Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:
MUSIC
River Rhapsodies
Members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and a couple of pianists are on the program for the orchestra's sixth 2022-23 River Rhapsodies Chamber Music concert, 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola, and Norman Boehm, piano, will play the 1934 Viola Sonata by José Pablo Moncayo. Alisa Coffey, harp, and David Gerstein, cello, will play the Sonata for Cello and Harp by Jean-Michel Damase. And Katherine Williamson, violin, and John Krebs, piano, will play the Violin Sonata by César Franck. Tickets are $26, $10 for students and active duty military. Call (501) 666-1761, Extension 1, or visit ArkansasSymphony.org.
Wind music
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wind Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, Fine Arts Building, UALR, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock. The program will include music from George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," John Philip Sousa's "El Capitan" and the "Neo-Classic Suite" by Frank Erickson, with Michael Underwood conducting. Senior music major Elijah Jennings conducts "October" by Eric Whitacre. Admission is free. Call (501) 916-3291.
'Evoking Folklore'
Pianist Angela Cheng solos in Manuel de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and conductor Paul Haas, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Fayetteville's Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St.
The program for the orchestra's 2022-23 mainstage season finale, titled "Evoking Folklore," also includes "Chokfi'" ("Rabbit") by Chickasaw Nation composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, a musical sketch of the Trickster character in southeastern American Indian folklore, scored for strings and percussion, and Aaron Copland's "Symphony No. 3."
The concert is dedicated to the memory of Sara Sharp, who "had an extraordinary impact on not just SoNA during her lifetime, but on music in Northwest Arkansas at large," says the orchestra's executive director, D. Riley Nicholson. "This concert represents how her spirit lives on through the incredible musical community right here in our ... corner of the state."
Sponsor is the Sharp Family in memory of Sara Sharp. Friends of Sara Sharp are sponsoring Cheng's appearance. Tickets are $36-$60, with discounts for students and free for children under 18 with the purchase of an adult ticket. Call (479) 443-5600 or visit sonamusic.org.
Ballad history
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home student Sam Adams will give a lecture titled "Story and Song: The Ballad and Its History," noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday in the McMullen Lecture Hall (Dryer 200) ASU, 1600 S. College St., Mountain Home. The lecture is part of the university's Apex Project. Adams will also perform some contemporary American ballads. Admission is free. Call (870) 508-6100 or email mthomas@asumh.edu.
DANCE
Plaza sweet
Ballet Arkansas returns to Argenta Plaza, 510 Main St., North Little Rock, for "Ballet Arkansas Presents Live at the Plaza: Culture in Community," 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. April 30. Company members will perform works of classical and contemporary dance, making use of the stage, water features and open spaces in the plaza, set to music by Franz Schubert, Astor Piazzolla, Gabriel Faure, Peter Tchaikovsky, Ludwig Minkus and J.S. Bach. Admission is free. Sponsors are the North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau and the City of North Little Rock. "In light of the recent tornadoes, we rebranded our Live at the Plaza series to include the tagline 'Culture in Community,'" explains Michael Fothergill, Ballet Arkansas' executive and artistic director. "The arts have a profound ability to heal communities by uplifting, inspiring, and providing a sense of belonging to residents." Visit BalletArkansas.org.
ETC.
'Potluck & Poison Ivy'
Chef, urban farmer and author Margie Raimondo is the focus of the April "Potluck and Poison Ivy" presentation, 6 p.m. Thursday at The Joint, 301 Main St., North Little Rock. Raimondo sells produce, offers classes and sells copies of her cookbook at her Urbana Farmstead in Little Rock and online -- urbanafarmstead.net. Tickets, $35, include a box dinner. Visit potluckandpoisonivy.org/buy-tickets.
Maternal mortality
Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit whose mission is to "make pregnancy and childbirth safe, equitable and respectful for every mother, everywhere," and the Arkansas Cinema Society screen the world premiere of "Giving Birth in America: Arkansas," 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Capital Hotel, 111 W. Markham St., Little Rock.
It's part of a new docuseries called "Giving Birth in America," which details the maternal health crisis in the United States, produced by former supermodel and EMC founder Christy Turlington Burns. An EMC spokeswoman notes Arkansas has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the country.
Dr. William Greenfield, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Zenobia Harris, executive director of the Arkansas Birthing Project; and Sarita Hendrix, co-founder of Ujima Maternity Network, will take part in a post-screening talkback.
Admission is free; seats must be reserved via arkansascinemasociety.org/programs/givingbirthinamerica.
Awards luncheon
The Arkansas Arts Council will hand out the 2023 Governor's Arts Awards during a luncheon at noon Wednesday at the Robinson Conference Center, 426 W. Markham St., Little Rock. The recipients:
Arts Community Development Award — Christina Littlejohn, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
Arts in Education Award for Arts Educator — Jorge Villegas and Maria Botti Villegas of El Dorado
Arts in Education Award for Arts Organization — The Foundation of Arts in Jonesboro
Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts Award — The Springs Magazine in Hot Springs
Folklife Award — The Music Roots Program/founder Danny Thomas of Mountain View
Individual Artist Award — Sammy Peters of Little Rock
Patron Award — Kelly and Marti Sudduth of Bentonville
Lifetime Achievement Award — Andrew Kilgore of Fayetteville.
Tickets are $35; visit event-brite.com/e/587573376787.
Ballet Arkansas dancers perform in Argenta Plaza in 2022. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Ballet Arkansas dancers perform in Argenta Plaza in 2022. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Pianist Angela Cheng solos Saturday with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas at Fayettevilles Walton Arts Center. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Sam Adams, a student at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, will give a lecture titled "Story and Song: The Ballad and Its History" Tuesday in the university's McMullen Lecture Hall. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Chef, urban farmer and author Margie Raimondo is the focus of the April "Potluck and Poison Ivy" Thursday at The Joint in North Little Rock. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)