SEASON OF ENTERTAINMENT
2025-2026 Events
This year’s performances include the romantic comedy “Almost, Maine,” the traditional "A Grand Night for Singing" concert, modern jazz, and traditional orchestral arrangements. Purchase your tickets today and be transported to a world of joy, beauty, and imagination!
Interested in learning more about our Music and Theatre programs? Visit our departmental pages for additional details and a full listing of events.
Oct. 21, 2025: Fall Choral Showcase
Join us for our season opener featuring the Leonis Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus, and Men’s Chorus. These ensembles will perform a variety of musical styles in a choral setting. Don’t miss these student ensembles as they help set the tone for the rest of the academic year.
Nov. 6-8, 2025: Almost Maine
On a cold, clear night in the remote town of Almost, Maine, the northern lights hover above as hearts collide in unexpected ways. Join us for a whimsical and poignant evening of theater as we present Almost, Maine, a romantic comedy that explores the magic and mystery of love through nine interwoven vignettes. Written by John Cariani, this beloved play captures the bittersweet beauty of human connection—with moments that are tender, hilarious, and heartbreakingly real. Whether you're a hopeless romantic or a curious skeptic, Almost, Maine will leave you glowing with laughter and reflection.
Nov. 12, 2025: Wind Ensemble
Join us for the first Wind Ensemble concert of the season! The ensemble will perform
a wide variety of musical styles from traditional to music from this century. You’re
sure to enjoy this evening of symphonic wind music.
Nov. 13, 2025: Orchestra Concert
Join us for the first Orchestra concert of the season! The ensemble will perform a wide variety of music featuring works by Mozart, Purcell, Kalinnikov, and Skalkottas. You’re sure to enjoy this evening of symphonic music.
Nov. 18, 2025: Jazz Band
Nov. 20, 2025: Jazz Catz (Vocal Jazz)
Please contact director, Don Bailey (479-788-7554) for more information.
Dec. 2, 2025: Season's Greetings Concert
In a longstanding tradition, the UAFS Department of Music and Theatre will present
a seasonal concert featuring some of the season’s favorite and most well-known music.
Every major musical ensemble in the department is featured, ending with a collaboration
of all the ensembles and the audience in the traditional sing-a-long!
Feb. 6-7, 2026: The Enchanted Pig, an opera by Jonathan Dove
Step into a world where fairy tales collide with operatic wonder in Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig, a spellbinding chamber opera that delights audiences of all ages. Based on Romanian and Norwegian folk tales, this whimsical journey follows Princess Flora, whose fate—written in a mysterious Book—binds her to marry a pig. But not all is as it seems...
With music that dances between humor and heartbreak, and a cast of unforgettable characters including the Moon, the Sun, and the North Wind, Flora’s quest to reclaim her enchanted prince takes her beyond the Milky Way and deep into the heart of love, courage, and transformation.
Featuring a vibrant score and imaginative storytelling, The Enchanted Pig is a theatrical feast that blends opera, myth, and magic into an unforgettable night at the theater.
March 12-14, 2026: Rhinoceros, by Eugene Ionesco
Prepare to be swept into a surreal world where logic crumbles and conformity charges in—on four thundering legs. Eugène Ionesco’s Rhinoceros is a darkly comic masterpiece of absurdist theatre, set in a quiet French town that’s suddenly—and inexplicably—overrun by rhinoceroses. As neighbors, friends, and coworkers transform into beasts, one man must decide whether to join the herd or stand alone.
Written in 1959 as a chilling allegory of fascism and mass hysteria, Rhinoceros remains startlingly relevant today. With biting humor, philosophical depth, and a growing sense of dread, this production invites audiences to confront the terrifying ease with which society can lose its humanity.
A bold, unsettling, and unforgettable theatrical experience, Rhinoceros challenges us to ask: What does it mean to resist when everyone else gives in?
April 7-14, 2026: Wind Ensemble
The UAFS Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Alexandra Zacharella, will perform works featuring a variety of styles and moods, from upbeat marches to dramatic and contemplative concert works.
April 15, 2026: Jazz Catz (Vocal Jazz)
The UAFS Jazz Catz will present their second concert of the season, featuring a diverse
concert of vocal jazz music. The Jazz Catz always delight audiences with their high-energy
concerts and a variety of music that everyone is sure to love!
Contact director, Don Bailey (479-788-7554) for more information.
April 16, 2026: Jazz Band
Join us for an inspiring evening of jazz music as the UAFS Jazz Band takes the stage for its spring concert. Featuring a dynamic program of Swing, Latin, and Blues, this concert is sure to be high-energy and fun!
April 22, 2026: A Grand Night for Singing
Grand Night for Singing is the grand finale of choral singing at UAFS for the 2025-2026 concert season. It will feature the UAFS Men’s and Women's Chorus, Leonis Chamber Singers, and special guests from in and around Fort Smith. This concert is designed to be a celebration of choral singing in all its forms so you will hear a diverse collection of music from contemporary choral favorites to modern pop tunes and musical theatre. The performances are always enjoyable and moving! Don’t miss this eventful evening full of recognizable tunes and the thrilling sounds of unified voices singing together.
April 28, 2026: Spring Orchestra
Join us for an inspiring evening of symphonic music as the UAFS Orchestra takes the stage for its spring concert. Featuring a dynamic program of classical masterworks, contemporary compositions, and student soloists, this performance showcases the talent, dedication, and artistry of our university’s finest string musicians.