A 2-Hour Beach Vacation Takes the Stage and Celebrate Arkansas Has the Scoop

Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville IS COMING TO WALTON ARTS CENTER STAGE

Tour director Amy Anders Corcoran gives up the behind-the-scenes scoop on the National Tour in Celebrate’s September Article.

ARTICLE BY MARISA LYTLE OF CELEBRATE ARKANSAS

---

Want a vacation but can’t quite make it to the beach this year? Walton Arts Center may have just the thing for you when it brings the Broadway musical Escape to Margaritaville to the stage in October. Fayetteville will be the fifth stop on the national tour, just before the show travels to Springfield, Mo., and Little Rock, Ark., making Northwest Arkansas audiences the first in the region to see the show.

“It’s a fun party,” says Amy Corcoran, tour director for Escape to Margaritaville. “It’s like you’re going to the beach, and there’s a party, and everyone’s invited. There’s so much joy and so much laughter, and we could all use that these days. There’s great stuff in there — great music, great crowd scenes, a great story, a really fun cast — a 2.5-hour party.”

Shelly Lynn Walsh as Tammy, Peter Michael Jordan as Brick, Chris Clark as Tully, Sarah Hinrichsen as Rachel in Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

Escape to Margaritaville is a musical comedy featuring both original songs and the most beloved Jimmy Buffett classics, such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Volcano,” “Fins,” and many more. Margaritaville is the place that people go to get away from it all — and stay to find something they never expected — in this musical with a book by Emmy Award® winner Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl, Raising Hope) and Emmy Award nominee Mike O’Malley (Survivors Remorse, Shameless). Entertainment Weekly enthuses, “It will knock your flipflops off!” while USA Today tags it, “A little slick of paradise!”

Audiences can sit back and enjoy both tunes they recognize and new tunes that will grab their attention. Corcoran herself says that although she was unfamiliar with many Jimmy Buffett songs before becoming involved in the project, she is now obsessed with his music. “You don’t have to be a Jimmy Buffett fan going into the show already,” she attests. “It’s a big Broadway, splashy musical with all the things you expect — great orchestrations and good choreography, and costumes, and really good performers. You’ll come in and have a great time.”

Corcoran started working with Escape to Margaritaville as the associate director of the show when it opened on Broadway in 2018. Having just wrapped up a job directing a mini-tour of Disney’s Freaky Friday, Corcoran joined Margaritaville for its pre-Broadway tour and then for its 5-month stint on Broadway. The process, she says, was a lot of fun because Buffett himself was around, the writers were there and both very funny, and the whole team was respectful of the process and supported the philosophy that “the best idea wins,” no matter where it comes from.

Company of the National Tour, Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

Transitioning the show from a Broadway stage in New York City to heading out on the national tour is quite a feat, considering that the set had to be redesigned for traveling, to go quickly up and quickly down, and an all-new cast has to meet and learn to work together. “When you walk into rehearsal the first day, the cast is usually nervous; they don’t really know what they’re going to get into,” Corcoran says. “Those first few days you’re trying to crack the nut of who are these people and what do they want; that part of the process is always really special to me.”

From the initial rehearsal to the previews of the national tour before it launches from Providence, R.I., in late September, the entire development period will take only about five weeks. Then, cast and crew will head out on the road together for at least a year, becoming much like a family in the process. “I’m really excited about the cast we have,” Corcoran says. “I love what we do so much. I love collaborating, and everyone’s always ready to work. Everybody’s on their game.”

Specializing in new works, Corcoran is the US Creative Associate for London’s Aria Entertainment, and she helps cultivate the festival From Page to Stage in London every year. Amy received the SDC Noel Coward Fellowship for Comedic Direction and holds a BA in Psychology with Honors from the University of Kansas and an MFA in Directing from Penn State University.

Escape to Margaritaville

Oct. 22–27

Tickets start at $32

Ticketholders can add on tickets to a Tropical Garden Party for just $15 Oct. 26 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm in the Rose Garden. Tickets include live music, and proceeds go to support Serve NWA New Beginnings Community.

Buffett Hits & New Music Take the Stage in Escape to Margaritaville

Welcome to Margaritaville, where people come to get away from it all—and stay to find something they never expected.

