Category: arts

View “Cinderella” at Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date December 4, 2009

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse (BACP) presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” at 8 p.m. today, Dec. 10-12 and a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee on Dec. 13. The production is directed by T.L. Bringle.
Hilary Hunt stars as Cinderella and James Bowie, portraying the dashing Prince Christopher, lead a cast of BACP newcomers and veterans. Joining them onstage is Shayna Stubblefield, Seth Paden, Tim Petro, Sherry Hacker, Anna Caldwell, Tiffany Wright, Maureen Dunbar, Rachel Kincheloe, Allison Walden, Brett Maxey, Brittany Wright, Donald Gilmore, Stephanie Porter, Joe Smith and John Knight.
In a news release, the BACP states that “Cinderella,” the timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale, is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” was the most widely viewed program in the history of the medium. Its recreation in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren was no less successful in transporting a new generation to the miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true, and so was a second remake in 1997, which starred Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother. The BACP’s production is based on the 1997 teleplay.
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 for this production may be made by calling the BACP box office at (918) 258-0077. The BACP is located in The Main Place at 1800 S. Main in downtown Broken Arrow.

arts Christmas Clark Theatre holidays Oklahoma tulsa

Clark Theatre presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date December 4, 2009

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is presented at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13, and 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Dec. 9-12 at Clark Youth Theatre, 11440 E Admiral Place, Tulsa. Kathryn Hartney is the director.

This Christmas tale makes its 23rd annual appearance at Clark Theatre. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” chronicles the story of the Herdmans, who are the worst kids in school. One Sunday, the Herdsmas come to church to take advantage of the free snacks the minister gives out, and it happens to be the same day for the annual church Christmas Pageant tryouts. After peer intimidation, the Herdmans were cast in lead roles. Disaster looms, but so does the possibility of learning the true meaning of Christmas.
For ticket information, call (918) 669-6455 or go to www.clarktheatre.com.

arts Grove grove community playmakers Oklahoma theater

Playmakers’ holiday show features “The Velveteen Rabbit”

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date November 23, 2009

The Grove Community Playmakers kick off the holiday season with an adaptation by Scott Davidson of the classic children’s story, “The Velveteen Rabbit,” by Margery Williams. Performances will take place at 121 W. Third St., Grove, OK.

A short play about holiday giving, “The Lost and Found Christmas,” is also included. It is a production from The Paper Bag Players by Judith Martin and music by Donald Ashwander.

“We wanted a holiday show that would allow children 3-4 years to the theatre,” said Director Suzanne Boles in a news release. “We haven’t performed for children this young since we produced ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’s Christmas Tail.’ Of course, the very sensitive ‘Velveteen Rabbit’ is a good way for all children and adults to remember what’s real about Christmas,” she added.

The plays are produced with assistance from the Oklahoma Arts Council and supporters of the Playmakers.

The production opens Friday, Nov. 27 and each weekend through Sunday, Dec. 6. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m.; the Tuesday performance is at 7 p.m.; Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

The Playmakers ask that there be no children younger than 3 years old, and to please determine that all children are able to sit through a performance of more than one hour without distracting actors or other members of the audience. There will be one intermission with special entertainment.

Reservations are necessary. Adult tickets are $13.50 and students (pre-school – High school) $6.75. A special admission fee for “lap-sitters” (ages 3-4) is $3 per child. There is a special group rate for youth groups with children first-grade through mid-school. The rate for ten children or more is $5.50 each. There must be one adult for every 3-4 children; ticket price for these adults will be $11.50 each. “Pay What You Can Afford” tickets are also available. Talk with box office volunteers when making reservations. For more information, go to http://www.gcplaymakers.com/, call (918) 786-8950 or e-mail 1groveplaymakers@sbcglobal.net.

arts Nightingale Theater. Tulsa Oklahoma theater

Nightingale Theater to present “Born Again Yesterday” by Justin McKean this Sunday

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date November 17, 2009

“Born Again Yesterday” by Justin McKean will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, November 22nd, 2009, at at the Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. Fourth St., Tulsa. Tickets are $10. For reservations, call (918) 633-8666 for reservations or go to www.nightingaletheater.com.

