Still Innovative At 37

UAFS season offers ‘Cinderella’ and Steampunk

July 21, 2017 at 1:00 a.m.

by Becca Martin-Brown

Considered "the most respected living U.S. jazz instrumentalist" by the Las Vegas Sun, Branford Marsalis will treat Fort Smith to a jazz concert showcasing his premier talent on Sept. 7.
Considered "the most respected living U.S. jazz instrumentalist" by the Las Vegas Sun, Branford Marsalis will treat Fort Smith to a jazz concert showcasing his premier talent on Sept. 7.

"It's one of the most balanced seasons we've ever had," Stacey Jones, associate vice chancellor for campus and community events, says of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith's Season of Entertainment 37. "We have some of the top performers in the world in the areas of music and theater performing in this year's season."

photo

Courtesy Photo

The Bumper Jacksons will bring their eclectic musical style to the Blue Lion Downtown for a Jan. 17 concert.

photo

Courtesy Photo

With a blend of polka, country, blues and other musical genres, the Tejas Brothers have established themselves as an innovative Texas musical quartet. The band comes to the Blue Lion Downtown on Oct. 24.

photo

Courtesy Photo

The national touring show “Cinderella” brings all the classic moments from the story as well as new twists. The Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation features songs including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”

Created by Jones to "keep the arts alive and entertainment a part of the community in which you and I chose to live," the Season of Entertainment is made up of offerings at the 1,331-seat ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center -- in addition to plays and concerts by the university's theater and music departments in Breedlove Auditorium -- and dovetails with the fifth season of musical performances in the intimacy of the Blue Lion Downtown.

And More

Blue Lion

Season Set

Headlining the season at the Blue Lion Downtown will be Robert Tepper with Chris Cameron on Sept. 28; the Tejas Brothers’ “Tex-Mex Honky Tonk” music on Oct. 24; with a style compared to “an old-time barn dance in downtown New Orleans,” the Bumper Jacksons on Jan. 17; and UAFS music faculty members will close out the season with a concert Jan. 30. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. at The Blue Lion Downtown at 101 N. Second St.

“There are some styles of music here that are different than what we’ve done in the past, but it is nothing but true entertainment value for everybody in attendance,” Stacey Jones says of the Blue Lion shows. “We’re excited to be having top-notch national artists as well as local artists grace the Blue Lion stage this year.”

Season tickets for the four-show Blue Lion season are $50, and only 250 tickets are available for each performance. Single tickets will go on sale Aug. 1.

Highlighting the Season of Entertainment are performances by world-renowned jazz musician Branford Marsalis and best-selling country music artist Martina McBride, along with a musical rendition of "Cinderella." Also on the schedule are "Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk," a Steampunk-inspired show featuring bicycles, cyclists and machinery hailed by The New York Times as "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching and grossly entertaining"; and "Gentri: The Gentleman Trio," an evening of lush orchestrations and rich three-part harmony described as "cinematic pop."

"For western Arkansas residents, this is a lineup that will offer world-class entertainment for a short drive and a reasonable price," Jones says.

NAN What's Up on 07/21/2017

Upcoming Events