Enjoy a two-hour beach vacation at the hilarious and heartwarming musical with the most unforgettable songs from one of music's greatest storytellers—Jimmy Buffett. USA Today calls it “A little slice of paradise!” and Entertainment Weekly raves, “It will knock your flip-flops off!” So don't let the party start without you at Walton Arts Center.

Would you call yourself a Parrothead? Or, just brushing up on your Jimmy Buffet song knowledge? Check out the background of some of Buffett’s hits and get ready for the island musical, Escape to Margaritaville.

---

Shelly Lynn Walsh as Tammy, Peter Michael Jordan as Brick, Chris Clark as Tully, Sarah Hinrichsen as Rachelin Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

“Fins”

"Fins" is a song written by Buffett, Coral Reefer Band members Deborah McColl and Barry Chance, and author Tom Corcoran. It was first released on his 1979 album Volcano. It reached No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 42 on the Easy Listening chart.

The title refers to the fins of metaphorical sharks, i.e. "land sharks," men who attempt to pick up the woman who is the subject of the song.

“It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”

"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" is a song performed by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins. It was released on Jackson's compilation album Greatest Hits Volume II. It spent eight non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in summer of 2003. In addition, the song hit No. 17 on the US Hot 100, making it the biggest pop hit for Jackson and the first top forty hit for Buffett since the 1970s.

“Why Don’t We Get Drunk”

Rachel Lyn Fobbs as Marley, Matthew James Sherrod as Jamaland Companyin Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

The song is a parody of standard country music love songs. Buffett states that he made the song "as a total satire [and] wasn't even going to put it on the album. We did it foolin' around in one take. But immediately that song became controversial, and there were jukebox sales." The song is a fan favorite and, up until the 2007 Bama Breeze tour, was almost always performed at Buffett's live concerts.

“Son of a Son of a Sailor”

"Son of a Son of a Sailor" is the opening track of the 1978 album of the same name. The song is a fan favorite, although it was not a concert staple until the 2005 Salty Piece of Land tour. The song has gone through several changes during live performances over the years. See what style they go with in Escape to Margaritaville.

“Margaritaville”

This song was written about a drink Buffett discovered at Lung's Cocina del Sur restaurant on Anderson Lane in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West, Florida around that time. He wrote most of the song one night at a friend's house in Austin, and finished it while spending time in Key West. In the United States, "Margaritaville" reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and went to number one on the Easy Listening chart, also peaking at No. 13 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard ranked it No. 14 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. It remains Buffett's highest charting solo single. "Margaritaville" has been inducted into the 2016 Grammy Hall of Fame for its cultural and historic significance

“Volcano”

The song and album are named for the then-dormant Soufrière Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat in the British West Indies where Buffett recorded the album in May 1979 at AIR Studios. The studio was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Soufrière Hills erupted again in 1995. The lyrics describe the narrator's anxiety about his possible whereabouts following the impending eruption of a volcano.

Shelly Lynn Walsh as Tammy and Peter Michael Jordan as Brick in Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

“Cheeseburger in Paradise”

The song is about a man who "is trying to amend his carnivorous habits" with health food such as sunflower seeds, but it was inspired by the artist's experience: he had been forced to eat only canned food and peanut butter due to a boating mishap in the Caribbean, but eventually made it to landfall and managed to order the song's titular dish in paradise.

“Come Monday”

Buffett wrote the song to his wife while he was on tour. At a live performance in 1974, Buffett mentioned that he had written the song heading out to California the previous year, meaning that it would have been written as he was "heading up to San Francisco for the Labor Day Weekend show" in 1973. The single version replaces the third line, "I've got my Hush Puppies on," with "I've got my hiking shoes on."

Company of the National Tour,Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

It is one of Buffett's more popular songs, and is part of "The Big 8" that he has played at almost all of his concerts, typically changing the line "I just can't wait to see you again" to "It's so nice to be in...(location of show)...again".

“One Particular Harbor”

Buffett has said in radio interviews about the song that he wrote it while travelling the islands and that he was moved to write it one afternoon during his journeys, as he sat on the balcony of his hotel room watching the local children (memorialized in the lyric "Where children play on the shore each day").