Justin McKean’s “Born Again Yesterday” guides the audience through a hilarious maze of experiences drawn from the author’s life as a strict fundamentalist. “Everything in the play is based on something I did, or saw or heard,” McKean says.

Laughing at himself through this two-hour comedy, McKean hopes to build bridges. “The point of the play is to humanize, not demonize,” he says in a news release. “Christians who see it understand this quickly. They laugh more loudly than the non-religious people. I think this is because they know the people in the play very, very well. They’ve been to church with them. They have had potluck dinners with them. They went to church camp with them. You can love your family and still roll your eyes at them sometimes.”

Most of the play is comedy, but there are moments of sadness. “I’ve made people cry,” McKean says. “The show is based on a true story, and when I found that I’d lost my ability to believe the same things I did as a child, it truly devastated me.” These teary moments have a lighter side, too. “I’m a happy guy. I don’t take things too seriously, so there’s always a joke in there. In the saddest moments of life, you have to laugh through the tears.”

The story ends on a note of joy and hope with a plea to the audience to work together in their community locally and globally.

arts auditions Oklahoma Owasso theater theatre tulsa

Last chance! Auditions tonight for murder mystery dramedy “Night of January 16th”

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date November 17, 2009

Auditions for “Night of January 16th,” a murder mystery dramedy by Ayn Rand, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Stone Canyon Elementary School, 7305 N. 177th East Ave. in Owasso (east on 76th street from Oklahoma State Highway 169).

A murder mystery with a twist, “Night of January 16th” by Ayn Rand, will keep audience members guessing. Who killed Bjorn Faulkner? You be the judge – no – you are the jury! Based on courtroom testimonies, drama, and comedy presented by the cast members, the guilt or innocence of the accused will actually be decided each performance by a jury selected from the audience.

Many adult male and females needed. No preparation is required for auditions. Performances will be Thursday, Jan. 21 through Saturday Jan. 23, 2010. Directed by George Romero. For more info, go to www.octok.org, call (918)237-1656, or e-mail info@octok.org.

arts blues Bryan Lee music national

Bluesman Bryan Lee releases “My Lady Don’t Love My Lady” this week

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date October 27, 2009

Justin Times Records recently announced the release of Blues guitarist Bryan Lee. Titled “My Lady Don’t Love My Lady,” the compilation features a star-studded blues affair, featuring top tier, special guest performances by the legendary Buddy Guy; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who was mentored by Bryan early in his career; pianist David Maxwell, who intuitive playing blends seamlessly with Bryan’s; and guitarist Duke Robillard, who also expertly produced the session at his studio in Rhode Island.
According to Lee’s bio, he was born in Two Rivers, Wis., and he completely lost his eyesight by the age of eight. His avid interest in early rock and blues was fostered through the 1950s by late night listening sessions via the Nashville-based radio station WLAC AM, where he first encountered the sounds of Elmore James, Albert King and Albert Collins. By his late teens, Lee was playing rhythm guitar in a regional band called The Glaciers that covered Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry material. In January 1982, Lee headed south to New Orleans and eventually landing a steady gig at the Old Absinthe House, where he became a favorite of tourists in the city’s French Quarter.
Lee’s been a regular at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (FIJM) since signing with the Montreal-based label in the early 1990s, and also performs regularly throughout Europe and North America.

arts theater theatre tulsa Tulsa Community College

“Vanities” presented this weekend at VanTrease PACE Studio Theater

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date October 17, 2009

Jack Heifner’s Broadway production “Vanities” (directed by William Carter) will be presented at 8 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at VanTrease PACE Studio Theater, Tulsa Community College’s Southeast Campus, 10300 E. 81st S. in Tulsa, OK.

