Entertainment
Jazztober, Trailer Fest, Barbecue Cook-Off among this week’s entertainment events
Center City’s Jazztober series returns Tuesday
Center City is proud to announce the 11th season of Jazztober, as part of the Amarillo Cultural District, Texas Commission on the Arts State Cultural District.
Jazztober will kick off its 12th season of free jazz concerts from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday in October at 1000 S. Polk St., on the grounds of the historic Bivins Home. Concerts for this season include Austin Brazille for Oct. 1, Big G and the Tradewinds for Oct. 8, Sean Vokes & Friends for Oct. 15, and The Martinis for Oct. 22.
“Jazztober celebrates Amarillo’s great local talent. Special thanks to Jim Laughlin and his students at Amarillo College for their help in providing the sound for Jazztober. Jazztober is a hands-on experience for the students with a live audience,” Duke said. “We love the fall weather in Amarillo – bring a sweater and enjoy cool jazz.”
Guests should bring their own chairs or blankets and are encouraged to bring a picnic and beverages.
“Jazztober is a come-and-go event. People bring their kids and their dogs. We know it is a school night, and some people need to leave before the concert is done. It’s a casual atmosphere,” Duke added.
Brown & Fortunato law firm is the Jazztober 2024 season sponsor. For more information about Jazztober, call Center City at 372-6744 or go to www.centercity.org or follow Center City and Center City Events on Facebook.
Cinergy hosting inaugural Trailer Fest on Oct. 2
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Cinergy Cinemas & Entertainment will host its inaugural Trailer Fest Event, celebrating fall’s most anticipated films, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The evening will include trivia, new menu item tastings and prizes, as well as sneak peeks for some of the most anticipated upcoming flicks among 25 titles, including “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” “Gladiator II,” “Wicked: Part One,” “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” and “Kraven the Hunter,” among others.
For $2 per person at all Cinergy locations, guests will be treated to an evening of entertainment with a chance to win a free annual Elite Plus membership, and each ticket comes with a small popcorn and raffle ticket. Attendees will also receive a special Trailer Fest goodie bag. Tickets, showtimes and more details are available online at https://www.cinergy.com/film-info/trailer-fest .
Good Times Celebration Barbecue Cook-Off set for Oct. 3
The Amarillo Chamber of Commerce is holding the 28th Annual Good Times Celebration Barbecue Cook-Off, 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 at the Tri-State Fairgrounds.
The parking lot south of the Amarillo National Center Arena at the Fairgrounds will showcase 100 cooking teams and sponsors serving up mouthwatering barbecue with all the trimmings and ice-cold beverages. The event will also feature live music from Velvet Funk and awards for the top three places in corporate, amateur, and professional divisions cooking ribs, brisket, and other meat.
Tickets for this event are still just $30 in advance or $40 at the gate and include all you can eat, drink, and network with live music. Tickets are on sale now at the Chamber of Commerce Office at 1000 S Polk, the Civic Center Box Office, by phone at (806) 378-3096, or online at PanhandleTickets.com. Get more information on this event at https://www.amarillo-chamber.org/barbecue-cook-off.html or by calling the Chamber at (806) 373-7800 or searching Amarillo Chamber on social media.
Saxophone and Electronic Ensembles to perform at WT
CANYON — West Texas A&M University School of Music student ensembles will offer a pair of free concert experiences in coming days. The WT Saxophone Studio will welcome guest artist Jacob Nance, a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University, for a performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall. Admission is free.
Nance will perform “Monologo en Tiempo de Jaropo” by Carlos Guzman and — with Dr. James Barger, associate professor of saxophone — “Wanderlust” by Julianna Voelker. Students also will perform “Senbonzakura” by Kurousa-P, “Recitation Book” by David Maslanka, “The Mechanics” by Carter Pann, “Celtic Suite” by Gavin Whitlock, “Damned Spiders” by Alun Cook, “7 Days Total” by Jenni Watson and “Sushi Stegosaurus” by Matthew Kennedy.
