Texarkana Entertainment Blog

For artist-in-the schools musician and teacher Don Sanders, the bayou was an inspirational environment when he was growing up in Texas. Sanders, a Houston area-based storyteller and songwriter, comes to Texarkana a few times per year to work with students of all ages. Earlier in his career, Sanders wrote a song called “Bayou Song,” capturing the mysteries of this slow-moving, mysterious body of water he explored as a child. He also befriended fellow Texan Lyle Lovett when the two of them were much younger musicians making their way in the world. Lovett, said Sanders, inquired about the song Sanders penned so many years ago, and Lovett’s version of it can be heard on “Natural Forces,” his new album. See this Sunday’s Accent page for a conversation with Sanders about the song and his connection to Lovett.

- Aaron Brand

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If you have a Facebook page and want to see what’s going on with arts and entertainment coverage at the Gazette, check out our page there. Just do a search for Texarkana Gazette Accent and you should be able to find us there on Facebook. It’s a Facebook page and to stay in touch there just become a fan; you’ll see updates on your Facebook home page.  I’m still going to be updating this page here with news and information on the entertainment scene in Texarkana. We’ll have material in both places for you.

- Aaron Brand

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The Regional Arts Center at 4th Street and Texas Boulevard in Texarkana has two new exhibits up to satisfy an urge for artistry from Arkansas. “Small Works on Paper” from the Arkansas Arts Council features artists from across the state whose works are placed on a paper base. These works of a smaller size show that much subtlety can be portrayed in a limited space. A wide range of mediums are represented, and the works show both creative vision and commitment to craft.

In “Young Arkansas Artists,” Texarkana is represented very well. In fact, six local student artists have work included in this touring exhibit and that’s the most ever for Texarkana in the Southwest Arkansas region’s group of works selected for the show. This exhibit comes to us from the Arkansas Arts Center. These works—colorful, creative, and fun—show once again that Texarkana’s arts education seems to be doing right by our kids and inspiring them.

See tomorrow’s Gazette for the full story on these exhibits.

- Aaron Brand

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Kimberly Boyd Vickrey's "Concerto in the Sun" is one piece featured in "Small Works on Paper," an exhibit now at the Regional Arts Center.

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Texarkana Repertory Company has put the wraps on its version of “And Then There Were None,” but the show must surely go on. TexRep has “Tuesdays With Morrie” up next on Feb. 5-7 and 12-14 next year. Auditions for the play, which is an adaptation of the bestselling Mitch Albom book, will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, at the Stilwell Theatre on the Texarkana College campus. What does TexRep need? Two men – the two best men for the job. The autobiographical play is about the life lessons learned when the writer is reunited with his college professor, who is dying. This is the final show for TexRep’s season. More info: Texrep.org.

- Aaron Brand

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Good news on a Friday. I found out this morning that Dr. Maya Angelou will speak at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2010. Angelou is the celebrated author of many books and a thrilling, moving public speaker. She’s penned more than 30 bestsellers, including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which chronicles the early part of her life. Angelou has roots in Southwest Arkansas, in fact, having grown up for part of her childhood in Stamps, Ark. She chronicles those days in “Caged Bird,” which is considered a classic autobiography. Tickets are already on sale and it’s a good bet they’ll go quick. They cost $45, $35, and $25. Students get in for $15. More info and tickets: 903-434-8181 or NTCC’s Whatley Center for the Performing Arts Website.

- Aaron Brand

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“The Wizard of Oz” and its fantastic songs still hold tremendous sway over our imaginations. It’s one of the most cherished and memorable films of all time. In case you missed it in the movie theaters in September, “The Wizard of Oz” returns to the big screen once again at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the local Cinemark movie complex here at the Texarkana Pavilion. It’s “The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Encore Event,” a restored version of the timeless classic presented by NCM Fathom, Warner Home Video, and Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne introduces the film with a taped interview. You’ll also get behind-the-scenes footage and archival interviews. Tickets are $10. You can get them at the Cinemark movie theater box office or at FathomEvents.com.

- Aaron Brand

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If you see artists setting up easels Saturday in downtown Texarkana, they’ll be doing what comes naturally to artists: finding a good location to create.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. members of the Four States Regional Art Club will be downtown near the future Main Street Texarkana office building on State Line Avenue across the street from the Post Office.

Art club member Lena Hall said the public is welcome to come check it out. “It’s just a pretty place and there’s a lot of buildings that are historical buildings that are really fun to paint,” said Hall.

Downtown is a great place to both inspire art and show art. The Four States Regional Art Club now has some of its members’ work hanging in the window storefronts at that Main Street building and the former Collins and Williams building on East Broad Street.

- Aaron Brand

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As we get closer to the winter holidays there’s no slowdown in what’s on tap for local live music in Texarkana. Young RCA recording artist and country crooner Chris Young comes to town for a 9:30 p.m. show Saturday night at Shooters Sports Bar. He recently landed a chart topper from his second studio album, “The Man I Want to Be,” which was just released in September. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door for that show. Also on Saturday night is Mystery Machine; they’ll play acoustic covers from the ’70s to contemporary times at Hopkins Icehouse; the show starts at 8:30 p.m. Then next week brings metal rockers Psylo to the Shooters stage on Wednesday, only to be followed by Cory Branan, a talented singer-songwriter with both a sense of humor and insight into life, on Nov. 20, a Friday night, at Club Next starting at 9:45 p.m. with a $5 cover. Just some of what’s ahead for live tunes.

- Aaron Brand

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Young country star Chris Young plays Shooters on Saturday night.

Cory Branan is ready to bring his live show back to Texarkana.

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Up-and-coming cellist Zuill Bailey will bring his passionate playing to the Perot Theatre tomorrow night, Tuesday, for a concert with the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Marc-André Bougie conducts, and he’ll present a concert preview for ticket-holders at 6:45 p.m. On tap is Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, op. 104 in B Minor, along with selections by Mendelssohn and Brahms. Tickets are still available for the concert. Today Bailey, who is considered a rising star in the classical music world and who has frequently appeared on television, is visiting College Hill Middle School. It’s quite a coup for the TSO to bring him here. Link to the original story: TSO kicks off season with cellist Bailey. It should be a fantastic show and a proper kick off to a TSO season titled “Isn’t It Romantic.”

- Aaron Brand

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Today I’ve been researching Chinese acrobatics and the Cirque Shanghai: Bai Xi show, which is the next big event for the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council at the Perot Theatre. This crew of daring but graceful performers come to Texarkana for an athletic, artistic extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23. Judging by videos I’ve seen of this show, if you enjoyed the “Cirque Dreams” performance last season at the Perot you may love these acrobats as well. (You can find a whole lot of videos of them online at YouTube; just type in “Cirque Shanghai” or “Cirque Shanghai: Bai Xi” and hit search.) Interestingly, there are some serious agricultural roots to many of these feats performed on stage. And the history of it stretches back more than 2,000 years. “Bai Xi” translated means “100 amazing acts,” according to press release info from the company staging the show. More info: Trahc.org.

- Aaron Brand

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