Theresa Bertram - Page 9

Confession time — I didn’t read most of the required reading in school. I had a friend who struggled in math but loved reading, and I excelled in math but couldn’t focus on the classics.

Somewhere over the rainbow, I found myself transported to a land of wonder and imagination, right inside the Don Tyson School of Innovation’s Pat Ellison Performing Arts Center. Arts One Presents waved their theatrical wand and brought The Wizard of Oz to life in a vibrant, heart-filled production that ran from July 17–27.

With Music and Lyrics by the Queen herself, Book by Patricia Resnick and Directed by my favorite Caelon Colbert, this production follows closely to the movie, or so I was told by the women sitting in front of me and insisted that I immediately watch the movie (I haven’t, but it is on my list).

I’ve often said I was born in the wrong decade when it comes to music. I would have loved to be part of The Shirelles, The Supremes, The Ronettes, or The Marvelettes. Like Huey Calhoun says in Memphis the Musical, this is the music of my soul! So, anytime I get the chance to see this musically historical experience, I go.  

The Southern Theatre Company, created by Samuel Brett Williams, Kevin Day, and Christi Day, made its bold debut July 18–20 with Derby Day, a play penned by Arkansas native Samuel Brett Williams.

What did our critic think of CABARET at Undercurrent Collective?

Housed in just about as far west as you can go in Arkansas, the Fort Smith Little Theatre pays homage to Oklahoma! from now through August 2.

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock is a radiant beacon of creativity in Central Arkansas where imagination takes shape in architecture, blooms on canvas, and dances through a year-round tapestry of enriching programs and performances.

When I first heard that HAIR was coming to the Arkansas Repertory Theatre stage, which is running through July 27, my eyebrows were raised. With book and lyrics by Jerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, this groundbreaking rock musical has long carried a reputation for its bold themes and boundary-pushing content.

Josh Meloy took the stage at First Financial Music Hall in El Dorado on June 27, and the night turned out to be exactly what I needed.

The Hot Springs Village Players took a bold and invigorating step into the world of classical theatre June 27-29, with their recent production of Henry V.

What did our critic think of AGATHA CHRISTIE'S A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED at Searcy Summer Dinner Theatre?

There’s no place like Murry’s Dinner Playhouse—especially when it whisks you away from Little Rock and over the rainbow to the magical land of Oz. Directed and choreographed by Moriah Patterson, this charming production of The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum’s timeless novel, comes to life with a generous helping of theatrical magic accompanied by the yummy buffet of delectable goodness.

It was the night of June 20th, 2025, and I had not anticipated what I was walking into. At the First Financial Music Hall of El Dorado, I experienced my first ever Juneteenth celebration with BOOSIE, and I assure you: I will be back for more. The crowd was loud, the drinks were flowing, and the night was over before I knew it.

What did our critic think of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at The Center For The Arts?

Oh what a beautiful sound that came out of the ASU Newport Center for the Arts when the Jackson County Community Theatre presented Rodgers & Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! this past weekend, June 20–22. 

Looking for a good laugh? Don’t miss your chance to see Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers with UCA Summer Theatre, which is running through July 29 at the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts in Conway! Directed by the ever-talented Chris Fritzges, this swashbuckling adventure is packed with some of my favorite Arkansas theatre pros (seriously, I’d follow them anywhere). They had me laughing so hard, I was wiping away tears. Grab your tickets before the final curtain falls! 

My favorite children’s show creators are back again with the newest FLURFFY saga at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, and it’s blooming with magic! Written by the super talented Chad Bradford, FLURFFY’S SECRET GARDEN is the latest whimsical adventure starring everyone’s favorite pink fuzzy friend, and it’s everything you’d expect from this talented team: colorful, clever, and completely charming. Running through July 5, there are just two more Saturdays left to catch this FREE family-friendly show. So pack up your little explorers and get ready to giggle, dance, and bring home a crafted flower of your own. 

Are we truly a civilized society or are we merely pretending, ready to protect our own and destroy others the moment we’re provoked? That’s the sharp and biting question at the heart of God of Carnage, Yasmina Reza’s dark comedy now on stage at Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock through July 29. Under the keen direction of Zack Steele, this razor-edged play peels back the polished veneer of social etiquette to reveal the primal instincts lurking just beneath. 

We went downtown to The Rialto Theatre in Morrilton, and let me tell you that we were feelin’ suppertime vibes from the moment we stepped through the doors for their wickedly fun production of Little Shop of Horrors, running now through Sunday, June 29!