Styled Shoot

The area’s premier vendors all met on the Walton Arts Center’s main stage to put on a production like never before! Full of drama, romance and beautiful images, the wedding styled shoot came to life. More photos are on their way, as well as information on how to book your special day at Walton Arts Center!

Recapping an amazing photo-shoot, our team reached out to a few of the incredible vendors to share their experience, style and what it’s like to work at WAC - a big thanks to everyone who created theater wedding magic!

---

Catering Unlimited

• We all come from different backgrounds and perceive food in different ways. Our food styles range from southern comfort food to ornate gourmet fare with over flowing charcuterie to Spanish style cuisine. Just one style couldn’t describe us!

• We love seeing food bring people together! Sharing a meal with friends and family is a wedding tradition that will never go out of style. We love working with clients to create a menu that truly reflects them for their special day. We are a full-service catering company, so the options are unlimited.

• We love the Walton Arts Center as a venue and facility because they have an incredible work space with all of the catering necessities, but more importantly we love the WAC staff! Each person that we’ve worked closely with over the years has been organized, friendly, diligent and professional. We appreciate their commitment to making each event that takes place a success!

She Said Yes Bridal

She Said Yes Bridal is a locally owned bridal boutique in Northwest Arkansas with a passion for people, beautiful gowns, and loving what we do!  We believe in going above and beyond the customer service experience while providing an exclusive collection of gowns in a range of sizes and silhouettes.

Aenimate Media Productions

How would you characterize your style?

I aspire to capture images in an interesting way, and edit them together to engage the viewer and stimulate one’s creativeness. Many different things and styles inspire me, but I especially enjoy creating vivid and dramatic visual styles. I try to marry those visuals with music or sound that amplifies the feeling or message being conveyed. 

What do you love about weddings and the unique services that you offer?

What I love about weddings is how personal they are to the people getting married, and how that experience is shared with their families and friends. So many strong feelings and emotions take place throughout those moments, and if I’m lucky enough to capture some of that and bundle it up into a keepsake that stirs those same emotions, I’ve done my part. I really enjoy working with couples in helping giving them something that can last their lifetime, that they can watch together reliving those moments from their special day.

JM Designs

JM Designs is “creative,” but that simply does not do her or her work justice. Inspired, thoughtful, elegant, striking, elevated and unforgettable. In a industry saturated with Pinterest ideals and inspirations, Jo takes it a step further and asks “how can we make it extraordinary?” Her eye for design and masterful understanding of color sets her apart as an artist. Her excitement for work that pushes creative boundaries and her commitment to creating beautiful events and weddings set her apart as a professional. Her candor and imagination are the perfect asset to any bride trying to break the mold, or simply breath life into the vision you have for your most perfect day.

What do you enjoy about working with Walton Arts Center (WAC)?

I see so much opportunity in a venue like WAC. It’s not like any other venue in our area! The atmosphere is nostalgic yet a blank slate all at once. Each bride will be different, and each wedding design will have its own heartbeat in a space that lends itself to creativity the way WAC does. Florals, atmospheric lights, table design - it all plays important roles in a space like this, and comes together in an elegant and climactic way that I just haven’t experienced anywhere else.  My week spent working on the Art of Wine event gave me the unique opportunity of setting up my studio in a space and working closely with the WAC team and I have to say that their professionalism and attention to detail was not only inspiring, but also a breath of fresh air.  The passion for what they do was evident in their work as well as their attitudes.  By the end of the week, everyone was exhausted, but still filled with joy and pride... I can’t wait to return to that environment again soon!

What can you do/create at WAC that is special?

Here’s what I know about a WAC bride - she values originality. No one who has their wedding or reception in a state of the art theater is wanting traditional. No, their vision is big, bold, and unique to their taste and personality. I thrive on creating wedding design rooted in the bold, extraordinary, and the unique with exceptional value and service - and taking my bride’s breath away with the final product!

Vinson Images

How would you characterize your style?

Dynamic - cinematic - documentary. We strive to tell true and authentic stories in an interesting and vivid way. We also love to create one of a kind piece of art that can be hung above a fireplace mantle.

What do you love about weddings and the unique services that you offer?

We love showing people what their story looks like, but most importantly, we love to remind them what their wedding felt like. This is the main reason we have a documentary approach to weddings. When our couples look at an image, we want them to remember what that moment felt like and not remember us posing or directing them.

 What do you enjoy about working with Walton Arts Center (WAC)?

The space that WAC has plays hand-in-hand with the type of work we like to create. We normally describe our work as cinematic, but that word could easily be exchanged for theatrical. No one does theater better then WAC!  WAC is fantastic at making someone's wedding vision come to life easily!

---

Photo: Vinson Images

Your Day. Your Show.

Make Walton Arts Center the venue for your Grand Production.

Save Our Dates & Have Your Big Day At Walton Arts Center

Your Day! Your Show! Walton Arts Center is not only home to the best of Broadway, All-star performances or iconic music aCts - it is also a space where couples can be center stage for the Biggest production of their lives.

Weddings at Walton arts Center are customized, creative and show-stopping - no two events are the same. If you or someone you know are looking to tie the knot, check out Walton Arts Center for a venue that is truly unique!

---

To simplify the reservation process, The following dates represent wedding availability for Spring/Summer 2020

Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

Sunday, March 29th, 2020

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Saturday, May 30, 2020

*Saturday, June 20, 2020 (ALL ACCESS DATE)

*Sunday, June 21, 2020 (ALL ACCESS DATE)

*Saturday, June 27, 2020 (ALL ACCESS DATE)

*Sunday, June 28, 2020 (ALL ACCESS DATE)

Sunday, July 5, 2020

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Sunday, August 9, 2020

*ALL ACCESS PACKAGE – Includes the entire venue plus the build out of Baum Walker Hall stage (seating for 400)

---

Want to see the magic we can create? Take a look at the beautiful images from our Walton Arts Center Styled shoot with amazing vendors from all over NorthWest Arkansas.

Images: Vinson Images

Save Our Dates & Find Out More on How To Have Your Big Day at Walton Arts Center

Safe & Secure Ticket Buying for Walton Arts Center and The Walmart AMP

It’s the day of the concert, you’ve got your ticket and You are about to head out the door for a perfect night out. the Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP team wants to help make your performance dreams a reality. The first step is making sure you have a valid ticket!

