Weekend Entertainment Roundup for April 18, 2024

Here’s the latest Weekend Entertainment Roundup from Eric E. Harrison, culture reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

FUN

Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock, once again lights up its nights with its Lanterns festival, 6-10 p.m. today and Friday, 2-10 p.m. Saturday. The festival features food, performances (including a Grand Ole Opry-style stage show) and crafts from China, Argentina, England and Nashville,Tenn., plus, for children, two fantasy lands — Fairytale Forest and Pirate Land). Sunday will be the rain date; in case of rainouts. (501) 821-7275 or visit wild-woodlanterns.org.

THEATER

Eight third-graders have each produced a short play on the theme of endangered species for the “Downtown Playmakers” project at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock, which pairs of professional actors will stage in the Rep’s second-mezzanine black box theater, 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Seating is limited but admission is free. TheRep.org.

Seven young women vie for the title of Miss Delta Queen in “American Beauty” (music and lyrics by Michael Rice, book by Jack Heifner, Romulus Linney, Kent R. Brown, Hank Bates, Mary Rohde Scudded and Cliff Fanin Baker) at The Weekend Theater, 1001 W. Seventh St. at Chester Street, Little Rock, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and May 3-4, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and May 5. The show, originally titled “Pageant,” premiered in January 1988 at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. centralarkansastickets.com.

Benton’s Royal Players stage “Bonnie & Clyde” (music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black, book by Ivan Menchell), 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through April 28 at the Royal Theatre, 111 S. Market St., Benton. TheRoyalPlayers.TicketLeap.com.

MUSIC

ZZ Top & Lynyrd Skynyrd co-headline at 7 p.m. today at North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena, simmonsbankarena.com or Ticketmaster.com.

The Arkansas Symphony plays John Williams’ score as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” appears on screen, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, W. Markham St. at Broadway. Ticketmaster.com.

And the Metropolitan Opera “cinecasts” its production of Giacomo Puccini’s “La Rondine” for its “Live in HD” series, 11:55 a.m. Saturday at the Movie Tavern in Little Rock, and the Central City 10 in Hot Springs. metopera.org.

Tune in every Thursday at 4:44pm to hear Eric’s roundup for arts and culture events in Central Arkansas during All Things Considered on Little Rock Public Radio.