Arts Council 2009-2010 Series

Events & Festivals
Arts Council 2009-2010 Series
By
Oct 15, 2009, 19:36

The Arts Council of Mississippi County

The Arts Council of Mississippi County, located at The Ritz Civic Center in Historic Downtown Blytheville, is pleased to offer five programs scheduled for the 2009-2010 Series.

The fun will start with an evening of Big Band Era hits performed by the 18 piece Arkansas Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at 7:00 pm. Eighteen of the most versatile musicians in any part of the country will give a concert which will have you on the edge of your seat, if not dancing in the aisles. Drawing music from some of the greatest names of yesteryear such as Basie, Ellington, Kenton, Herman, Rich and many others, this show will mesmerize you with subtlety, and then knock your socks off! But it does not stop there. The Arkansas Jazz Orchestra also plays hits from current artists and composers such as The Tonight Show Band, Big Phat Band, Phil Collins Big Band, Maynard Ferguson, Sammy Nestico & Pat Metheny. You have got to hear this group to believe them.

Rocky Clements: “Show of Wonders” Illusion and Magic Show will present a Halloween themed show on Saturday, October 10, 2009, at 7:00 pm. This production is reminiscent of the old style traveling magic shows of the vaudeville era. From the red velvet and gold tasseled stage décor to the antique props, many dating back to the early 1900’s, the show is an ornate and entertaining tribute to an almost lost art of classical magic and family fun. This show is one of the largest touring magic shows in the United States, and will be presented to some of our area school children at The Ritz during the day on Friday, October 9^th. This show offers an artistic alternative to those seeking something different from the usual forms of entertainment, and takes spectators to another time … once upon a stage!

Gage Country and Friends will be on stage on Saturday, November 14, 2009, at 7:00 pm featuring the three-generation family group “Gage Country,” as well as our local celebrities Charles Moody and Chuck Wilder. The evening will include country, blue grass, gospel and a whole lot of toe-tappin’ fun. This will be a great event for families to enjoy together, with a little fun guaranteed for everyone.

Route 66 will take a detour through Blytheville on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at 7:00 pm as the professional touring group from “Springer Theatricals,” on national tour, presents the highly successful off-Broadway show on our stage. Hits from the 50’s and 60’s will have your feet tapping as “the radio DJ and the service station attendants” lead you musically down the historic highway traveling from Chicago to the California coast—Route 66. This is the same production company which brought us “A Tuna Christmas,” “The Taffetas” and “Some Enchanted Evening” during recent Series’, so this is guaranteed to be a first class production.

On Thursday, April 29, 2009, at 7:00 pm the “Opera To Go” program of Wildwood Park in Little Rock will return with a family production of their next children’s introduction to theater and staged musicals. This will be our fourth season to partner with Wildwood Park, and the growth in their professionalism and the quality of their performances has increased significantly each year. This promises to be a great evening for families to enjoy together, and we will once again coordinate multiple daytime performances for our area younger elementary children to attend the show.

Other programs for the Series are still under consideration and will be added as funding is available. Persons interested in becoming Patrons, or those who wish to know more about the programs, may call 870-762-1744. Individuals may call the same number to be added to the e-mail alert list and kept up-to-date on all of the programs and events of The Arts Council. For more information consult The Arts Council website at www.artsmissco.com.