Scalping, the sale of a ticket for an event at a price higher than the face value or the sale of a non-valid ticket, is an illegal act in Arkansas. It’s something that every venue battles. And every patron should follow some simple steps to avoid scalped tickets entirely.

---

Tips for Safe Ticket Purchasing:

Purchase only from the venue or their authorized ticketing system. If you don’t know what the authorized ticketing system is for a venue, visit their website first to find that out.

While you are there, do some simple research before you purchase!

• Check on ticket availability from the venue first.

  • That way you know if the show is sold out or if tickets are still available. Sold out shows can run the risk of more scalped tickets on third-party sites because sellers know that patrons are desperate to get tickets.

• Also check the price of tickets from the venue - so know what they should cost and don’t overpay.

If you still decide to purchase from a third-party or resale sites, exercise caution: When doing online searches for tickets – be aware of where those links are sending you.

• Scalpers pay to be listed higher in search. Venues usually can’t – especially non profits

• It’s a good practice to skip the ads listed at the top and actually go to the organic listing.

Also, be a smart consumer when purchasing tickets:

• Don’t advertise how desperate you are to get tickets. That includes posts on social media or in the event listing on social media. That makes you a target for scalpers to reach out to you.

• And if the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you can’t verify it through the venue or if they offer to take any alternative payment method (Amazon gift cards, etc) then pass on it.

Purchasing Tickets for Walmart AMP and Walton Arts Center Events

Walton Arts Center Tickets is the only authorized ticket seller for events at Walton Arts Center, Nadine Baum Studios and the Walmart AMP. In some instances, tours will offer special deals through services like Living Social and Groupon. Those tickets are purchased by the service from our box office and are valid offers. If you ever have questions about whether a ticket offer is valid, you can always call our box office at 479.443.5600.

Please be aware that event tickets for Walton Arts Center venues purchased from third party ticketing sites may be counterfeit and in such cases would not be honored for admission.

In order to avoid problems with counterfeit or invalid tickets, we encourage patrons to ONLY purchase tickets through Walton Arts Center Tickets. Tickets can be purchased online at waltonartscenter.org, in-person at Walton Arts Center’s Box Office, via phone at 479.443.560 or on the WAC Tickets app.

If you’ve purchased scalped tickets - here are a few things you can do…

Know Your Rights

According to Arkansas Code 5-63-201, updated April 2015, re-selling tickets to an entertainment event at a venue in the state of Arkansas at greater than face value plus reasonable fees for processing is illegal. These scalpers have committed a crime to which you are the victim, and you are well within your rights seek retribution.

Steps You Can Take

• Contact your credit card company or your bank as soon as possible and start the process of disputing the charge.

Please note that in some circumstances it might even be prudent to cancel the card used, as the personal information the unauthorized ticket seller has obtained from you cannot be guaranteed as secure.

• Contact the website where you purchased the ticket to alert them about the fraud and request a refund.

Be aware that in some circumstances, they may offer only a partial refund making the amount paid equal to the “box office sale price” plus originally charged fees. You may refuse this partial refund; it is your right to demand a full refund.

• Contact the Consumer Protection Department of the Attorney General’s Office by visiting their website at www.ArkansasAG.gov or by calling (501) 682-2341 or (toll free) (800) 482-8982.

A complaint with the AR Attorney General can be easily filed against the agency or individual. The form can be found online at: http://www.arkansasag.gov/file-a-consumer-complaint/

You may also file a complaint with the Attorney General of the state in which the scalper is located.

• Contact Jennifer Dobrowolski, Box Office Manager for Walton Arts Center, at (479) 571-2709 or jdobrowolski@waltonartscenter.org with the details of your transaction, so we can update our records and do everything within our power to help you get your money back and prevent future fraud activity.

Walton Arts Center Ticketing Policies

The Walton Arts Center is the only authorized ticket seller for events at Walton Arts Center, Nadine Baum Studios and the Walmart AMP. Please exercise caution in purchasing tickets. If you have a question regarding authorized sales, please contact us at (479) 443-5600.

• Be aware that any event tickets purchased from a source other than the Walton Arts Center or the Walmart AMP may not be honored for admission.

• Tickets held at will call for an event require a matching, valid ID to pick up.

• Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP are not responsible for third party resell tickets.

Our team at Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP do everything we can to prevent ticket fraud, and strongly discourage our patrons from purchasing tickets through ticket resellers or third parties.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to call the Box Office at (479) 443-5600 before you buy.

Celebrating 10 Years of the 10x10 Arts Series!

10 Years of Imagination. 10 Years of Innovation. 10 Years of Inspiration. 10 Years of 10x10.

Going into the 10th season of the 10x10 Arts Series, the line up celebrates the diversity of art forms, cultures and expression that will inspire, uplift and challenge patrons. From dueling piano battles to Latin rhythms, riveting theater to classical compositions with a twist, step out of the box with the 10x10 Arts Series!

---

Tiempo Libre

Three-time Grammy®-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group Tiempo Libre is one of the hottest Latin bands today.  Tiempo Libre is celebrated for its sophisticated tropical music featuring an irresistible, exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies and seductive Latin rhythms.  

Nobuntu

Nobuntu all share a common goal to promote and preserve ‘ubuntu’, a Nguni word meaning compassion and humanity. In fact the name ‘Nobuntu’ means ‘mother of ubuntu.’

“… joy seems central to Nobuntu's existence: it's present in their glorious singing, their expressive dancing, even in their dress - plaids, stripes, florals in colours as exuberant as their vocals.”

Theatre Re’s The Nature of Forgetting

At the intersection of art and science, The Nature of Forgetting bursts with creativity, joy and heartache. Collaborating with London neuroscientist Kate Jeffery, Theatre Re has created a moving articulation of the countless dimensions of memory and amnesia, linking science with real life experiences.

Piano Battle

The brainchild of internationally acclaimed pianists Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis, the PIANO BATTLE sees the duo go head-to-head on stage, charming and enchanting the audience with a variety of classical pieces. The show is divided into several rounds, each featuring a certain musical style. The two artists, with distinctly different performance techniques, will even go so far as to improvise on the tunes you request. And patrons will help pick a winner at the end of the evening.

