THEATER OFFERS DIVERSE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY FUN,
From Rudolph to Cirque Dreams and Patsy Cline, it’s diverse, family-friendly fun
The upcoming Perot Theatre season presented by the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council starts with music and ends with music with a whole lot of diverse family fun sandwiched in between.
For the 2017-2018 season, the stage comes alive with vibrant colors, heartfelt songs, elegant moves and much more to entertain adults and children alike.
The season kicks off with something TRAHC hasn’t brought to the Perot in a long time, and that’s classical music: the New York Philharmonic String Quartet on Saturday, Oct. 7.
With the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra spearheading classical music offerings in Texarkana now, classical has taken a back seat for TRAHC. But soon, a quartet from one of the most renowned orchestras in the world will perform at the Perot. Brian Goesl, executive director at TRAHC, says this will be the quartet’s sole tour stop in the region.
“It’s a big deal for us because it’s been many many years since we have had any sort of classical music at the Perot from TRAHC. There certainly has been the symphony orchestra and guest conductors and guest performers, but we’ve not done anything in over 10 years,” Goesl said.
For TRAHC, it’s a chance to “bring stellar musicians to Texarkana who’ve not been able to previously perform here.” It gives the community a chance to experience their music and build on what TSO has done already, said TRAHC’s director. He says the goal is to have two master classes, too.
“I was impressed with the sounds that came from just the four instruments on stage,” said TRAHC Marketing Coordinator Tiffani Whitehead. She’s seen videos of their performances and says they make you believe there are more musicians on stage. “It was just beautiful from four instruments.”
Women for the Arts will hold a festive street party in front of the Perot for this season opener. Also, TRAHC will honor arts supporters before the show with several awards. They’re called the TRAHC Heroes.
A series special, “Pinkalicious, The Musical,” arrives for two shows on Saturday, Nov. 4. WFA will continue its audience engagement by holding teas with 200 VIP tea tickets available after each show.
The tea times are for “those interested in having a pink tea experience in Cabe Hall,” Goesl explained. The ladies of the WFA will cater to attendees. Expect buttons, tiaras and more. “There will be a lot of pink everywhere.”
What’s this “Pinkalicious” thing? Well, the musical is based on a popular book for children. “Pink is her name … she wears nothing but pink. Everything is pink. This is an adventure that she has in one of her many days of adventures is what it is,” Goesl said, noting boys and girls have read these books. There’s a broad age range, too.
“It’s musical based, so your young ones are really going to enjoy the musical part of it and then the older ones will appreciate the book story that goes along with it,” Whitehead said.
The Perot gets festive with a classic, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” on Monday, Nov. 20. It’s also a full-blown musical appropriate for the family.
“It is the classic story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Goesl said. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know what this is about. And likewise if you’ve seen the ever-popular, timeless TV show about Rudolph. All of this comes to life with sets, costumes and music.
“This is a national touring show,” Goesl said, noting the production is approved by the family of the people responsible for creating the Rudolph character. “There is flying involved,” he added.
The winter holiday celebrations continue on Thursday, Dec. 14, with “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” which came to Texarkana five years ago, but this time it’s a new version.
“This really is our big holiday extravaganza,” Goesl said, noting “Cirque Dreams” did very well that last time it was here. “This is the closest thing that we have ever come to in bringing the cirque show of the quality of what you’d see in Las Vegas with Cirque Soleil. This is an outstandingly beautiful show.” He said anyone who saw the show previously will see something this different this time but with the same high quality.
“It’s a musical extravaganza, is the closest thing I can say,” Goesl said. And says Whitehead, “It’s over 300 different costumes that you’ll see on stage.” It’s a dynamic show with 20 acts. There’s also a storyline that runs through it and brings the audience through all of those acts.
On Saturday, Feb. 17, next year, classic country fills the Perot with “Always, Patsy Cline,” a musical about one of country music’s legendary performers.
“What more can you say Patsy Cline than it’s always Patsy Cline?” Goesl said about what’s essentially a concert of Patsy Cline and her music. The story is based on a friendship Cline had with a Houston, Texas, fan named Louise Seger. Songs like “Crazy” and “Walking After Midnight” are on tap for the performance.
“Louise Seger was her penpal and they maintained a penpal relationship for many years, and the musical and play is based on the relationship and the letters that Louise had saved over the years,” Whitehead said.
The actress playing Patsy Cline will be accompanied by a small band to back her up. “She was one of the premiere female performers of country music,” Goesl said, noting she also had crossover appeal. She paved the way for female vocalists like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, he says.
Like most of the other productions in the season, “Always, Patsy Cline” is appropriate for all ages. “If you need to introduce the younger generations to the glory of Patsy Cline, this is a great way to do it,” Whitehead said.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Montana Repertory Theatre returns to one of their regular stops to bring us “On Golden Pond,” a theatrical adaptation of the beloved film starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Jane Fonda.
“It is that story of the father and daughter relationship, and the father is honestly beginning to fail. He’s having some dementia, probably early stages of Alzheimer’s. That relationship had been rocky for a while and they’re coming back together,” Goesl said.
It’s a play about relationships and aging parents. And in Montana Rep, the Perot welcome a theater troupe who’ve brought excellent shows to Texarkana many times, such as their adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
“They do phenomenal work. It’s like they come home here,” Goesl said. “They do a limited engagement every year on their tours.” TRAHC is excited about having them return to town. Sometimes the same actors come again.
Goesl admits “On Golden Pond” might be a tougher sell for tickets. It’s not necessarily a play for young theatergoers, but it’s important theater that gives something real to the audience to consider about cross-generational relationships.
World-class dancing comes to the Perot stage when Moscow Festival Ballet brings “Sleeping Beauty” to the Perot on Saturday, April 21.
“It was the ballet that the Texarkana Community Ballet wanted to bring back,” Goesl said of this storybook ballet selection. “Nutcracker” performances’ benefits help bring professional ballet through TRAHC, he said. “They always like storybook ballets for their dancers and their students.”
The costumes are outstanding with beautiful dancing, said Goesl. They’re dancers who’ve learned the Bolshoi technique, he said. Also, expect a master class to be available to local dance students. “That will be available probably for about 25 students,” the TRAHC director said.
Then the season rounds out with a Jawbone performance, once again, in August of next year.
To Goesl, it’s a diverse, family-oriented lineup of productions. “We wanted to bring the very best we could this year. We’re always reaching for a very high bar of excellence as far as performance and what you see on the stage of the Perot Theatre,” he said.
All Perot Theatre Series tickets are already available for TRAHC members. They get first choice on tickets. Series tickets are available to non-members now, while individual tickets will be available to non-members starting Thursday.
TRAHC also presents its Theatre for Young Audiences lineup for area students during the course of the year. The season starts on Jan. 11, 2018, with “My Father’s Dragon.” Each show is designed for a specific age range and all are curriculum based. If tickets are available, they’re made available to the public, too.
(More information: Visit TRAHC.org call the Perot Box Office at 903-792-4992.)