Argenta Community Theater plans grand reopening, shows with live audiences

FILE - Argenta Community Theater, at 405 Main St. in North Little Rock’s historic Argenta district.
FILE - Argenta Community Theater, at 405 Main St. in North Little Rock’s historic Argenta district.

An outdoor dinner with a Tony Award winner and a seven show collaboration are part of the Argenta Community Theater’s reopening plan as the organization hopes to bring joy to live audiences for the first time in over 480 days.

Argenta Community Theater Producing Artistic Director, Vincent Insalaco and Executive Director, Laura Grimes announced Tuesday during a news conference their seven show 2021-22 theatrical season that will include performances of Pippin, Steel Magnolias, the Sound of Music, a Christmas Carol, a Little Night Music, Our Town and the Wizard of Oz.

“A lot of the new shows we chose was because they were manageable for us to do after the pandemic,” Grimes told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette during an interview. “They will have smaller casts that will be fully vaccinated. The shows also bring certain feel of joy and catharsis like Steel Magnolias, which is something we need after this pandemic.”

The theater’s grand reopening celebration will also include a dinner before the premier of their productions that will be held at the Argenta Plaza on Aug. 17 where Tony Award winning and and Golden Globe and Emmy nominated artist Ben Vereen will be attendance.

Insalaco said 11 years ago when the theater first opened they held a huge dinner outside where former President Bill Clinton and other officials attended and captured the importance of the arts facility.

“We wanted to mimic that on the 10th anniversary but we didn’t get to do it last year so we are going to do it this year,” he said.

The shows will be produced in partnership with ACANSA, Opera in the Rock, and Wildwood Park for the Arts.

Tickets to the dinner and the shows are available at the Argenta Community Theater’s website.

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