WT Theatre's 'Rumors,' art exhibits among this week's events

Chaos reigns in WT Theatre’s farcical ‘Rumors,’ on stage April 4-14

CANYON — Though it’s set in an era of pastel colors and big shoulder pads, there’s nothing dated about the humor in the season-ending play from West Texas A&M University Theatre.

Student actors will stage Neil Simon’s farce “Rumors” at 7:30 p.m. April 4 to 6 and 11 to 13, plus 2:30 p.m. April 7 and 14, in the Branding Iron Theatre in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex on WT’s Canyon campus.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for seniors and non-WT students. WT students, faculty and staff are free with a Buff Gold Card.

“No matter your age or if you connect to the 1980s, ‘Rumors’ can appeal to everyone who has been involved in or the victim of gossip or misinformation,” said Echo Sunyata Sibley, the show’s director and assistant professor of theatre. “This show pokes fun at the consequences of talking about people behind their backs.”

Set at an elegant dinner party in late ’80s New York, “Rumors” is a romp about miscommunications and escalating disasters among the hoity-toity elite. Before the party begins, Charlie Brock, the deputy mayor of New York City who never actually appears on stage, has been wounded by a self-inflicted gunshot, and his wife is missing in action. As other guests arrive for the Brocks’ 10th-anniversary celebration, the gossip about what actually happened grows out of control.

For tickets, call 806-651-2810, email artsboxoffice@wtamu.edu or visit showtix4u.com/events/17516.

WT art alumni to be featured in new exhibition

CANYON — More than 50 West Texas A&M University alumni are featured in a new art exhibition opening April 1.

WT’s first art program alumni exhibition will hang through April 27 in the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery inside Mary Moody Northen Hall. An opening reception will run from 5 to 7 p.m. April 4.

The art program received nearly 170 submissions from 75 artists. Guest juror Deana Craighead, curator of art at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, selected 53 works to hang in the show — one each per artist chosen. Three alumni will receive cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500, to be announced at the opening reception.

“We are incredibly proud of these alumni, who represent graduates from the 1970s to just last year,” said Jon Revett, art program director and Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts.

Selected artists include Dárē Akinwole, Dick Archer, Mariah Aytch, Adrian Ballesteros, Amanda Barnett, Kendra Barth, Jacob Bautista, Stephanie Boyd, Jarys Boyd, Tiahna-Dawn Brecheisen, Brittany Busch, Ann Callen, Kayla Cantu, Sawyer Crane, Blake Cripps, Loc Dao, Renea Dauntes, Ana Davila, Elba Duron, Sage Edsall, Emory Elliott, Amanda Fitzgerald, John Flatt, Helené Gagneux, Arash Ghahari Kermani, Victor Granadoz, Mandy Gregory, Evarista Herrera, Brent Hilliard, Kegan Hollis, Ixchel Houseal, Joshua Jinkens, Ruthie Landelius, Miguel Lares, William Lebeda, Brooke Locke, Delores Maldonado, Mark Martin, Joey Martinez, Chasely Matmanivong, Michael Merriman, Megan Moore, Patrick Ponce, Justin Rogers, Benjamin Selby, Brian Singleton, Sara Spaulding, Clayton Spaulding, Julia Strait, Aaron Taylor, Marcia Tippit, Phuc “May” Truong, Rayan Turner, Slayden Watson, Barbara Williams and Traci Winter.

Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email jrevett@wtamu.edu.

WT Percussion Ensemble to perform free concert April 2

CANYON — The West Texas A&M University Percussion Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 2 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus. The concert is free.

Selections will include “Tumbau Talk” by Julie Davila, “When Worlds Collide” by Rick Dior, “Time Stream” by David Maslanka; “The Crystals” by David J. Long, “Kyoto” by John Psathas and “Staind Glass” by David R. Gillingham.