“Vanities” is a bittersweet comedy that chronicles the lives of three small-town Texas girls deal with personal upheavals of the 1960s, as dreams wither and friendship turns sour. In 1963, Joanne, Kathy and Mary are presented as aggressively vivacious cheerleaders. Five years later in their college sorority house, they are forced to confront their future. In 1974, they reunite briefly in New York. Their friendship, which thrived once on assumption, is strained and ambiguous. Their attempts at honest conversation show that times have changed and they can no longer have very much in common.

For ticket information, call (918) 595-7777.

arts Halloween Oklahoma Sapulpa Sapulpa Community Theatre theater theatre

Sapulpa Community Theatre presents “Finders Creepers” this weekend

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date October 17, 2009

Sapulpa Community Theatre presents “Finders Creepers” by Donald Payton today though Sunday, Oct. 18 and Oct. 23-25. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Reservations are required.

Directed by Sean Ballard, “Finders Creepers” is a Halloween show that features Hercules Nelson. His aunt and uncle invite he and his best friend Lucas to spend the weekend with them. With suitcases in hand, the boys arrive at Uncle Bob’s to discover that Uncle Bob is a mortician, and there’s a funeral scheduled on Monday. Well, it’s not long before things start happening in ways that would put most brave men to
flight.

Needless to say, the boys are terrified until they find out that Mr. Quigley, the corpse, isn’t dead. Someone tried to knock him off while he was sleeping so he devised a plan: he’d make his family think he was dead, then show up at his funeral and trap the guilty party. No doubt Mr. Quigley had a good plan and no doubt things would have ended peacefully, but there are two things he failed to consider … Lucas Maxwell and Hercules Nelson.

The Sapulpa Community Theatre is at 124 S Water St. in Sapulpa, OK. For more information, call (918)227-2169 or send an e-mail to stheatre@sbcglobal.net.

arts Black Liberated Arts Center Inc. education Oklahoma Oklahoma City teachers

Teacher Randy Barron to conduct arts education workshop in Oklahoma City

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date October 15, 2009

Randy Barron, a 25-year teacher specializing in arts education, will be in Oklahoma City Oct. 19-22, conducting teacher training at Wilson Elementary School in the Oklahoma City Public Schools District and at Highland Park School in the Mid-Del Schools District. The announcement was made today by Anita Arnold, executive director of Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC) Inc.

Barron has conducted more than 100 professional development workshops and more than 75 in-school residencies in 23 states. Barron has written arts curriculum reaching more than 250,000 students in urban and rural school districts. He is a founding member and current curriculum coordinator for the Rio Gallinas School, an elementary charter school in Las Vegas that is focused on ecology and the arts.

As a professional dancer, Barron has choreographed, performed with and directed ballet and modern dance companies throughout the United States and Europe. He is a co-founder and former artistic director of City in Motion Dance Theater in Kansas City, Mo.

While in Oklahoma City, Barron will conduct the workshop, “Scientific Thought in Motion,” at Highland Park School and will spend three days coaching teachers at Wilson Elementary School. This is his third trip to Oklahoma City to work with classroom teachers.

This project, a part of BLAC Inc.’s arts education program, is funded in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council and the Oklahoma Department of Education.

arts Clark Theatre Oklahoma theatre tulsa youth

Clark Youth Theatre presents Shakespeare’s “As You Like It ”

Post author By mitchmuse
Post date October 11, 2009

Clark Youth Theatre presents Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” at 2 p.m. Oct. 11 and 25; and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23-24 at Clark Theatre, 11440 E. Admiral Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The show is directed by Julie Tattershall.

Clark Theatre’s annual classic play for 2009 transports the audience to the mythical Forest of Arden, where they will follow the adventures of Rosalind, considered by many to be Shakespeare’s greatest female character. Forced to flee her evil uncle, she disguises herself as a boy and searches for her exiled father. Comedy and romance inevitably ensue. Containing Shakespeare’s classic “All the world’s a stage” monolog, “As You Like It” is one of his best-loved comedies.

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. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. For more information, call (918) 669-6455 or (918) 746-5065, or go to clarktheatre.com. Watch the trailer: