You are reading 'Artsy Mama'


17
February
2010

 hobbit.jpg

Mamas, I won’t assume your boys will be the only ones to appreciate this giveaway (I’ve got a girl who loves this kind of fantasy story), so I’ll say this is the perfect show for your 10-and-up kiddos. Today we’re giving away four tickets so the whole family can go see The Hobbit on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m.!

Or heck, your husband could take himself and three of your son’s best friends with these tickets!

Enter to win: Just hit the big orange “comment” button at the bottom of this post and tell us why you’d love to win these tickets. Your husband or son is a huge Tolkien fan? You loved The Hobbit when you were a kid?

Don’t forget that you can increase your chances of winning by e-mailing friends to tell them about the giveaway. Just CC us (giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com) so we’ll know how many times to put your name on the spreadsheet. The number of chances equals the number of people you e-mail. Most people leave a comment, then send an e-mail as well.

About the show: For ages 10 & up, this unprecedented stage adaptation of the prequel to the classic literary trilogy “The Lord of the Rings” is something every true Tolkien fan should experience. Utilizing an ancient art of Japanese theater called Bunraku – which combines live-action performers with intricately designed life-size puppets – the award-winning Canadian company Théâtre Sans Fil brings to life Tolkien’s fantastical world of orcs, trolls, wizards and, yes, Hobbits.

Bonus: Tickets for this show are as low as $9.50, when you use a special code. To take advantage of this offer, visit waltonartscenter.org and log in using promo code BILBO. After signing in, browse to the event from the homepage or the “Tickets and Events” page. Your discount will apply automatically. You can also stop by the Walton Arts Center Box Office or call 479.443.5600.

Also, Théâtre Sans Fil is making this presentation of The Hobbit an even more memorable affair by inviting audience members to come on stage after the performance. Theatergoers are allowed to see firsthand the inner workings of this complex production, making for a wholly exclusive interactive theater experience.

Show times are 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27! Good luck in the drawing!

clickhereorange1.png


12
February
2010

alt.JPG

We wanted to share a few announcements with you from Arts Live Theatre, a children’s and youth theatre company in Northwest Arkansas. If you have an up-and-coming little actor at home, this might be fun for them to try: Arts Live is holding auditions for The Wizard of Oz. They’ve also got a production of Annie, Jr.! coming up, too.

Auditions for The Wizard of Oz will be held on Saturday, February 27th, 1-4pm and Sunday, Februray 28th, 2-5pm at Arts Live Theatre, 828 North Sang Avenue, Fayetteville. Production dates are May 20-23 at the UArk Ballroom in Fayetteville. Directed by Jules Taylor, this production will be an original, non-musical adaptation of the beloved children’s book and will star at cast of approximately 35 young actors.  Actors grades 1-12 are encouraged to audition; no previous experience or appointment is necessary.  For complete audition information visit artslivetheatre.com.

Annie, Jr! will be shown at the UArk Ballroom in Fayetteville on the following dates:

  • Thursday, March 11, 7pm
  • Friday, March 12, 7pm
  • Saturday, March 13, 2pm & 7pm
  • Sunday, March 14, 2pm

For ticket & production information visit Annie Ticket Information

This family favorite musical stars a cast of 32 regional young actors and features such songs as “Tomorrow”, “Hard Knock Life”, and “Maybe.” Tickets are $8 for ages 12 and under; $12 for ages 13 and up and may be purchased online at artslivetheatre.com, via email at info@artslivetheatre.com, via phone at 479.521.4932 or at the door the day of performance.  Directed by Missy Gipson.

For Spring Break classes or summer camps, click HERE.

Arts Live Theatre has been a NWA institution for 26 years. Founded in 1984, the mission of Arts Live theatre is to empower youth and enrich lives through excellence in children’s theatre and education.  Through a series of year-round classes and camps, mainstage and second stage production, Arts Live Theatre provides multiple opportunities for children and youth to be creative, develop self-confidence, team-building skills, responsibility, accountability and self-expression. For more information about Arts Live Theatre visit artsivetheatre.com.


25
January
2010

wac_motherlode_goodnightmoon.jpgFor nearly two years now, the Walton Arts Center has generously offered tickets to our readers for many of the great shows they’ve attracted to Northwest Arkansas.

Today we’re giving away two sets! The first is for a double-bill adaptation of the beloved bedtime classics Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. With FOUR FREE TICKETS to the Feb. 6 show this would make the perfect family outing. The second set of tickets is just right for a date night (or girls’ night). We’ve got two tickets to give away for the Tony award-winning show The Drowsy Chaperone on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

And you know the Motherlode mamas never let you go out on an empty stomach! The winner of the Goodnight Moon/Runaway Bunny tickets will also receive a gift certificate to Flying Burrito, right across the street from Walton Arts Center. Yum.

The Drowsy Chaperone winner will be treated to dinner at Bordinos — always a date night favorite!

 wac_drowsy_motherlode.jpg

HOW TO ENTER: If you want to win tickets to the show based on popular board books Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny, just tell us about your child’s favorite bedtime ritual (I bet many of us could say reading one of these books is definitely a favorite!).

If you want a shot at winning The Drowsy Chaperone tickets, we want to hear about a wedding. The Drowsy Chaperone tells the hilarious tale of a celebrity bride on her uproarious wedding day. Do you have a good wedding day story to tell? We’d love to hear it (yours or someone else’s!). Just click on the word “comment” at the bottom of this post and tell us about those bedtime rituals and wedding days!

You can also e-mail your entry to us at giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com.

