WAC is 'All Shook Up' this week!

The big trucks rolled into town earlier this week, and along with them they brought a big act! Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins moved into Northwest Arkansas on Monday, and they're spending the week at Walton Arts Center. The hit musical, Million Dollar Quartet is running through Sunday, February 26, and tickets are still available.

We had the pleasure of working with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on a Broadway Breakfast Wednesday morning. Christopher Ryan Grant (Sam Phillips) and Arkansas native Cody Slaughter (Elvis) are two of the cast members that joined the crowd for a creative conversation. OLLI, located on the University of Arkansas campus, conducted a six-week class that studied the four icons portrayed in Million Dollar Quartet.

Christopher Ryan Grant (left) and Cody Slaughter (right)

Slaughter got his start as an Elvis Tribute Artist with no formal training; Grant on the other hand is a graduate with an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. Their dynamic during the conversation was so fun, and the crowd was eating up every bit of it. They would tease each other about their personal backgrounds and their characters, but it was all in good humor. Slaughter talked about how he loves performing in Million Dollar Quartet because he gets to make Elvis 'human' instead of just impersonating him, and Grant confessed he never wanted to be in a musical, but this show won him over.

Come see Million Dollar Quartet this week at Walton Arts Center and get lost in a night of rock and roll, good times and even some laughs. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling the Walton Arts Center box office at 479.443.5600.

The National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Joan Marcus

Getting to know the artists of TAO:The Art of the Drum

Next up in our 10x10 Arts Series is TAO:The Art of the Drum. TAO was formed in Aichi, Japan in 1993 and two years later moved their base of operations, called "Grandioso," to Oita seeking a better environment for creative enrichment.

Nearly 20 years later, over five million spectators in 17 countries worldwide have seen TAO. We are very excited to bring them to our corner of the world on February 28!

We sent them a short Q&A to get to find out more about their troupe before they arrive in Northwest Arkansas. Who would have guessed that if they weren't performing the world over they would have liked to work at Build-A-Bear?? Read on to learn more about these interesting artists!

1. What sort of background/training do you have? Is it mostly acrobatic or musical?

Surprisingly enough, not many of us have acrobatic or musical background. Some come straight from high school or college. One came from academy of art and design, and used to be a member of an amateur rock band. One came from fashion design school. One came from Self Defense force of Japan. One used to be a tour guide in Canada. So many backgrounds, and some had Taiko experience, some did not. Nobody had professional knowledge or skill of music; therefore, everyone leaned it together starting from nothing.

2. What is your favorite country that you have travelled to?

Spain - Atmosphere, Sunshine, Good Food, Lively Fun people

3. Is there a location that you aspire to perform at someday?

Las Vegas, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo. Our goal is to have long running shows in these 5 locations.

4. Is there a sport that you enjoy playing?

The boys play baseball, volley ball, basketball, etc, but we don't really do much sports. Obviously, we run quite a lot!

5. If you were not a performer today, what profession would you have chosen?

Office person, Stuffed Animal Builder

6. You all come from wildly different backgrounds; a rocker, a gymnast & a composer, how did you get into this field?

By seeing TAO's show!

7. This is a very physically demanding performance – what kind of exercise regime is required?

Our training is quite hard core for ordinals. Our day starts at five in the morning, run 20km, do 200 push-ups, followed by 200 sit-ups and round it all off with more muscle and rhythm training before going for breakfast at nine. And we start rehearsing. Some trainees do not last long if they cannot handle the tough physical training or mental impact living with others might have on them.

A lot of mental strength is needed. It's like running marathon. You can stop, but at the same time you can't. You feel like giving up, but around you, the rest of the group doesn't stop. Daily training is to build strength both mentally and physically. If you can not do those push-ups and sit-ups, you will not have the strength to lift the sticks to play the drum.

8. How many different instruments can you play besides the drum?

It depends on the performers, but of course all of us play drums, and some can play the Shamisen (three-stringed lute), Koto (plucked zither) and Shinobue(flute).

9. Do you have any pre-show rituals to get ready for a performance?

Stretching real good, putting the favorite perfumes on (lady), having circle every single show

This is such an interesting group of performers! We can't wait for their show on Tuesday, February 28. Tickets are going fast, so call our box office (479.443.5600) or visit www.waltonartscenter.org today.  

Thank You Thursday

Thank You Thursday is here! There should be a song for Thank You Thursday, and then we could start things off with a fun tune. Instead though, you can imagine whatever voice you'd like saying "It's time for Thank You Thursday!" We like to imagine the voice of a game show host because they always get the crowd amped up for what's about to come, and that's always fun. Plus, we think that accurately portrays how we feel about Thank You Thursday - super excited to tell you all about who we're thanking this week!!

This week we're thanking, drum roll please...the Fayetteville Public Library! The fine folks at the Fayetteville Public Library are so wonderful to work with. They let us come and speak to different groups that assemble there weekly (like the children's storytimes, the Flicks before Six group and many others). They also host the 10x10 Arts Series Countdown Conversations (and create a special book list for each one), movie nights and other fun happenings.

Fayetteville Public Library also helps engage the community and gives people a deeper understanding of the arts and upcoming performances at WAC.

