THEATER
Immersive ‘Hairspray’
Actors Theatre of Little Rock is putting on an “immersive” production of “Hairspray” (music by by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on John Waters’ 1988 film), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-19, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 1601 Louisiana St., Little Rock. (“Immersive” means the action takes place throughout the play space and includes portions of the audience.)
Emily Swenskie plays plus-sized, early ’60s Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad, who, finally achieving her goal of getting to dance on TV’s “Corny Collins Show,” decides to use her status to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen (Mackenzie Burks), win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin (Noah Warford) and integrate a TV network — all without denting her ‘do!
The theater is rating the show PG. Tickets are $35, $30 for students and senior citizens. Visit actorstheatrelr.org/tickets.
MUSIC
Sopranos and orchestra
Sopranos from seven different countries join the Vienna Light Orchestra on its Christmas Tour 2025 performances, 3 and 7 p.m. Tuesday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. The program includes “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Grown-Up Christmas List,” “O Holy Night” and “Ave Maria.” Tickets are $43-$145; call (501) 244-8800 or visit Ticketmaster.com.
SoNA Christmas
The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas marks the holiday season with two programs at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St.:
◼️ Its annual “A Very SoNA Christmas” concerts, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, under the baton of guest conductor Jack Cleghorn, with the SoNA Singers, the Bentonville High School Chamber Choir, singer Caroline Spurlin, student violin soloist Nathan Ma (playing the first movement of the “Winter” concerto from “The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi) and special guest narrator, Fayetteville Mayor Molly Rawn (providing the text for “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”). Sponsors are by Bob & Becky Alexander. Tickets are $40-$65 with discounts for students with I.D.
◼️ Its annual “The Snowman: A Family Concert,” with the orchestra performing the score as the animated film plays behind it, 2 p.m. Sunday. Assistant Conductor Sarah Pearson will be on the podium. Sponsor is the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. Tickets are $10.
Call (479) 443-5600 or visit sonamusic.org.
ON SCREEN
‘Treasures’ redux
Arkansas PBS will begin airing new episodes of its “Arkansas Treasures” series, 7 p.m. Monday on the statewide network and at myarpbs.org/live.
“Arkansas Treasures,” filmed during a two-day event in April, features professional evaluators meeting Arkansans to discuss heirlooms, collectibles and garage sale finds. The tally includes a 1948 Martin acoustic guitar, an American flag from the 18th or 19th century, a gold-coin bracelet, a ceramic from Hungary from the late 1800s, a wood-carved Nepalese Nahari box and signed baseballs from the 1960s.
Amory LeCuyer, owner and lead appraiser for Hampton House Auctions in Yorktown, Va., is lead appraiser for the production. Three Arkansas appraisers participated — Laura Stanley (jewelry), Kate Askew (books, paper and ephemera) and Roy Dudley (paintings and drawings) — as well as archaeologists Michael Evans and Jaren Pebworth from the Arkansas Archeological Survey. Media personality Craig O’Neill is the series host.
The complete first season and the first two episodes of Season 2 of “Arkansas Treasures” are available on demand at myarpbs.org/watcharkansastreasures.
ETC.
‘Surprise’ book sale
The Central Arkansas Library System is holding a “surprise” used book sale, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 12 (during the December 2nd Friday Art Night), noon-4 p.m. Dec. 13 at its Roberts Library, 401 President Clinton Ave. at Rock Street, Little Rock. “Gently used” hardbacks are $2; paperbacks are $1 — cash and cards accepted. All proceeds support library programs. Over the last two years, while the Main Library was under reconstruction, the library system held its three-a-year used book sales at 7773 Sloane Drive; the last sale was in July and there had been no initial plans for doing another one. Visit tinyurl.com/yefeyt87 or facebook.com.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.arkansasonline.com ’