Ballet Memphis

Ballet Memphis brings more new works to the stage each season than any other national ballet company of the same size—from fresh new faces such as Garrett Ammon, Mikelle Bruzina, Petr Zhradnicek and Matthew Neenan, to lauded choreographers George Balanchine, Mark Godden, Julia Adam, Dana Tai Soon Burgess and Jane Comfort. Commissioned repertoire of Ballet Memphis also includes works by Trey McIntyre, Lila York, Abou Lagraa, Shapiro and Smith, Robert Battle, Joseph Jefferies and more.

Apollo’s Fire - Baroque Orchestra (Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Rediscovered)

Named for the classical god of music and the sun, Apollo’s Fire was founded by its Artistic Director Jeannette Sorrell, to revive the baroque ideal that music should evoke the various Affekts or passions in the listeners. Apollo’s Fire is a collection of creative artists who share Sorrell’s passion for drama and rhetoric.

“The U.S.A.’s hottest baroque band.”
–CLASSICAL MUSIC MAGAZINE

Socks in the Frying Pan

Socks in the Frying Pan consists of two brothers, Shane and Fiachra Hayes, as well as Aodán Coyne. This young trio from Country Clare blend Irish traditional melodies with innovative rhythmic and melodic garnish. Having gained a fan-base from four years of gigging around the west of Ireland, the group have recently began branching out with their modern traditional style and energetic approach to music. This, combined with acoustic musical interplay, three-part harmonies and an obvious love for live performances, compliments the traditional essence of both tune and songs in a fresh and entertaining way.

The Real Group

A Swedish vocal group with five dedicated singers and musicians. The group has been touring for more than 30 years and continues to excite a broad audience all over the world. With a unique musical expression in a field between jazz, pop and Northern European choral music, The Real Group is considered one of the leading forces in the world of vocal music. 

Punyah’s Abha

The Hindu epic Ramayana is a story of valor and duty. It is the story of Lord Rama, the legendary prince of the Kosala Kingdom. But it is also the story of Sita, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, a woman who did not blindly follow instructions.

Parshwanath Upadhye, one of the world's most sought-after young dancers of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, with his company Punyah Dance Company, retells India's favorite epic with a fresh perspective and focus on it's central female character. Inspired by the book Sita by Devadatt Pattanaik and set in a traditional Margam format, Äbhä pushes the boundaries of traditional Bharatanatyam presentation and storytelling.

AFO 10x10

Soaring strings, crashing symbols and timpani drum rolls to a tumultuous musical crescendo… with a decisive sweep of his baton, internationally acclaimed Maestro Corrado Rovaris will once again lead the Artosphere Festival Orchestra through an enchanting symphonic experience.

Recognized as an important musical voice by American Public Media’s “Performance Today” – the nation’s most popular classical music radio program – the AFO is a dynamic ensemble of young, talented musicians. In their tenth year performing together, these virtuosic artists will showcase fresh interpretations of leading composers in a stunning exhibition that demonstrates the brilliance of classical music.

Love all the 10x10 performances? Be A 10x10 Ambassador!

+ Early access to all 10 performances.
+ The same seats at each performance – and priority purchasing next season!
+ Special invitations to member-only events, including exclusive masterclasses and rehearsals with the artists.
+ A 10x10 Arts Series gift.
+ Free ambassador tickets to select 10x10 Arts Series performances so you can share your 10x10 love with friends and family!
+ Access to 10x10 Creative Conversations and post-show parties with the artists.

For Lovers of Books & Broadway - Broadway Book Club for the 19-20 Season!

If you are looking for a new way to engage with books or Broadway shows ... this is the club for you! Members of the Broadway Book Club (BBC) read books that relate to our Broadway shows, Then meet together and discuss both.

By joining the BBC, you will have access to discounted tickets to the accompanying show as well as an opportunity to join a lively discussion with other BBC members. Choose as many books from the list as you'd like!

---

Curator’s Note:

This year we decided to focus on the four titles of our season that are true book adaptations! Each corresponding show has been adapted from a literary source. Examining them through this lens allows us to consider the choices made when adapting the story – and will bring our discussions beyond the ‘which is better’ question to look deeper and analyze the different vehicles through which we experienced the story and consider the unique attributes of both genres.

This can be as simple as looking at what parts of the plot were left out verses what was included, or go as in depth as to examine how the director, set designers, costumers, lighting designers etc created the world of the novel on stage. Connecting the literary title to its musical counterpart will hopefully give audiences a chance to more deeply engage with the experience!

---

Escape to Margaritaville

• SHOW DATES: Oct. 22-27, 2019

• BOOK CLUB DATE & TIME: Monday Oct. 28, 6-7:30 pm

• BOOK: Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

Margaritaville may not appear on a map, but it does exist--at least in the brilliantly creative, sometimes slightly skewed imagination of Jimmy Buffett. Tales from Margaritaville is a collection of short stories (some purely fiction, some based in truth) so vividly packed with restless dreamers, wild wanderers, and pure gypsy souls that just reading it is a wild adventure. Travel along with a cowboy named Tully Mars, as he heads from Heartache, Wyoming, to Graceland, and relive the autobiographical odyssey of a third-generation sailor and first-rate musical outlaw. With unforgettable stories that present the true roamer's twin loves--the sea and the road--Tales from Margaritaville is one "smooth sailing book of infinite imagination" (Chicago Sun-Times).

A Christmas Story

• SHOW DATES: Dec. 10-15, 2019

• BOOK CLUB DATE & TIME: Monday Dec. 2, 6-7:30 pm

• BOOK: In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
  
  Before Garrison Keillor and Spalding Gray there was Jean Shepherd: a master monologist and writer who spun the materials of his all-American childhood into immensely resonant--and utterly hilarious--works of comic art. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash represents one of the peaks of his achievement, a compound of irony, affection and perfect detail that speaks across generations.
  