The song begins with lyrics in Tahitian:

Ia ora te natura
E mea arofa teie ao nei

The translation given is:

Nature lives (life to nature)
Have pity for the Earth (Love the Earth)

It concludes with the same verse plus:

Ua pau te maitai no te fenua
Re zai noa ra te ora o te mitie

This is translated as:

Bounty of the land is exhausted
But there's still abundance on the sea.

Enjoy all of these songs, and more, at Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville, playing at Walton Arts Center on Oct. 22-27. Come for the island-vibes and escape the day to day in the comfort of the theater.

You can also add-on our Friday cocktail class and Saturday Tropical Garden Party from 4:30-7:30 pm.

Shelly Lynn Walsh as Tammy, Peter Michael Jordan as Brick, Chris Clark as Tully, Sarah Hinrichsen as Rachelin Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy

JIMMY BUFFETT'S

Escape to Margaritaville

DATES: Oct. 22-27

LOCATION: Baum Walker Hall at Walton Arts Center

TICKETS: starting at $32

Powerful & Joyous Theater - 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.

---

The Nature of Forgetting follows the story of 55-year old Tom, a man living with early onset dementia. On his birthday, we watch as he fights to keep his memories alive, and we are taken back to his school days, where he meets his future wife Isabella. Through a series of intense physical sequences, primarily made up of a theatrical dialogue spanning the intersection of mime and physical theater, we see Tom discover the innate, human sense of presence and belonging that will always survive even when memory is gone.

Speeding along in just over an hour and fifteen minutes, The Nature of Forgetting is nothing short of fast-paced, and its ensemble of performers must be commended for their relentless energy as they navigate the turbulent pulses of their vignettes of physical theatre. Bound together by both performative and design motifs, there is a real sense of slickness present within their work – and as a physical representation of the often chaotic fluidity of memory, The Nature of Forgetting works well.

THEATRE RE’S

The Nature of Forgetting

10x10 Arts Series - Tickets are just $10

DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7pm

The Rocky Horror Picture Show & Halloween Party

Rocky Horror is a legend of cult cinema - one of the few movies that has earned that title again and again.

The film follows what appears to be a wholesome couple, Brad and Janet (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon), as they stay the night at a spooky old mansion owned by Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry, in the performance that rocketed him to stardom). What ensues is a celebration of kitsch, camp, horror and science fiction cinema, a musical that makes very little logical sense but is a ton of fun.

---

Join Us For A Halloween Party You’ll Never Forget!

Ultra Suede will take the stage at 7 pm to kick off the party, costume contests, drink specials, Time Warp dance and movie to follow. Bring your own props or buy a bag at concessions to fully participate in all aspects of the fun!

*Approved BYOP (Bring Your Own Props)

• You'll want to remember to pack your sequined evening bag with these approved props: Newspaper, Flashlight, Rubber Gloves, Noisemakers (Kazoos), Toilet Paper, Toast (unbuttered!), Party Hats, Cowbell and Cards!

• Prop bags will also be available for purchase from concessions ($10).

---

About 20 minutes into the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, an elevator door opens and the actor Tim Curry steps out. His face is heavily mascaraed, the portrait of a commedia dell’arte drag queen. Everything below that striking visage is covered in a magnificent cape. He struts out, to the beat of a Stonesian guitar riff, and a few moments later he turns and rips off the cape: We can see he sports a glistening string of giant pearls and, not least, a silver-spangled ensemble of women’s lingerie.

It was originally a campy U.K. production called The Rocky Horror Show. The movie version, which was brought to America by producer and manager Lou Adler, became an unaccountable cult hit for years and then decades, and now takes its place on the list of the most profitable films of all time. While this anniversary has been duly noted, the film’s real sociological significance has not been.

