Symphony, Children’s Theatre, and Ballet collaborate on “The Soldier’s Tale”

Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:

‘Soldier’s Tale’

Seven members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, three actors from the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Children’s Theater and a dancer from Ballet Arkansas perform Igor Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire du Soldat” (“The Soldier’s Tale”), the story of a young soldier who sells his violin to the devil in exchange for unlimited wealth:

◼️ In person for a limited, socially distanced audience, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, at Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway, Little Rock. Call (501) 666-1761, Extension 1, or visit arkansassymphony.org/pay-what-you-can-mw4.

◼️ Virtually, starting at 7:30 p.m. April 17 and through May 17. Tickets are $10 minimum donation, free to subscribers and concert members. Visit ArkansasSymphony.org/soldiers-tale.

The actors are Brett Ihler, Chad Bradford and Michael Scott; the dancer is Lauren Hill. Geoffrey Robson is the music director and conductor. Katie Campbell is the stage director. Michael Fothergill created the choreography.

It’s the fourth concert in the orchestra’s Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks series. Sponsor is Simmons Bank.

‘Emotional’ choice

A cast of quirky animal characters helps a child learn to recognize his emotions in “Turning Red: Learning to Choose Love,” adapted for the stage by Bethany Corey-Ekina based on the national Choose Love Movement, which the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (formerly the Arkansas Arts Center), in partnership with Bentonville-based Trike Theatre, presents at 3 p.m. Saturday via the museum’s Facebook page, facebook.com/arkmfa. “Admission” is free.

‘Clothesline Project’

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in MacArthur Park, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, partnering with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and in recognition of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, is displaying T-shirts and artwork from the “Clothesline Project,” which helps male and female survivors of military sexual trauma tell their stories. Also on display: the “Our Journey Toward Recovery Quilt,” part of an arts therapy project from the healthcare system’s Women’s MST [Military Sexual Trauma] Recovery group. The exhibit is up through June 6. Admission is free. Visit Arkmilitaryheritage.com.

‘In the Atrium’

The Troy Farnam Quartet performs at 7 p.m. Friday “In the Atrium” at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St. And the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Voices, with Duo Capriccioso (Denissa Rivas, flute, and Raul Munguia, violin), will perform “Latin Tones” at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is free but reservations for socially distant tables of up to six are encouraged. Call (479) 433-5600 or visit waltonartscenter.org.

The “In the Atrium” series is part of the center’s Procter & Gamble Ghost Light Programming. The rest of the lineup through May 14 (7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday):

• ◼️ April 15: HogTown Hot Club
• ◼️ April 16: Mike Sumler Project
• ◼️ April 18: SoNA Voices: “Who We Are,” featuring bassoonist Lia Uribe
• ◼️ April 22: “North South East West: A Sampler of Music from India”
• ◼️ April 25: SoNA Voices: “All Alone,” featuring cellist Eman Chalshotori
• ◼️ April 29: Comedy in the Atrium
• ◼️ May 1: Still on the Hill, “Words on Birds”
• ◼️ May 2: A Classical Afternoon with Lydia Roth, flute, and Kristy Olefsky, piano
• ◼️ May 13: An Evening of Poetry with the Ozark Poets and Writers Collective
• ◼️ May 14: The Crumbs, Fort Smith Americana/bluegrass/folk group

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Patrons should enter through the Dickson Street doors. Performances last 75-90 minutes with no intermission. Beer, wine, soft drinks and packaged snacks will be available for cashless purchase prior to and during the performance. The center will maintain the use of masks and social distancing at least to the end of May.

Mixed media, sculpture

“Defining Home: Mixed Media and Sculpture by Yelena Petroukhina” opens today at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff, with a 5-7 p.m. drop-in meet-the-artist reception with complimentary on-the-go snack packs. The exhibition, sponsored by Simmons Bank, will be up through July 10. Admission is free. Call (870) 536-3375 or visit visit asc701.org.

Also this weekend, the center will offer “Second Saturday Family FunDay: Sensory Leaf Painting,” 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. The center provides free “take & make” kits for a anyone wanting to participate from home; pick up at the main entrance is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. The center will post an instructional video at 1 p.m. Saturday on its Facebook page, facebook.com/asc701.

And the center will hold auditions, April 18-20 by appointment, for performers 16 and older for “9 to 5: The Musical” (music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, book by Patricia Resnick, based on her screenplay for the 1980 movie). Prepare 32 bars of a song that showcases your vocal ability and provide sheet music for the accompanist, or you can use a recorded track. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for a movement segment. Callbacks are 6 p.m. April 22. Production dates are Aug. 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22.

3-theater benefit

“The Show Must Go On: A Theatre Benefit Concert,” 5:30-8 p.m. April 16 in Argenta Plaza, 510 Main St., North Little Rock, benefits area theaters — Argenta Community Theater, the Studio Theatre and the Weekend Theater. The live outdoor event will feature local actors/singers performing Broadway tunes. Some tables and chairs will be available, but attendees can take their own, or a blanket. Covid protocols will be in place. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. You can also donate via PayPal: paypal.me/pools/c/8y9gHrry1C. Partners include Argenta Arts Night and Argenta Outdoor Dining; sponsor is the North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. Visit facebook.com/events/788322725137020.

‘Rain’ redux

El Dorado’s South Arkansas Arts Center is screening its 2018 production of the musical “Singin’ in the Rain” via its website, saac-arts.org, 7:30 p.m. April 16-17 and 2:30 p.m. April 18. Tickets are $5, $20 for a “pod party” (with multiple viewers of the same screen). Ticketholders will receive a direct link to view the performance. Sponsor is Murphy USA. Call (870) 862-5474.