What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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really great storytelling." ACO has a longstanding tradition of producing a big, flashy musical for the steamy summer months, and that tradition engenders a lot of loyal performers who return to perform year after year. Gabel promises that audiences will see both new and familiar faces in this show. "We had a huge turnout for auditions — there were somewhere around 80 people that showed up," she says. "The people in this cast are some of the kindest people I've ever been around. They come to rehearsal early, they want to stay late, they want to tape the choreography so they can go home and work on it. They are so kind and so sweet. "I love the fact that I was able to be involved in their first show, 'Plaza Suite', this season, and now this one. Looking out over the whole season and the changes that ACO is making — they're growing and developing, and I think they're going to continue to do wonderful things. I think the summer musical is almost like a culminating celebration of the end of a great season." Upcoming Events Young the Giant & Fitz and the Tantrums with COIN July 10 Alabama with John Anderson & Exile July 12 Chris Young with Chris Janson & Jimmie Allen July 19 The Royal Affair Tour with Yes, ASIA, John Lodge of The Moody Blues and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy July 21 Third Eye Blind & Jimmy Eat World with Ra Ra Riot July 25 Why Don't We with EBEN July 26 Sublime with Rome with seranation, Michael Franti & Common Kings July 31 +LIVE+ & Bush with Our Lady Peace August 14 38 WHAT'S UP! JULY 7-13, 2019 What's Up! is a publication of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. EDITOR Becca Martin-Brown 479-872-5054 bmartin@nwadg.com Twitter: NWAbecca ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jocelyn Murphy 479-872-5176 jmurphy@nwadg.com Twitter: NWAJocelyn REPORTERS Deb Harvell 479-872-5029 dharvell@nwadg.com Lara Hightower 479-365-2913 lhightower@nwadg.com DESIGNER Deb Harvell ON THE COVER "I knew it would be big, because this music is so popular," says 'Mamma Mia!' director Julie Gabel. "When you think about it, you think about it being happy and joyous. Who doesn't want to play with that? It's an iconic piece of Abba." Starring in the Arts Center of the Ozarks production are Lesha Fogerty (center) as Donna, Mary Schulz (left) as Tanya and Anna Knight as Rosie — Donna and the Dynamos! Photo courtesy ACO COVER STORY Mamma Mia! Continued From Page 3