Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts this weekend:
MUSIC: 'MJ Live'
Michael Jackson impersonator Jalles Franca, backed by a band and team of dancers, performs Jackson's catalog of hits in "MJ Live," 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Hendrix Fine Arts Center, Phillips Community College-University of Arkansas, 1000 Campus Road, Helena-West Helena. It's part of the Warfield Concerts series. Franca's show has run for nine years in Las Vegas. Admission is by free ticket. Visit warfieldconcerts.com.
THEATER: 'Off the Page'
Actors Theatre of Little Rock will conduct the Arkansas premiere, via a rehearsed reading, of Emily Witt's "Mrs. Phu's Cleansing Juices (and also salads)," 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Nexus Coffee & Creative, 301 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. It's part of the nascent theater's "Off the Page" series of one-night-only presentations offering audiences a chance to hear new or rarely produced plays that connect with current social and political concerns. A post-show discussion follows. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 (cash, Venmo or Cashapp) at the door. Visit centralarkansastickets.com. (Tip the performers with cash or through Venmo.) For more information, visit actorstheatrelr.org.
ART: Collaborative 'ride'
"JoyRide," a collaboration by Little Rock artists Michael Shaeffer and MILKDADD — both known to use bold colors to explore identity, pop culture and sexuality — opens with a Third Friday Argenta Art Walk reception, 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Argenta Library Gallery, 420 Main St., North Little Rock. The artists began a dialogue through the exchange of drawings, which led to unified artworks by painting over one another's brushstrokes and reacting to the other's marks. The show remains up through Sept. 9. Admission to the gallery and the reception are free. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call (501) 687-1061.
Argenta 'Perspectivas'
Also going on display with a Third Friday Argenta Art Walk reception, 5-8 p.m. Friday and up through Sept. 9: "Perspectivas," work of Mexican-American artists Lourdes Valverde and Briseida "Brioch" Ochoa, at the Acansa Gallery, 413A Main St., North Little Rock. The exhibition is a partnership with the Latino Art Project of North Little Rock. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission to the reception and gallery are free. Call (501) 663-2287 or visit acansa.org.
DANCE: Classes start
Ballet Arkansas starts classes Sept. 6 for children 3 and older and adults of all ages and abilities in two 11-12 week sessions at its studio, 501 Main St., Little Rock. Classes for children cover beginner- to advanced-level ballet training and supplemental classes in a variety of dance disciplines. The ballet company is expanding its current classes for adults to four classes per week. Adults can enroll by the month or for the full session. Faculty consists of the company's professional dancers.
There is a $15 nonrefundable registration fee for classes for the full fall session. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis and have minimum and maximum capacities. Details, including a breakdown of classes and schedules, are available at balletarkansas.org/enrolled-classes. For more information, including fees, email [email protected].
ETC.: Bridal Show
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Show, 12:30-4 p.m. Sunday at the Statehouse Convention Center, Markham and Main streets, Little Rock, will feature more than 50 exhibitors to help engaged couples plan their weddings from start to finish, including florists, entertainment companies, photographers and fashion designers, and a complimentary "Ask a Planner" option in which couples can schedule an appointment with an area wedding planner to learn about best practices, themes and scheduling.
Also new for the show's 27th year is Make-Up Artist Row, where the work of three area makeup artists will be on display. Fashion shows throughout the day will feature wedding and bridesmaid's gowns and floral creations. One couple will win the Ultimate Giveaway, worth more than $5,000; other prizes will be given out throughout the afternoon.
Attendees will receive a 2022 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Planner (which includes photography, editorials, checklists for brides and a listing of local wedding industry businesses) and a 2022 Real Weddings magazine.
Tickets are $10. Limited VIB (Very Important Bride) tickets, $50, include exclusive perks such as entry to Saturday's VIB & Sponsor Mixer, 7-9 p.m. at the Aloft Hotel, 716 Rahling Road, in west Little Rock; early entry into Sunday's show; "Bride" T-shirt and tote full of sponsors' swag; reserved seating for the fashion shows; and access to VIB-Only Prizes. Call (501) 378-3807 or visit arkansasbridalcommunity.com.
'Rock in Block'
Brandon House Cultural & Performing Arts Center, 3802 W. 12th St. at Oak Street, Little Rock, hosts "Rock in Block," a back-to-school and end-of-summer celebration, 4-8 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature performances by the center's young clients, including our Sound Off Marching Drum Band and Sound Off Show Choir and poetry performances. Students can receive last-minute school supplies and backpacks and learn about the center's programs in drama and theater techniques; audio/music production, videography, photography and graphic designs; and writing and publishing books, dancing, painting, drumming and singing. Food trucks and community vendors will be present. Admission is free. Funding comes from the Little Rock Department of Community Programs, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office and Arkansas State University-Arkansas Out of School Network. Call (501) 725-5757.
'Toothapalooza'
The Mid-America Science Museum, 500 Mid-America Blvd., Hot Springs, hosts "Toothapalooza," sponsored by Delta Dental of Arkansas, in partnership with the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville and the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. It features "a range of fun and messy educational activities" exploring "the importance of oral health," according to a news release.
The event will feature oral health activity stations to educate guests on the importance and techniques of dental hygiene, including a flossing model, toothpaste slime and a microscope view of teeth. Guests who complete tasks at each station can take part in an "oral health bingo"; completed cards can be redeemed for free backpacks and oral health goody-bags. The museum will also be the site of a "Dino boxing match" between Flossiraptor and Plaquesauraus.
Admission is free to the first 500 guests through the museum doors; thereafter, the museum's regular admission prices apply: $12, $10 for children 3-12, $11 for senior citizens 65 and older, teachers and military. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Call (501) 767-3461 or visit midamericamuseum.org.
AUDITIONS: Two musicals
Argenta Community Theater, 405 Main St., North Little Rock, holds auditions for the musicals "White Christmas" and "The Producers," 1-4 p.m. Sept. 10 and 2-5 p.m. Sept. 11. Prepare 16 bars of a song that showcases your vocal range and take sheet music for the pianist; there will also be cold readings from the script. There will also be a dance call. Most roles in both shows require some singing and dancing. "White Christmas" rehearsals begin in November; production dates are Dec. 7-17. "Producers" rehearsals begin in mid-January; production dates are Feb. 22-March 4. All performers must be fully vaccinated. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected]. Note for which show you are auditioning or if you are trying out for both. Walk-ins will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find complete character breakdown and other audition information at ArgentaCommunityTheater.org.
Sean Clancy contributed to this roundup.