Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:
'Music Man' auditions
The Pocket Community Theatre, 170 Ravine St., Hot Springs, holds auditions 2-5 p.m. May 14-15 for "The Music Man" (music, lyrics and book by Meredith Willson). Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, a short dance number and a "vocal display," singing "Wells Fargo Wagon" in small groups. Auditions for three lead roles ("ages 25-50ish") involve: For Harold Hill, the first 33 measures of "Marian the Librarian" and the first 63 measures of "76 Trombones"; for Marian Paroo, the first 32 measures of "Will I Ever Tell You," the first 33 measures of "Till There Was You" and the first 32 measures of "Goodnight My Someone"; and for Marcellus Washburn, the first 20 measures of "Shipoopi." Other leads will be cast from those auditioning for the ensemble. The director will decide on any callbacks. All levels of experience are welcome. Production dates are Aug. 5-7 and 12-14. Visit pockettheatre.com.
Fundraising festival
The Little Rock Parks and Recreation Volunteer Division is holding a free festival fundraiser, "Music in the Park," 4-7:30 p.m. June 3 at Little Rock's War Memorial Park to raise money for its Adopt-A-Park, Trail and Flowerbed programs and the Volunteer Park Ranger and Jr. Park Ranger programs. Sad Daddy will perform; the event will include food trucks, merchants, artisans, craft beer and nonprofit vendors, for which applications are still open. A second concert is set for Oct. 6 in Little Rock's Allsopp Park. Visit tinyurl.com/39mm7u3w. Festival support comes from Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and Orion Federal Credit Union.
Herb symposium
The annual Medicinal Plant Symposium May 14 at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View, will focus in part on International Herb Association's Herb of the Year with food writer, editor and photographer Susan Belsinger presenting "The Medicinal Virtues of Violas — Herb of the Year 2022" and Ozark Folk Center horticulturist Kathleen Connole discussing "North American Viola Species & Their Traditional Uses by Indigenous People." Participants will make a Viola-infused oil to take home.
The Committee of 100 for the Ozark Folk Center is sponsoring Helen Lowe Metzman's presentation, "Native Medicinal Plants: Uses, Cultivation, Conservation, Connections and Ecology." Bo Brown, author of "Foraging the Ozarks," demonstrates fermentation techniques in a class called "Using and Preserving Wild Foraged Foods."
Tickets are $87.75 and include an herbal lunch. Deadline to sign up is May 10. Visit OzarkFolkCenter.Ticketleap.com.