Texarkana Entertainment Blog

That unmistakable onslaught of the winter holiday season has already commenced. Last night I found myself momentarily transfixed and mesmerized by aisles of cheap Christmas merchandise when I ran to the store to simply buy envelopes. Sitting down to plan stories yesterday and today, I see a ton of Christmas events on tap in the next month.

While the holiday season sometimes feels like an indulgent, overwhelming, mass-marketing paradise, it remains a good time for coming together to hear music and share similar festive happenings. Here are just a few such events coming down the pipe:

1) Texarkana College Choir presents “Yulefeste” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, at the Truman Arnold Student Center Great Room. The TC Choir is joined by choirs from Texas High School, Liberty-Eylau High School, and Veritas Academy. Admission: $5.

2) Historic Washington State Park presents its “24th Annual Christmas and Candlelight Celebration” on Dec. 4 and 11. “Christmas and Candlelight” finds the historic restoration village decked out in Christmas finery and graced by choirs and other sorts of musical entertainments. Candlelight tours are available in the evenings and surrey rides transport you back in time.

3) The Downtown Youth Theater presents “A Christmas Carol” at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church Dec. 9-12. This is a new venue for the theater group and the show includes a Victorian street scene and feast. We’ll be advancing this (and the other events) in more detail on our Accent page.

4) Two Texarkana Symphony Orchestra events coming up next month. The TSO presents “Sounds of the Season” on Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center/John Thomas Theatre. The show repertoire includes holiday favorites and features performers Leslie Harper and Texarkana’s Stacy James Mayo. The Texarkana Youth Symphony Orchestra presents its Christmas show on Dec. 5 at 3 p.m.

5) TRAHC provides festive holiday music, refreshments, and a chance to see and purchase unique, artsy gifts at the Regional Arts Center during the “Holiday Open House & Arts Market” Dec. 10-11 with a preview party on Thursday, Dec. 9.

6) Just a couple blocks away up at the Perot Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, Michael Martin Murphey brings his “Cowboy Christmas” show to town for the next show in TRAHC’s Perot Theatre series.

UPDATE: Info. reflects change in date for Texarkana Youth Symphony show.

- Aaron Brand

Christmas wreaths await deployment for Historic Washington State Park's "Christmas and Candlelight" festivities in this submitted photo.

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The Downtown Youth Theater plans to stage a lively, colorful, and fun production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” this May. The theater organization holds auditions from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday at the First United Methodist Church, 401 N. State Line Ave., in Texarkana, Texas.

Eva Garrett of DYT said people interested in performing in the musical should bring a positive attitude to the audition. “It’s a lot of singing,” she said. A script and music to sing will be ready for those who try out. DYT is looking for performers ages 9 and up; children, teens, and families are welcome. Questions? Call Forrest or Eva Garrett or Mindy Zwirn at 903-792-7136 or 903-794-9555.

Also, TexRep just announced its next season. You can read our story about it here: Blasts from the past.

- Aaron Brand

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Downtown Youth Theater is busy rehearsing the musical “Annie Jr.” in its second-floor theater room at the First United Methodist Church Building at 401 N. Stateline Ave. DYT always strives to be creative with its use of the long theater room in that church building and will have a two-tier stage at each end of it for this production; once again, the whole room will be utilized to stage the action. “Annie Jr.” is also right in line with the other musicals (“The Sound of Music” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” for example)  the theater company has produced recently. DYT will present the musical for two weekends this time, and the production features two different young actresses in the title role: Ellen Andrews and Bethany Carlton.

Here’s the performance schedule: April 24 at 7 p.m., April 25 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., April 26 at 3 p.m.; April 30 at 7 p.m., May 1 at 7 p.m., May 2 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 suggested donation. More info and reservations: 903-792-7136.

Down below are two rehearsal photos from this past Saturday.

- Aaron Brand

Staff photos by Megumi Rooze:

Eva Garrett (Miss Hannigan) and Bethany Carlton (Annie) during a rehearsal of the play "Annie Jr." April 11 at the First United Methodist Church.

During a rehearsal of the play "Annie Jr.," Ellen Andrews sings as Anna Crande (Molly), leans against her April 11 at the First United Methodist Church.

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Texarkana’s Downtown Youth Theater presents “It’s a Wonderful Life,” its next production, on Dec. 11-13 at First United Methodist Church in downtown Texarkana. The production will be performed at 7 p.m. each day, along with a 3 p.m. matinee on that Saturday, Dec. 13. Here are two performers reading through the script during the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 30, during a rehearsal. We’ll have a story on this classic Christmas tale in Friday’s Accent page.

- Aaron Brand

Staff photo by Megumi Rooze.

David Zwirn, playing Uncle Billy, and Ellen Andrews, playing an extra, run lines Sunday at First United Methodist Church.

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