LITTLE ROCK — 1 FIRE The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Main and Sixth streets, Little Rock, reopens after renovations with Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash on Friday with an 8 p.m. performance (a preview “Pay What You Can” performance is at 7 p.m. today). Tickets are $30 and up ($10 off “A” seating and $5 off “B” seating through today). Call (501) 378-0405 or visit therep.org. See story Page 8E.
2 FUNNY Comedian Rickey Smiley is making a stop at Robinson Center Music Hall. Known for his clean comedy of characters and prank calls, he takes the stage at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $39 plus service charges. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
3 FLAKY It’s all about sweets and songs at Whoop-De-Do, an evening of music and a silent pie auction, 6-9 p.m. Saturday at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham St. The Boondogs will supply the music and local restaurants, cafes and bakeries will supply the pies. This casual event, which includes appetizers and drinks, benefits the museum and its programs. Tickets are $25, $45 for couples, free for members of the 1836 Club and Old State House Museum Associates.
Call (501) 324-9685 or visit oldstatehouse.com.
4 FIELD Sweet teacher Miss Nelson once again becomes her mean-spirited alter-ego, Viola Swamp, to whip her elementary school football team into shape in Miss Nelson Has a Field Day (book, music and lyrics by Joan Cushing, based on the book by Harry Allard), the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre’s 2011-12 season opener. Performances are 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m.
Sunday through Oct. 2 at the Arts Center in MacArthur Park, 10th and Commerce streets, Little Rock. Tickets are $14, $11 for children.
Call (501) 372-4000 or visit arkarts.com. See story Page 4E.
5 FINE Former Metropolitan Opera soprano Carol Vaness will offer the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Artspree series’ first 2011-12 recital at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building UALR, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock. Vaness and pianist Davis Hart will perform arias and art songs by Ludwig van Beethoven and Francis Poulenc. Hart will support baritone Christopher Grundy in folksong arrangements by Benjamin Britten and lieder by Ferruccio Busoni. Grundy and Vaness will sing the duet from Act 3, Scene 2 of Eugene Onegin by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky.
Tickets are $20, $10 for students, free for UALR students. Call (501) 569-8993 or visit ualr.edu/artspree. See story Page 4E.
6 FEST Taste a bit of Poland in central Arkansas as the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in North Little Rock celebrates its 21st annual Polish Karnawal, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. A midway with games and activities, including a moon walk, hayrides, baseball speed pitch and putt-putt golf, will also feature authentic Polish foods and pastries.
There will be a silent auction both nights, bingo 5:30-8:30 Saturday and a full Polish dinner will be served for dine-in or take-out Friday, 3:30-4:30 p.m. for ages 65 and older, 4:30-7:30 p.m. for all ages. Dinner is $12, $6 for children 6-12 and general admission is free. Call (501) 519-0816 or visit ihmkarnawal.com.
7 FOLK The River City Men’s Chorus will get “In the Spirit!” with the first concert of its 2011-12 season, 3 p.m. Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1101 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock. David Glaze conducts the a capella program of sacred music, folk tunes and spirituals, plus an Italian opera parody.
Additional performances: 7 p.m. Monday and Sept. 22. Admission is free. Doors open one hour before curtain. Call 501-377-1080 or visit rivercitymenschorus.com.
8 FALSETTO The Diamond State Chorus, part of the Greater Little Rock chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, will offer its 38th annual a cappella harmony show, “I Believe in Music!”, at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Argenta Community Theater, 405 Main St., North Little Rock.
The program will feature traditional American songs, spirituals, ballads and songs written and/or arranged for barbershop ensembles.
Terry Mercing conducts. Little Rock area prize-winning barbershop quartet Just in Time will also perform. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12.50 for students and adults 60 and older. A portion of the proceeds goes to support the chorus’ high school music education program. Call (501) 791-7464 or visit DiamondStateChorus.com.
9 FEED Country star Colt Ford and a host of musicians and barbecue experts will keep things buzzing at the Smoke on the Water Arkansas State Barbecue Championship, 5-11 p.m.
Friday and noon-11 p.m. Saturday in Pine Bluff. Most of the activities will be at Regional Park, U.S. 65 B, downtown Pine Bluff, with most of the food judging and sampling on Saturday. Visitors can listen to music at the blues festival, play at the kids’ area and rock climbing wall, browse through “Arkansas’ largest yard sale” and get tips from barbecue world champions, including BBQ Pitmasters’ Myron Mixon. Admission and barbecue samples are free. Riverbilly and Colt Ford put on a concert, 7-11 p.m. Friday at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, 2 Convention Center Plaza. Tickets are $15-$35. Call (870) 536-7600 or visit smokeonthewaterbbq.com.
10 FAMILY AETN presents a day full of activities for all ages with Family Day Conway, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the AETN headquarters, 350 S. Donaghey Ave., Conway. This year’s theme is “Find Your Inner Superhero” and children are welcome to dress as their favorite PBS Kids character for the costume parade. There will also be a performance by Kindersongs, photos with PBS Kids characters, nature walks, TV production demonstrations, storytelling workshops, the Arkansas Arts Center Artmobile, face painting and facility tours. Admission is free, but as part of the public service project theme, people are encouraged to bring pet food for shelter animals, boxed and canned goods for area food banks and/or new or gently worn sweaters for the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive. Call (800) 662-2386 or visit aetn.org/familyday.
Weekend, Pages 33 on 09/15/2011