THEATER
‘Sunshine Boys’
Argenta Contemporary Theatre is partnering with the Acansa Arts Festival of the South to stage “The Sunshine Boys” by Neil Simon, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and Sept. 17-21 and 2 p.m. Sept. 15 in the ACT II Sharon Heflin Performing Arts Center, 315 Main St., North Little Rock. Tickets are $38. Visit argentacontemporarytheatre.org; for opening night tickets, visit acansa.org.
P. Jay Clark plays Willie Clark with Freddy Geils as Al Lewis, top-billed vaudevillians for more than 40 years but who have had a long-standing feud that they must somehow sublimate when a TV network asks them to take part in a “History of Comedy” retrospective. The cast also includes Greg Fallon, Satia Spencer, Kristen Phantazia Smith and Rex Easter. ACT Producing Artistic Vincent Insalaco directs.
Nicholas Hambruch plays the title role in “Shrek the Musical,” onstage Monday at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/FullOutCreative)
‘Shrek’ tour at UCA
A touring production of “Shrek the Musical” (a “reimagined” version of the Broadway show, music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on the DreamWorks animated film and the book by William Steig) kicks off the 2024-25 University of Central Arkansas Public Appearances Broadway Series, 7 p.m. Monday in UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway. The season marks the series’ 25th anniversary.
Tickets are $30-$50, $10 for children and students. Call (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012 or visit uca.edu/publicappearances.
Constitutional comedy
A 15-year-old earns her college t
uition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the country in “What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Schreck, making its Little Rock debut in an Actors Theatre of Little Rock production, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 21 at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 1601 Louisiana St., Little Rock. A pre-show starts 25 minutes prior to curtain time. The theater company is rating the show PG-13 for topics including discussion of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, abortion and its stigmatization. Voter registration forms will be available. Tickets are $25; $20 for students, senior citizens and military. Visit actorstheatrelr.org/tickets.
Springdale schedule
Arkansas Public Theatre opens its Season 39 on Sept. 26-29 with “Tootsie” (music and lyrics by David Yazbek, book by Robert Horn based on the movie screenplay by Larry Gelbart) at The Medium: A Place to Create, 214 S. Main St., Springdale, the theater’s temporary home while repairs are made to the storm-damaged Victory Theatre in Rogers.
The rest of the lineup:
◼️ Dec. 20-22: “A Christmas Story” by Philip Grecian, based on the 1983 film and screenplay by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark, based on Shepherd’s “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash”
◼️ Feb. 27-28, March 1-2: “Assassins,” music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman
◼️ April 17-20: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart
◼️ June 5-8: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” adapted by Simon Stephens from the novel by Mark Haddon
◼️ Aug 7-10: “9 to 5, the Musical,” music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, book by Patricia Resnick based on the 1980 movie.
Season memberships include tickets to all six productions. Visit arkansaspublictheatre.org.
MUSIC
Young Artist tour
Pianist Anna Han, winner of the 2023 National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Auditions and runner-up in the 2023 Naumburg International Piano Competition, tours the state this week, performing:
◼️ 7:30 p.m. Monday, Mabee Fine Arts Center, Ouachita Baptist University, 410 Ouachita St., Arkadelphia. (870) 245-5129.
◼️ 7 p.m. Tuesday, Stilwell Humanities Music Hall, Texarkana College, 2500 North Robinson Road, Texarkana. (903) 823-3456.
◼️ 7 p.m. Thursday, Fine Arts Center, University of Arkansas at Monticello, 346 University Drive, Monticello. (870) 460-1060.
◼️ 11 a.m. Friday, Trinity United Methodist Church, 1101 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock. (501) 666-2813.
◼️ 3 p.m. Sept. 15, Bella Vista Presbyterian Church, 1880 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista.
Admission to all of Han’s recitals is free. Her program: Rondo-Toccata, op.60, by Dmitry Kabalevsky; Etude No. 5, “Toccata,” by Unsuk Chin; “Le Tic-Toc-Choc Ou Les Maillotins” and “Les Barricades Mystérieuses” by François Couperin; “Toccata” by Sergei Prokofiev; Prelude and Fugue in A major, op.87 No. 7, by Dmitri Shostakovich; Sonata in d minor, K.213, by Domenico Scarlatti; “La Palma” from “Lotería” by Marco-Adrián Ramos; “Marionette” by William Grant Still; “Stoptime Rag” by Scott Joplin; two of the “Romanian Dances” by Béla Bartók; and the Toccata in g minor, BWV 915, by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Eric Vloeimans, trumpet (left), and Will Holshouser, accordion, perform Tuesday at Little Rock’s Christ Episcopal Church. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Reuben Radding) concert photo (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Peter Putters)
Trumpet-accordion duo
Eric Vloeimans, trumpet, and Will Holshouser, accordion, perform original compositions “that bring together sounds from jazz, classical and folk music,” according to a news release, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott St., Little Rock. The concert is part of the church’s Arts@Christ Church series. Admission is by donation, with $20 a suggested amount. Call (501) 375-2342.
COMEDY
Ferrara in Fayetteville
Actor and comedian Adam Ferrara performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St., opening the center’s Comedy Zone season. Tickets are $25-$35. Call (479) 443-5600 or visit waltonartscenter.org. Ferrara is a two-time nominee for best male stand-up for the American Comedy Awards and has three Comedy Central specials. He has appeared in the movies “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and “Definitely, Maybe” and on TV in the FX drama “Rescue Me,” Showtime’s “Nurse Jackie,” CBS’ “The Good Fight” and “The King of Queens,” NBC’s “Law & Order” and ABC’s “Ugly Betty.”
Luis A. Miranda Jr. discusses his new book, “Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America,” Wednesday at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
AT THE PODIUM
‘Latino Spirit’
Luis A. Miranda Jr., political strategist, philanthropist, advocacy consultant and father of musical theater impresario Lin-Manuel Miranda, will discuss his new book, “Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America,” 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. It’s part of the center’s Frank & Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. The book features a forward by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The author will sign copies following the program; the book is for sale from the Clinton Museum Store. Lecture series presenters are the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum and AT&T. Admission is free; register at tinyurl.com/32fbv345 or clintonpresidentialcenter.org/events.