What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1360267
APRIL 11-17, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 9 FYI WAC 2021-22 Broadway Season "Come From Away"* Oct. 26-31 This New York Times Critics' Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"* Nov. 30-Dec. 5 Willy Wonka is opening his marvelous and mysterious chocolate factory — to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to burst with color and confection beyond his wildest dreams. The new musical features songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man" and "I've Got a Golden Ticket," alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of "Hair- spray." "Mean Girls"* Dec. 14-19 Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naive newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina's reign, she learns the hard way that you can't cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. "An Officer and a Gentleman"* Jan. 4-9, 2022 Zack Mayo's got smarts and a body built for U.S. Navy pilot boot camp, but he also has too much swagger — until he meets a drill sergeant who's determined to drill his arrogance out of him. Zack finds comfort in the arms of a local factory girl. But it isn't until tragedy befalls a fellow candidate that Zack learns the importance of love and friendship, finds the courage to be his best self and wins the heart of the woman he loves. "Hamilton" March 22-April 3, 2022 The story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, "Hamilton" is based on Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, with book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show's race-blind casting, timeless themes and creative team's outreach efforts have had a profound impact on culture, politics and education, and have created a revolutionary moment in theater. "Fiddler on the Roof" May 10-15, 2022 "Fiddler on the Roof" is the moving story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and life, love and laughter. A classic musical, rich with Broadway hits, "Fiddler" includes the praiseworthy songs "To Life (L'Chaim!)," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sunrise Sunset," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "Tradition." This acclaimed revival proudly introduces a new generation to the iconic musical adored around the globe. COST — Six-show subscription packages range from $356 to $596; Broad- way subscriptions are on sale now, with single tickets to most shows available in the summer INFO — 443-5600, waltonartscenter.org *Arkansas premiere no longer enter the country. "Come From Away" depicts the true story of what happened when Gander, Newfoundland, suddenly found itself host to 38 landed planes and 7,000 stranded passengers — doubling the tiny town's population. "The whole story is about our humanity and how we can take care of each other when the world [falls apart] around you," Ross, director of programming, said in early 2020 when the show was first announced for last season. Now, she reflects, the show is bound to pack an even greater emotional punch. "I think we might laugh a little harder and cry a little harder than we would have a year ago." From Newfoundland, the WAC extends a golden ticket back to the States for the Arkansas debut of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (Nov. 30-Dec. 5). The brand new musical blends favorite songs from the classic film, beloved characters from both cinematic iterations and the familiar storyline from the original novel into a confectionery stage show of "pure imagination" that is the perfect introduction to Broadway for kids. "I love this story. It's one of my favorite movies, and now it's one of my favorite stage shows," Ross enthuses. "It's just fantastic. And the Oompa-Loompas are hilarious — but that's all I can tell you!" The next two shows in the season also happen to be brand new, and rooted in film and literature as well. "Mean Girls" closes out the year Dec. 14-19, and "An Officer and a Gentleman" kicks off the new year Jan. 4-9. "I have to say, I have always known the film to appeal more to women than to men — and I take that from the survey group of one, being my daughter," Galbraith quips of "Mean Girls." "But I will tell you that as a guy in the theater, I had as much fun I think, as anybody else. So while this is often thought of as sort of a girls' night out, I'm telling you, it's also a guys' night out. Everybody will have fun with this." The new musical brings to the stage the razor sharp satire and ubiquitous humor of Tina Fey's cult classic comedy, based on the book "Queen Bees and Wannabees" by Rosalind Wiseman. And its style, with a script by Fey, Ross notes, hearkens back to other contemporary pieces like "Hairspray" and "Legally Blonde." "Trying to fit in to society — and whatever that is, whether school, work — we all try and do that," As part of the research for new musical "An Officer and a Gentleman, the creative team visited the Naval Academy to better understand the experience of the recruits, Galbraith explains. "They came out with a deep respect for the character of recruits, of the training that goes into it, and they really want to make sure that the audience comes away with that same sense of respect for our service personnel, which is not necessarily something that I think is in the film. That's coming from the contemporary creative team." (Courtesy Photo/Walton Arts Center) See WAC Page 10 To listen to a podcast about the coming season visit nwaonline.com/47WACBroadway.