The performing arts are back in full force, and the Acansa Arts Festival of the South is here to prove it.
Set for Sept. 7-23, the eighth annual festival features a broad range of events in venues across the metro, with everything from ballet to Tony-winning plays to bluegrass on the agenda.
This year marks the first for Acansa’s new executive director Leslie Golden, a founding board member and long-time supporter, and will also include special exhibits at Acansa Gallery and a showcase of local artist Robin Tucker’s new Argenta mural depicting saxophonist Pharoah Sanders.
Without further ado, here’s what to expect at the 2023 fest.
Greasy Greens
Sept. 7, The Rail Yard
The legendary Arkansas “Band of Opportunity” jump-starts the festival with a good ol’ Southern shindig. Greasy Greens takes the stage al fresco at The Rail Yard where party guests will find a dozen musicians, beverages, food trucks and plenty of room for dancing.
Scythian
Sept. 8, Ron Robinson Theater
Highly energetic and technically brilliant, this Washington, D.C.-based band is a favorite among the Celtic festival and bluegrass/Americana music circuits. Founded by first-generation sons of Ukrainian immigrants, Scythian’s charismatic folk rock has elated fans across the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia.
Damn Tall Buildings
Sept. 9, Ron Robinson Theater
With a sound that blends swing, ragtime, jazz and folksy rock influences with original songwriting, Damn Tall Buildings brings four quintessential roots instruments — banjo, fiddle, guitar and bass — to downtown Little Rock for a rousing good time.
“Doubt: A Parable”
Sept. 13-23, Argenta Community Theater
Acansa and Argenta Community Theater present John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt.” This intriguing parable explores an unconscionable accusation leveled against a priest as a sister realizes that the only way to get justice is to create it herself. The play won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for drama and Tony Award for best play, and was later adapted as an Academy Award-nominated feature film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
“The Spirit of Harriet Tubman”
Sept. 14, Arkansas Repertory Theatre
The famous Underground Railroad conductor theatrically springs to life in Leslie McCurdy’s spirited production. Shared through familiar stories and others rarely told, the faith and conviction that drove a young Harriet Tubman to follow her dreams connect the past with the present and inspire envisioning a new future.
Caesar
Sept. 15, Arkansas Repertory Theatre
Caesar’s velvety smooth baritone vocals and debonair delivery (a la Nat King Cole), a grand piano and a quartet of musicians promise an unforgettable evening of iconic hits from the Golden Age of American music. The first and only male vocalist to sing and tour with Julio Iglesias, Caesar has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Lou Rawls, Peter White, Boney James, Paul Brown and Stanley Clarke, among others.
Take3
Sept. 16, Arkansas Repertory Theatre
Born of the nation’s top conservatories, Take3 lives at the intersection where pop, rock and classical fusion collide. With a flair for the wild and unexpected, this genre-defying trio on piano, cello and violin infuses the refinement of a rigorous classical music background with rock star charisma, bringing unmistakable style and effervescent joy to the stage.
Finger Food
Sept. 21, The Joint
In partnership with Argenta Acoustic Music Series, Acansa is delighted to present Steve Davison’s Finger Food, a veritable feast for acoustic guitar lovers. The guitarists perform “in the round” and trade songs and stories about their compositions and their approach to the guitar, focusing their music on contemporary instrumental American fingerstyle guitar with folk, jazz, Celtic, classical and blues influences.
Pine Leaf Boys
Sept. 22, The Argenta Plaza | Argenta Vibe Music Series
Pine Leaf Boys perform their inimitable brand of Louisiana music, blending the sounds of cajun, zydeco, swamp-pop, country and soul. Led by Wilson Savoy, Grammy Award-winning accordionist, keyboard player, fiddler and singer, Pine Leaf Boys have garnered four Grammy nominations, as well as six invitations from the U.S. State Department to present their music in 23 countries throughout Europe and Asia.
Ballets with a Twist
Sept. 23, UA-PTC CHARTS
From coast to coast, Ballets with a Twist is turning heads and setting trends. The company’s signature production, “Cocktail Hour: The Show,” reinvents classic entertainment through an original mix of choreography, music and costume design. Combining timeless American spirit with 21st century flair, this electrifying floorshow-to-stage experience brings the bloody mary, Manhattan, hot toddy and more to life in a series of sparkling vignettes.
Performer descriptions provided by Acansa.
Tickets for the eighth annual Acansa Arts Festival of the South are available now, including individual shows and festival passes. Select events are free, and students 18 and younger are free of charge.
To learn more about the arts festival, visit the Acansa website and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest.