Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts this weekend:
THEATER: Blue Man Group
Signature drumming, "colorful moments of creativity" and quirky comedy are the hallmarks of Blue Man Group, starting a new North American tour, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Little Rock's Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. Tickets are $39-$93 at the Robinson Center Box Office; via CelebrityAttractions.com or Ticketmaster.com; or by calling (501) 244-8800.
Pay what you can
The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock, will offer "pay-what-you-can" tickets, sponsored by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, for the 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sept. 15 preview performances of "Every Brilliant Thing" at the theater's box office, 9-10 a.m. Saturday. The theater will hold at least 100 seats for patrons to buy at whatever price they are comfortable with — two per person, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Call (501) 378-0405.
ART: Universal harmony
“Chorus” by Chen Siyuan is part of an exhibition on display Friday Sept. 9-Nov. 5 at Little Rock's Cantrell Gallery. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
"Being in Harmony with the Universe," recent paintings by Chen Siyuan, a Chinese artist who emigrated to the United States in February, opens with a 6-8 p.m. reception Friday at Cantrell Gallery, 8208 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. According to the artist, the exhibition consists of paintings he completed since arriving in the States in four series: "Being in harmony with the universe," "Blessing," "The Dancer" and "Comfortable." It will be up through Nov. 5. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday or by appointment; the gallery will close Oct. 1-11. Call (501) 224-1335 or visit cantrellgallery.com.
Art league exhibition
The annual Pine Bluff Art League Juried Exhibition opens today at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. Juror Virmarie DePoyster, who chose works from submissions by league members, will award best-in-show, first-, second- and third-place prizes and honorable mentions during an opening reception, 5-7 p.m. The exhibition remains up through Nov. 5. Sponsor is Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Call (870) 536-3375 or visit asc701.org.
The arts center is also offering a "Comic Book Design Workshop with Riley Harrelson," 2-4 p.m. Saturday, for those 13 and older interested in graphic novels, visual storytelling, illustration or character design, at The ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. The cost is $25, $15 for members. Register at asc701.org or call (870) 536-3367.
And for "Tinkerfest 2022: TinkerGarden," 1-3 p.m. Saturday at The ARTSpace on Main's ART Yard, the center partners with GSC Community Gardens for information on composting and developing soil and hands-on experience on how to grow plants. Admission is free.
'Brush and Breathe'
Brandon House Cultural & Performing Arts Center hosts its first monthly "Brush and Breathe" for attendees 21 and older, 7 p.m. Tuesday at the center's Brillant Art Xposed Theater, 12120 Colonel Glenn Road, Suite 1000, Little Rock. Instructor Jalache Davis will provide step-by-step instructions to create their own versions of an existing painting to Neo-soul music. No art experience is necessary; participants will leave with a wall-ready painting." Fee, $25, includes all supplies, including brushes, paints, canvases and easels, plus drinks and refreshments. Visit brandonhouseperformingartscenter.org or call (501) 725-5757.
COMEDY: 'Bad Girl' postpones
Performances by Tollette, Ark., native Luenell, billed as "The Original Bad Girl of Comedy," originally scheduled for 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave., Little Rock, have been rescheduled for June 10. The Central Arkansas Library System cites "unforeseen circumstances" for the change. Tickets are $45 and $55; all previously bought tickets will be honored for the new performances or can be fully refunded. Visit RonRobinsonTheater.org, call (501) 320-5728 or email jmiller@cals.org.
FILM: 'Dear Sirs' documentary
Though Mark Pedri and his grandfather, Silvio, had spent nearly every day together for 10 years, only after his grandfather died did Pedri find an archive of old photos, letters, and documents detailing Silvio's journey as a World War II prisoner of war. He turned it into a documentary, "Dear Sirs," which AARP Arkansas screens online, Friday-Monday. There will be a live, virtual question-and-answer session with the filmmakers, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday. Register at aarp.cventevents.com/DearSirsAR; you will receive an email that provides information on how to view the film online as well as a link to join the Q&A.
MUSIC: Festival lineup
The Festival of the Senses at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 4106 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, continues at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 with "Cliff & Susan: A World of Song," featuring married singer/songwriters Cliff and Susan Erwin Prowse.
The rest of the lineup (except as noted, all performances at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary; admission is free):
◼️ Nov. 8: "European Travels." Organist Weston Jennings performs three centuries of music, including works by J.S. Bach, Edward Elgar, Felix Mendelssohn and Domenico Zipoli.
◼️ Dec. 16: "Horns for the Holidays." The Natural State Brass Band performs traditional Christmas tunes and ethnic arrangements with conductor Nevada Mills and narrator Dave Woodman.
◼️ Feb. 7: "Stanzas & Serenades," mezzo-soprano Sarah Dailey and pianist Hee-Kyung Juhn perform settings of poems by female writers and composers including Florence Price, Undine Smith Moore, Elizabeth Vercoe and Melissa Dunphy.
◼️ March 14: "Storytime for Strings & Brass." Andrew Irvin, violin; Ross Ahlhorn, trumpet; and Kazuo Murakami, piano, perform trios by contemporary American composers James Stephenson and Eric Ewazen and music by Eric Korngold, Jessie Montgomery and John Williams.
◼️ May 9: "Docs Rock!" with the B Flats, a big band composed of Little Rock doctors.
Concerts will be livestreamed and available online afterward at facebook.com/frcarey. A reception in the parish hall with food and drink and the opportunity to meet the artists will follow most performances. Call (501) 753-3578 or email baxternan@aol.com.