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UA – Pulaski Tech announces 2020-21 CHARTS LIVE performance series

UA – Pulaski Tech presents CHARTS LIVE 2020-21 with season that includes a diverse package of concerts, comedy, and educational programming.

Season Packages go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. Ticket buyers may pick from as few as three concerts to save anywhere from 10% - 20% off ticket prices, depending on the total number of shows chosen. Patrons can call 501-812-2831 to purchase those packages. Single tickets for each show will go on sale starting Sept. 15. Buy tickets online at www.uaptc.edu/charts.

CHARTS LIVE 2020-2021 Season, with ticket prices:

• Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery – Jan. 6, 2021 - Orchestra $125/$75, Mezzanine - $75

Join Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery for a funny and fun filled evening of cabaret! Jane Lynch is an actress, singer, playwright, and author well-known for her portrayal of the iconic bully Sue Sylvester on Glee. She is the two-time Emmy Award-winning host of NBC's Hollywood Game Night and can be seen on Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with her Emmy Award-winning performance as Sophie Lennon. Kate Flannery is best known for her 9 seasons as Meredith the drunk on NBC’s The Office and, more recently, her impressive run on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, among many others.

• Broadway’s Next Hit Musical – Jan. 30, 2021 - Orchestra - $45, Mezzanine - $35

It doesn’t come any newer or fresher than this: Broadway’s Next Hit Musical is the only spontaneous, unscripted theatrical awards show! After the audience submits made-up song titles, the show’s master improvisers create songs and choreography on the spot and build a full-blown improvised musical, complete with witty dialogue, memorable characters, and plot twists galore.

• Minnijean Brown and Spirit Tawfiq: A Legacy of Resistance: An Intergenerational Conversation about Activism. – Feb. 4, 2021 – a free ticketed event

Minnijean Brown-Trickey made history as one of the Little Rock Nine, the nine African-American students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. They made history as the world watched their bravery in the face of the hateful opposition to the desegregation of the formerly all-white high school. Her daughter, Spirit Tawfiq, is an antiracism educator and storyteller serving as an intergenerational bridge between the Civil Rights Movement and the powerful freedom train engineered by today's courageous and passionate young people. Together, they tell a story that carries the weight of history, yet the message they convey needed more urgently than ever.

• Bobby McFerrin - Feb. 10, 2021 – Orchestra - $90/$75, Mezzanine - $75

Virtuosic singer Bobby McFerrin defies categorization, creating masterful and innovative improvised performances with four other superbly talented vocalists. Best known for his hit a cappella song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” his lengthy career boasts of 10 Grammy Awards, collaborations with artists as diverse as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Questlove, and the Vienna Philharmonic. His joyous artistry expands the possibilities of the human voice as he re-defines the audiences’ expectations of improvised music.

• Asleep at the Wheel – Feb. 12, 2021 Orchestra - $75, Mezzanine - $55

Western swing is what Asleep at the Wheel founder Ray Benson calls "jazz with a cowboy hat." For more than 50 years, Asleep at the Wheel has thrilled live audiences with their creative reinvention of a broad palette of toe-tapping American roots music.

Taking a page from Bob Wills’ book, the band has constantly toured throughout its history. The musicianship of Asleep at the Wheel has become the stuff of legends. A quick scan of awards, such as "Touring Band of the Year" (CMAs, 1976) and "Lifetime Achievement in Performance" (Americana Music Awards 2009), not to mention near dominance of the GRAMMY "Country Instrumental" category over the years, reflects the reputation of the band’s musicianship. Ray Benson fell in love with western swing because of its unique combination of elements of American blues, swing, and traditional fiddling, but also for its demanding musical chops. But the emphasis remains on FUN!

• Ani DiFranco – March 13, 2021 - Orchestra - $75, Mezzanine - $75/$55

Widely considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani DiFranco is the mother of the DIY movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more exotic sounds. Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. On stage, she is a one-woman tour de force, speaking truth to power through poetic lyrics and expressive guitar work.

• Larkin Poe – March 18, 2021 – rescheduled from 2020 - $20 - $65

Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of Roots Rock 'n' Roll: gritty, soulful, and flavored by their southern heritage.

• Lea Salonga – April 14, 2021 - Orchestra - $110, Mezzanine - $75

Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is world-renowned for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards in the field of musical theatre. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival.

Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend.”

• Potted Potter – April 27, 2021 - Orchestra - $45, Mezzanine - $35

Playing to sold out houses all over the world, Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes. This fantastically funny show features all your favorite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props, and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic!

Whether you camped outside a bookstore for three days awaiting the release of the Deathly Hallows or you don't know the difference between a horcrux and a Hufflepuff, the comedy, magic, and mayhem of POTTED POTTER makes for an entertaining and hilarious visit to the theatre. The fast-paced show, which has made audiences aged six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed) roar with laughter all over the world, is perfect for the entire family.

• John Mayall and Walter Trout – May 6, 2021 - Orchestra - $75/$55, Mezzanine - $55/$45

Since the early 60’s English singer, pianist, harmonica player, guitarist and songwriter John Mayall has nurtured and advanced the art of the blues. Mayall’s band, the Bluesbreakers, was the farm team for the finest players in rock music, including Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, Rolling Stones’ Mick Taylor, and many, many more. Still going strong at 86 years young, Mayall continues to play the blues with rare depth and emotion. Touring with Mayall and co-headlining the show is rocking blues guitar ace Walter Trout, who spent decades as a sideman, playing guitar behind the likes of John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Joe Tex, and Mayall, before branching out on his own. With Mayall and Trout in the room, sparks are sure to fly and the CHARTS stage will achieve liftoff.

At CHARTS, we are taking great measures to adhere to the guidelines of the Arkansas Department of Health. Seating will be limited in order for us to comply with social distancing measures. For all policies and procedures we have in place at CHARTS in response to COVID-19, please visit http://charts.uaptc.edu/covid-19-policies-and-procedures.

The Center for Humanities and Arts (CHARTS) is located at UA–Pulaski Technical College’s Main campus at 3000 West Scenic Drive in North Little Rock, Ark.

About CHARTS

The Center for Humanities and Arts (CHARTS) is on the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Main Campus in North Little Rock. Opened in 2016, the 90,000 square-foot facility houses a 456-seat proscenium theater for concerts, theater performances, recitals and other events. In addition, CHARTS houses the Windgate Gallery for art exhibits. The CHARTS lobby and the adjacent Performance Studio are popular rental spaces for receptions and events. www.uaptc.edu/charts. For more information, contact Kurt Leftwich, CHARTS Programming and Box Office Coordinator at [email protected] or (501) 812-2831.