The film, if you haven’t seen it, is a potent but gentle rock musical with a slate of irresistibly catchy songs. The story is a pastiche: a magnanimous spoof of old-time horror and sci-fi movies. Many of those old movies were black and white, but it’s one of the film’s charms that it’s filled with jarring colors and a goofy cast of characters. It opens with a pair of luscious red lips singing the opening song, which name-checks some of the film’s beloved predecessors:

 Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there
In silver underwear
Claude Rains was the Invisible Man … 

The story follows a hopelessly square couple, Brad and Janet, who get a flat in a rainstorm and end up at a mysterious mansion. This turns out to be the domain of Curry’s character, who is a mad scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who oversees, in sometimes sadistic fashion, a cast of supporting freaks. One of these is his Igor-like assistant, Riff Raff, played by Richard O’Brien, the show’s creator. They are aliens, we are given to understand, from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy of Transylvania. The film’s masterful, lancing conceit is to make Frank-N-Furter a hugely likable, genially sex-crazy transvestite who preaches a mantra of “absolute pleasure.” His fateful project is to create a Frankenstein’s monster — a hunka-hunka burning bodybuilder named Rocky. Frank-N-Furter’s issues are sometimes just kinky — there’s a set of video feeds that capture the mansion’s various shenanigans on video, for example, and he’s not above making his guests perform in a naughty floor show. But they can also be more severe: He can be homicidal and even — gulp — a cannibal, but we forget that as he cheerfully debauches both members of the young couple. The good doctor looks spectacular in a bustier, but things don’t end well. He’s deemed “too extreme” by his overlords and is spectacularly dispatched by Riff Raff.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Halloween Party

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 31 - 7 pm (music starts) & 9 pm (movie starts)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye & See With Thine Own Eyes- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]

All 37 plays in 97 minutes! Three madcap men in tights weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.

An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard's plays, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) was London's longest-running comedy.

---

“PITHIER THAN PYTHON. IRRESISTIBLE.” - The NEW YORK TIMES

An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) was London’s longest-running comedy having clocked a very palpable nine years in London’s West End at the Criterion Theatre! Join these madcap men in tights as they weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.

“STUPENDOUS, ANCHORLESS JOY!” - THE TIMES OF LONDON

The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe that takes long, serious subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies. Since 1981, ‘The Bad Boys of Abridgement’ have created nine stage shows, two television specials, several failed TV pilots and numerous radio pieces – all of which have been performed, seen, heard and translated into Klingon the world over.

“ROLLICKING, FAST-MOVING AND HILARIOUS!” - THE GUARDIAN

The company’s first three shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) enjoyed a nine-year run at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. Not only were they London’s longest-running comedies, but at one point the Reduced Shakespeare Company had more shows running in the West End than Andrew Lloyd Webber. Some of them were funnier too…

“IF YOU LIKE SHAKESPEARE, YOU’LL LOVE THIS SHOW. IF YOU HATE SHAKESPEARE YOU’LL LOVE THIS SHOW!” - THE TODAY SHOW

Warning! This show is a high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all of Shakespeare’s plays and is not recommended for people with heart ailments, bladder problems, inner-ear disorders, outer-ear disorders, Shakespearean scholars, degrees in Elizabethan history and/or people inclined to motion sickness.

HISTORIES

Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
King John
Pericles
Richard II
Richard III

COMEDIES

All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
Comedy of Errors
Love's Labour's Lost
Measure for Measure
Merchant of Venice
Merry Wives of Windsor
Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado about Nothing
Taming of the Shrew
Tempest
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter's Tale

TRAGEDIES

Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Cymbeline
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida

Reduced Shakespeare Company

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised]

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 17, 7pm

These theater classics undergo some changes, of course – Titus Andronicus becomes a cooking show, Othello is summarized in rap and Hamlet is pared down to under a minute. But you’re sure to be mightily entertained by the madcap goings-on, which include satire, sight gags, improvisation, audience participation and more!

The Legendary Music of Lyle Lovett

Lovett's music career began as a songwriter. while typically associated with the country genre, Lovett's compositions often incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music.

He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album (The Road to Ensenada, 1996), Best Country Duo/Group with Vocal ("Blues For Dixie" with the Texas swing group Asleep at the Wheel, 1994), Best Pop Vocal Collaboration ("Funny How Time Slips Away" with Al Green, 1994) and Best Country Male Vocal (Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, 1989).

