The Fulbright College department of music will feature the University of Arkansas Wind Symphony and the University Symphony Orchestra in concert on Monday evening, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Baum Walker Hall at the Walton Arts Center. Pieces by Aaron Copland, Gustav Holst, Kevin Walczyk, Ron Nelson, Dmitri Shostakovich, Carl Maria von Weber, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Guiseppe Verdi will be performed. Read more…
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NORTHWEST ARKANSAS, September 4, 2008—The Robert Cray Band will deliver a good helping of gritty, Southern-style blues at Walton Arts Center on Thursday, September 18 at 7 p.m. Successfully crossing over between R&B, pop and traditional blues, master blues guitarist and storyteller Robert Cray’s unique, eclectic blues sound has resonated with a wide range of audiences for over 30 years. Tickets for The Robert Cray Band range from $28-$48 and can be purchased by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479-443-5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org.A native Georgian, Cray has received five Grammy® Awards and has been nominated an astounding 13 times. From classic titles such as “Phone Booth” to highlights from his latest release, -“Poor Johnny”, The Robert Cray Band continues to lay down track after track of good-time, uptown, low-down blues.
In 2006, Cray satisfied fans’ wishes with his first ever full-length live concert CD, where the fires that drive him on stage burn on disc as well. The Robert Cray Band: Live From Across The Pond was nominated for a Grammy® Award and features the celebrated triple-threat singer, guitar slinger and songwriter as he presents the best moments from his week-long run at London’s Royal Albert Hall in May 2006, opening for friend and mutual admirer, Eric Clapton.
Aside from their musicianship, the key to The Robert Cray Band’s success is their history. With more than a thousand gigs played around the world, they’ve locked in a sound that’s elegant and direct, searing and smooth. The band’s current line-up includes guitarist/singer Robert Cray, drummer Kevin Hayes, keyboardist Jim Pugh and bass guitarist Karl Sevareid.
The Robert Cray Band is part of the Dove® Chocolate Concerts & Attractions Series. Walton Arts Center’s 2008-09 season sponsor is Wal-Mart/ SAM’S CLUB.For more information on this performance, contact the Walton Arts Center’s Box Office by calling 479.443.5600 or visit waltonartscenter.org.
Walton Arts Center is Arkansas’ largest and busiest center for the performing arts and entertainment. Each year more than 140,000 people from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and beyond attend over 350 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, graduations and more. Approximately 25,000 students and teachers from 30 school districts participate annually in arts learning programs at Walton Arts Center, and over 300 volunteers donate more than 15,000 hours of time each year to its operations. Walton Arts Center presents entertainers and artists from around the world including Broadway musicals, renowned dance companies, international artists, up-and-coming jazz musicians and more.. As a non-profit organization, Walton Arts Center enjoys the generous support of public sector funding, corporate sponsorship and private donors, allowing audience members to pay on average only 50% of the cost of programs offered. To learn more about Walton Arts Center, visit www.waltonartscenter.org.
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Chicago’s legendary comedy improv theatre The Second City will appear at Walton Arts Center at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5. Deface the Nation is The Second City’s all-political revue with customized comedy for the election year. Featuring scenes and songs that poke fun at both political parties and a variety of pundits, The Second City proves that there’s no shortage of comedy coming out of Washington D.C. Tickets for The Second City: DeFace the Nation range from $20-$32 and can be purchased by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479-443-5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org.
Founded in Chicago in 1959, The Second City has become the premier training ground for the comedy world’s best and brightest. Their alumni list reads like a who’s who of American comedy, as it includes: Mike Nichols, Elain May, Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Martin Short, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Horatio Sanz, Ryan Stiles and countless others.
Not only will an evening with The Second City provide audiences with the chance to see comedy stars in the making, but they will also have the opportunity to see absolutely hilarious satire and cutting-edge improvisation. From Bush to Clinton to Obama to the other Clinton, DeFace the Nation is a hilarious romp through the beltway and beyond. No topic or subject matter is off limits for The Second City. If your parents asked you not to speak about it at the dinner table, chances are it will be made fun of in an evening with The Second City.
