Jesus Christ, Garrison Keillor part of UAFS Season of Entertainment

Stacey Jones is saying the 29th Annual Season of Entertainment is all over the map — literally and figuratively.

“It’s the most diverse season we’ve ever done,” said Jones, the associate vice chancellor for campus and community events for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, “ranging from Broadway to ‘3 Redneck Tenors’ and the African Children’s Choir to Garrison Keillor. Season 29 truly has something for everybody.”

The UAFS hosts the events, and the Season of Entertainment series is the longest-running cultural entertainment series in the region, according to Jones.

Touring events in Season 29 are:
• “Altar Boyz” — Oct. 22
The musical comedy “Altar Boyz” is a high-impact, aerobic musical that satirizes boy bands and Christian rock music. The storyline has the fictitious band – heart throbs Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham – on its last leg of a concert tour, with each singer dealing with his own issues of family alienation, addiction, sexual orientation and more.

• Parsons Dance and the East Village Opera Company with “Remember Me” — Nov. 3
“Remember Me” is a dance/rock opera featuring Parsons Dance with the lead vocalists of the East Village Opera Company. The show combines contemporary dance with live and recorded rock music, all with a multimedia design that has enriched digital lighting, special effects and projections.

• “Camelot” — Nov. 13
One of history’s greatest love stories is seen in Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot.” The timeless masterpiece, set in a land where honor and chivalry reign, follows the love triangle of King Arthur, his Queen Guenevere and the young Lancelot.

• “3 Redneck Tenors” — Nov. 30
A foot-stompin’, toe-tappin’, bell-ringing show comes to Fort Smith in “3 Redneck Tenors Christmas Spec-Tac-Yule-Ar.”

• African Children’s Choir — March 2
The African Children’s Choir is made up of children ages 7-11 who are natives of some of Africa’s most desperate countries and have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease.

• “Jesus Christ Superstar” — April 15
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” called the rock opera vision of the greatest story ever told, debuted in 1971 as a groundbreaking theatrical masterpiece of the legendary writing team made up of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The show tells the story of the final seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

• “An Afternoon with Garrison Keillor” — May 2
“An Afternoon with Garrison Keillor” will give area residents an up-close glimpse of the man whose critically acclaimed radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” is heard by more than 3 million listeners on 450 public radio stations each week.

Local events on the Season 29 schedule include:
choral concerts — Oct. 9 and April 13
symphonic band concerts — Oct. 15 and April 22
drama productions — Oct. 29 – Nov. 2, Jan. 28 – 30 and March 18 – 20
jazz concerts — Nov. 20 and April 8
the annual Season’s Greetings Concert and Campus Lighting — Dec. 7.

Season ticket packages are priced at $230 for all shows and $125 for “Altar Boyz,” “Camelot,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and all UAFS events. Season packages are available from the Box Office, located in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, or by calling (479) 788-7300 for credit card purchase. Season packages remain on sale through July 31. Individual show tickets go on sale Aug. 3 from the UAFS Web site and at the Box Office.

All shows, with the exception of UAFS drama productions and the Season’s Greetings Concert, will be held in the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center of the Fort Smith Convention Center in downtown Fort Smith.

The drama productions are held in Breedlove Auditorium on the UAFS campus, and the Season’s Greetings Concert and Campus Lighting event is planned for Stubblefield Center and the Campus Green. Show time is 7:30 p.m. for all events except the Season’s Greetings Concert, which starts at 7 p.m., and the Garrison Keillor appearance, which is set for 3 p.m.

Link here for more information about the 29th Season of Entertainment.