Ensemble members are Brianne Adkins, a freshman music education major from Canyon; Aidan Caballero, a sophomore music education major from Odessa; Hien Doan, a senior music education and music performance major from Amarillo; Piper Fowler, a junior music performance major from Amarillo; Colton Gallandat, a junior music education major from Joshua; Brandon Garcia, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo; Payton Hayes, a sophomore music education major from Midland; Colton Leadingham, a freshman music education major from Odessa; Brogan Lichte, a senior music education major from Littlefield; Noah Lopez, a December graduate in music education from Canyon; Caleb Martin, a graduate music performance student from Plainview; Mason McWest, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo; Paden Mick, a sophomore music education major from Dimmitt; Charles Neal, a junior music technology major from Canyon; J.P. O’Brien, a sophomore music education major from Anna; Mason Rumsey, a December graduate in music education from Joshua; and Melinda Thomas, a sophomore music education major from Amarillo.

WT students, faculty selected for annual exhibition at Amarillo Museum of Art

CANYON — Works by more than 50 West Texas A&M University students and eight faculty members have been selected to hang in a prestigious annual exhibition at Amarillo Museum of Art.

The Amarillo College / West Texas A&M University Student/Faculty Exhibition will open April 5 and be on view through April 21. An opening reception will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 5 at the museum, 2200 S. Van Buren St. in Amarillo.

The WT portion of the exhibition is curated by the University’s art faculty, which received 175 entries from 76 students. The 53 student works and eight faculty works showcase a diverse range of media, including paintings, drawings, video art, sculpture, photography and more, said Jon Revett, art program director and Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts.

“This exhibition stands as the pinnacle of the art program’s calendar, providing a platform to showcase the exceptional work produced by our students,” Revett said. “The privilege of having one’s artwork exhibited where pieces by professional artists have hung underscores the importance of showcasing one's work and serves as validation for the countless hours our students dedicate to their projects.”

The AC/WT joint exhibition has been held regularly since 1972.

WT Scholarship Dinner set to honor longtime vocal music educator George Biffle

CANYON — Tickets are on sale now for a fundraising dinner helping establish a scholarship for vocal students in the name of a well-respected former music educator.

The George Biffle Memorial Scholarship dinner is set for 5 p.m. April 13 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus. Tickets are $100 for general admission or $250 for Maestro-level admission, which includes a reserved ticket to a combined WT Symphony Orchestra and WT Choirs concert featuring Johannes Brahms’ “Requiem” at 7:30 p.m. April 13 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall.

Biffle was head of choral activities at WT from 1992 to 2003.

“In those 10 years, Dr. Biffle had a substantial impact on all of the students and colleagues with whom he worked,” said Matthew Oglesby, associate lecturer in voice and coordinator of vocal studies. “Whether as a mentor to the area choral directors or a trusted ear and vocal coach for numerous singers, Dr. Biffle was unmatched as a musician amongst his peers. It was his willingness to share his gifts that endeared him to so many.”

Biffle died in December 2023 after a lifetime spent in vocal music education. In addition to his decade at WT, he also taught at Austin Middle School, Amarillo High School, Amarillo College, McMurry University and the University of Western Alabama. The scholarship established in Biffle’s name is part of several ongoing efforts raise $2 million for vocal scholarship endowments to make the WT School of Music more competitive when recruiting promising singers.

The dinner will include an open bar and entertainment by Esquire Jazz. Reservations are requested by April 7. Call 806-651-2840 or email opera@wtamu.edu.

Art Force Piano Series for 2023-24 concludes with Journey to the East

Before the sun sets on Amarillo College’s 2023-24 Art Force Piano Series, concertgoers will be transported on a harmonious Journey to the East. The fourth and final installment of the Piano Series features the accomplished husband-wife duo of Dr. Alex Lee (violin/viola) and Dr. Sophie Hung (piano), both of whom serve on the faculty at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU).

Their presentation is dubbed Journey to the East and takes place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 at the Concert Hall Theater on AC’s Washington Street Campus. Every concert presented in the Piano Series, which is sponsored annually at the College by Art Force Amarillo, is free and open to the public.

“Journey to the East features a pair of outstanding guest artists who will take our audience on a mesmerizing journey that evokes Eastern culture,” said Dr. Bruce Lin, artistic director for the Piano Series and director of piano at AC. “I know I’m not alone in my enthusiasm for what promises to be an outstanding evening of music, a tremendous punctuation for this year’s series.”

Additionally, both these exceptional artists will also be offering a masterclass for AC string majors during their time in Amarillo. That session will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall Theater on the day of their performance.

