Feb 4

For many Texarkanians, the story of the Phantom Killer’s murder spree in Texarkana in 1946 remains both a fascinating mystery and a terrifying memory. For playwright Jan Buttram, the case is fertile territory for some new off-Broadway drama in the play “Phantom Killer.” The East Texas native (she grew up near DeKalb) and New York City theater artistic director penned a play now running at the Abingdon Theatre Company’s Dorothy Strelsin Theatre in Manhattan through Feb. 14. The play depicts two young lovers and newlyweds — Luke and Jessie — who, on a steamy Texas night, have parked their car on a rural road. (That’s a plot development that should sound familiar to anyone who knows the Phantom Killer story.) Also on the same road is a Texas Ranger on the lookout for a serial killer. Though there are similarities to the real-life characters in this plot, the names in Buttram’s play are changed. I talked to Buttram this morning and hope to have a full story out soon about the production, which opened Sunday under the direction of Jules Ochoa, on the Gazette’s Accent page. Buttram said as a playwright she was interested in these fascinating characters and the social setting they inhabited, as well as some idiosyncrasies about the story.

For more information about the play, check out Abingdontheatre.org.

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photo by Kim T. Sharp:

Wrenn Schmidt as Jessie and Jon McCormick as Luke in a production of Jan Buttram's play "Phantom Killer."

Popularity: 1% [?]

Jan 6

Here’s a slice of Texarkana music history you may not know (but kudos to you if you do): Bob Dorough, the man who wrote (and sang) much of the music for the ABC animated TV series “Schoolhouse Rock” back in the 1970s, received his early schooling right here in Texarkana. Just think about the millions of kids who have learned the basics through tunes like “Three is a Magic Number” and “Conjunction Junction.” (And no less than De La Soul sampled “Three is a Magic Number” on their classic hip hop album “3 Feet High and Rising.”) Those songs are, I believe, lodged permanently in my mind, as I bet they are for a few generation of kids now grown up. They’re catchy, witty, and fun. In a wonderful profile piece on Jazz.com, Dorough, born in 1923 in Cherry Hill, Ark., relates how he became a clarinetist for the junior high school band here inTexarkana. It wasn’t until later that he became a jazz pianist and, perhaps most notably, a vocalist with a distinctive and engaging bebop style. The phrasing in his vocal style is super cool and playful, which comes through in both those educational songs and jazz work. He also worked with Miles Davis and performed with Maya Angelou in Paris. Still alive and reportedly living in Pennsylvania, Dorough is a member of the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame and still working on projects. If you ever get a chance to check out his music, I recommend it.

- Aaron Brand

Popularity: 2% [?]

Oct 8

Tomorrow a special exhibit called “Main Street in Black and White” opens at the Arkansas Studies Institute gallery space at 401 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, Ark. Texarkana, one of three cities with downtowns honored in this traveling photographic exhibit, figures prominently with 15 photos from local citizens as part of the show. Historic photos give a sense of the intriguing, unusual, and fascinating architecture in downtown Texarkana. Other places chosen (with photos generally ranging from the 1880s to 1940s) are Blytheville and Batesville. The show is scheduled to appear in Texarkansa at a yet-to-be-announced location in early December. Main Street Arkansas organized the show. The exhibit is free and the public is invited to see it between tomorrow and Nov. 13, after which it closes. Hours: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info: 501-320-5790. Find out more in tomorrow’s Texarkana Gazette on the Accent page.

- Aaron Brand

Popularity: 1% [?]

May 22

Somehow, someway, Texarkana has made it to “America’s Finest News Source,” as they call themselves—otherwise known as “The Onion,” the legendary satirical newspaper. It’s a satirical, fake story about math funding at a “West Texarkana High.” Link to the story: Senior prank somehow leaves high school with increased math funding. So what do you think is being satirized?

- Aaron Brand

Popularity: 1% [?]

Nov 10

Hello, readers—just a quick welcome to the Texarkana Gazette’s new entertainment blog. We’ll be getting this blog up and running in the next few weeks to offer another venue for entertainment news. Like any new adventure, it will have some tweaks and changes as we get this rolling. You can expect this blog will be a fairly free-form exercise in discussing entertainment, a way to present arts and entertainment news in a different, more immediate way. So that said you can expect a variety here—anything from some local arts/entertainment tidbits to musings on issues beyond the Texarkana area. We’ll talk about anything from TRAHC to Tupac.

On that note, let’s have fun with this blog.

- Aaron Brand

Popularity: 1% [?]