SOMA AFTER DARK FRIDAY 12/6. 5-11:45 P.M. SOMA DISTRICT. FREE.
MELISSA DOOLEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BALLET ARKANSAS
On the first Friday of every month, the businesses of Little Rock’s South Main Street open their doors with extended hours, food and drink specials and fun activities for SOMA After Dark. This year, December’s SOMA After Dark will feature the first SOMA Holiday Market, 5-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, and continuing 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Local makers, vendors and artists will be set up along Main Street, selling their wares and treats to help jumpstart holiday shopping. As part of SOMA After Dark, The New Gallery at 1619 Scott St. will host an opening reception for artist Kevin Kelley’s new exhibit of abstract paintings, “Tighty Whitey, Lefty Loosey.” The reception is free to attend and runs from 6-9 p.m. RH
ARKANSAS CRAFT GUILD CHRISTMAS SHOWCASE BALLET ARKANSAS: NUTCRACKER SPECTACULAR
FRIDAY 12/13-SUNDAY 12/15. ROBINSON PERFORMANCE HALL. $23-$102. The sound of Tchaikovsky’s tinkling celesta calls up visions of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the holiday to just a few pirouettes away. Ballet Arkansas joins with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to present the beloved ballet “The Nutcracker,” first performed in 1892 and millions of times since. The three performances will feature two choral ensembles and a cast of more than 250 children and adults from across the state. Tickets are available from the box office (501-244-8800) or ticketmaster.com; persons who purchase seats on rows D and E (the “sweet seats”) will receive a gift. Ballet Arkansas is also selling Nutcracker Spectacular commemorative ornaments at balletarkansas.org. LNP
‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY’
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, DEC. 6-8. ARKANSAS STATE FAIRGROUNDS. $5. More than 100 artisans will fill the Arkansas Craft Guild’s 41st annual Christmas Showcase with all sorts of unique things to go under the tree. There will be hand-blown beads from Tom and Sage Holland of Fox; Ro’ark leather bags, wallets, briefcases and more from Michael Hicks of Gravette; ceramic teaspoons from Hot Springs potter Suzi Dennis; bracelets, earrings, barrettes and more by Yellville metal artist Patricia Bergman; bead-and-fossil necklaces by Ponca jewelry-maker Kate Baer; and more. Count on comfort food — honey, jams, jellies and chocolates — and see the works of several artisans new to the show. Musicians will entertain and drawings for merchandise will be held. LNP
PRESERVATION CONVERSATIONS: RACE AND HOUSING
WEDNESDAY 12/4-SUNDAY 12/29. ARKANSAS REPERTORY THEATRE. $40-$60.
THURSDAY 12/12. OLD PAINT FACTORY, 1306 E. SIXTH ST. 5:30 P.M RECEPTION, 6 P.M. LECTURE. FREE.
This radio play reboot of Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film has managed for two decades to make its way onto the holiday rosters of theater houses everywhere, and with good reason. Joe Landry, who adapted George Bailey’s story for the stage, went full-on meta with Bedford Falls, scripting a scant five actors to play all the characters from the original movie, complete with an onstage foley artist — managing to capture the whimsy and allure of Capra’s telling while adding another layer to its central message. And, for those who would cry foul on any attempts to recreate the 1946 holiday staple, consider that the film was itself an adaptation of a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern, and that Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed reprised their roles for three radio productions of the tale. Here, The Rep welcomes back Patrick Halley, who shone in The Rep’s 2017 production of “The School For Lies,” as well as Larry Daggett, who both stars and directs the music. Get tickets at therep.org. SS
The Quapaw Quarter Association hosts this talk from Dr. John A. Kirk, the George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History at UA Little Rock, civil rights movement scholar and Arkansas Times contributor. Here, Kirk shares the results of his research on the impact of Urban Renewal policies on Little Rock’s built environment in a discussion titled “Race and Housing: How Urban Renewal Changed the Landscapes of Little Rock.” The event is free and open to the public, but you’ll need to RSVP at centralarkansastickets. com. SS ARKANSASTIMES.COM
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