World-class organist to play world-class organ at First Presbyterian Church in April

First Presbyterian Church of Amarillo invites the public to hear one of the world’s acclaimed organists on one of the world’s largest organs.

The concert will take place on Sunday, April 7, featuring world-traveled concert organist Ken Cowan. The free performance will be at 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary at 1100 S. Harrison St. A reception will follow the concert. Tickets are requested and may be acquired through: https://www.firstpres.com/pipe-organ .

According to his Rice University biography, Cowan is regarded as one of North America’s finest concert organists and is praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique, and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike. He maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues in America, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Norman Goad, Director of Music and Organist for the church and owner of NEG Keyboard Services, is the builder of the organ, two years in its manufacturing and installation. According to Goad, based on its 117 ranks and 135 speaking stops, of the approximately 120,000 organs, this is among the 50 largest organs in the world, as well as one of the most technologically advanced. One can actually feel the 32-foot bass stops played by the organist’s feet. 53 of the ranks come through the 3,965 pipes. The remaining 64 ranks are digital and are computer-generated through 31 speakers in four chambers, via 14 channels of audio, sampled at 192 kilohertz – more than 4 times that of CD audio, a news release notes.

The console features E.M. Skinner architectural features, and designed to blend perfectly into the church’s Gothic sanctuary. The four keyboards have walnut sharps and satin finish naturals. The 158 drawknobs consist of walnut shanks with maple rings and ivory-colored engraved heads. The organ was made possible by a gift from the Allison family.

Amarillo Opera hosting Puccini one-act comedy, Sock Hop fundraiser April 6

Amarillo Opera hosts a one-act opera of Gianni "B.Good" Schicchi at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, located at 500 S Buchanan St. Following the performance, the Opera will host their Sock Hop afterparty fundraiser.

The Opera, a comedy created by Giacomo Puccini, begins just after the death of a wealthy aristocrat, Buoso Donati. The deceased aristocrat's family returns for the death expecting a large inheritance, only to find that he had written in his will to give his fortune to the monastery. The family then hires the clever Gianni Schicchi to create a counterfeit will, giving each family member what they want. Schicchi does complete the will, but of course had to skim a not-so-little bit for himself, resulting in even more twists and turns.

The fundraiser will immediately follow the Gianni Schicchi production. Although the event will be Sock Hop themed, guests are not required to dress up. Tickets to the Sock Hop Fundraiser are limited and available at $150 per person. Tickets can be purchased by phone by calling the Opera Office at 806.732.7464, or in person at 2223 S. Van Buren St.

More information and tickets to Gianni Schicchi are available online at https://www.amarilloopera.org/ourseason .

Amarillo’s first ever drone show at Hodgetown set for June 7-8

The Amarillo Sod Poodles are excited to announce the addition of back-to-back drone light show performances at Hodgetown on June 7-8. The Sod Poodles have partnered with Sky Elements to bring 200 drones to light up the Amarillo sky and pay homage to Sod Poodles baseball and other iconic Amarillo history and imagery.

“We could not be more excited to bring our hometown the first-ever live drone show,” said Sod Poodles President & General Manager, Tony Ensor. “Our staff is constantly pushing to bring the biggest and best experiences possible to our deserving fans and this drone show fits in perfectly. These will be two can’t-miss nights that people will be talking about for a long time, so please get your tickets early. This major event would not be possible without great partners like Rush Lasik, Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Sky Elements, who stepped up to make this happen. We cannot wait for our fans, most of whom will be seeing this futuristic technology for the first time, to enjoy the sky over Hodgetown being animated in a way never seen before.”

Sky Elements, based in Fort Worth, is the leading drone light show provider in the United States. Their experienced team has brought the art of drone light shows all across the country for community events, sports teams, businesses, artists, and major brands alike. The company set the Guinness World Record for the largest aerial sentence formed by multirotor/drones during their Fourth of July weekend performance last year in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The shows will take place on Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8 when the Sod Poodles host the Tulsa Drillers (Double-A, Los Angeles Dodgers). Games are set to begin at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m.

For more information on promotions and other news, follow the team on social media @sodpoodles on Facebook, X, and Instagram. For questions and more information, call 806-803-7762 or email info@SodPoodles.com .

Dali's Wonderland exhibition opens at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) recently debuted its newest exhibit, "Dali's Wonderland."