  In God We Trust, Shepherd's wildly witty reunion with his Indiana hometown, disproves the adage "You can never go back." Bending the ear of Flick, his childhood-buddy-turned-bartender, Shepherd recalls passionately his genuine Red Ryder BB gun, confesses adolescent failure in the arms of Junie Jo Prewitt and relives a story of man against fish that not even Hemingway could rival. From pop art to the World's Fair, Shepherd's subjects speak with a universal irony and are deeply and unabashedly grounded in American Midwestern life, together rendering a wonderfully nostalgic impression of a more innocent era when life was good, fun was clean, and station wagons roamed the earth.

Once On This Island

• SHOW DATES: Feb. 11-16, 2020

• BOOK CLUB DATE & TIME: Monday Feb. 17, 6-7:30 pm

• BOOK: My Love, My Love: or The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy

Rosa Guy’s tropical retelling of "The Little Mermaid" is the gorgeous, tragic love story of Désirée, a beautiful peasant girl who devotes herself to the handsome, aristocratic young man whose life she has saved. When his upper-class family feels that Désirée’s skin is too dark and her family too poor for a boy destined for power and wealth, Désirée proves that she is willing to give everything for love. This lovely reprint will break your heart.

Born in Trinidad, Rosa Guy has written 15 novels and has received the Coretta Scott King Award, and The New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year citation.

Fiddler On The Roof

• SHOW DATES: April 14 - 19, 2020

• BOOK CLUB DATE & TIME: Monday April 20, 6-7:30 pm

• BOOK: Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories by Sholem Aleichem

Of all the characters in modern Jewish fiction, the most beloved is Tevye, the compassionate, irrepressible, Bible-quoting dairyman from Anatevka, who has been immortalized in the writings of Sholem Aleichem and in acclaimed and award-winning theatrical and film adaptations.

And no Yiddish writer was more beloved than Tevye’s creator, Sholem Rabinovich (1859–1916), the “Jewish Mark Twain,” who wrote under the pen name of Sholem Aleichem. Beautifully translated by Hillel Halkin, here is Sholem Aleichem’s heartwarming and poignant account of Tevye and his daughters, together with the “Railroad Stories,” 21 tales that examine human nature and modernity as they are perceived by men and women riding the trains from shtetl to shtetl.

Broadway Book Club

Contact our Engagement Coordinator to register for the Broadway Book Club, and you can purchase reduced-price tickets (10% off regular ticket price) to the accompanying show with our Group Sales Coordinator by calling 479.571.2719 or emailing groups@waltonartscenter.org.

Celebrating The Moon - AFO's Performance Will Be Out of this World

Inspired by our connection to the universe and the influence of space themes and pop culture through the decades, the grand compositions to be played by Artosphere Festival Orchestra celebrate the moon in a night not to be missed.

Each selection connects to the greater theme of space for the 10th anniversary of Artosphere, and the finale event includes world-renowned musicians from across our blue planet.

Program:

• Johann Strauss II | The Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314

• Claudio Monteverdi | Toccata from L’Orfeo

• Johann Sebastian Bach | Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 
  Transcribed for orchestra by Ottorino Respighi

• Georg Friedrich Händel | Overture to Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 35

• Claude Debussy | Clair de lune
  Transcribed for orchestra by André Caplet

• Richard Strauss | Also Sprach Zarathustra Op. 30 (excerpt)

• Giacomo Puccini | Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut

• John Williams | Star Wars Main Theme

---

Space-influenced compositions

The Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314

Originally performed in February 1867 at a concert of the Wiener Männergesangsverein (Vienna Men's Choral Association), it has been one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire. The specifically Viennese sentiment associated with Strauss's melody has made it an unofficial Austrian national anthem.

The piece was prominently used in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. After a leap from humanity's prehistoric past to its spacefaring future, the first two-thirds of The Blue Danube are heard as a space plane approaches and docks with a space station; it concludes while another spacecraft travels from the station to the Moon. The piece is then reprised over the film's closing credits.

Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 

Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor (BWV 582) is an organ piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. Presumably composed early in Bach's career, it is one of his most important and well-known works, and an important influence on 19th and 20th Century passacaglias: Robert Schumann described the variations of the passacaglia as "intertwined so ingeniously that one can never cease to be amazed." The composition was used by George Lucas in his 1968 USC student film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.

Clair de lune

Clair de Lune is French for "light of the moon.” The third and most famous movement of Suite bergamasque is "Clair de lune", in D♭ major. It is marked andante très expressif (at an easy walking pace and very expressive), and to be played mostly pianissimo (very softly). It is not to be confused with the two settings of the poem made by Debussy for voice and piano accompaniment.

Also Sprach Zarathustra Op. 30 

Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 is a tone poem by Richard Strauss, composed in 1896 and inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel of the same name. The composer conducted its first performance on Nov. 27, 1896 in Frankfurt. A typical performance lasts half an hour.

The initial fanfare – titled "Sunrise" in the composer's program notes – became well-known after its use in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Star Wars Main Theme

Star Wars is a 1977 instrumental hit single composed and conducted by John Williams. It is the main musical theme of the movie Star Wars. It was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The track became a hit in the United States (#10) and Canada (#13) during the fall of that year. The composition draws influence from Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score for the 1942 film Kings Row.

Artosphere Festival Orchestra Celebrates: The Moon

DATE: Saturday, June 29, 8pm

LOCATION: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

TICKETS: $10-$49

*Special SEEK ticket offer for students and young professionals - visit waltonartscenter.org/seek/ for more!

Making of the Masterworks - AFO Performs the Classics of Mendelssohn & Brahms

You don’t want to miss the annual Artosphere Festival Orchestra’s Masterworks performance. This year, the orchestra turns to the classics of Mendelssohn and Brahms in their 10x10 Arts Series performance.

Go behind the music, Into the history of these renowned Compositions.

---

Felix Mendelssohn | Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, is Mendelssohn’s last large orchestral work. It forms an important part of the violin repertoire and is one of the most popular and most frequently performed violin concertos in history. 

Mendelssohn originally proposed the idea of the violin concerto to Ferdinand David, a close friend and then concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Although conceived in 1838, the work took another six years to complete and was not premiered until 1845. During this time, Mendelssohn maintained a regular correspondence with David, who gave him many suggestions. The work itself was one of the foremost violin concertos of the Romantic era and was influential on many other composers.

