Weekend Entertainment Roundup for July 4th, 2024

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

FIREWORKS

It’s the 40th year for Pops on the River, in the River Market and centered on the First Security Bank Amphitheater, 400 President Clinton Ave.

The festivities, sponsored by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, kick off at 5 p.m. and include free family entertainment, activities and games for children and food trucks, culminating in a concert featuring, at 6:30 p.m., Nicky Parrish and the group Kemistri, followed at 7:30 by jazz trumpeter Rodney Block and the Arkansas Symphony, with Associate Conductor Valery Saul on the podium, performing patriotic works at approximately 8:30.

The fireworks finale erupts from the nearby Main Street Bridge somewhere between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. The bridge will close to traffic at 1 p.m. and reopen at 11 p.m.

Admission is free. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, But you may not bring fireworks, food, drinks, coolers or pets. pops.arkansasonline.com.

And if you’re looking for another venue from which to watch the fireworks, Dickey-Stephens Park, across the river in North Little Rock, is open today Thursday, July 4, starting at 7 p.m.. Fans can play catch on the field from 7 to 8 p.m. (bring your own glove, which you will need to be allowed on the field; they’ll supply the baseballs. You can’t bring your own outside food and beverages, but select ballpark concessions, including alcoholic beverages, will be available for purchase — but remember that the ballpark is a cashless facility. Admission is free; parking in the lot (just west of the Broadway Bridge) is $5 per standard vehicle and the ballpark has a clear bag policy. Visit milb.com/arkansas/ballpark/know-before-you-go for details.

THEATER

No live theater to boast about this weekend, but there’s a raft of production opening next week, including the musical “Footloose,” at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock. Previews are set for 7 p.m. next Tuesday-Thursday, with an 8 p.m. opening-night curtain next Friday and performances 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through July 28. Music is by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, with a book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, based on Pitchford’s screenplay for the 1984 film. (501) 378-0405; TheRep.org

Meanwhile, Actors Theatre of Little Rock opens its production of “Chicago” (music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Ebb and Bob Fosse), in “immersive” fashion and in the round, next week, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 6 p.m. Sunday through July 27 at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 1600 Louisiana St., Little Rock. “Immersive” means the action — in a 1920s jazz-club setting — occurs within and surrounding the audience, allowing some audience members to join in. The theater group is rating the show PG-13 for material “which may not be suitable for all audiences,” including sexual content, strong language, gun use and death. Visit actorstheatrelr.org/tickets.

Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, next Wednesday opens its production of “Jersey Boys” (music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice), the origin story of the Four Seasons. It runs through Aug. 17. (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com.

And five actors portray nearly 40 characters as the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre and the Silver Lake, N.Y.-based Shake on the Lake Theatre collaborate on a shortened version of William Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” There will be outdoor performances at 7 p.m. next Wednesday-Thursday and July 14 at Hendrix Village, 1705 Altus, Conway; and indoor shows at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, and 7:30 p.m. July 15 in Arkansas Tech University’s Witherspoon Auditorium, 407 W. Q St., Russellville.

ART

The “Delta Triennial” is on display through Aug. 25 at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E. 9th St., Little Rock. The exhibition features painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, an installation and even an audio piece by 39 artists from Arkansas and six surrounding states. Admission is free. (501) 372-4000 or visit arkmfa.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.