---

A demo tape of Lovett's music made its way to MCA Records in 1984 and the label immediately began drafting a recording contract. Lovett signed with MCA/Curb in 1986 and released his self-titled debut album that year to positive reviews.

The singles "Farther Down the Line," "Cowboy Man," "God Will," "Why I Don't Know" and "Give Back My Heart" all reached the country Top 40. It was clear that Lovett was a country music success, but it was also very obvious that his style didn't rely on the genre entirely even though his sound was rooted in country.

Lyle Lovett was a success, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, but his sophomore effort, 1987's Pontiac, is what really affirmed his talent. It was decidedly less country than his debut, but it still received rave reviews from country and mainstream critics, making Lovett a crossover success.

Pontiac introduced Lovett to a pop audience. While his success in that market grew, his country audience shrank. "She's No Lady" and "I Loved You Yesterday" was the last of his singles to crack the country Top 30.

Lovett's country audience may have been dwindling, but that certainly wasn't an indication of his future. Pontiac brought him an entirely new mainstream pop fan base and a loyal following. Lovett stayed true to his eclecticism, assembling a modified big band, His Large Band, which incorporated a range of instruments including guitars, cello, piano, a horn section and a backup singer, gospel trained Francine Reed.

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band was released in early 1989. Critics and fans lauded the album, which eventually went gold. The album was heavily influenced by jazz, R&B and swing, but it still managed to produce the minor country hit "I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You." His rendition of Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" also received a good deal of attention.

Lovett relocated to Los Angeles and spent the next years cutting his fourth effort. He produced Walter Hyatt's King Tears, sang in Leo Kottke's Great Big Boy and covered "Friend of the Devil" for the Grateful Dead tribute album Deadicated. Then he starred in the Robert Altman film "The Player" in 1992 and met co-star Julia Roberts. The two wed after just three weeks of dating and embarked on a very high-profile yet short-lived marriage.

Lovett's fourth album, Joshua Judges Ruth, was released shortly after "The Player" premiered. The gospel and R&B-heavy album became his most successful release to date. Pop audiences revered the record, making Lovett a mainstream staple.

Lyle Lovett was given the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award, and was named Texas State Musician.

Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group

DATE: Friday, Oct. 4, 8pm

Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers.

Add Cheesy Movies to Your Night Out - Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live

In the not-too-distant future, next Sunday A.D., there was a guy named Joel, not too different than you or me...

Originally airing for 11 seasons from 1988 to 1999, Mystery Science Theater 3000 immediately won over fans and became one of the most beloved cult TV shows of all time, making a human mind experiment more entertaining than anyone could have predicted.

---

When Joel Robinson (played by show creator Joel Hodgson) is shot into space and forced to watch bad movies while mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieau) and his crony, TV's Frank (Frank Conniff), monitor his mind, Joel builds a cast of lovable robot sidekicks to help keep his sanity: Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy and Cambot. It's only through their wisecracks, quips and friendships that they make it through a barrage of increasingly terrible cinema--and the audience in turn gets a veritable treasure trove of gut-busting hilarity.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 has earned its place in history as one of the Top 100 TV Shows of all time and is currently a hit show on Netflix. Now you can sit in the same theater with your favorite characters and experience this comedy phenomenon in a universally acclaimed LIVE event.

This is the last chance to see Joel as he celebrates his final live tour performing the unique comedic art form he created. The exhilarating, nonstop, rapid-fire hilarity is brimming with hundreds of jokes riffed on a “So-Bad-It’s-Good” feature film, plus spirited sketches and songs that turn the stage into a circus-themed party.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live

The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour

DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 7pm

The hilarious Peabody Award-winning hit TV comedy is coming to Northwest Arkansas with an all-new Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour!

Prepare to LOL with One of the Greatest Humorists Today - David Sedaris

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers.

The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

---

David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and his most recent book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, each of which became an immediate bestseller. The audio version of Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls is a 56th Annual Grammy-Award Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album. He is the author of the NYT-bestselling collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian Falconer). He was also the editor of Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. Sedaris’ pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” There are over ten million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages.

He and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written half-a-dozen plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center and The Drama Department in New York City. These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatists Play Service.