Although the concerto consists of three movements in a standard fast–slow–fast structure and each movement follows a traditional form, the concerto was innovative and included many novel features for its time. Distinctive aspects include the almost immediate entrance of the violin at the beginning of the work (rather than following an orchestral preview of the first movement's major themes, as was typical in Classical-era concertos) and the through-composed form of the concerto as a whole, in which the three movements are melodically and harmonically connected and played attacca (each movement immediately following the previous one).

The concerto was well received and soon became regarded as one of the greatest violin concertos of all time. The concerto remains popular to this day and has developed a reputation as an essential concerto for all aspiring concert violinists to master, and usually one of the first Romantic era concertos they learn. Many professional violinists have recorded the concerto and the work is regularly performed in concerts and classical music competitions.

Mendelssohn also wrote a virtuoso Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in D minor between 1821 and 1823, when he was 12 to 14 years old, at the same time that he produced his 12 string symphonies. This work was "rediscovered" and first recorded in 1951 by Yehudi Menuhin.

Johannes Brahms | Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

The Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90, is a symphony by Johannes Brahms. The work was written in the summer of 1883 at Wiesbaden, nearly six years after he completed his Symphony No. 2. In the interim Brahms had written some of his greatest works, including the Violin Concerto, two overtures (Tragic Overture and Academic Festival Overture) and Piano Concerto No. 2.

The premiere performance was given on December 2, 1883 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Hans Richter.

Hans Richter, who conducted the premiere of the symphony, proclaimed it to be Brahms' Eroica. The symphony was well received, more so than his Second Symphony. Although Richard Wagner had died earlier that year, the public feud between Brahms and Wagner had not yet subsided. Wagner enthusiasts tried to interfere with the symphony's premiere, and the conflict between the two factions nearly brought about a duel.

The composition was first heard in America at one of Frank Van der Stucken’s “novelty concerts” at New York’s Steinway Hall on October 24, 1884. The Symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.

After each performance, Brahms polished his score further, until it was published in May 1884. His friend the influential music critic Eduard Hanslick said, "Many music lovers will prefer the titanic force of the First Symphony; others, the untroubled charm of the Second, but the Third strikes me as being artistically the most nearly perfect.”

10 X 10 ARTS SERIES - Masterworks of Mendelssohn & Brahms

Artosphere Festival Orchestra

DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 7pm

LOCATION: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

TICKETS: $10 (plus applicable fees)

Les Misérables Memorialized on Stages Around the World

Do you hear the people sing? Les Mis is on its way to Walton Arts Center. From book to stage, Les Misérables combines history, passion and the dream of One Day More!

Through the many renditions of the story, Victor Hugo’s timeless tale continues to speak volumes to every generation of theater goer.

---

THE BOOK

Written by French author Victor Hugo (who also penned The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame), the story takes place in France during the early to mid-19th century, focusing on several characters whose lives intertwine through a series of coincidences and happenstance. So, what’s the plot of Les Miserables?

The story begins in 1815, and mainly follows Jean Valjean, an escaped convict who was sentenced to 19 years in prison after stealing a loaf of bread for his sister, and for attempting to escape incarceration. He tries to begin life anew, but struggles as he is a former convict. Eventually, he is saved by the Bishop of Digne, but is constantly followed by a policeman called Javert, who is suspicious of Valjean's actions and seeking to return him to prison.

THE MUSICAL

Les Misérables was originally released as a French-language concept album, and the first musical-stage adaptation of Les Misérables was presented at the Palais des Sports in 1980. However, the production closed after three months due to that expiry of the booking contract.

In 1983, about six months after producer Cameron Mackintosh had opened Cats on Broadway, he received a copy of the French concept album from director Peter Farago. Farago had been impressed by the work and asked Mackintosh to produce an English-language version of the show. Initially reluctant, Mackintosh eventually agreed. Mackintosh, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, assembled a production team to adapt the French musical for a British audience. After two years in development, the English-language version opened in London in October 1985, by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican Centre, then the London home of the RSC. The success of the West End musical led to a Broadway production.

The London production has run continuously since October 1985, making it the second longest-running musical in the world after The Fantasticks, the second longest-running West End show after The Mousetrap, and the longest-running musical in the West End (followed by The Phantom of the Opera). In 2010, it played its ten-thousandth performance in London, at Queen's Theatre. In October 2010, the show celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in London: the original production at the Queen's Theatre; the 25th Anniversary touring production at its 1985 try-out venue, the Barbican Centre; and the 25th Anniversary concert at London's O2 Arena.

The Broadway production opened March 12, 1987 and ran until May 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. It is the fifth longest-running Broadway show in history and was the second-longest at the time. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

Subsequently, numerous tours and international and regional productions have been staged, as well as concert and broadcast productions. Several recordings have also been made. A Broadway revival opened in 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre and closed in 2008, and a second Broadway revival opened in 2014 at the Imperial Theatre and closed in September 2016. The show was placed first in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of Britain's "Number One Essential Musicals" in 2005, receiving more than 40% of the votes. A film version directed by Tom Hooper was released at the end of 2012 to generally positive reviews as well as numerous awards nominations, winning three Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and four British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).

Les Misérables

DATE: June 18-23, 2019

LOCATION: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

TICKETS: Starting at $38

Family Fun at the Fireworks Spectacular

NOTHING SAYS 4TH OF JULY LIKE FACE PAINTING, SUPERHERO CHARACTERS, S’mores AND OF COURSE, FIREWORKS!

This event gives the community an opportunity to experience a patriotic pops performance at NWA’s premier outdoor amphitheater. SoNA’s concert will celebrate the beauty and grandeur of America and honor our nation’s veterans and those who bravely serve in our nation’s armed forces.

---

The city of Rogers and Walmart AMP are hosting a July 4th Fireworks Spectacular complete with great food and family entertainment for all ages!

The family festival will be in the parking lot outside of the Walmart AMP from 5-8 pm. There will be balloon artists, face painters and airbrush tattoo artists. You can also take a selfie with a superhero and play lawn games. 

Local firetrucks will give kids and kids at heart a chance to touch a truck and get an up-close look at the fire engines and talk to the firefighters. 

