ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Ballet Arkansas Presents 2 Complete Classical Ballets for ’24-25 | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
DANCE
Arkansas Ballet Season
Ballet Arkansas’ 2024-25 season includes two large-scale ballet productions with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall – the annual performance of Peter Tchaikovsky “The Nutcracker” in December and Sergei Prokofiev “Cheese and guava” in February.
The alignment:
◼️ September 13-15: “Bold New Moves,” works by “Next-Gen” choreographers, Argenta Plaza, 510 Main St., North Little Rock. World premieres featuring music by Arkansas artists.
◼️ Oct. 11-13: “Bizet’s Carmen: A Searing Tale of Passion and Betrayal” (world premiere), Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. Based on the score of Georges Bizet’s opera, to be performed live (details pending).
◼️ December 13 to 15: “The Nutcracker Spectacular”
◼️ February 14th to 16th: “Romeo and Juliet – the greatest love story in the world”
◼️ April 25-27: “Nouveau,” Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, performances of traditional ballet works (including Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”) and “innovative premieres” to be announced, with live musical performance (also TBA), courtesy of the Stella Boyle Smith Trust.
◼️ April 25-27: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, set to Felix Mendelssohn’s incidental music for William Shakespeare’s play.
The company will hold community casting tests from August 16th to 18th – for “Carmen de Bizet”, ages 14 and up; for “The Nutcracker”, ages 6 and up; for “Romeo and Juliet”, from 9 years old; and for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ages 8 and up.
Tickets for “The Nutcracker” go on sale May 17; for most other productions, July 1; for “Romeo and Juliet,” August 1.
Visit balletarkansas.org.
Seth Gilliam, who plays Father Gabriel Stokes on the TV series “Walking Dead,” is among the celebrity guests attending Spa-Con Infinity, Sept. 20-22, at the Hot Springs Convention Center. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
TICKETS
Spa City Spa-Con
Seth Gilliam, who plays Father Gabriel Stokes on the TV series “Walking Dead,” is among the celebrity guests who will attend Spa-Con Infinity, the eighth edition of the comic pop culture convention, September 20-22 at the Hot Springs Convention Center, 134 Convention Center Blvd., Hot Springs. This year’s convention turns the number 8 on its side to create the infinity symbol in its branding.
Internationally known “nerdcore” rapper MC Lars, whose output ranges from ska music and hipsters to “Star Wars” and Edgar Allen Poe, according to a press release, will be the convention’s opening act at 7 p.m. September at the Horner Convention Center. Hall. (The press release defines “nerdcore” as music made by nerds, for nerds or about nerdy things.) Admission to the show is free with the purchase of Spa-Con passes.
“Nerdcore” rapper MC Lars will be the opening act at Spa-Con Infinity on September 20 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
A limited number of VIP passes, which include Spa-Con socks, an enamel pin, VIP shirt, a Spa-Con bag and Spa-Con branded badge, plus access to the VIP Lounge, special VIP parties, VIP meet and greets and priority entry to panels, workshops and events is $150; weekend passes are $35. Visit spa-con.org.
Comedy I
Bert “The Machine” Kreischer headlines third yearbook “Fully Loaded Comedy Festival” on a tour of 13 U.S. stadiums, amphitheaters and arenas, including a show at 7 p.m. June 27 at Walmart AMP, 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. The lineup of comedians includes Big Jay Oakerson, Bobby Lee, Cipha Sounds, Dan Soder, Matt McCusker and Whitney Cummings. Gates open at 5:30 pm. Tickets cost between $49.50 and $149.50 plus applicable fees. Call (479) 443-5600 or visit amptickets.com/performance/bert-kreischer-2024 or FullyLoadedFestival.com.
Comedy II
Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias plans a stop in North Little Rock on his “Don’t worry, be cute” tour, 8 p.m. Dec. 6 at Simmons Bank Arena. Tickets – $43.50 to $129 (plus service fees, with a limit of eight tickets per family) – are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