Then, the WT Electronic Ensemble will host its first “happening” of the semester in conjunction with an ongoing art exhibition in the Dord Fitz Formal Art Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall. Performance will be 7 p.m. Oct. 7 in the gallery. The short jam session will feature students and art faculty with a mix of live and electronic instruments in conversation with “How It’s Done,” an exhibition by Jon Revett, the Doris Alexander Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts and art program director.
Amarillo College Theatre presents ‘Queen Lear,’ an adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’
Exactly when and where the post-apocalyptic story of “Queen Lear” transpires may be open to conjecture. But the fact that the play has been judiciously adapted from Shakespeare’s masterful drama “King Lear” will be readily apparent throughout its four-performance run Oct. 3-6 at Amarillo College.
In his adaption, veteran instructor of theatre Monty Downs not only sets his players in an enigmatic backdrop, but he places heightened emphasis on the dementia that plagues the eponymous queen, a character being portrayed by Downs’s wife and AC alumna Robin Hooten Downs.
“Both our parents have struggled with dementia, and it’s something that Robin and I have certainly had to deal with and feel strongly about, which is why I wanted to place a considerably greater focus on the Queen’s affliction,” Downs said. “And the reason I decided to use a queen rather than a king is because a mother-daughter relationship is just different than a father-daughter relationship, and I felt that was worth examining more closely. … As far as the story goes, it’s really Shakespeare’s same story of a British monarchy, political power plays, pagan beliefs, and how the health of monarchies were historically thought to be tied to the health of the land – to nature. Placing it in a post-apocalyptic setting, well, that was just for fun.”
The student cast, which is joined by three AC alumni, will perform Queen Lear Oct. 3-6 at the Experimental Theatre on the Washington Street Campus. The play will begin at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3-5, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students (college or high school) and AC employees. They can be purchased at the door or online. Additionally, groups of 10 or more are entitled to $6 seats if purchased at least 24 hours in advance.
Opera Cowgirls to launch 2024-2025 Arts at WT Series
CANYON — An ensemble of women equally at home in honkytonks as they are in concert halls again will open a special spotlight series at West Texas A&M University. The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series will kick off Wednesday, Oct. 3 with “An Evening with the Opera Cowgirls,” a dinner theatre-style concert event.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. Admission is free for subscribers to The Arts at WT series or $50 each for nonsubscribers. Visit cur8.com/22281/project/124780, call 806-651-2777 or email thearts@wtamu.edu.
The Opera Cowgirls quintet — which features Sarah Beckham-Turner, WT assistant professor of music in the WT School of Music — bills itself as the intersection of grand opera and the Grand Ole Opry. Members also include Caitlin McKechney, Mila Henry, Maria Maxfield and Jessica Sandidge. Each performs traditional country-music instruments such as mandolins and guitars while singing a mixture of opera arias and western songs.
“We are all professional opera singers and musicians who also happen to love country music,” Beckham-Turner said. “We create our own versions of opera and country classics using our unique instrumentation. From the swankiest of parties to the grungiest of bars, Opera Cowgirls are sure to entertain.”
Art faculty exhibition to open Oct. 4 at PPHM
The 2024 Regional Art Faculty Show opens with a reception Oct. 4 at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM). The exhibit highlights the creative practices of art faculty from colleges and universities from throughout the region, on display in the Southwestern Gallery Oct. 4 through Jan. 5, 2025.
This year’s exhibition will be a collaboration hosted by the museum and curated by PPHM’s Curator of Art, Deana Craighead. Schools represented include Amarillo College, Angelo State University, Eastern New Mexico University, Institute of American Indian Arts, Midwestern State University, New Mexico Highlands University, South Plains College, Texas Tech University and WT.
For more information, visit https://www.panhandleplains.org/ .