Come one, come all to the Hershey’s S’mores Station to enjoy the sweet treat of summer and then head into the AMP at 6 pm with music from the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA) beginning at 7:30. 

SoNA's patriotic performance is sure to entertain and celebrate the beauty and grandeur of America. The symphony will honor our nation's veterans and those who bravely serve in our nation's armed forces. 

At the conclusion of the SoNA performance, grab a seat on the lawn for the city of Rogers fireworks display at 9:15 pm. The show will last for about 15-20 minutes, and the playlist for the show will be live streamed on KIX 104.

Fireworks Spectacular

An American Salute with Symphony of Northwest Arkansas
Paul Haas, Music Director

DATE: July 4

TIMES: Gates open at 6pm. Music starts at 7:30pm. Fireworks start at 9:15pm.

30 Under 30

TWO WAC TEAM MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF VENUE MANAGERS (IAVM) FOUNDATION’S 30 UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2019.

This recognition is given to 30 promising venue industry professionals ages 30 and younger who have illustrated their commitment to the industry and to furthering the operational and mission-focused goals of the venues they serve. 

---

Kyle May, Corporate Relations Coordinator

What does it mean to you to be honored as a member of 30 under 30?

As a fundraiser, it means that our organization is really fulfilling its mission through the work that I do. Because the money we raise supports the organization at large along with our arts access and education programming, this award shines a light on the rest of the Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP team and the wonderful work that they are doing.

What are you most looking forward to when you attend the conference?

I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know other venue professionals from around the country and forming relationships with them that will last beyond the conference walls.

What do you bring to the walton arts Center organization that you are excited to grow/expand with this experience?

I enjoy talking with funders about the in’s and out’s of our industry, and I am excited to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the venue industry and find ways to creatively connect with and fundraiser for this organization.

What lessons have you learned in your position that have made you a more well-rounded venue professional?

Relationships are everything. That is one of the important pieces of fundraising continually driven home by our former VP of Development, Missy Kincaid. However, it goes well beyond fundraising into all aspects of this industry as well as beyond work. 

Who would you like to thank for helping you get to this point?

First and foremost, Wendy Riggs and Diana Brown for nominating me for the award and believing that I embodied the goals of IAVM’s 30 Under 30. Second, I want to thank all of the team members of the Walton Arts Center Development Team since I have been working here, most notably my manager Taylor Speegle. I have learned so much these past 4.5 years, not only about development and non-profit administration, but also about life in general. I would definitely not be the professional or person I am today without my team.

Justin Taylor, Events Coordinator

What does it mean to you to be honored as a member of 30 under 30?

It’s exciting! It shows my growth here and how much this company has changed my life and career path.

What are you most looking forward to when attend the conference?

The venue tours! I love seeing other venues and learning how they operate.

What lessons have you learned in your position that has made you a more well-rounded venue professional?

Safety is a huge priority when planning events. Two years ago, I thought this job was just throwing tables down and making them look pretty, but I’ve learned that there are a lot of safety factors to consider.

Who would you like to thank for helping you get to this point?

Karen Percival for never giving up on me and Nick Zazal for introducing me to a whole new world of event and venue management.

OUR VISION AT WALTON ARTS CENTER

Walton Arts Center is proud to be a leader in arts education in Arkansas and the mid-South. By sharing program formats, ideas and results with other arts and education organizations in the state and nation, we strive to insure that arts participation is valued and supported by communities in and beyond Northwest Arkansas.

Capturing the Beauty of Space - Artosphere Photo Competition Finalists

The Artosphere Festival celebrates art, music and nature with exciting performances, activities and events that the whole family can enjoy. Each year, Artosphere spotlights artists and performers from around the world who are inspired by nature, and provides a creative framework for the community to discuss issues of sustainability and environmental awareness.

This year, we asked photographers to show us their perception of space and how space inspires wonder, imagination and innovation. Sharing their vision and photos, the photo contest finalists gave us a look behind their lens.

Mike Price

Artist Statements

Fairy Land Milky Way: My family and I got up around 2:30 in the morning and left our cabin.  We arrived at the Fairy Land Overlook in Bryce Canyon National Park as the Milky Way was nearly vertical. You could see it with the naked eye and it was just so awesome to take in. 

The Big Dipper: This scene was shot much closer to home, over at Kyle's Landing along the Buffalo River.  I had been hiking up Indian Creek that afternoon with a buddy and we did some night shooting at Twin Falls at Camp Orr.  When we arrived back at camp the Big Dipper was in a perfect position straight overhead.  So I got a fire going and we lit the tents and played with some 20-30 second exposures to capture the scene. Kyle's Landing and Steel Creek are some of my favorite places to go in all of Arkansas.

Capitol Reef Milky Way: I had been talking with another photographer who had shot some night scenes I really admired and he steered me toward this one lone scraggly remnant of a tree at Panorama Point.  It was a perfect anchor to the scene.  I also love how the moon light from my over my right shoulder helped light up the foreground.

How does the Artosphere theme of “space” apply to your work?

When I think of "space" I think of the stars, the Milky Way and constellations.  I feel like I captured that feeling and concept with these three pieces.

Craig Underwood

Artist Statements

Solitude: As I walked away from the campground to photograph the Milky Way, I noticed a lone camper.  This was not my intended shot that evening, but I loved the peaceful serenity of this unexpected happenstance.  I used my flashlight to quietly paint the tree above his tent, doing my best not to disturb the tranquility of the night.  And then I silently moved on.

Mourning Trees: A close family member had unexpectedly passed away and a thick fog had crept in overnight.  Taking an early morning walk to clear my thoughts, I found myself drawn to this scene. 

The Dance: Every time I view this image, I can’t help but be mesmerized by the flow, rhythm and harmony of Antelope Canyon’s solid rock formations.  I see a lady spinning on the dance floor with her cape flung open wide and the spotlights gleaming in the background.

How does the Artosphere theme of “space” apply to your work?

While there are many areas of photography I enjoy, landscape photography is my favorite.  I love the wide open space of the great outdoors.  Whether it the soaring majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains or the narrow confines of a waterfall ravine in the Buffalo river valley, these spaces are treasures to experience.