David Sedaris’ original radio pieces can often be heard on the public radio show This American Life. David Sedaris has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. His latest audio recording of new stories (recorded live) is “David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure” (2009). A feature film adaptation of his story C.O.G. was released after a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (2013). Since 2011, he can be heard annually on a series of live recordings on BBC Radio 4 entitled “Meet David Sedaris.” David Sedaris’ new book is a collection of his diaries, entitled Theft By Finding, Diaries (1977-2002) (2017). An art book, about David Sedaris’ diary covers was also just published and edited by Jeffrey Jenkins, entitled: David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual Compendium (2017, Little, Brown and Company). The nationally bestselling essay collection Calypso was published in 2018, and a second volume of his diaries is expected for summer 2021.

David Sedaris

DATE: Sunday, Nov. 3, 7pm

David Sedaris has charmed audiences with his neurotic and mundane, yet profound storytelling for more than 25 years. Beloved for his personal essays, short stories and National Public Radio segments, Sedaris’ material isn’t always what you would expect.

The Pure Voices of Nobuntu Transcend All Boundaries

Nobuntu, the female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe, has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel.

The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.

---

Nobuntu was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in 2015 and are currently a two-time winner for the Best Imbube Group at the Bulawayo Arts Awards 2017 and 2019.  In the last few seasons, the quintet has performed at festivals and concert halls in Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic and throughout the African continent. The ensemble was a huge critical success at “Trans-Vocal” in Frankfurt and “Voice Mania” in Vienna. Their first tour to Canada, in 2016, included performances in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Victoria.

The word Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, unity and family from a woman’s perspective. The ensemble represents a new generation of young African women singers who celebrate and preserve their culture, beauty, and heritage through art. The ensemble’s mission is the belief that music can be an important vehicle for change, one that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender, and economic boundaries.

Back at home, Nobuntu holds a number of community initiatives, one of which is The Nobuntu Pad Bank where they gather sanitary pads for young women in the arts in underprivileged communities.

Nobuntu has released three recordings- Thina in 2013, Ekhaya in 2016 and Obabes beMbube in 2018. The group has made dozens of television and radio appearances throughout Africa and Europe promoting these recordings and the culture of their homeland.

Nobuntu

DATE: Friday, Oct. 11, 8pm

Join us for this stunning performance full of sparkling energy and a rich musical heritage with Nobuntu.

Move to the Latin Rhythms & Cuban Beats of Tiempo Libre

Three-time Grammy-nominated Afro-Caribbean music group, Tiempo Libre, is one of the hottest Latin bands today.

Equally at home in concert halls, jazz clubs, festival stages and dance venues, Tiempo Libre is celebrated for its sophisticated tropical music featuring an irresistible, exhilarating mix of jazz harmonies, contemporary sonorities and seductive Latin rhythms.

---

“World Class Act…” – London Evening Standard

Throughout the past 14 years, the band has appeared around the globe and has been featured on television shows including The Tonight Show, Live from Lincoln Center, and Dancing with the Stars as well as many entertainment programs on Univision and Telemundo. Since the group’s formation in Miami 2001, its members have been on a mission to share their Afro-Caribbean heritage with as wide an audience as possible, reinterpreting and reinvigorating music born from the meeting of their musical origins with their new American experience.

“Dance Music of Sophistication and Abandon” – The New York Times

Newly signed in 2015 to Universal Music Latin Entertainment in partnership with Universal Music Classics, the group will release its new album Panamericano on June 30. Tiempo Libre premieres two singles from Panamericano on May 19: “Dime Que No” featuring guest artist Jean Rodriguez and “Somebody to Love Me” with Yunel Cruz. Additional guest artists include Descemer Bueno, Frankie J, and Luis Fernando Borjas.

“So hot and danceable that even when you talk about the group, you find yourself moving your hips” – Richmond Times Dispatch

---

Tiempo Libre is a kick-off event for the Hispanic Heritage Festival on Sunday, Oct. 6 in Downtown Fayetteville. Hosted by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, festival attendees are welcome to Tiempo Libre’s performance as a fun way to start a weekend celebrating the rich history and rhythms of the Hispanic community.

