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The Arts Council of Mississippi County
The Ritz Civic Center 306 W. Main Street, Blytheville, AR 72315 (Phone) 870-762-1744 (Fax) 870-763-1950 Website: www.artsmissco.com e-mail: www.artsmissco@yahoo.com
The
Ritz
Review
Director's Corner So, March is gone! It seems like it just got here. We held our Artist Reception for Kelly Williams on the afternoon of March 7th. He had another quality exhibit that was enjoyed throughout the month. On March 14th we hosted “Support Live Music”. We had a variety of bands, mostly new or reorganized. We had a good turnout and introduced the “Ritz Pit” for fans to get up close to the performers. It was a lot of fun, enjoyed by all. Thanks to all the performers and volunteers who helped with the event. Special thanks to Ken Jackson for pulling the whole thing together and for running the show. See you at The Ritz. David
Our 2008-2009 Series Continues We will close our 2008-2009 Series with “The Barber of Cactus Canyon”. The program will be presented by our friends from Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts of Little Rock through their “Opera To Go” program. The target audience for the show is younger elementary children, and currently we have scheduled K-2nd grade students from Keiser, Wilson, Luxora, Osceola, Blytheville, Gosnell, Armorel, and Cooter. Performances will be at The Ritz, on Tuesday, April 28th, Wednesday, April 29th, and Thursday, April 30th. We expect over 2400 to attend. The family performance will be at 7:00 pm at The Ritz on Tuesday, April 28th. Tickets are $10.00, with children twelve and under free. This program is supported in part by grants from The Mississippi County Community Foundation as well as from The Arkansas Arts Council. Classroom teachers have been provided study guides via e-mail in order to help their students realize the greatest benefit from this live musical theater experience. We are also providing the music for “Happy Trails” which all of the kids will sing at the end of the show. If you would like to see what it is like to have a theater full of elementary students, let us know and we will tell you what time to be here! It is really quite a fun sight.
Become a 2009-2010 Patron We have our first eleven 2009-2010 Series Patrons and have not even mailed out one request. Candie Groves, Sally and Henry Brune, William and Betty Koval, Donna Dunkin, J.D. and Tonya Harris, Jack and Nancy Goodman, and yours truly are already on board. This week we begin sending out requests for our friends to consider becoming Patrons for the 2009-2010 Series. The Board of Directors decided to set the fee for Patron for the new Series Year to be $100.00. We will have at least five programs in our Series, with the wonderful “Route 66” musical revue as the centerpiece. Other programs being considered include traditional rock, big band/swing style orchestra, gospel and children’s programming.
April Arts Council Events – April 3rd, Friday, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm—Artist Reception for Richard Schlosser to open exhibit of original photographic works, which will be displayed through April 30th, in our Gallery. April 16th, Thursday, at 12:00 noon--The Arts Council of Mississippi County will present the program for the Osceola Kiwanis Club. April 20th, Monday, at 6:00 pm-- Monthly meeting of the Board of The Arts Council of Mississippi County, in the Boardroom at The Ritz. Open to the public.
April Rentals— April 25th, Saturday, from 5:30-11:30 pm—First Anniversary Celebration with LaVeil Rucker.
Our Affiliate, ACT2! – The call went out and MANY answered… ACT 2! is proud to be announcing their upcoming play The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood by Mary Lynn Dobson with special permission from Dramatic Publishing Company. Scheduled show dates at The Ritz will be Friday & Saturday, June 19 & 20 at 7pm, with an encore performance on Sunday, June 21 at 2pm. Congratulations on roles going to Robert Phelps, Greg Groves, David Kakoma, George Klee, Peter Stimeling, Bill Walls, Kendrick Done, Ricky De Armond, Charlie Filer, JD Harris, Jennifer Lynn Haley, Teresa Dodd, Kimberly Dunlap, Jessica Gobles, Samantha Frye, Kathryn Stone, Jessie Stone, Teela Phelps, Lora Anderson, Carol Walls, Louise Koons, Julia Huffman, Veronica Lombardie and a very special celebrity guest... (you will just have come to the show and see who it is…). A very special thank you goes to David Lyttle, JD Harris, Tonya Harris, Candie Groves, Sarah Jackson, Danna Darty, Charles Moody, Richard Schlosser, LaGene Hampton and the many others who have agreed to help “behind the scenes” in other areas of live stage theater with their numerous talents, experience and skills. The play The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood will be directed by Ken Jackson with Robert Phelps stepping up his trade as an actor and making a debut as an Assistant Director. If you want to be a part of this production, contact Ken Jackson, President of ACT 2! at The Ritz by calling (870) 762-1744.
