NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Jodi Beznoska, vice president for communications at Walton Arts Center, was sitting in a New York City conference room, listening to the description of a new musical titled “War Horse.” Then there was a knock at the door.

“And in through the door comes Joey, the war horse, with the actor riding it,” she recalls, her voice resonant with delight. “It’s a puppet!

But this isn’t a pony. It’s a lifesize horse! It takes you about five seconds to go through the process of ‘Wow, that’s a puppet’ to ‘Wow, that puppet is breathing like a horse would breathe,’ and then your mind sees a horse. We were all in tears.

“And if it was that amazing in a conference room, imagine the impact it’s going to make on stage!”

“War Horse,” the tale of a horse’s journey through World War I, is among the Broadway shows announced for 2012-13 at the Walton Arts Center.

It’s the debut tour for the Lincoln Center production, created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, so WAC audiences will be among the first to see the show, Beznoska says.

But it’s not the only production that excites her.

“I can’t wait for our audiences to see ‘Memphis,’” she says. “I love it because it’s an all-original musical, not a jukebox musical. It’s a new story created just for the show, and the music is so infectious and big and bold and fun.

“It’s a wonderful story about a white DJ who wants to play black music in a time when you didn’t do that,”she describes, “and his love for that music changes his community.

Plus it’s set in Memphis, and a lot of people around here have a personal experience with that city.”

No. 3 on Beznoska’s hit parade is “Anything Goes,” a “glorious throwback to old Broadway.”

“If you just want to be dazzled by bright colors and beautiful songs and remember a simpler time, it’s perfect,” she says. “And of course, it’s got tap-dancing sailors. How can you not love tap-dancing sailors ?”

With additional new shows like “Catch Me If You Can,” hits like “Billy Elliot” and “Shrek” for the family, “it’s just a really well-balanced season,” Beznoska says. And with one six-show season package, “subscribers can just go with it. It’s all great!”

Current subscribers to the six-show package may renew right now. New subscribers may call 443-5600 now to preorder their packages, which start at $220 for Tuesday or Wednesday evenings and go up to $388 for Saturday evening, center section.

Payment plans are available.

Whats Up, Pages 16 on 03/09/2012