---

Tiempo Libre

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 3, 7pm

Classically trained at Cuba’s premier conservatories, the seven member Afro-Caribbean group are true modern heirs to the rich musical tradition of their native Cuba.

AMP Fest is BACK!

AMP Fest is moving backstage at the Walmart AMP for a one-of-a-kind experience with beer sampling, tech activations & live music.

The annual fundraiser is a cause to celebrate! AMP Fest supports Walton Arts Center’s education and outreach programs reaching approx. 35,000 students and teachers each year.

---

There will be opportunities to try out the latest technology and unlimited beer sampling, set to the tune of live music from Fayetteville locals Goose and the NWArkansas powerhouse, Jukeboxx.

New tech activations include Samsung Virtual Reality, VMLY&R Interactive Tech, PlayStation 4 demo, and Monster’s Mobile Gaming Unit. VIP ticket holders can enjoy a BITE NWA experience, provided by Octagon, on stage at the Walmart AMP with small bites from local restaurants as well as special samplings from select breweries.

Sample craft beers from the following breweries:

• Bike Rack Brewing

• Black Apple Crossing

• Boston Mountain Brewing

• Core

• Flyway

• Founders

• Great Raft Brewing

• Lagunitas

• Lazy Magnolia

• Lost Forty

• New Holland

• Ozark Beer

• Revolver

• Sam Adams

• Shiner

• Yuengling

AMP Fest

Featuring Beer Sampling, Tech Activations & Live Music - provided by JukeBoxx and Goose

DATE: Thursday, Oct. 3

TIMES: 6-10pm

AGE RESTRICTIONS: You must be 21 or older to attend. Don’t forget your ID!

VoiceJam Winners Head to Japan for Vocal Asia

Business Casual, 2019 VoiceJam Festival Champions, enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Vocal Asia in Japan this month.

Each of the five band members - Jacob, Michael, Cassie, Roshun & Leslie - shared their favorite moments from Vocal Asia on our blog.

Vocal Asia Highlights:

• JACOB - Singing a funk song with workshop attendees. The Swingles concert. Hanging out with EXIT on Aca Day.

• MICHAEL - Songs for the Islands and the New World Concert - wow! Going to Teshima for Aca Day and seeing the ocean and lots of little islands. Enjoying the strength and diversity of competitors during Asian Cup competition. Connecting with and learning about all the different groups in attendance at Vocal Asia.

• CASSIE - The Swingles’ first workshop on the first morning - a huge room full of strangers coming together to learn and sing a beautiful arrangement together. Karaoke with Voctronica! followed by an impromptu and very loud a cappella rendition of “This Love” in the lobby of the Karaoke place, which made the staff really, really uncomfortable. The after-party when everybody danced along to Acapellago’s “Da Coconut Nut” in their encore encore performance!

• ROSHUN - Experiencing Taiwanese and Japanese folk music during the Songs for the Islands and New World concert. Karaoke with Voctronica!. Workshop with the Swingles - Singing without a Safety Net. Singing on Teshima and hanging out with EXIT from South Korea!

• LESLIE - Aca Day! Spending the day on the gorgeous island of Teshima, performing for a wonderful audience in a beautiful setting, and playing Korean circle games with EXIT. Also learning how to do killer photo poses from EXIT :)

Choose Your Inspiration - Create Your Own Subscription

Mix and match Broadway with kid’s performances, family friendly laughs with date-night Bollywood in the Popular Create Your Own Subscription!

With so many great options, it’s hard to choose just one show! When you buy more, you save more with the Create Your Own subscription package. It’s that simple!

Create Your Own buyers also receive early access to WAC shows and events added during the season. Be in the know from the start.

Choose 3, 5 or 7 shows From The List Below!

