ARKANSAS THEATER REVIEWS

For many families across the state, the holiday season wouldn’t be complete without Ballet Arkansas’ Nutcracker Spectacular. Under the direction of Michael Fothergill, the beloved production stands as the largest and longest-running holiday performance in Arkansas and remains one of Little...

For the month of December, Junie B. Jones and her friends entertained the masses at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, spreading laughter, mischief, and plenty of elementary-school chaos just in time for the holidays....

To wrap up Season 3 for Actors Theatre of Little Rock, they ended with Hairspray—a show I’ve been wanting to see live for a long time. From December 3–20, this cast brought the beat to the Quapaw United Methodist Church basement, transforming the space into an immersive, joy-filled playgrou...

There’s something truly special about seeing young artists take the stage with confidence, joy, and clear artistic intention, and A Hot Cocoa Nutty Nutcracker—presented by the Hot Springs School District 7–12 Dance Program on December 11 and 12—did exactly that....

What did our critic think of DOLLY PARTON'S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL at Reynolds Performance Hall?...

What did our critic think of A CHRISTMAS CAROL: RADIO PLAY at Rialto Community Theatre?...

A festive whirlwind of skits, songs, jokes, and just enough dance to keep your toes tapping, A VERY MERRY MUSIC BOX CHRISTMAS is everything you want a holiday variety show to be—warm, silly, tuneful, and absolutely packed with personality. ...

Hot Springs audiences received an early holiday treat with The Pocket Community Theatre’s spirited and joyfully chaotic production of THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, which ran November 21–23 under the direction of Bekah Wilson. Adapted for the stage by Barbara Robinson from her beloved nov...

When snowflakes sparkle across the stage and the familiar strains of the first chords begin, Murry’s Dinner Playhouse’s production of Frozen the Musical, with Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Book by Jennifer Lee, and Directed by Don Bolinger, makes one thing immed...

What did our critic think of SHE LOVES ME at The Pocket Community Theatre?...

What did our critic think of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Performing Arts Center On The Square?...

I love when a school gets creative and develops a concept that truly spotlights the strengths of their students. This was absolutely the case with Joe T. Robinson High School’s theatre program as they presented The Robinson Comedy, directed by Caitlin Peterson. The Senator Stage Team not only...

The holidays have officially arrived in Hot Springs, and the Music Box Lounge is quickly proving that it belongs on the city’s theatrical map. ...

What did our critic think of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY at The Weekend Theater? The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse, running now through December 7 at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock, fills a surprising theatrical gap — where are all the Thanksgiving shows? ...

Morrilton High School’s Thespian Troupe 3131 presented a touching production of John Cariani’s Almost, Maine November 13–16, an event made even more magical by a rare natural coincidence. As these students took the stage beneath the play’s iconic Northern Lights, the real auroras wer...

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music Opera Theatre Workshop brought Mozart’s The Magic Flute to sparkling life November 16–17 in McBeth Recital Hall, offering an intimate, imaginative take on the beloved Singspiel....

Mutually Assured Destruction, performed November 14-15, marks the first production at White Hall High School under the direction of Coach Tyler Lewis, and what an exciting debut it was. This is Coach Lewis’s first year at White Hall, but he’s already making big strides in growing the theatre pr...

Hendrix College’s Department of Theatre & Dance cast a powerful spell over Conway with their November 12–15 production of ROSE AND THE RIME, written by Nathan Allen, Chris Mathews, and Jake Minton and directed by John J. Yorke. ...

Wildwood Park for the Arts is lighting up Little Rock again, quite literally, with Jo Jo Jo  JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, Directed by Bevan Keating, Choreographed by Christina Munoz, with Music Direction by Scott Whitfield and Produced by Bruce Rentz, now running throug...

What did our critic think of ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD at University Of The Ozarks - Walton Fine Arts Center Black Box?...

Performing One Acts has increasingly become a popular way for schools to give more students meaningful stage time while exploring bold themes within a manageable rehearsal window, and Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia embraced that spirit beautifully with their Scene & Heard: Molly's Mainst...

Williams Baptist University delivered a theatrical triumph with their production of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty, performed November 6–8 inside the beautifully aged and undeniably charming Startup Chapel. This was my very first visit to WBU and let me tell you—what a fabulous introduction....

Arkansas State University–Beebe brought soaring bluegrass, southern storytelling, and undeniable charm to the stage November 6–9 with their production of BRIGHT STAR, directed by Ryan Gibbons and Hope Hargrove, with music direction by Frank Pitts and Sam Holtkamp....

For those who struggle to understand and even shy away from the genius that is William Shakespeare, fear not—The University of Central Arkansas Theatre troupe’s production of Hamlet is here to change your mind. ...

Before attending TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA at the Windgate Center for Fine & Performing Arts on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway on Sunday, November 2, someone asked me the inevitable question: “What genre are they?” ...