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The Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council put some tasty selections on the upcoming 2008-2009 season menu at the Perot Theatre with top recording artists, dance, theater, family shows and a circus-like spectacle.

Announced last Friday during a preview party for members, the next season brings concerts from Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers on Valentine’s Day and Rita Coolidge for a Christmas season show.

The season kicks off, though, with true Texas comedy as the Greater Tuna Team of Joe Sears and Jaston Williams comes to town for five shows of “Tuna Does Vegas” Oct. 3 through Oct. 5.

Then the season’s musical, “Sweeney Todd on Tour” comes to Texarkana on Nov. 2. No, it’s not the blood-splattered movie from 2007, but rather the classic, thrilling and lighter Stephen Sondheim musical, the inspiration for the Tim Burton film.

Just in time for the Christmas season, recording star Rita Coolidge performs Dec. 9. It will indeed be a Rita Coolidge Christmas, but a choir composed of Texarkana children will perform seasonal favorites with her.

Then, straight from Broadway, it’s “Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy” with acrobats, aerialists, puppeteers and other performers from the Cirque Dreams troupe performing daring, majestic and mesmerizing feats. They bring their magic to Texarkana on Jan. 27.

On Feb. 14 next year, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers return to town with their family-tuned harmonies and Southern-style country music.

Later that month on Feb. 24, Bob the Builder trucks into Texarkana for a special family show, exhibiting for the kids how his crew uses teamwork and the tools to get the job done.

Montana Repertory is back in Texarkana March 6 for a theatrical adaptation of Harper Lee’s moving novel about justice, courage and race relations, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The novel also inspired the movie with Gregory Peck playing small-town attorney Atticus Finch.

Capping off the season April 4 is the elegance of the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble for a ballet performance as part of the African American dance troupe’s Dancing Through Barriers program.

Through its theater for young audiences series, TRAHC brings four kid shows to town: Dallas Children’s Theatre with “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter” on Sept. 24, “Seussical!” from Theatreworks on Oct. 17, “Blues Journey” on Feb. 20 from the Kennedy Center for Young Audiences On Tour, and The Road Company’s “The Ant and the Elephant” on March 2.

“We really wanted to have a little something for everybody,” said Brian Goesl, TRAHC executive director, noting that will be accomplished through both the young audience and adult series.

“We had a phenomenal year,” said Goesl reflecting on last season. Last year the Perot Theatre season filled an average of 1,200 seats per show, up from 968 the year before, he said.

The local business community will completely or partly sponsor nearly all of TRAHC’s ‘08 and ‘09 season’s roster of shows.

“Almost 100 percent of our shows are sponsored by local businesses,” said Goesl about the new season.

In addition to the Perot action, art will fill both galleries at the Regional Arts Center for the 2008 and 2009 season.

The main gallery space exhibitions include works by Bryan Collier, “Snoopy as the World War II Flying Ace,” “Landscape: Selections from the Corporate Collection of Wachovia Securities,” and “Carnival,” another top show from Exhibits USA.

In the open gallery, artists Mary Jane Orr, Meaux Johnson, Lee Ruth, and Linda Larey will be among those with work on display.



(On Tuesday, series tickets went on sale to members for TRAHC’s 28th season. On July 21, TRAHC’s “6PAKS” and mini-series ticket specials go on sale for members, and then on Aug. 11 single shows go on sale for members.

For the general public, series tickets go on sale Aug. 4, “6PAKS” and mini-series specials go on sale Aug. 11, and single shows go on sale Aug. 25.

For more information, visit www.trahc.org or call 903-792-4992.)