The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has released the schedules of touring shows and musical performances for Season of Entertainment 39 and the seventh annual Season at The Blue Lion.
For more information or to reserve tickets for either season, contact the UAFS Box Office at 479-788-7300.
Season of Entertainment 39
Broadway is back to the thirty-ninth season, with Finding Neverland and The Color Purple exciting the lineup. Complemented by rock and roll anthems and diverse musical groups, Season of Entertainment 39 promises to be "One of the best seasons of entertainment we have offered in many years," according to Stacey Jones, associate vice chancellor for campus and community events.
The 2016 Tony Award winner, The Color Purple, will bring a soul-raising, Grammy Award-winning score of jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues to Fort Smith on Nov. 11, followed by the enchanting Finding Neverland, which will make its debut in Fort Smith Feb. 5.
Lovers of Rock and Roll will delight in a Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock & Roll, a show featuring a cast of stars from Broadway's most celebrated rock musicals and rock bands. Throughout the performance of rock classics through the ages, Neil will share the stories behind the music that changed the world on Oct. 3.
"This show will feature the music of Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Motown, The Who, Woodstock, Simon and Garfunkel, Journey and many others, don't miss this one!" said Jones.
Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story, brings more classic hits to the Fort Smith stage, Apr. 1. In the performance, Buddy tells the story of Buddy Holly through his short yet spectacular career, and features the classic songs "Peggy Sue," "That'll Be The Day," "Not Fade Away," "Oh Boy" and many more.
Additionally, the season schedule also features performances by the university's theatre department and concerts by university music students.
Stacey Jones, associate vice chancellor for campus and community events, said the season's mix of eclectic and exciting shows and renowned Broadway performances make for a great lineup.
Season tickets are $180 at the UAFS Box Office in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. Individual show tickets go on sale Aug. 1.
There are three locations for this year’s Season of Entertainment, the ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center, located at 55 S. 7th St., Fort Smith; the UAFS Breedlove Auditorium, located at 5120 Grand Ave., Fort Smith; and the UAFS Campus Green, located adjacent to the UAFS Baldor building at 5100 Kinkead Ave., Fort Smith.
The complete Season 39 schedule includes:
Sept. 26-28; Sept. 30 and Oct. 1: Sideman, by Theatre @ UAFS, 7:30 p.m., Breedlove Auditorium.
Oct. 3: Neil Berg's 50 years of Rock & Roll, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Oct. 21: UAFS Choral and Symphonic Band, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Oct. 29: UAFS Wind Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Nov. 11: The Color Purple, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Nov. 25: Campus Lighting Ceremony, 5:30 p.m., Campus Green. (Free and open to the public.)
Nov. 19: UAFS Jazz Band and Jazz Catz, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Dec. 3: Season's Greetings Concert, 7 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Feb. 5: Finding Neverland, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Feb. 20-22, 24-25: August: Osage County by Theatre @ UAFS, 7:30 p.m., Breedlove Auditorium.
Apr. 1: Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Apr. 7: UAFS Wind Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Apr. 21: UAFS Jazz Band and Jazz Catz, 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Apr. 29: UAFS A Grand Night For Singing,7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.
Season at The Blue Lion
The seventh annual Season at The Blue Lion will feature a slate of four rousing musical acts with a diversity of style sure to delight every listener. All shows in this year’s Blue Lion slate begin at 7:30 p.m. at the The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, located at 101 N. 2nd St., Fort Smith.
"This year's Blue Lion season proves to be a season all will want to see," said Jones. "You don't miss any of these powerhouse shows."
Sept. 26, will welcome the first act of the Blue Lion season, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, a dynamic bluegrass band with an unmatched following and a direct, soulful sound that demands to be played loud.
Rev. Peyton is renowned as the world's foremost country blues finger-style picker, and his Big Damn Band is known for its live shows. Beside the legendary Rev. Payton, his wife, "Washboard" Breezy Peyton plays with all the nuance and percussive power of a New Orleans drum line, while Max Senteney plays a lean drum kit including a 5-gallon maple syrup bucket.
Together they play Peyton's wildman country blues that reference ZZ Top as much as they do Bukka White.
On Oct. 23, Matt Andersen, a powerhouse Canadian blues performer with a giant, soul-filled voice and commanding stage presence takes the Blue Lion stage.
UAFS faculty members will display their talents at the Music Faculty Showcase concert Jan. 30, which will include instrumental, vocal and piano faculty members performing classical, contemporary and jazz numbers.
The Blue Lion season will close Feb. 18, with a performance by one of America's most gifted and prolific artists, Ann Hampton Callaway. A leading champion of the great American Songbook, she's made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Her unique singing style blends jazz and traditional pop, and she is best known for Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical "Swing!" and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series "The Nanny."
"We are so excited to present Ann Hampton Callaway in Jazz Goes to the Movies," shared Jones. "A Tony Award-nominated performer from the show "Swing!" and a Platinum Award-winning writer, several of her songs have been featured by musical legend Barbara Streisand."
Blue Lion Season tickets cost $50, and only 250 tickets are available per performance. Individual show tickets go on sale Aug. 1. The season runs from Sept. 26 through Feb. 18.
The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown was temporarily called UAFS at Second Street after UAFS acquired the building in 2013. The four-show series at the location is separate from Season of Entertainment, the annual entertainment lineup sponsored by UAFS.
The complete Blue Lion Season schedule includes:
Sept. 26: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band,7:30 p.m., Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown
Oct. 23: Matt Andersen,7:30 p.m., Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown
Jan. 30: UAFS Faculty Showcase,7:30 p.m., Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown
Feb. 18: Ann Hampton Callaway,7:30 p.m., Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown