Kicking off with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Sept. 22, UCA Public Appearances will feature a record 22 events for the 2016-17 season in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas.
The season will include Broadway, Pops and Night Out Series, two lectures and three Add-On Specials as well as five Main Stage EdUCAtion shows.
“This season is made up of captivating performances that will appeal to a diverse audience with classic tales, thrilling multi-media productions and internationally acclaimed talent,” said Amanda Horton, director of UCA Public Appearances.
The season includes:
Broadway Series
- ONCE the Musical, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., presented by B98.5 FM
- FAME, 12, 7:30 p.m., presented by B98.5 FM
- 42nd Street, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., presented by KARN 102.9
- Annie, April 4, 7:30 p.m., presented by 501 Life Magazine
Pops Series
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., presented by 501 Life Magazine
- Ronnie Milsap, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., presented by 501 Life Magazine
- Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m., presented by Arkansas Times
- The DooWop Project, March 4, 7:30 p.m., presented by KOKY
Night Out Series
- The Aluminum Show, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m., presented by The Fish 93.3
- Voces8, Nov. 10, 7:30p.m., presented by UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication
- Cirque Eloize Saloon, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., presented by Conway Printing Company
- Russian National Ballet Theatre presents Sleeping Beauty, April 18, 7:30 p.m., presented by B98.5 FM
Distinguished Lectures
- George Takei, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., presented by the Log Cabin Democrat
- Marc Lamont Hill, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., presented by Power 92 FM
Add-on Specials
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m., presented by Y107.1
- Home Free, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., presented by Y107.1
- Adam Trent, The Futurist, March 9, 7:30 p.m., presented by WINC.
Main Stage EdUCAtion
- Operation Lunchline, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., presented by Conway Regional Medical Center
- Everybody’s Hero: The Jackie Robinson Story, Jan. 23, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
- Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live, Feb. 24, 10 a.m., 12:30 and 6 p.m.
- The Giver, March 10, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
- Junie B. Jones
“The Broadway series has crowd favorite titles such as FAME and Annie,” Horton said. “It also features 42nd Street, which has all the finesse and glamour of 1930s New York City with brilliant costumes, classic songs and a powerful dance ensemble. We are also excited to bring a recent Tony-Award winner to Central Arkansas. ONCE the Musical won eight Tony awards in 2012 and tells a love story of how the power of music and big dreams can connect two people in an intimate way.
“We are also thrilled to bring acclaimed musicians to central Arkansas, including Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who will kick off our season and is celebrating its 50th anniversary tour, and Ronnie Milsap, who is on his farewell tour. We are the first venue in Arkansas to host Danny Elfman’s Music From the Films of Tim Burton. This will be an exciting night for music lovers and movie buffs to celebrate the elaborate artwork and vision of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman.
“Lastly, we are honored to bring George Takei to the UCA campus as part of our Distinguished Lectures series. He is an accomplished actor, director and activist and has a huge social media following. He also has roots in Arkansas history as he and his family were in a Japanese internment camp in Rohwer, Ark.”
The Main Stage EdUCAtion series, aimed at Arkansas school districts, debuted in 2015-16. Horton said then the goal was to increase access to the arts for kindergarten through 12th-grde students.
“We are very proud of the success of our first year, which brought children to matinee school shows,” Horton said. “We were able to serve more than 6,000 participants in this program, and for many of the children it was the first time they had ever experienced live performing arts. Next year, we are expanding the program to five show titles.”
Subscription renewals for current season ticket holders are available now. New subscriptions will go on sale to the general public July 5. Subscriber courtesy week, when those who bought packages for the season may purchase individual tickets to any show before the general public, will be July 25-29. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public Aug. 1.
To purchase a new subscription package beginning July 5, call (501) 450-3265 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Individual tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, online at uca.edu/reynolds, or by calling (501) 450-3265 beginning Aug. 1.
Individual series prices range from $90-$130; Performing Arts Package (all three series) range from $245-$380; individual tickets for all shows except lectures are $30-$40; lectures are $15.
For more information, contact Horton at (501) 450-3682 or ahorton@uca.edu or Julia Dossett Morgan at (501) 852-7889 or jmorgan@uca.edu or visit www.uca.edu/reynolds. Details about all the upcoming performances as well as information about Reynolds Performance Hall may be found there.