Immediately following Second City’s a special Young Professionals (YPAS) Cast Party will be held. YPAS is Walton Arts Center’s new young professionals group, offering young professionals the opportunity to enjoy the arts in a fun atmosphere. For patrons who are YPAS VIP members (formerly Tuesday Night Broadway Club), admittance to the Cast Party is free although a ticket is needed for entry. For patrons who are not YPAS VIP members, admittance is $5. This event will run for about an hour and a half and will feature light snacks, beer and wine.
Friday’s performance will feature Rachel Miller, Joey Bland, Anthony LeBlanc, Abby McEnany, Brooke Bagnall and Seth Weitberg. These talented improv artists will entertain audiences both on the stage and off with an improv master class to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. New to improv or acting? No worries! The Second City improv workshop, for ages 16 and older, will introduce beginning improv concepts such as listening, ensemble, and supporting your partner. Participants will have a great time learning and playing with The Second City facilitators. The improv workshop fee is $15, and the maximum amount of students is 15. Class will take place in Starr Theatre. For more information on learning with the cast of The Second City, check out waltonartscenter.org.
For more information on this performance, the beginning improv master class or about the YPAS cast party, contact the Walton Arts Center Box Office by calling 479.443.5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org.
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BY SUSANNAH PATTON Northwest Arkansas Times
In the midst of a long-range plan that will determine the best location for future facilities, Walton Arts Center officials are not turning their backs on the existing performing space: the 1,200-seat Baum Walker Hall in Fayetteville.
Terri Trotter, WAC interim president and CEO, said planning for the future does not exclude the current facility.
“Baum Walker Hall is a mainstay of those plans,” she said.
And to prove it, the center is investing more than $300,000 in backstage and technical upgrades.
“We’ve made a concentrated effort over the past 18 months to focus on the backstage and technical equipment,” Trotter said.
The most visible of the upgrades is the new stage floor, which crews are in the process of installing.
Jesse Adams, head carpenter at the Walton Arts Center, said the stage has held up fairly well considering 17 seasons of Broadway shows and dance performances. But nearly every show that has used the stage has screwed set pieces directly into the deck.
“After years of lagging into the floor, it starts to look like Swiss cheese,” he said.
All the holes make it difficult to handle the setups of some productions.
While installing a new floor, which consists of layers of plywood and fiberglass, crews are also putting in cable troughs so electrical cords no longer have to stretch across the surface of the stage but can be hidden out of site.
There is also a new orchestra pit lift to replace the lift that was installed when the performance hall was built in 1992. Three new 2000-watt spotlights were also added to the hall.
Upgrades that will immediately be noticed by patrons include the addition of five television monitors in the balcony and main lobbies. This will allow patrons who arrive late to see and hear what’s happening on stage while waiting to enter, Trotter said.
New equipment will allow concessions to sell a greater variety of beverages, she said, and computer scanners will allow patrons to purchase items with debit and credit cards.
The upgrades will support the performances at Baum Walker Hall, Trotter said, while three additional facilities are being considered for the future.
The Arts Consulting Group, which is conducting a three-phase feasibility study for the center, recommended the addition of a 2,200-seat performance hall, a 600-seat flexible space and a 100-seat black box theater to meet growing audience demand. The group is still evaluating various locations to put the new facilities, including the existing site as well as property in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville.
Meanwhile, Fayetteville officials are negotiating a contract with Signet Development to construct a hotel, retail and commercial space, and two parking decks on city-owned land adjacent to the arts center.
Mayor Dan Coody said the city is trying to develop a plan where the Walton Arts Center could expand as it needs to “in a way that benefits both projects.”
“The Walton Arts Center is not going to go away,” Coody said. “We want to make sure the expansion happens here.”
ANDY SHUPE Northwest Arkansas Times Jesse Adams, head carpenter for the Walton Arts Center, explains the construction of the suspended surface of the stage in Baum Walker Hall during a tour of the facility Monday as work continues to replace the stage floor.