What do you hope the viewer experiences as they take in your work? What message do you hope it conveys?  

More than anything, I hope my images evoke some type of emotion.  When they view “Solitude” maybe they will feel a since of inner peace.  When they view “The Dance” they might feel the wonderment of discovery and when they view “Mourning Trees” they might feel the sadness and sorrow that comes from unexpected loss.

Maurice Konkle

What connected you to the spaces/places In YOur Photos?

Sometimes I go searching for objects and the space between them.  Often this leads me to buildings and sky, or weather-vanes and chimneys, or marble monuments and bits of chiseled text.  Other times I happen upon the image, the objects and space just jump out to me.  I don’t necessarily like the “searched for” less or more than the “happened upon.”  The photos chosen by Artosphere both jumped out to me.  I am the designated grill operator at my daughter’s and son-in-law’s house.  I saw this image while performing my duties.   As for the lamp and water glass, beautiful light was coming in the living room windows, I was sitting on the couch, I looked over, there it was.

What do you hope the viewer experiences as they take in your work? What message do you hope it conveys?

Most of all, when a viewer looks at my work, I hope they experience a “sense of beauty.” I have loved that phrase, “sense of beauty,” for many years.  It seems to describe a precious human faculty and at the same time the experience that faculty allows.  So, a sense of beauty is my hope for the viewer. 

Beyond that, I hope that people say “the little rectangular section of the world chosen by this photographer is interesting.”  Not only because the framing of objects is a bit unusual but also, because it shifts focus away from the center, out to edges, then maybe, comfortably between the two.  I hope that is a visual metaphor that gives the viewer some delight, during direct perception and in the after-image. 

Artosphere Photography Contest

Three photos have also been selected for a community choice competition. These photos will be voted on via social media and in-person at community events June 1-9, and the winner will be announced June 10.

History Resounds in Timeless Les Misérables

The Inspiration

Les Misérables is a musical based on the novel of the same name by French poet and playwright, Victor Hugo. The 1862 novel is considered by many to be one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

French songwriter, Alain Boublil, had the inspiration to adapt Hugo's novel into a musical while at a performance of the musical Oliver! in London. When the Artful Dodger appeared on stage, the idea of Gavroche narrating the story of Les Misérables came to mind. He pitched the concept to composer, Claude-Michel Schönberg, who then began developing a rough synopsis.

Becoming the World’s Longest Running Musical

Les Misérables, a sung-through musical based on the novel of the same name, had its world premiere in 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. The production was directed by filmmaker Robert Hossein and ran for over 100 performances.

Following the world premiere run of the original French version, Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton were given the task of adapting the material into English. This new version, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, opened on October 8, 1985, at the Barbican Arts Centre in London. The original cast included such notables as Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball and Patti LuPone.

On December 4, 1985, the world premiere production of the English version transferred to the Palace Theatre in London. It eventually moved once more on April 3, 2004, to the Queen's Theatre. It has become the second longest-running musical in the world and the second longest-running show on the West End.

Les Misérables made its journey "across the pond" in December 1986. The musical received its U.S. premiere and out-of-town tryout at the Kennedy Center's Opera House in Washington, D.C. It then premiered on Broadway on March 12, 1987, at The Broadway Theatre. In October 1990, the production moved to the Imperial Theatre, where it subsequently played over 6,500 performances. The original production closed on May 18, 2003, and has become the third longest-running Broadway musical in history.

Only three years later, a limited revival began on November 9, 2006, at the Broadhurst Theatre. This cast included Norm Lewis, Gary Beach and Celia-Keenan Bolger. The production closed in 2008.

Since its premiere in the 1980s, Les Misérables has also received several significant concert performances, international mountings and national U.S. tours. The original North American tour ran for 17 years and over 7,000 performances. As of 2012, four different U.S. national tours have been produced.

Cultural Influence

The musical has had more concurrent productions (15 at one time) than any other musical in history, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records.

"Britain's Got Talent" winner and pop culture sensation Susan Boyle performed Fantine's anthem, "I Dreamed a Dream," to worldwide acclaim in 2009. Almost overnight, the taping of her performance became one of the most popular videos on YouTube and has amassed over 200 million views since.

The musical has won over 70 major theater awards, including an Olivier, a Tony and a Grammy.

Les Misérables has been translated into 21 different languages including Flemish, Estonian and Castillian.

A film adaptation of the stage musical, featuring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, was released in 2012.

Victor Hugo's great classic, Les Misérables, was called "one of the best sellers of the ages." Within 24 hours of publication in 1862, the first Paris edition of 7,000 copies was completely sold out.

After Colm Wilkinson sang "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables for the first time in rehearsal, director Trevor Nunn said, "See? I told you this show is about God." One of the actors responded, "Yes, but you didn't tell us you engaged him to sing it."

The following recordings are available in English: the Original London Cast, the Original Broadway Cast, the Complete Symphonic Recording, the 10th Anniversary London Concert, the 25th Anniversary UK Tour Cast and the 25th Anniversary London Concert.

Les Misérables

DATE: June 18-23, 2019

The Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon Les Misérables heads to Walton Arts Center, direct from an acclaimed two-and-a-half-year return to Broadway. 

CATS: The Classic Musical, Re-imagined

Andy Blankenbuehler promises his take on dance in the piece will still be “timeless Cats” and plans to bring his sensibilities to the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic.

---

“ I use a reference to Halley’s Comet,” says choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler when asked to describe his dance style. “When you see a picture of Halley’s Comet, it leads with a big face and then it trails away. So, what I try to do is I try to hit the front of the movement … that creates a pause, and in the pause, behind it, you have to capture a recognizable picture that when the audience hits the slow motion pause, they see the idea, they see the emotion, they see the character, and then it goes way again.”

Blankenbuehler, choreographer of the most recent production of Cats, hopes to use these pauses and pictures to define character.

“I’m trying to take the show into a new layer of character depth,” he explains. “There was a real tribe mentality of the original production, which was exactly perfect on the heels of Hair and those kinds of shows. That was mesmerizing to watch onstage. I’m interested in them trying to maintain tribe, but then taking a closer look at the individuals that make the tribe.”