Two Cultures seminar series focuses on divide between arts & sciences
How faculty can avoid the pitfalls of hyper-specialization and teach across the spectrum of academic fields while remaining true to their own disciplines is the focus of a unique interdisciplinary seminar series underway at Amarillo College. The brainchild of Dr. Robert Fulton, assistant professor of humanities, The Two Cultures is a series of conversations – one each month through November – fittingly subtitled A Meeting of the Minds Across the Arts & Sciences.
Two Thursday-night sessions remain: a panel discussion, Oct. 24, and a capstone keynote address by a visiting professor from the University of Chicago on Nov. 21. All sessions, which are free and open to the public (refreshments provided), take place in the Oak Room at the College Union Building on the Washington Street Campus.
“The British author and scientist C.P. Snow coined the term ‘the two cultures’ in 1959 to refer to the growing divide between the arts (humanities) and the sciences in terms of education,” Fulton said. “This series seeks to address this divide in its current state at AC in particular, but also in education at large.”
The capstone event on Nov. 21 will feature a keynote address by University of Chicago’s Rachel Fulton Brown, an associate professor of history/poetry, who will mull the question: Does poetry matter? Her presentation is titled Numbering Words, Talking Numbers: Poetry, Page Layout, and the Structures of Thought.
National Geographic photo exhibit on display at Arts in the Sunset
Arts in the Sunset visitors will witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the new National Geographic exhibition, “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs,” on display in the Ann Crouch Gallery and free and open to the public.
The very best wildlife pictures from the pages of National Geographic magazine have been chosen to be displayed in this exhibition, according to the Amarillo Arts Institute news release. Curated by renowned nature picture editor, Kathy Moran, this exhibition is a celebratory look at wildlife with images taken by National Geographic’s most iconic photographers such as, Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert, David Doubilet and more. Showcasing the evolution of photography, the images convey how innovations such as camera traps, remote imaging, and underwater technology have granted photographers access to wildlife in their natural habitat.
“We are thrilled to bring this stunning National Geographic photography exhibit to our community,” said RachelFlores, Executive Director for the Amarillo Art Institute, host organization for the exhibit, “These images capturethe beauty and diversity of our world, offering a unique opportunity for our visitors to experience the power ofphotography in telling stories that inspire, educate, and connect us all.”
“The Greatest Wildlife Photographs” will remain open at Arts in the Sunset until Dec. 22. For 115 years, National Geographic has pioneered and championed the art of wildlife photography, and captivated generations of engaged audiences with a steady stream of extraordinary images of animals in nature. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
‘That 1870s Show’ lecture set for Oct. 3
Guest speaker Dr. Nicole R. Myers will offer a free lecture titled “That 1870s Show: The Impressionist Revolution,” at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Concert Hall Theater at Amarillo College.
Step back in time and experience Impressionism as the provocative, subversive, and defiant production of a renegade group of contemporary artists, a news release from the Amarillo Museum of Art (AMoA) says. Join Myers, curator of The Impressionist Revolution from Monet to Matisse exhibition currently on view at the Dallas Museum of Art, as she explores the Impressionist revolution that scandalized Paris and set the course for modern art in the 1870s and beyond.
The AMoA Alliance is hosting a pre-lecture Cocktail Buffet Reception beginning at 6 p.m. at the Amarillo Museum of Art. Tickets for the pre-lecture reception are $40 per person and may be purchased online (amoa-alliance.com/ladd lecture) or over the phone at (806) 371-5050.
AMoA is located at 2200 South Van Buren on the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College. Hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 -5 p.m. For additional information, visit www.amoa.org, email amoa@actx.edu, or call 806-371-5050 or 806-371-5392 (weekends).
Amarillo Opera opens season with ‘Carmen’ Oct. 5
The Amarillo Opera presents “Carmen” on Oct. 5 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. The production is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
One of the most popular operas ever written, “Carmen” centers around a woman who craves love, but instead she creates obsession and jealousy. The cast and crew for the Amarillo production include Conductor Jorge Parodi and Director Fenlon Lamb, as well as Hilary Ginther as Carmen, Trey Smagur as Don Jose, Cecilia Lopez as Micaela, Colin Ramsey at Escamillo, Travis Sherwood as Morales, Elizabeth Magnor as Frasquita, Candace Carpenter as Mercedes, Corey Trahan as El Remendado, Alexander Winn as El Dancairo and Sean Milligan as Zuniga.
