This is Ozarks at Large. We are at the beginning of a new season — we have had just but a few days of spring — and we're going to talk about some other new seasons. To help me talk about new theater seasons, Becca Martin-Brown. Let's go The Other Way. Becca, welcome back.
Becca Martin Brown: Hi. Welcome to you too. I haven't talked to you in ages.
Kyle Kellams: And I know that you are a big fan of theater, and it's kind of an embarrassment of riches in this region.
Martin-Brown: Oh, this time of year is so wonderful because the jonquils are blooming, the trees are filling in, and the theater companies are announcing their seasons.
Kellams: And for the first time ever, I was able to attend two of these season announcements. It was a lot of fun and there's a lot to look forward to.
Martin Brown and Kellams: I'm super excited because Arkansas Public Theatre has announced a season — they are coming back after first a remodel of the Victory Theatre, then a second remodel that had to happen because of the spring tornadoes two years ago. There's been a season interrupted, but we see some of those shows in the next season. This is season 40 — season 39 was the one that none of it happened, but we're just kind of skipping that. Season 40 starts in June with "Come From Away," which is a musical. It's the story of the little town in Newfoundland that took in all the stranded airline passengers after 9/11. Then in August, "Dear Evan Hansen." In October, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," based on the book — and it is in fact one of the ones that should have been in season 39. December is "Best Christmas Pageant Ever," a tradition. February is "The Drowsy Chaperone." Next August — August 2027 — in their traditional summer musical spot, "Fiddler on the Roof,"
Kellams: Which needs no introduction, really.
Martin Brown: No, no it doesn't. And everybody I know who's an actress is like,"Fiddler? Where are auditions?” Well, not till next year. But there's a lot of excitement in the acting community. APT is going to have a shindig April 10 at their new building, their new rehearsal space and storage space in Avoca. So check out their Facebook announcements so you can go to that.
Kellams: So that's APT season 40.
Martin Brown: TheatreSquared — their season will start in September with "Fences." I am thrilled they're doing that. November is "Little Women," adapted by Lauren Gunderson, who has adapted so many things.
Kellams: Before we go on, I just want to tell you how they revealed it, because you go in and you don't know what the season is — maybe if you're a super insider you do, but for most of the people in the audience, they don't know. And they introduced "Little Women" by having people who work at TheatreSquared who are named Amy, Meg, Jo and Beth, and we had to figure out the puzzle.
Martin Brown: That's so fun.
Kellams: Yeah, it was pretty cute.
Martin Brown: Then February is "Cowboys and East Indians," which is from the Arkansas New Play Festival. April of next year is "The 39 Steps."
Kellams: Which they did way back, I think, at Nadine Baum — and it's one of those with five or six actors doing all the roles.
Martin Brown: And then June of next summer will be "Eureka Day," which is the winner of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
And then there are three family shows: July of this year, Disney's "Newsies Jr." I love "Newsies." December, "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)" — three actors, every Christmas story ever told. And in April of next year, "A Year with Frog and Toad."
And then there's the Walton Arts Center Broadway season.
Kellams: Six shows in the regular season, plus four bonus shows.
Martin Brown: September is "The Outsiders." December is "Buena Vista Social Club."
Kellams: Oh, I cannot wait for that.
Martin-Brown: February is "The Notebook." April is an absolute classic, "The Sound of Music." May is "Operation Mincemeat," a new musical. July of next summer is "Just in Time" — that's the story of Bobby Darin. And then the bonus shows: "Dirty Dancing" in October, "Jersey Boys" in November, "Kinky Boots" in April of next year and "Beetlejuice" in June of next year.
Kellams: And it's that "of next year" that you've got to keep straight. When these announcements come out and there are still productions yet to come in our spring and summer of 2026, we're already looking ahead to spring and summer of 2027.
Martin Brown: And if you're confused already, you can see all this online.
Kellams: Yes, just go to the respective venue or theater company's website.
Martin Brown: And if you want to do a little theater right now, real quick — I just finished my fourth show with Northwest Arkansas Audio Theatre. Super welcoming, super fun. It was "Captain Blood." It had men in puffy shirts and cannon fire and horses.
And the next show will also have men in puffy shirts, a little later and on this side of the ocean. It's called "The Patriot Hour." It features the radio versions of two things: the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Washington crossing the Delaware.
Kellams: So it's a drama about the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Freedom Hall?
Martin Brown: Right. And it is done in conjunction with the Daughters of the American Revolution to celebrate America 250. Auditions are at 7 p.m. April 7 and April 9 in Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Springdale. Performances are at the end of May and the first of June, and you can find out more about them on Facebook.
Kellams: And you could say it's an enjoyable experience for an actor.
Martin Brown: It is an absolutely lovely company with really nice people. All the fun of doing radio theater and all of the ways you can enhance that experience with costumes and wigs and sound effects.
Kellams: Yeah, it's a good experience. All right. Well, Becca, I hope you enjoy the rest of spring. It's out there in front of us and we'll talk again very soon.
Martin Brown: Yes we will. Thank you.
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