PPHM is excited to welcome this new exhibition in its Bugbee Gallery. Originally published by Lewis Carroll in 1865, the dream-like world of "Alice in Wonderland" is a natural match for the surrealist art movement. A hundred years later, Salvador Dali, surrealism’s most important figure, illustrated a version of the story that incorporated his iconic melting clocks and other avant-garde imagery. Featuring a limited edition copy of the book from the personal library of Sybil B. Harrington, it was a gift from her daughter Sally. This book came into Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum Collection in 2022 through the help of the Harrington House and Jessica Mallard at WT. "Dali’s Wonderland" explores the relationship between art and literature.

“Dali is one of the most recognizable artists of the 20th Century and the most known surrealist artist. I think it is important to highlight the significance of those kinds of movements and how they connect to our collection, here at PPHM. I think that this exhibition really connects our part of the world to the rest of the world. It also gives us the opportunity to take about art, literature and the connections between them, specifically Wonderland and Lewis Carroll’s iteration of Alice in Wonderland, to the surrealism movement which was heavily involved in literature, and poetry, etc,” said Deana Craighead, Curator of Art at PPHM.

"Dali’s Wonderland" is in partnership with the West Texas A&M University Information Technology Department. Thanks to this partnership, the exhibition will feature a virtual flipbook of Dali’s works. In the coming months, IT will also be working with to create an artificial intelligence and augmented reality aspects to this exhibition. The museum will offer some special programming this summer around the exhibition and those details will be announced soon.

Located on the campus of West Texas A&M University, PPHM offers visitors a chance to step into Texas Panhandle history with special exhibits, a permanent collection, special events and more. For more information about PPHM, visit www.panhandleplains.org.

Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour swimming to Amarillo Civic Center Complex on April 21

Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour will have two shows at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S Buchanan St. at noon and 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21.

Tickets for the performances may be purchased online on the tour's site, www.babysharkontour.com. Tickets start at $25 (while supplies last - additional fees and taxes may apply) and are also available at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Box Office and panhandletickets.com. Prices are subject to change.

Nickelodeon, The Pinkfong Company and VStar Entertainment Group present Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour!, a brand-new interactive live stage show featuring characters from the globally beloved preschool property. This tour brings the underwater world of the hit animated series, Baby Shark’s Big Show!, to life through an all-new original story, as audience members come together with Baby Shark and his undersea friends to save the Party Puddle Theatre. Featuring unforgettable music, with exciting twists on classic Baby Shark tunes, and mesmerizing visual effects, this staged “swimtacular” is jampacked with action and adventure for the whole family to enjoy.

A limited number of Fintastic Photo Op tickets are available, starting at $50. This pre-show experience will provide an up close and in person photo opportunity with Baby Shark and includes an exclusive gift for each kid. Each adult and kid (age 1 & up) must have their own “Fintastic Photo Op” ticket. Each guest must have both a Fintastic Photo Op ticket and a Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour! show ticket (sold separately) for the same date.

For more information or to join the Whale Mail mailing list for presale and other exclusive offers, visit www.babysharkontour.com. Follow Baby Shark’s Big Broadwave Tour! on Facebook and Instagram at @babysharkontour .

Sesame Street Live! Say Hello coming to Amarillo in June 2024

Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and their Sesame Street friends will be featured in an all-new live show, "Sesame Street Live! Say Hello," coming to Amarillo on June 26, 2024.

Tickets are available now online via panhandletickets.com . Round Room Live and Sesame Workshop are proud to announce the new live show, which will bring the beloved characters from the iconic Sesame Street to life in a brand-new interactive production that will tour the U.S. and Canada beginning in April 2024.

“For over 50 years, Sesame Workshop has worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts,” said Whit Higgins, Sesame Workshop Executive Vice President, Head of Global Enterprises, in a news release. “Round Room Live has a history of working with new and iconic properties to create engaging and thrilling live events. We can’t wait for families and friends to enjoy this brand-new Sesame Street show filled with song, dance, and a few fun and furry surprises.”

Fans can visit SesameStreetLive.com now for tour dates and ticket information, and follow Sesame Street Live social media for exclusive tour content. For more, visit www.SesameStreet.org .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo entertainment in brief for March 31, 2024