Sapulpa Community Theatre presents “Our Town” at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays on Feb. 5-7, Feb. 12-14, 2010, at the Sapulpa Community Theatre, 124 S Water St., Sapulpa, OK. The production is directed by Harley Cartee and sponsored in part by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Our Town,” written by Thornton Wilder, is about changes that come slowly to a small New Hampshire town in the early 20th century.
Tickets are $10 adults and $5 for students and children. Attendees who bring a food item for Sapulpa’s Community Care Food Bank (canned or dry packaged) will receive another entry in the drawing for free tickets to the next production “Everybody Loves Opal.”
Sapulpa Community Theatre is funded in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. Sapulpa Community Theatre is a member of Oklahoma Community Theatre Association, the American Association of Community Theatres, and the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Alliance.
For more information, call (918) 227-2169 or e-mail stheatre@sbcglobal.net.
Category: arts
Clark Youth Theatre will hold auditions for “The Land of the Dragon” by Madge Miller at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at Henthorne Park, 4825 S. Quaker, in Tulsa, OK.
Set in a mythical version of ancient China, this is a fantasy of pure princesses, helpful minstrels, evil step-aunts, and of course, dragons. “Land of the Dragon” offers our younger actors their chance to shine onstage. Anyone 14 and younger is welcome to audition. The show is directed by Genie Reiman.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 8-10 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11. For more information or reservations, call 746-5065 or go to www.clarktheatre.com.
Clark Theatre is a youth theater program and is part of the City of Tulsa Park and Recreation Department. Clark Theatre won the Tulsa Area Theatre Excellence award for Outstanding Youth Production for 2009.
What happens at an Adult and Teen Laughing Matter Improv show? It is interactive theatre with audience participation — in fact, it’s the audience who makes the performance happen. Improvisation is theatre of the moment, and the moment is always something to laugh at. If you like “Whose Line is it Anyway?” or “Second City,”you’ll love Tulsa’s version.
Show time is 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.
The Clark Teen Laughing Matter Improv is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at the same location. Tickets are also $5.
Heller Theatre and Clark Theatre are both at Henthorne Park at 4825 S. Quaker, in Tulsa, OK. For more information, call (918) 746-5065 or go to www.hellertheatre.com or www.clarktheatre.com.
The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse (BACP) presents William Inge’s romantic comedy “Bus Stop” at 8 p.m. Feb. 5-6, 11-13, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at The Main Place at 1800 S. Main in downtown Broken Arrow.
The production is directed by Bob Papisan. According to a news release, this is Papisan’s directorial debut at the BACP. He previously directed several shows for the Kansas City Community Theatre. The “Bus Stop” cast consists of Sheila Alley, Ken Calkins, Samantha Smith, Sydney Rick, Terry Michael, Richard Perceful and John Hansen.
When William Inge’s play, “Bus Stop,” opened on Broadway March 2, 1955, it was an immediate commercial and critical success. Based on Inge’s earlier one-act play, “People in the Wind,” “Bus Stop“ involves a pair of young lovers and their struggle to find love in the modern world. It’s cold and snowy, the roads are closed and a bus can’t get through. The passengers must spend the night in a Kansas diner entertaining themselves as best they can. Flirtations and romances bloom. All roads are blocked, and four weary travelers have to take refuge until morning. Cherie, a nightclub singer, has the most to worry about. She’s being pursued by a young cowboy with all the romantic finesse of a rodeo bull. The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. As a counterpoint to the main romance, the proprietor of the cafe and the bus driver at last find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe also gets her first taste of romance.
Ticket prices are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, $9 for students, and $6 for children 12 and younger. For more information, go to www.bacptheatre.com. Reservations may be made by calling the BACP box office at (918) 258-0077.
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc., the production is made possible in part by grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse is a member of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association and the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Association.
The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, in collaboration with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, presents “From The Tulsa Sound to the British Invasion” at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 at the Jazz Depot, 111 E. First Street (Upper Level), in Tulsa, OK.
There will be live cabaret entertainment highlighting music from the Tulsa Sound to the music of the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Groups performing include the Jambalaya Jass Band, vocalist Jack Brady, Brady Orchestra with Tulsa Symphony Orchestra strings and horns.
The Friday night show includes drinks and a buffet, catered by Just Catering by Orr. Tickets for this event are $85.
The Saturday night show has the same great music, but with drinks and a buffet available at an additional cost. Tickets for Saturday are $25 per person.
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee John Wooley will emcee both evenings.
To purchase tickets, call (918) 584-3615 or go to myticketoffice.com.
Gospel group The Brown Sisters (consisting of Vanessa, Phyllis, Lavette,
Adrienne & Andrea Brown) continue to win new fans and accolades with their debut CD “The Brown Sisters Live in Chicago” on Kingdom Records. According to a news release, the group recently won Best Gospel Entertainer of the Year and Best Gospel Album of the Year Awards at the 29th Annual Chicago Music Awards (CMA) that took place at the Windy City’s Alhambra Palace.
Other winners included Jennifer Hudson, Jeremih, R. Kelly, jazz great Ramsey Lewis, rapper Common, classic soul legends The Chi-Lites, blues star Buddy Guy and rock band Smashing Pumpkins.
The Brown Sisters have developed a sterling reputation in the Chicago for their riveting gospel stage performances that date back to the early 1990s. They have appeared onstage with stellar acts as Aretha Franklin, Bobby McFerrin and Mavis Staples, among others. They have performed in Europe for a decade (and recorded
a successful traditional gospel CD of hymns and church standards for the European market) and have appeared at the prestigious Montreux Jazz and New Orleans Jazz Festivals. They also spent a decade as the house background vocal group for the nationally syndicated “Testify” television program.
a successful traditional gospel CD of hymns and church standards for the European market) and have appeared at the prestigious Montreux Jazz and New Orleans Jazz Festivals. They also spent a decade as the house background vocal group for the nationally syndicated “Testify” television program.
Marvin Winans Jr. has won a Gospel Music Channel Music Video Award as Best Soul Video of 2009 for the concept clip of his radio hit “You Never Let Me Down” from his latest CD “Image of a Man.” Thousands of fans voted in a
people’s choice sort of procedure where the fans decided the winner.
Other nominees included other Christian artists such as Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin to Skillet and tobyMac.
Rodney Jerkins (Brandy, Jennifer Lopez, Backstreet Boys) produced the Caribbean-styled radio single “You Never Let Me Down.”
“It’s the joy you feel when you know that you have someone with you that will never fail you, never let you fall, never let you down,” Winans said in a news release.
World renowned drummer Cindy Blackman pays tribute to mentor Tony Williams in her upcoming February 23 release “Another Lifetime.”
Williams was the “spark” that dazzled the sets behind the late jazz maestro Miles Davis’ ’60s quintet. Considered one of the greatest jazz fusion drummers of all time, Williams died at age 51. Blackman, known as one of contemporary music’s most creative drummers, is a witness to Williams’ collective talents. “Another Lifetime” is a compilation of Williams’ songs from his seminal group Lifetime, which he helmed from 1969-1976. Blackman is a top-drawer jazz drummer whose resume includes a lengthy association with rocker Lenny Kravitz (1993-2004, 2005-2007).
“It’s true that this album celebrates him, but really this is only a documentation of the recording sessions that make up ‘Another Lifetime,’” said Blackman in a news release. “Tony’s impact was so great on me that I celebrate him every day of my life. Every time I think about music, I celebrate Tony because I celebrate that level of virtuosity. I’m here to let it be known what that man created and how in his drumming he carried the entire history of all the great jazz drummers. He was an incredibly schooled drummer who set up the direction for me. When I first heard him, I knew that’s how I wanted it to go for me. I remember thinking I’ve got to get to that. Celebrating Tony is not just one day or one album, but it’s a way of living, a way of being-creative, spontaneous, thoughtful and diligent in pushing the envelope.”
Accompanying Blackman are four different teams of collaborators. The first support group comprises guitarist Mike Stern, organist Doug Carne and bassist Benny Reitvald, who appear on seven of the 11 tracks. On two tunes, there is guitarist Fionn O Lochlainn and organist Carlton Holmes; while the final track on “Another Lifetime,” “Wildlife,” features guitarist Vernon Reid, keyboardist Patrice Rushen and bassist David Santos. There’s also a guest appearance by saxophonist Joe Lovano in Blackman’s duo rendition of “Love Song,” one of the CD highlights.
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee and Tulsa saxophonist Grady Nichols will perform at the Westside Community Center’s annual fundraiser “All That Jazz” at 8 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Hillcrest County Club, 1901 Price Road in Bartlesville, OK. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner.
Nichols, best known for several CD releases including “Sophistication” and “Take Me with You,” presents a kaleidoscope of smooth jazz, pop, adult contemporary and even a dance mix. “My influences are so varied and I try to reflect that in my music,” Nichols said. “As I’ve matured as a songwriter, that growth has allowed me to infuse more of myself into each record. Using this mixture of flavors has helped me to create a sound with widespread audience appeal. As a result, you’ll see people of all ages at my shows.”
Nichols has collaborated with notable artists such as Grammy nominated producer and keyboardist Jeff Lorber, trumpeter Chris Botti, guitarist Paul Pesco, the late bass guitarist Wayman Tisdale, producer Zac Maloy and Grammy nominated songwriter Toni Estes.
“All That Jazz” features Cajun-style cuisine and opening entertainment by the Bartlesville High School Jazz Band. A cash-bar is available, and door prizes (1 ticket per admission) will be given away.
Tickets are $100 and must be purchased in advance by calling the Westside Community Center at (918) 336-6760. Proceeds from “All That Jazz” benefit local community programs at the Westside Community Center, a United Way agency since 1951.
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Pam Crosby will be singing well-known standards from the 1920s to the 1990s at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Jazz Hall, 111 E 1st St. (upper level) in Tulsa, OK.
Crosby, who is considered one of Tulsa’s music treasures, will present special musical arrangements in her own swinging style. She will be accompanied by a trio of top-notch jazz musicians – pianist Scott McQuade, bassist Bill Crosby and drummer Anthony Yohe.
Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, college students and Jazz Hall members, and $5 for students. Attendees may also reserve a seat for $20 per person at one of the front tables. For tickets or more information, call Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame at (918) 281-8600 or go online to okjazz.org. Gift shop and concessions are available. All major credit cards are accepted.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to weather conditions, concert has been postponed to March 28.