Our 2009-2010 Series “Route 66” will be our showpiece production for the 2009-2010 Series. The production, set for Spring of 2010, will be presented by Springer Theatricals. This is the same company that brought us “Some Enchanted Evening”, “The Taffetas” and “A Tuna Christmas”, so we know this will be a truly wonderful presentation by a professional touring troupe of excellent performers! Four service station attendants will take us on an unforgettable musical review packed with familiar old hits. It is guaranteed to be a night full of fun and memories. Additional programming for the Series is under consideration, and we will keep you posted as the Series develops.
Gallery for May— Our Artist Reception for May will be on Saturday, May 2nd from 3:00-5:00 pm. The featured artist for our Gallery for the month will be Suzanne Churchill from Jonesboro. Ms Churchill will be in Blytheville that day for the unveiling of the historic mural at the Pocket Park. That 18X60 foot work by Ms Churchill is a project of the 2007-2008 Class of the Blytheville Leadership Institute, a program of The Blytheville/Gosnell Area Chamber of Commerce. Our Arts Council Secretary Tonya Harris and I are both members of that class.
2008-2009 Sponsor Update Our Corporate Sponsor drive is at a total of 49 underwriting our 08-09 Series of programming. Platinum Level donor Nucor Steel Arkansas, Gold Level donors Peggy Lemons and Temps Plus Staffing, First National Bank, and Farmers Bank and Trust, Silver Level donors Westminster Village and Nucor-Yamato Steel Co., Bronze Level donors Lee Wilson and Company, Thomas, Speight and Noble, ACT2!, Schlosser Photography and Frame, Bistro Eleven21, Comfort Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn of Blytheville, Perkins Family Restaurant, Quality Inn, That Bookstore In Blytheville, American Greetings, and Kroger. Copper Level donors are Arkham Comics, Bugmobile of Arkansas, Michael Williams, D.D.S., Scott Johnson Vision Care, State Representative Charlotte Wagner, Dr. & Mrs. James D. Hess, D.D.S., Glenda’s Hallmark, Dave Simmons, CPA, PA, Pollard-Geeslin Insurance, Klassi Kopies, Inc., Omnium, Bill Nelson and Crye-Leike Missco Realty, Fondren’s Hardware, East Ash Animal Hospital, Mary Ellen Ziolko, PhD., The Cullom Clinic, Kiwanis Club of Blytheville, NIBCO, Dr. T.E. Westbrook, Jr., P.A., Liz N Company, Langston Enterprises, Inc., Dr. Van O. Parker, D.D.S., Hays Stores, Inc., Fosters Liquor Store, Jeri-Lin Donuts, Russell’s Rents and Sales, The General Insurance Agency, Osceola Progressive Club, Dr. C.E. Campbell, MD, PA, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Our goal for the year is still at 65, so if your company is not listed above, let us know whom to contact.
Patrons for 2008-2009 We are at 53 Patrons for our 2008-2009 Series Year. Twenty-one are new and 32 are returning. Patrons are Sarah Jackson, JD and Tonya Harris, Harrell and LaGene Hampton, Shirley Overman, William and Betty Koval, Jack and Nancy Goodman, Douglas and Shelly Bush, Kenneth and Louise Gipson, Sallye Russell, Dr. and Mrs. Mark K. Wilson, Frances Jackson, Ann M. Moore, A.J. Parrett, Ron and Becky Williams, Bill and Clorita Hardy, Jack D. Simers, Chuck and Lisa Ryan and family, Jonathan and Margaret Abbott, Ramona Clower, Paul and Veda Jenkins, Tibor and Jill Mazar, Eileen O’Neal, Bob and Eleanor Royer, Kathy Cooper, Liz Smith, Charles Moody, George Klee, Donna Mosley, Laura Martin, Jerry and Betty Brown, Jerry Musser, Rae Glidewell, Sharyn Stevenson, Kathryn and Donald Musholt, Doug and Lawana Jellison, and David Lyttle. |
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