Publication:Northwest Arkansas Times; Date:Aug 5, 2008
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BY SUSANNAH PATTON Northwest Arkansas Times
The Walton Arts Center expanding at its current site is the most viable option, according to Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody.
“It’s more feasible to do it here than it is anywhere else,” Coody said
The preliminary results of an expansion study recommended three additional facilities at the Walton Arts Center in order to meet the growing audience demand. Those three facilities don’t necessarily have to be adjacent to the current site or even in the same city, according to consultants.
While the Art Consultants Group — the team conducting the three-phase feasibility study — are considering sites in Fayetteville, they are also looking at Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville.
The consultants reported that approximately 3 acres are needed for an additional 2,200-seat performing hall, 600-seat theater club and 100-seat black box theater. They also put a $180 million price tag on the three facilities.
Coody said the $180 million price doesn’t include land costs.
The city can provide the land adjacent to the center, he said, making the current site the most cost-effective.
“Financially, it looks like a good place to expand right here,” he said.
Representatives from the city presented an option to the Walton Arts Center Council in February that would allow the center to expand at its existing location. The city is negotiating a contract with Signet Devel- opment to construct a hotel, retail and commercial space and two parking decks on adjacent land owned by the city, including the large parking lot at Dickson Street and West Avenue, a smaller lot at West Avenue and Spring Street and the current site of Grub’s Bar & Grille. Officials said the project could be modified to meet the expansion needs of the Walton Arts Center
Coody said he’s also made it known that the city has some bonding capacity. By restructuring the Hotel and Restaurant Gross Receipt Tax Refunding Bonds, the city could generate $11-12 million, he said.
Regardless of where the facilities end up, the consultants said if the Walton Arts Center doesn’t expand, there’s the possibility that some other organization will build a performing arts center.
Willem Brans, vice president of the Arts Consulting Group, said because of the anticipated demand, it’s likely someone else will step in to fill the need.
Publication:Northwest Arkansas Times; Date:May 24, 2008
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Walton Arts Center is pleased to invite you to a special presentation preview of the outdoor film installation, Slow Dancing.
When: Thursday, May 8 at 2pm
Where: McBride Studio, Walton Arts CenterSlow Dancing is a unique project that will be coming to the front of Walton Arts Center in October 2008 and will run through November 13. It involves three large projection screens hanging from the front of the building, and on those screens will be projected 43 different “films” of dancers and choreographers from around the world, performing dance movements in super-slow motion. The best way to understand what we’re talking about is to visit the website: www.slowdancingfilms.com and click on “media” for a preview.
This installation has played at Lincoln Center, the Music Center in Los Angeles, and will be playing in London and Toronto this summer. Walton Arts Center is a co-commissioner of this installation, and is very proud to bring it to Northwest Arkansas.
The project has great potential for Dickson Street and downtown Fayetteville, and we’d like to brainstorm with you about how we can leverage this amazing (and free to the public) outdoor installation. Please join us to learn more about the project and to share your ideas. Also feel free to forward this invitation to other interested people.
An RSVP to Christina Clark, (479.571.2752 or christinaclark@waltonartscenter.org) would be appreciated.
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Walton Arts Center invites young musicians and music lovers of all ages to learn from the 5 Browns. The Browns will share their music as well as thoughts about practice techniques, arrangements, and performing as an ensemble. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from these celebrated artists.
It’s rare that adjectives like “astounding,” “mesmerizing” or “rock-concert-like” can be applied to classical piano. But they can, when we’re talking about the 5 Browns. The 5 Browns, siblings ages 21-27, are all virtuoso, Julliard-training classical pianists. But they are also young adults with a modern look who love fashion, sports, computer games, dancing and all types of music - most of all, classical. When the 5 Browns sit down to perform on their five Steinway grand pianos, their eyes lock, a silent signal passes between them, and in an instant they are transformed from “regular” young people to musical dynamos. Flawless in precision and steeped in passion, they perform to sold out houses across the country.
Visit The 5 Browns’ website, where you can listen to music clips and more!
Get tickets at www.waltonartscenter.org or call our box office at 479-443-5600!
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