The South Arkansas Arts Center is proud to announce the dynamic directing teams for the two upcoming productions of Once Upon a Mattress – a fun rendition of The Princess and The Pea. The Theatre Committee will host a community production of the full-length musical on October 19th -29th co-directed by Rhett Davis and Hayden Nooner. Along with that, the Arts Academy s Teen Drama Club will present the one-hour youth edition on November 9th and 10th directed by Lynn Gunter with music director Cassie Hickman.
MUSICAugust 9Jazz Without BordersWhat’s jazz? What’s not jazz? The debate has been raging (well, uh, okay, mildly percolating among a small group of interested parties) since the birth of the celebrated musical form. Trumpeter Bijon Watson and singer/songwriter Niles Thomas want to weigh in with their final answer: It’s all jazz so can’t we all just get along? Questioning the idea of limiting categories and exclusive subgenres in this dynamic art form, the two launched the Jazz Republic Entertainment Group to encourage listeners and artists to ditch the labels and get back to the music. Their Jazz Republic Concert series, presented locally by KUNV 91.5 FM, showcases talent from across the jazz spectrum to promote this quintessentially American music form, whatever the style. This concert features saxophonist Tom Luer, acclaimed for his nimble versatility a welcome virtue in the Jazz Republic’s genre-bending vision of the dynamic jazz art form. (AK) Myron’s in The Smith