Elsewhere in entertainment and the arts:
TODAY
Comic shorts
The Community Theatre of Little Rock stages Life Is Short by Craig Pospisil, a collection of short plays that take a comical look at relationships from childhood to old age, 7:30 pm. today-Saturday and May 18-20 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and May 21 at the Studio Theatre, 320 W. Seventh St., Little Rock. Tickets are $16; $14 for students (age 10-college), senior citizens (65-plus) and military; $6 for children (4-9); free for children 3 and younger; $1 off with a a pair of gently used running shoes. Call (501) 410-2283 or visit ctlr-act.org.
FRIDAY
Library exhibits
Two new Central Arkansas Library System exhibits go on display during 2nd Friday Art Night, 5-8 p.m. Friday:
• "Historic Bridges of Arkansas," an exhibition of contemporary photographs, historic memorabilia and the Arkansas Educational Television Network's documentary Historic Bridges of Arkansas at the Butler Center Galleries, 401 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The opening reception includes music by Bantunauts Raydio. The exhibit will remain up through Aug. 26. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
• "Phenomenal Anomaly Amily," recent oil paintings by artist Amily Miori, up through May 31 at Cox Creative Center, 120 River Market Ave., Little Rock. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission to the receptions and both exhibits are free. Visit cals.org.
SATURDAY
Opera outreach
Cast members of Opera in the Rock's production of Gioacchino Rossini's The Barber of Seville will perform portions of the opera, with narration by director David Ward, 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library, 4800 W. 10th St., Little Rock. It's part of the organization's Once Upon an Opera children's outreach program. Admission is free. Visit oitr.org.
The company will stage the entire opera (in Italian with English subtitles), 7:30 p.m. May 19 and 3 p.m. May 21 at the Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Tech, 3000 W. Scenic Drive, North Little Rock. Tickets are $50 and $25. Call (501) 420-2742.
Opera in reach
Soprano Renee Fleming sings one of her last performances as the Marschallin in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, on big screens -- including the Breckenridge Village 12 in Little Rock and the Tinseltown in Benton -- as part of The Met: Live in HD series, 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Ticket information is available at metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas.
Hope history
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program's "Walks Through History" tour will visit the Hope Commercial Historic District, 11 a.m. Saturday, starting at Hope City Hall, 206 W. Avenue A and covering a two-block area of downtown Hope. The Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Humanities Council are co-sponsors. Admission is free. Call (501) 324-9880, email revis.edmonds@arkansas.gov or visit arkansaspreservation.org.
Spa City Nunsense
A quintet of comic performers make musical sense out of Nunsense by Dan Goggin, 7 p.m. Saturday and May 20, 27, June 3 and 10 at the Five Star Dinner Theatre, 701 Central Ave., Hot Springs. The buffet opens at 6. Tickets are $49, $32.50 for children 6-17 ($22.50 show only), free for kids 5 and younger. Call (501) 318-1600 or visit thefivestartheatre.com.
Bathhouse benefit
Friends of Hot Springs National Park will host the Murder and Macabre Mystery Theater's A Murder Most "Fowl," a fundraiser on Bathhouse Row, 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Things start off at the Ozark Bathhouse, 425 Central Ave., Hot Springs, with a "picnic in the Park," featuring food and beverages from Stubby's BBQ, DeLucca's Pizzeria Napoletana, Brick City Pizza, the Ohio Club, Fat Bottomed Girls, Angels and Angels in the Park, Superior Bathhouse Brewery and the Craft Beer Cellar.
Guests will gather clues along Bathhouse Row and return to the Ozark Bathhouse to solve the mystery. Dress as bird watchers, campers, nature lovers or hikers for a costume contest. Tickets are $60. Proceeds benefit the restoration of the Maurice Bathhouse. Call (501) 538-4575 or visit FriendsofHotSpringsNationalPark.org or Eventbrite.com.
ETC.
Choir auditions
Voices of Central Arkansas Choir will hold auditions for students who will be in grades 3-12 as of fall 2017, 3:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday in Room 312A, Snow Fine Arts Center, University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway.
The choir is the umbrella organization for three vocal ensembles -- treble-voiced Choristers (grades 3-5) and Concert Choir (grades 5-8) and High School Choir (mixed-voice, grades 9-12 and college) -- and rehearses Mondays (6-7:30 p.m. for the Choristers and Concert Choir, 7-8:30 p.m. for the High School Choir) during the school year (excluding holidays) at UCA. Students receive instruction in vocal technique and learn a varied repertoire.
No previous experience is required. The short audition will include, for Choristers and Concert Choir, matching pitch, demonstrating vocal range and performing a familiar tune (such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"); High School Choir auditioners will also be asked to prepare a short (approximately two minutes) piece. Contact director Sheri Cook-Cunningham -- call (816) 718-9200 or email scookcunningham@uca.edu. More information is available at the website, vocasings.com.
Wonka tryouts
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff, will hold auditions for performers age 8 to adult for the musical Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka (music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, adapted by Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald from the children's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl), 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 18 and 1-3 p.m. May 20. Musical theater newcomers are encouraged to audition; not all roles require singing, but if you are auditioning for singing roles, be prepared to sing any song ("we just want to hear your voice"). There will also be cold readings from the script. Parents or guardians must sign forms for auditioners 18 or younger. Production dates are July 25-29. Call (870) 489-5529 for more information; to contact the arts center, call (870) 536-3375, email info@ASC701.org or visit ASC701.org.
TICKETS
Jackson reschedules
Tickets -- $29.95-$110 (plus applicable service charges) -- are for sale for Janet Jackson's 2017 "State of the World" tour, 8 p.m. Sept. 16 at North Little Rock's Verizon Arena. There's an eight-ticket limit per household. The arena will honor tickets for the Unbreakable tour show originally scheduled for May 31, 2016. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com or livenation.com.
Stapleton at Verizon
Tickets -- $70.75, $50.75 and $35.75 (plus service charges) -- go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for a 7 p.m. Nov. 16 concert at Verizon Arena by country singer Chris Stapleton, with "special guests" Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb. There is a four-ticket-per-household limit. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com or livenation.com.
'Eat Your Science'
Tickets -- $42.50-$125 -- go on sale at 10 a.m. today for author and Food Network luminary Alton Brown's "Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science," 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway, Little Rock. Brown says the show includes "all-new everything including songs, new comedy, new puppets and bigger and better potentially dangerous food demonstrations." Call (501) 244-8800 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Weekend on 05/11/2017