'THE WEDDING SINGER'

— For those who think the sound of motorcycles will become played out over the next few days, there are some options.

Namely, plays.

In the wake of the Bikes, Blues &BBQ rally that has flooded the area with motorcycles, their riders and the thousands of those simply interested in watching the other two are four presentations on stages throughout the area that plan to provide a change of pace in the days following the rally.

From children's shows to traveling musicals based on popular movies, here is a look at what is coming to local stages in the next few days.

Like it was when Orson Welles debuted it in October 1938, "War of the Worlds" was intended as a radio program. Written by Howard Koch and delivered by Welles and his staff on the air as a breaking news bulletin, the show created mass hysteria as thousands of people, mostly on the East Coast, were convinced aliens were indeed landing on Earth.

Though that was later proved to be untrue, the show has become legendary for the panic that was created and the power of the spoken word.

The radio script will be revisited by actors from the Fort Smith Little Theatre beginning Thursday. It is being presented as a staged reading, and the set has been built to resemble an oldfashioned radio studio.

In addition to the 22 voices in the production, a crew will create live sound effects, much as someone would have during the original broadcast.

The debut of the touring production of the Broadway musical "The Wedding Singer" will take place in Fayetteville when the showtakes the stage at the Walton Arts Center on Monday and Tuesday.

The musical is based on the 1998 movie that featured AdamSandler and Drew Barrymore as a down-on-his-luck wedding singer and a waitress, respectively. Both are engaged to others, but find friendship and abudding relationship along the way.

The musical version first appeared on Broadway in 2006.

Entertainment, Pages 20 on 09/25/2009

Upcoming Events