As always, you can increase your odds of winning by helping us spread the word about the giveaway. Send an e-mail to your friends/family about it and be sure to put us in the CC line of your note so we can give you proper credit. We’ll enter your name in the drawing again for every friend you tell. (10 friends means 10 extra chances to win.)

Please let us know in comments (or e-mail) whether you’d like to be in the running for both sets of tickets or if you’d rather just have one or the other.

About Goodnight Moon/Runaway Bunny: What to say about these two fabulous board books? Of course, both books feature sweet baby bunnies. And I think most adults love to hear the rhythm of Goodnight Moon, a short poem of goodnight wishes, as much as the kids. The pictures are just beautiful.

The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home gives his mother a chance to offer reassuring responses. The pictures in this one are also lovely.

About The Drowsy Chaperone: Appropriate for the whole family, this show is a 1920s musical throwback comedy that won more Tony Awards in 2006 than any other musical on Broadway. It will be on stage at WAC for only three nights (Feb. 2-4) at 7 p.m.

This light-hearted musical is a cleverly constructed homage to the bygone of the Jazz Age. This single-act show begins in a dreary apartment with a cheerless gentleman sitting routinely in a chair. The man, aptly called “Man in Chair,” decides to cope with life’s hardships by listening to his favorite show tunes album; a 1928 smash hit called “The Drowsy Chaperone.” As soon as the first song begins to play, the ordinary quickly turns extraordinary. What follows is a whimsical show-within-a-show that focuses on a newly-engaged narcissistic showgirl and her dashing husband-to-be, an avaricious producer, a know-it-all British butler, a pair of cookie-cutter 1920s gangsters, an over-the-top Casanova and a dotty heroine.

“Surely few productions have ever pulled an audience so immediately and unconditionally on their sides,” said the New York Times.

ABOUT THE FOOD: We love Flying Burrito and Bordinos, who are also generous supporters of Motherlode and the mamas out there.

The Flying Burrito Company is a burrito bar that specializes in large, California-style burritos made to order. You choose the toppings and they have all kinds of tortilla flavors (I like the jalapeno cheddar wrap best. Delish.) Kids eat FREE all day and all night (well, ’til they close!) Mondays through Wednesdays and they also have a program for moms on a budget. It’s a frequent diner program, so for every $100 you spend, you get $10 of in-store credit.

You can also buy a FBC plastic cup for $2.99 and bring it back each time for 69-cent refills!

flying-burrito.pngFlying Burrito began in Fayetteville at the location near the Walton Arts Center, just a block off Dickson Street. It became so popular that they opened new locations in new cities, including locations on North College Avenue in Fayetteville, one in Springdale, one in Little Rock and its most recent addition in Bentonville. They also have a new location at the Northwest Arkansas Mall food court!

bordinos2.jpgBordinos. Well, we love this place for its food, atmosphere and overall rating as a great date place — or a fun girls’ night out stop. We also love the beautiful art boxes designed by Kathy Thompson. It always feels like a special occasion when we eat at Bordinos. That’s why we like to send NWA mamas there!

checake.jpg

Good luck!


7
January
2010

wac_motherlode_frogandtoad.jpgEditor’s note: Congratulations to Fayetteville mom of two, Lynette Duncan, who won the show tickets and gift certificate to Pesto Cafe!

Don’t forget you can use ‘Motherlode’ as the promo code to buy 2 tickets and get one free to this Walton Arts Center show!

Frog and Toad are Friends was one of the first books I read on my own. Did you love the Frog and Toad books, too? Well, now we can all share the musical version with our kids at Walton Arts Center!

Perfect for a “date” with your kiddos, we’ve got FOUR tickets to give away to this really special Saturday, Jan. 16, show A Year With Frog and Toad. The lucky mama will also be treated to dinner at a Fayetteville (and Motherlode mamas) favorite, The Pesto Cafe!

Walton Arts Center is also making Motherlode readers an offer they can’t refuse: when you BUY 2, you get ONE FREE ticket to see Frog and Toad! Just use the promotional code “MOTHERLODE” either online (WaltonArtsCenter.org), by phone (443-5600) or at the box office! There are two performances on the 16th — 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.– and tickets are as low as $10.50

About the show: Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters hop from the page to the stage in Robert and Wille Reale’s musical A Year with Frog & Toad. Developed by Mr. Lobel’s daughter, Adrianne Lobel, the stage musical remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends, the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad, through four fun-filled seasons.

Waking from hibernation in the spring, they proceed to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, including a most important one about friendship and rejoicing the things that make each of us different and special.

m.jpgAbout the food: How to describe The Pesto Cafe’s food? Well, in a word, delicious! They have all kinds of wonderful Italian pasta (homemade meat lasagna, chicken parmesan, pork verona), homemade specialty pizzas and spaghetti for the kids, of course! CLICK HERE to see the menu, which also includes vegetarian dishes, hours and who they’ve got lined up to play live music this week!

We highly recommend Mara’s Magnificent Make pizza and the zesty Pesto Pasta. You always get bread and a caesar salad, too. The Pesto Cafe is at 1830 N. College Avenue, across from AQ Chicken.

How to sign up! It’s easy, as usual! Just hit the word “comment” at the bottom of this post and tell us about about one of your favorite childhood memories. It’ll be fun to share your own stories and also to read about the childhoods of other moms.

You can also e-mail your entry to us at giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com.

As always, you can increase your odds of winning by helping us spread the word about the giveaway. Simply send an e-mail to your friends/family about it and be sure to put us in the CC line of your note so we can give you proper credit. We’ll enter your name in the drawing again for every friend you tell. 

Good luck, and thanks to Walton Arts Center and The Pesto Cafe for such a fabulous giveaway!