---

Procter & Gamble Broadway Series

• Escape to Margaritaville - Oct. 22-27, 2019

• The Play That Goes Wrong - Nov. 12-17, 2019

• A Christmas Story, The Musical - Dec. 10-15, 2019

• Once on This Island - Feb. 11-16, 2020

• Anastasia - March 10-15, 2020

• Fiddler on the Roof - April 14-19, 2020

• The Band’s Visit - May 19-23, 2020

Coca-Cola Night Out Series

• Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour - Oct. 29, 2019

• The Swingles Winter Tales - Dec. 5, 2019

• Boston Brass Christmas Bells are Swingin’ - Dec. 8, 2019

• Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo - Feb. 27, 2020

• Bollywood Boulevard - April 23, 2020

Arkansas BlueCross and BlueShield Family Fun Series

• Blue Man Group Speechless - Sept. 10-19, 2019

• The Peking Acrobats - Feb. 25, 2020

Mattel Kids Series

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE! - Feb. 8, 2020

• Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure: The Mystery of the Dinosaurs of the Deep - April 28, 2020

• Windmill Theatre Company’s Beep - May 1-2, 2020

LOL@WAC

• Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised] - Oct. 27, 2019

More Shows

• VoiceJam Competition - April 2, 2020

• Raj Suresh: 4,000 Days - April 24, 2020

• Artosphere Festival Orchestra 10th Anniversary Concert - May 9, 2020

You Saw It Here First! Celebrate Arkansas Covers New Blue Man Group Tour

You Saw It Here First

Blue Man Group to build and premiere new Speechless Tour from Walton Arts Center

By Marisa Lytle

For the second time in Walton Arts Center history, the iconic Blue Man Group will tech and launch a brand-new show from the center’s very own Baum Walker Hall. This will make Northwest Arkansas audiences the very first to see the new show, Speechless, before it heads out on the national in September.

According to Blue Man Group Creative Director Jon Knight, Speechless is a thrilling new show that he and his team have been working on for some time. “We are really excited to be putting this new work out there and to return to Fayetteville and share this thing with audiences like we did several years ago,” he says. “It feels good to return to a kind of a home base and to share this with all of you.”

Blue Man Group — known internationally for its bald and blue trio, as well as for its award-winning theatrical productions and multiple creative explorations — has a more-than-27-year history of performances that are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy, and non-verbal communication. BMG is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and has reached more than 35 million people worldwide.

Knight describes Speechless as a series of beautiful moments, of joyful moments, of indescribable moments that create a sense of community through physical elements and comedy — an experience in which talking is unnecessary. “In this show packed with technology, everyone is connected but isolated,” he explains. “We wanted to present an experience where we get together an audience of people … and we celebrate being in a space together and sharing a moment, being connected. The Blue Men will guide us through a collective, unique experience together that in some ways will be different every night.” The Blue Man Group will debut new instruments of their own creation, as well as bigger and bolder music, set, and staging, but audiences can also expect familiar old favorites and fidelity to the heart of what Blue Man Group is about.

Speechless tour Director Jenny Coons describes the show similarly: “Speechless will feature material that fosters communal moments, debut the evolution of our tube-based instruments to support all new music, and include large-scale audience participation. It is my hope that this show will deliver on its name and continue Blue Man Group’s legacy to transcend words and inspire audiences through non-verbal connections.”

One aspect of the Speechless tour that is truly unique to Northwest Arkansas is how the show will be “built” here. Blue Man Group’s company will bring all the different parts of the Speechless performance together in one place on the Walton Arts Center stage in order to fully rehearse and prepare the show for its life on the road. First, the technical crew will load in sets, props, costumes, lighting, and sound equipment and prepare the theater for the cast — who have been rehearsing together at another location — to arrive a bit later. Cast, crew, artistic staff, sets, props, and costumes all meet for the first time. Blue Man Group will carry out full rehearsals at WAC before premiering the show for NWA audiences. “We wanted to choose an opening venue that represents the houses we’ll be touring to,” Knight says. “Also, people who are willing to tolerate our specific brand of weirdness is good for us.”

Blue Man Group is just one of 10 shows that have been built and opened at Walton Arts Center since 1997. Earlier this year, The Lightning Thief and Falsettos mounted their tours from Walton Arts Center. Shows that tech and launch from the region’s performing arts center boost the local economy; for instance, The Lightning Thief generated an estimated $32,900 from lodging, $26,460 from meals, and $26,000 for salaries of local crew members that work each performance. As cast and crew members immerse themselves in the Northwest Arkansas community for two weeks in September, other local businesses will benefit, as well.

Blue Man Group

Speechless

DATES: Sept. 12-19*

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

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