So thank you to Lolly, Renee, Caitlyn, Laura, Willow and all the staff. We are so fortunate to have the Fayetteville Public Library on our team (and as a neighbor!).

THANK YOU FAYETTEVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY!!

Time for Three - Q & A

This groundbreaking trio, comprised of violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall, and Ranaan Meyer on the double bass, have been playing together since their days as students at the Curtis Institute for Music. Time for Three sets themselves apart from traditional classical practices, and instead draws upon each of their differing musical backgrounds. Their repertoire includes pieces by Bach, Brahms and Mancini mixed with their own arrangements of pop artists like Katy Perry, Kanye West and U2.

Time for Three by Vanessa Briceno Scherzer

We're just going to dive right in today as we received some great responses to our questions we threw at trio, Time for Three. These guys will be in NWA this Friday, February 3 at 8pm. Tickets start at $10, and this is a great concert to bring the whole family to.

Ranaan Meyer, double bass:

1. What is your favorite sound?

This is a challenging question to answer because I like so many sounds however I love the sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Curtis Institute of Music. I enjoy describing their sound as a marshmallow filled rich hot milk chocolate that is delicious to the ears.

2. How did the name of your group come about?

The name Time for Three comes from a journey to our first gig. We were driven from Philly down to D.C. in a stretch limo. When we were 20 minutes out from our destination we realized that we prepared our music for the show but had no name for our band. We quickly came up with Time for Three. The idea was that we are three musicians coming together for one purpose or concept.

3. What is the biggest challenge for your group?

The biggest challenge for Time for Three is finding time for Time for Three... Time for Three is made up of three guys who are really busy doing lots of different musical things. Currently we get together for 26 weeks out of the year to perform and create. This sounds like a good chunk of time but it is crazy just how fast that time flies by...

Zach De Pue, violin:

1. If you were not a performer today, what profession would you have chosen? 

I think I would be some sort of financial adviser.  I have always loved numbers, math, equations, theories, etc.  Numbers fascinate me.  Now if I could just count my rests correctly!!!

2. In your video “Stronger” you convey an anti-bullying message, and say that inspiration for the message was drawn from your own experiences. Where/how did you find the strength to continue on your own path and not succumb to peer pressure? 

I had the unique situation of having 3 older brothers who all play the violin professionally to this day.  My oldest brother Wallace, in addition to studying violin, trained with our dad as a boxer.  So the first time he was picked on for being a violinist, he took care of the problem, so to speak.  I owe it to my oldest brother for clearing the path for his younger bros with the perception that we all could take care of any problems (even though I never trained as a boxer a day in my life, haha!!!)

3. You have a lot of interaction and involvement with schools and young musicians. What is the one thing that you hope they take away and pass along to others? 

That each younger person should find their passion and go for it.  Any passion, whether artistic, scientific, athletic, etc.  Any and all are incredible, but find your inner passion and believe in it and stay true to it.

Nicolas Kendall, violin:

1. What type of music did you listen to growing up and how has it influenced your music today?

Throughout middle school and high school, most kids my age were into Nirvana, Perl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Primus, and a little known band called Phish. I was hooked. I had all the cassette tapes for these bands and others that I would throw into my Sony Walkman (remember those??) on the way to school, or at home on my stereo system in my room.

Probably since I was studying violin intensively as a young kid, my ears were thirsty for more than what was popular. My school choir director would have me play violin at his church on the weekends where he was director of his gospel choir. I also would listen to Bluegrass on the local NPR station on Sundays. And of course, there were my favorite classical selections that would consume me if the mood struck. Brahms German Requiem being one of my favorites.

All these musical languages have been part of who I am as an artists. They have shapes me in ways that I probably do not even notice at times. The variety of sounds, rhythm, and energy consumed me during my adolescent years, and fueled my love for performing live concerts.

2. What are the last 3 songs you listened to on your Ipod?

The Lotus Eaters by Sarah Kirkland Snider, featuring Shara Warden from My Brightest Diamond

Chicken Grease by D'Angelo

Yellow & Red by Down Dexter

3. All this touring…what’s your least favorite form of transportation/traveling?

Smelly cabs!

Time for Three will be at Walton Arts Center this Friday, February 3 at 8pm. Tickets start at only $10 and can be purchased here, or by calling 479.443.5600. Don't miss your chance to see this amazing trio!

Thank You Thursday

Thank you. Two simple words, yet they can't be said enough. We are so thankful to everyone that helps make Walton Arts Center a successful performing arts center in Northwest Arkansas.

Today we thank KUAF. We collaborate with the team at KUAF frequently to do interviews; both with performers and WAC staff, Countdown Conversations, Creative Conversations, and to help educate the listening audience on upcoming performances. They even worked with us to create a weekly spot on Ozarks at Large to talk about anything and everything that is going on at Walton Arts Center.

KUAF is always eager & willing to help us in any way possible, and the team is such a pleasure to work with we can barely call it 'work!' When we are unable to make it to the studio to record, they happily travel to meet us so we can make things happen.

Kyle, Antoinette, Katy, Rhonda and many others give graciously of their time to ensure that we educate Northwest Arkansas on all things WAC!

THANK YOU KUAF!!