Tickets are now available to purchase for the one-night production online at www.amarilloopera.org or by calling the office at 806.372.7464. Season tickets are also available for the opera’s 2024-25 season, which includes “Carmen,” Redneck Tenors, Moipei and “Cruzar La Cara De La Luna.”
For more information, visit their website or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Starlight Ranch concert season continues
The Starlight Ranch Event Center, located at 1415 Sunrise Dr., has a full lineup of concerts and festivals in the works as summer transitions into the fall months, with many shows and festivals announced for October.
Among performers and events coming to the venue are Neal McCoy (Oct. 4), Octoberfest (Oct. 5), Shane Smith and the Saints (Oct. 11), the rescheduled Calf Fry Festival (Oct. 12), Paul Wall with special guest Chalie Boy (Oct. 25), Wade Bowen (Oct. 26), and more. Steaks & Two Steppin’ returns with special guest Lane Smith on Oct. 19, with proceeds supporting Special Olympics Texas – Panhandle Area.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website, https://www.bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/ , follow them on Facebook or call 806-372-6000.
Water Lantern Festival to float wishes on Amarillo lake Oct. 5
The Water Lantern Festival, voted the No. 1 Best Cultural Festival by USA TODAY, is coming to Amarillo on Oct. 5 at the Thompson Lake House Building, West Chaparral Street, which is located near the Ross Rogers Golf Course Lake in Thompson Park.
Tickets are on sale online. The ticket price includes a wristband for entry into the festival area with access to food trucks, a floating lantern kit, an LED candle, a commemorative drawstring bag, conversation cards, playing cards and a marker. It also covers the cost of collecting and removing the lanterns from the water and any cleanup afterward.
For more information, to purchase tickets, or become a vendor or sponsor, go to https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/amarillo.php or email support@WaterLanternFestival.com .
Inaugural Amarillo International Film Festival announced for Oct. 10-12
The Amarillo Film Society, with generous support from The Tecovas Foundation and the Greater Amarillo Film Commission, has announced the dates for the inaugural Amarillo International Film Festival, to be held Oct. 10-12 at Arts in the Sunset.
A VIP screening of “For The Record” will follow a VIP reception to kick off the festival that Thursday evening. A total of 36 films – including narrative and documentary features and student, narrative, and documentary shorts – will fill more than 15 hours of screen time during the three-day festival, according to a news release. Filmmakers from Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Spain, and the UK will be included, along with films from California, Colorado, New York, and Utah. Texas filmmakers hail from Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Huntsville, San Antonio, Seabrook, Shallowater, and Weslaco.
Two other seminars over the weekend include “Writing for the Screen” and the “Art of Cut Paper Stop Motion Animation”. For more information, including festival passes, a sponsor list, a detailed schedule, and a list of all selected films, visit www.amarillofilmfestival.com.
Amarillo Symphony 100th Celebration Concert set for Oct. 11-12
The Amarillo Symphony’s 100th Celebration Concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, with George Jackson conducting.
Celebrate the symphony’s 100th birthday concert with Grammy-winning ensemble, Time For Three, as well as a world premiere by Grammy-winning composer Michael Daugherty commemorating Cadillac Ranch’s 50th anniversary, and Aaron Copland’s masterpiece Appalachian Spring.
Tickets are on sale now online at panhandletickets.com ; for more information, visit https://amarillosymphony.org/ .
Cottonwood Faire set for Oct. 12-13 in Thompson Park
Friends and family can enjoy merriment of the medieval kind in Amarillo in October. The Cottonwood Faire Renaissance festival returns to Thompson Park on Oct. 12 and 13, presented by Fandom Events.