Still, Blankenbuehler says the show “isn’t going to be contemporary, like 2016 Cats. It’s going to still be timeless Cats.”

The difference? “I’m trying to add staccato syncopation in many places where it never existed before, whereas Gillian and Andrew’s tendency is this long, melodic line. Long melodic line’s not easy for me,” he admits. “What I’m good at is the stop and start, and so I’m adding a lot of stop and start to the show, making it more guttural.

“For example, Grizabella walks out the first time, and in the original staging, [the cats] all reacted in real time,” explains Blankenbuehler. “What I’m doing in that moment is they hit these stances where the venom is coming out of them, and then in that pause other action is happening; so, it’s like an impressionistic painting, where you see the shape of the cats, and you understand what the one cat who’s moving is thinking.”

But Blankenbuehler is cognizant that with a beloved property, he can’t change too much, and he doesn’t want to. “I’m quoting a lot of Gillian, and the show’s going to look the same design-wise, and it’s going to move the same.

“So many people were like, ‘It was the first show I saw. My mom took me to that show,’” says the choreographer. “I want those people to go back to the show and be like, ‘This is the Cats that I remember, but I don’t remember it being X, Y, Z. I don’t remember it being so complicated. I don’t remember it being so deep. I don’t remember it being so funny.’”

CATS

DATE: May 28-June 2, 2019

Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—"Memory”. CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. 

Emily Brown and the Thing: Beloved Children's Book Comes to Life on Stage for Our Littlest Patrons

Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Emily Brown and an old grey rabbit called Stanley…

Emily Brown, Stanley and The Thing take the stage on Friday, May 10 and we invite audiences ages 3+ to join the fun.

Our youngest patrons can go on a journey with Emily and her companions as they conquer their fears and try to get to bed on time.

Before or after the show, families can expand on the theater experience by doing some of these interactive activities based on the book and the play!

---

Family-Fun Activities For Emily Brown and the Thing:

Science

• The Thing only had 100 hamburgers and one small apple for his tea. Can you plan a healthy meal for him?

• Emily Brown and Stanley are trying to sleep when the Thing keeps interrupting them. Why do we need sleep? When do animals sleep? Research and learn about noctural animals!

Art & Music

• Look at the different colors, textures and patterns used in the story. How would you describe them? Can you try to recreate some of them?

• The illustrator created the 'Thing' based on the author's description. Could you design a new 'Thing'?

• Compose a relaxing tune to help the Thing get to sleep at night.

Geography

• Draw a map showing all the places that Emily, Stanley and the Thing go.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education

• Emily Brown keeps helping the Thing, but he keeps bothering them. How do you think this makes Emily feel?

Emily Brown and the Thing

Friday, May 10, 6:30pm

Starr Theatrer at Walton Arts Center

TICKETS: $9 (kids); $15 (adults)

East Meets West in 6-WIRE's Beautiful Performance at WAC

Co-founders Xiang Gao and Cathy Yang write and play world music, crossover chamber music and jazz - performed with synced visual elements and electronic sound libraries paired with each original composition and arrangement.

The erhu, a Chinese two-stringed violin, is an essential instrument in the East, as the four-stringed violin is in the West. Inspired by the historical connection between the two instruments and by YoYo Ma and his Silk Road Project, the crossover ensemble 6-WIRE was founded by two virtuoso soloists on these instruments. The group celebrates diversity while transforming the way live instrumental music is experienced.

---

6-Wire 10x10 Q&A

How did 6-Wire come to be?

Xiang and Cathy were invited to perform in a concert in Washington D.C. and were asked to play a piece together. After the concert, they decided form an ensemble to reunite the violins of the East and West that both shared their origins in ancient Persia. “6-WIRE” refers to the combination of the two strings of the erhu and the four strings of the violin.

Through your instruments, you combine the East and West in your music. What do you appreciate about the unique sounds and cultures of these two regions?

Making music together with the erhu and violin brings out our dual sense of “home” that comes from growing up in China and living in the US. The freedom (and difficulty!) that comes from the erhu’s lack of fingerboard and inherent sliding evokes sounds of Beijing opera, while the violin brings a rich tradition of Western classical works. But even more exciting, in today’s divided world, is bringing these instruments and cultures back together to show the world how connected we really are.

Playing New World music from Ireland, China, the U.S. and more, do you have a favorite style of music to perform? If so, what is it and why?

We don’t have a single favorite style, and our own style is constantly evolving as we explore different instrumentation from around the world.

Pick six words—that start with the letter ‘W’—that best describe your work.

Welcoming, worldly, warm, wholehearted, wild, wired (pun intended)

What is the best advice that you have been given; and what advice would you give to aspiring musicians in the audience?

There is no such thing as being over-prepared. The rewarding fulfillment from a career in music is directly proportional to the sacrifice you give to it.

Whom do you define as visionary; and why?

Yo-Yo Ma, for his Silk Road Project and its ability to connect cultures from around the world and create new forms of expression.

What is the most rewarding thing about being a part of 6-Wire?

It is exciting to pioneer the style of the 21st century by combining influences and traditions from around the world into new works and unique concert programming. We thrive off our audiences’ energy when they hear and experience new combinations of instruments and it only inspires us to break down more barriers between styles.

What are some unique or memorable experiences you’ve had while traveling around the world to share your music?

We have toured in China as well, and it is wonderful to see that Chinese audiences are just as open and enthusiastic about mixing Eastern and Western instruments and styles. We received equally rousing applauses for performances of an American triple concerto commissioned for 6-WIRE and percussion as we did for a Chinese composition in collaboration with numerous Chinese musicians and instruments. While the world focuses on the adversarial nature of US-China relations, we choose to highlight our shared love for the arts and what makes us human.

What message do you hope to send the world via your music?

We believe that sharing music, like stories, and food, promotes understanding and broadened perspective. 6-WIRE’s mission is to break down barriers through new compositions that connect cultures from around the world.

What songs, artists or genres of music are you currently listening to?

Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road albums, Piazzolla (Le Grand Tango, Oblivion, 4 Seasons of Buenos Aires), Sibelius Violin Concerto, Jazz Fusion (Chick Corea)

6-WIRE

Part of our 10x10 Arts Series

Thursday, May 9 at 7 pm