The Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre rarely has time outside of regular season programming to host musical artists, but this Saturday will prove different.
The theater has made room for a special performance by popular children’s recording artists Brian and Terri Kinder, who are members of Arkansas Arts Council’s Arts on Tour program. The enthusiastic entertainers will take the stage at 11 a.m. for an hour long Kindersongs show that encourages kids to stand up, dance and celebrate being a kid.
One song, titled “It’s Gonna Take Us All to Make the World Go Round,” is meant to embrace cultural and ethnic differences. The Kinders toss a beach-ball globe to the audience, encouraging children to make the world “go round” by passing it around to one another.
In May, the Kinders donated a show as an item for the Tabriz charity auction, the Arts Center’s biggest annual fundraiser. An unnamed board member bought the item and gave it back to the Arts Center to use as a fundraising opportunity.
Normally, the Kinders only play shows at libraries, schools, churches and festivals throughout Arkansas and surrounding states, but say they are thrilled to have the opportunity to play at the children’s theater.
“Our last tour concert was two weeks ago and it has just worked out perfectly,” Brian says. This year alone the Kinders have performed 270 concerts, sometimes packing several into one day.
Arts Center Director of Development Kelly Ford says the children’s theater schedule is primarily filled with rehearsals and theatrical performances and generally there are not openings to schedule other acts: “It’s very rare to find time to do an event like this. Perhaps what makes this work for us is that is was a gift.”
This fall, Brian says, he will release his ninth album of Kindersongs, titled Kinderpraise. He says that though this one won’t be available by the concert date he will still have his other eight albums for sale at the children’s theater. CDs will be sold for $10 and buttons for 50 cents (“It’s actually two for a dollar,” he jokes).
The Arts Center doesn’t anticipate a sellout but Ford believes there will be an enthusiastic crowd because of the Kinders’ loyal following.
“We want to encourage everyone to come and have a great time,” she says.
Though the concert was donated, the Arts Center will charge $5 for tickets, which is $7.50 less than normal season tickets for nonmembers.
“It will allow us to create a small stream of revenue and a fun, family-friendly event for the community,” Ford says.
Kindersongs
Featuring: Brian and Terri Kinder
11 a.m. Saturday, Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock
Admission: $5
(501) 372-4000
arkarts.com
Weekend, Pages 34 on 08/22/2013