Festivities include food and drink, vendors, games, costumes and cosplay, a Strongman Competition, a royal court, theater, dancing and musical performances, live action roleplay and much more. Look for the full schedule to be posted online in early October. Cottonwood Faire is located on the west side of the lake behind Wonderland, directly south of the dog park, according to its website, and the only entrance/exit will be the Castle Gate. Other entrances will be blocked off during the event. Parking will be available at Wonderland Park and the pool, with a courtesy shuttle available for those who need assistance.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, as well as booths, food truck spots and a link to volunteer forms, visit https://www.cottonwoodfaire.com/ .
Lone Star Ballet to stage ‘Frankenstein’ Oct. 19
The Lone Star Ballet will present “Frankenstein” just in time for spooky season. The one-night-only performance on Oct. 19 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts will feature a mix of dance, special lighting and staging recounting the famous haunting story to celebrate the Halloween season. The production begins at 7:30 p.m.
The ageless tale by Mary Shelley, told with poetic license and initiated by Vickie McClain in 2018, is described “as a very sad story about love, rejection and denial.” This haunting story will be brought back to life with backdrops, special effects and compelling music.
Tickets are available by calling (806) 378-3096, online at panhandletickets.com and at the box office at Globe-News Center the evening of the show.
Ralph Barbosa to perform Oct. 19 at Civic Center
Ralph Barbosa will be performing Saturday, Oct. 19 in the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
Barbosa’s disarming and laid-back style has made him a stand-out on stage, on TV and online. His first Netflix stand-up special, “Ralph Barbosa: Cowabunga,” was shot in August 2023 at The Kessler Theater in his hometown of Dallas. His theater tour comes after a breakout year in 2023 that saw him selling out venues across the U.S., making his debut on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and his Comedy Central Stand-up Featuring: Ralph Barbosa set topping 3.7 million views on YouTube.
In November 2022, Ralph starred in the HBO Max comedy special, “Entre Nos: The Winners 3,” and earlier that year his “Don’t Tell Comedy” performance was released on YouTube and now has over 4.8 million views. For more info, visit his website, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube pages.
Amarillo Symphony presents ‘Symphony Spooktacular’ concert for all ages Oct. 25
Get ready for a bewitching evening of music as the Amarillo Symphony joins forces with the WTAMU Orchestra and choirs from WTAMU and Canyon High School for “Symphony Spooktacular,” a family-friendly Halloween concert on Friday, Oct. 25. Two performances will be held at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, at 6 and 8 p.m.
Thrill to hauntingly beautiful melodies from iconic soundtracks like “Harry Potter,” “Skyrim,” and “Halo,” as well as other Halloween classics. The concert will also feature WTAMU student soloist Justin Williamson, recipient of the Eric Barry Vocal Competition. Come dressed in your most creative and spooky costumes and enjoy an immersive experience for the whole family. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (806) 376-8782.
Candlelight Concerts to offer performances in Amarillo Oct. 30
Fever’s Candlelight concert series is set to light up Amarillo Little Theatre in Amarillo with special Halloween-themed shows on Wednesday, Oct. 30. These haunted evenings will feature favorite movie soundtracks, including The Addams Family, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, The Exorcist, Thriller, and many more. The unique musical program welcomes everyone from 8 years old and promises to be a fun and spooky night for all.
Candlelight Concerts are a series of original music concerts created by Fever aimed at democratizing the access to classical music. This innovative format represents a unique live musical experience through a varied offer of programs to meet all tastes, played by local musicians, in emblematic venues, with the space and performers illuminated by thousands of candles.
Illuminated by thousands of candles on stage, Candlelight Concerts invites a broader audience that might have never considered a classical music concert before to connect with the most iconic pieces in a different way. On Oct. 30, Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics will be offered at 6 p.m. at Amarillo Little Theatre, followed by Candlelight: A Tribute to Coldplay on Strings, at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://feverup.com/m/183929 .
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