Here’s the latest weekend entertainment roundup from Eric E. Harrison, culture reporter for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
THEATER
Miss Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bennet (Madeleine Barker) doesn’t believe in marriage, or even love, until the handsome, aristocratic, aloof and impossibly irritating Mr. Darcy (Will Adams) appears on the scene in Kate Hamill’s adaptation of “Pride.” and Pride”, by Jane Austen. Prejudice,” with a final performance at 7 p.m. tonight, opening night at 8 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through June 30 at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St. ., Small stone. (501) 378-0405; TheRep.org.
The University of Central Arkansas Summer Theatre, UCA’s new professional theater, presents its inaugural production, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” (music, lyrics and book by Clark Gesner, based on the graphic novel by Charles M. Schulz , Peanuts), 7:30 pm Friday and June 28, 2 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday and June 29, and 2 pm Sunday and June 30 in the James M. Bridges Black Box Theater at the university’s Windgate Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, Donaghey and Bruce Streets, Conway. (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012.
Homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and ’90s pop culture take the stage in a comedic romp through the world of fantasy role-playing games at the Weekend Theater at West Seventh and Chester Streets, Little Rock for the final weekend of “ She Kills Monsters” by Qui Nguyen, 7:30 pm Friday to Saturday and 2:30 pm Sunday. centralarkansastickets.com
It’s also the last weekend for the Royal Players’ production of “The SpongeBob Musical,” at 7 p.m. tonight through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Royal Theatre, 111 S. Market St., Benton. TheRoyalPlayers.TicketLeap.com
And you have one more week, plus a few more days, to catch the traditional bluegrass musical “Smoke on the Mountain,” on stage through June 29 at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock. (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com
MUSIC
Opera in the Ozarks begins its summer season at 7:30 pm Friday at Inspiration Point, 16311 US 62 West, overlooking Beaver Lake, five miles west of Eureka Springs, with Giuseppe Verdi’s grand opera “La Traviata,” with additional performances on June 27th and 29th and July 2nd, 7th, 10th, 13th and 19th. The corps of young singers and orchestra members will perform two other operas in repertoire through July 19: Robert Ward’s “The Crucible” and a pair of one-acts, Vittorio Giannini’s “Beauty and the Beast” and “L’enfant et les sortilèges” by Maurice Ravel. (479) 253-8595; opera.org
ART
The 2024 Arkansas League of Artists Member Show opens Friday with an Argenta Art District Third Friday Art Walk reception, 5-8 p.m., at the Argenta Library, 420 Main St., North Little Rock. It will remain active until July 5th, from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. (501) 687-1061 or visit NLRlibrary.org
And a ceramics exhibit by University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumna Ginny Sims is on display through July 14 in the Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery at the university’s Windgate Center of Art and Design, 2801 S. University Ave. , Little Rock. The center is hosting a reception from 5pm to 7pm on June 27th. The gallery’s opening hours are from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 11am to 2pm, Saturday to Sunday. (501) 916-5117.
Tune in every Thursday at 4:44 pm to hear Eric’s recap of arts and cultural events in central Arkansas during All Things Considered on Little Rock Public Radio.
