The silent film “The General” will be shown with live accompaniment by the WT Orchestra
CANYON – A silent film by Buster Keaton comes to new life in an upcoming screening with the West Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra. Keaton’s classic “The General” opens Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. at La Rita Performing Arts Theater, 311 Denrock Ave. in Dalhart, shown with live orchestral accompaniment. Admission is free.
The film will also be shown to members of The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series on October 26 at 7 p.m. in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus. Membership is required but can be purchased on site for a prorated fee.
In the heyday of silent film, movie theaters provided live musical accompaniment, from the piano in a small theater to the full orchestra in large theaters in major metropolitan areas. Dr. Mark Bartley, WT Lilith Brainard Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities, and the WT Symphony Orchestra have revived this tradition with their Live Cinema Series, a biennial event both on and off campus.
“For most films, theater music directors would put together popular and classic hits that fit the overall theme of the film,” Bartley said. “But for us, Dr. BJ Brooks wrote a new scene-specific score, which will be performed in sync with the film by the WT Symphony. This soundtrack is in a contemporary film style that speaks to the central element of the film – namely the comedic, acrobatic performances of Keaton himself.”
This is the fifth silent film score by Brooks, who now serves as director of the WT School of Music.
Jazztober returns to Center City on Tuesdays throughout the month
Center City’s 11th Jazztober season continues throughout October with free jazz concerts on Tuesday evenings.
The concerts take place every Tuesday in October from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 1000 S. Polk St. on the grounds of the historic Bivins Home. This season’s concerts continue with Big G & The Tradewinds on October 24th.
The concerts are free. Guests should bring their own chairs or blankets. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic and drinks. For more information about Jazztober, please call Center City at 372-6744 or go to www.centercity.org.
“Books to Broadway” takes place on October 24th at the Amarillo Civic Center
Books to Broadway, a musical review of songs from Broadway musicals based on or inspired by books, will take place on Tuesday, October 24, in the Heritage Room of the Amarillo Civic Center.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and a free coffee and dessert bar. The show starts at 7:00 p.m
The event is organized every year by Dr. Robert Hansen of the WTAMU School of Music produced and hosted by Friends of the Amarillo Public Library. This year’s theme is “Love Stories on Broadway,” so audiences can expect numbers from shows like “Rent,” “The Fantasticks” and more.
“Books to Broadway” is, first and foremost, a gift to the community and a reminder of the importance of reading, a press release said. Theater-style seating is available free of charge. Sponsorship and Premium Seat tickets are available for $25 each. Contact Stacy Clopton at 806-378-3051 or email Stacy.Clopton@amarillolibrary.org for more information or to reserve tickets.
Eli Young Band returns to Starlight
The Eli Young Band returns to Amarillo live on the main stage at Starlight Ranch on Friday, October 27th at 8 p.m. Jeffrey East will open the show.
The Eli Young Band has always been unique in modern country music – a true band of brothers who play their own instruments, write their own songs and hold firmly to their Texas roots.
Confident in their soulful, heartwarming brand of country, the title track from their upcoming album is now influencing country radio and country playlists as they embark on a 51-city tour of the same name. EYB has also shared the stage with Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Chris Young, Darius Rucker and the Dave Matthews Band.
Tickets for this concert range from $25 to $125 (plus taxes and fees), depending on seating and VIP features. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/
Cottonwood Faire set for October 28th
A Cottonwood Faire will be held at Thompson Memorial Park on Saturday, October 28th at 10 a.m. The event is open to all age groups.
Dress up in your period or Halloween clothing, play outdoor games, participate in treasure hunts; enjoy food and drink; Participate in interactive stories and much more. There will also be carnival games, a royal court feast and live-action battles.
VIP Royal Court tickets are $65; $25 for adults; $10 for children; $100 for sellers; and $50 for food trucks.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://tixr.com/e/69937 or find the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CottonwoodFaire
Roberto Cardinale was a speaker at the AMoA’s Ladd Lecture on October 26th
The Ladd Lecture will be held on Thursday, October 26, at 7 p.m. in the Amarillo College Concert Hall Theater. It is free and open to the public.
Artist and scholar Roberto Cardinale will speak about his passion for ecclesiastical architecture at the Amarillo Museum of Art. His work is inspired by his origins as a Benedictine monk and his travels through the Southwest United States and Mexico. He specializes in faithful replicas of historic churches, synagogues and missions, built from pine and then beautifully painted.
Cardinale holds a BA in mathematics and philosophy, an MA in art from the University of Northern Colorado, and a doctorate in art education from Arizona State University. He was president of the San Antonio Art Institute and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. He has also been a professor at Ohio State University, the University of Arizona, and Boston University, where he was director of the arts and crafts program.
The Ladd Lecture is an ongoing lecture series by distinguished experts from across the United States. It is dedicated to better understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts. The lecture series is sponsored by Mrs. Frank A. Ladd in memory of her husband, Mr. Frank A. Ladd.
The AMoA Alliance will host a pre-lecture cocktail buffet reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Amarillo Museum of Art. Tickets for the pre-lecture reception are $40 per person and can be purchased online (amoa-alliance.com/ladd-lecture) or by calling (806) 371-5050.
The Amarillo Museum of Art is located at 2200 South Van Buren on Amarillo College’s Washington Street campus. Opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.amoa.org, email [email protected] or call 806-371-5050 or 806-371-5392 (weekends).
Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience in Amarillo
Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience brings songs and stories from the Man in Black to the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium on Monday, October 30, at 7 p.m., in a way audiences have never seen or heard before has.
Videos of Johnny from episodes of the Johnny Cash TV show will be projected on a screen above the stage, and a live band and singers will accompany him in perfect sync. This concert experience will showcase iconic performances from the TV show and highlight the spirit of the legend by revisiting some of his memorable words and anecdotes. Cash will perform some of his greatest hits, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line,” and share stories of people he met along the way and whose causes he championed – the working man all areas of life.
For more information, visit www.JohnnyCashConcertExperience.com and follow @johnnycash on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and @johnnycashofficial on YouTube. For more information about the Amarillo performance and to purchase tickets, visit panhandletickets.com
CMA Presents Veterans Day Concert
Chamber Music Amarillo will host a special event honoring area veterans on November 11th at 7:30 p.m.
A celebration of patriotic music will be presented by a brass quintet at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 S. Washington St.
Artists include William Takacs, trumpet; David Lough, trumpet; Guglielmo Manfredi, horn; John Shanks, trombone; and Jeremy Lewis, tuba.
The program includes: Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue”; Michael Kamen’s “Quintet”; Kerry Turner’s “Ricochet”; Eric Ewazen’s “Bright and Fast from Frost Fire”; Kevin McKee’s “The Blue Goose from Iron Horse”; Aaron Copland’s “Grovers Corners” from the film “Our Town”; George M. Cohan’s “Cohan Medley” and more.
Tickets for this special concert are $40 and are available online through the Amarillo Symphony website at https://amarillosymphony.org/.