Actor-comedian Kevin Hart performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Walmart AMP, 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $119.50, $50 for lawn seating, plus applicable fees. Call (501) 443-5600 or visit amptickets.com.
Merritt badge
Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt performs at 7 p.m. Monday at South on Main, 1304 S. Main St., Little Rock. Doors open at 5; food and drinks will be sold. Tickets are $20-$25. Call (800) 293-5949 or visit Metrotix.com.
Work of ART
Gerald Albright and his daughter, singer Selina Albright, headline Art Porter Music Education Inc.'s sixth annual "A Work of ART," Monday-Saturday at various Little Rock venues.
The weeklong event, a memorial tribute to late jazzmen Art Porter Sr. and Art Porter Jr., kicks off at noon Monday with a free performance by students from the foundation's Minors in Music workshops at Little Rock City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. Minors in Music students will also give a free performance at noon Tuesday in the River Market Pavilions, 400 President Clinton Ave.
Swedish keyboardist Jonathan Fritzen will play at 7 and 9 p.m. Wednesday at Cajun's Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road. Tickets are $35-$50.
Saxophonist and native Arkansan Ben Pruitt performs at 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday at Khalil's Pub & Grill, 110 S. Shackleford Road. Tickets are $40. The Porter Players will hold a free jam session at 8 p.m. Friday, also at Khalil's.
The Albrights will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road. The concert will also feature performances by Porter scion Lexington Porter, violin, and the awarding of a renewable $3,000 scholarship to Little Rock Central High student Kendric Kelley. Tickets, $55-$65, are available at artporter.org; call (501) 492-9120 or visit the Art Porter Music Education Inc. Facebook page.
Fritzen will also give a free "practical" workshop for youngsters about the art and business of music, 10 a.m. Thursday in the band room at Horace Mann Magnet Middle School, 1000 E. Roosevelt Road, Little Rock. Email sterling@artporter.org for details and to sign up.
Casting Beauty, Beast
The Studio Theatre, 320 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, will hold auditions by appointment Aug. 20-21, with Aug. 23 callbacks, for Disney's Beauty and the Beast (music by Alan Mencken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton, based on the Disney animated film).
Auditioners should prepare 32 bars of a song that shows off voice and range and provide sheet music for the accompanist. (No tracks or a cappella auditions.) Provide also a head shot and resume if you have one. Auditioners may also include dance callback and/or readings from the script. Registrations for age 16 and up; there's one opening for a child: Chip, age 8-12, can be male or female. (Actors 15 or younger, email thestudiotheatre@gmail.com for special consideration.)
Rehearsals begin Oct. 23. Production dates are Dec. 1-18. Make audition appointments via email: studiotheatreauditions@gmail.com.
Singers auditions
Arkansas Chamber Singers will hold auditions at 6 p.m. Aug. 9, by appointment only, for the 2016-2017 season (theme: "For Heaven's Sake!"), at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church, 1003 N. Tyler St., Little Rock. Prepare one solo; the auditions will also include vocalization, evaluation of pitch memory and sight-reading. Visit AR-ChamberSingers.org for details; arrange an appointment time by emailing info@ar-chambersingers.org or at ar-chambersingers.org/auditions.html.
The Chamber Singers' 2016-2017 season:
• "In paradisum," 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1000 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock; 3 p.m. Oct. 9, First United Methodist Church, 723 Center St., Little Rock. Gregorio Allegri: "Miserere"; Ola Gjeilo: Across the Vast Eternal Sky, with string quartet and solo piano; Eriks Esenvalds: in paradisum
• Holiday concert: "Heaven Down to Earth," 7 p.m. Dec. 9-10, 3 p.m. Dec. 11, Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham St., Little Rock; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, Trinity United Methodist Church, 1101 N. Mississippi St., Little Rock; 3 p.m. Dec. 15, Holy Souls.
• "Bach in the Castle of Heaven," 7:30 p.m. March 17, St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock. J.S. Bach: Ascension Oratorio.
Preservation honors
Aug. 31 is the deadline to submit nominations for Preserve Arkansas' 2016 Arkansas Preservation Awards, honoring preservation achievements, people who make a difference in their communities and projects that inspire others to protect Arkansas' historic places. An awards ceremony and dinner will take place in January. Visit tinyurl.com/preserveawards for a nomination form and the list of 12 award categories, call (501) 372-4757 or email info@preservearkansas.org.
Style on 07/31/2016