Amarillo entertainment in brief for April 16, 2023

WT’s Friends of the Cornette Library to host murder-mystery dinner

CANYON — The first floor of West Texas A&M University's Cornette Library will be transformed into a cruise ship floating on a sea of deceit, intrigue, and shenanigans in an upcoming fundraiser event. Friends of the Cornette Library will host a murder-mystery interactive dinner theater, “Set Sail for Disaster,” from 6 to 8 p.m. April 22 in the library on WT’s Canyon campus.

Friends Board Chairperson Dr. Joanna Kimbell, clinical assistant professor of business law and management in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and an actor in numerous Amarillo Little Theatre productions, will be master of ceremonies. Attendees can either volunteer to act as suspects or work together to solve the mystery.

All money raised will be used by Friends to support library activities and collections. Past activities have included supporting the installation of the Robert Frost statue in front of the library in an area that will eventually become a Poets' Garden. Cost is $30 each or $55 for couples for Friends members and $40 each or $70 for couples for nonmembers. Memberships are available during the ticket-purchasing process atgive.wtamu.edu/o/west-texas-am-university/i/wt-general-donation-page/s/cornette-library.

Seating is limited. Reservations are due April 18. For information, call 806-651-2215.

Poet Claudia Stuart Sets Book Signing

CANYON — Claudia Stuart, a WT professor emeritus and 2021 Distinguished Alumni award winner, will sign copies of the fourth edition of her book “Poetry, Prose and Penguins and Today Is Another Great Day.”

Stuart will sign books at 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. April 20 on the first floor of WT’s Cornette Library.

“This signing is open to the WT campus community and the community at large,” Stuart said. “Students, in particular, are always seeking, and that’s what you need to appreciate poetry.”

Stuart also will have other books and her penguin paintings on porcelain tiles on hand. For information, call 806-651-2229.

Cornette Library is a critical way WT provides intellectual resources to the campus and community, a key maxim of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

Cinemark to host anniversary screening of 'The Big Lebowski'

Cinemark Hollywood 16 and XD, 9100 Canyon Drive, will screen "The Big Lewbowski" for the film's 25th anniversary at 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 16 and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20.

From the Academy Award®-winning Coen brothers, The Big Lebowski is a hilariously quirky comedy about bowling, a severed toe, White Russians and a guy named…The Dude. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski doesn't want any drama in his life…heck, he can't even be bothered with a job. But, he must embark on a quest with his bowling buddies after his rug is destroyed in a twisted case of mistaken identity.

Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Turturro, experience the cultural phenomenon of The Dude in the "#1 cult film of all time!" (The Boston Globe)

Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available online at fathomevents.com

Cooper to perform at Starlight Ranch

Kolby Cooper takes the stage in Amarillo at 8 p.m. Friday, April 21, at the Starlight Ranch's new Moon Palace, 1415 Sunrise Drive.

Only three years out of high school, still living in his small East Texas hometown, Cooper started selling out shows and clocking millions of streams using only his songs as muscle, earning streaming numbers typically reserved for household names.

Amassing more than 113.5 million on demand streams to date, the prolific songwriter has an uncanny ability to turn his and his friends’ life stories into relatable songs his rabidly zealous fanbase can’t get enough of. With new music on the horizon, he headlined sold-out shows all over the country during his 2021 tour, bringing with him his signature blend of Lonestar State roots, rough-hewn vocals and wailing electric guitar.

General admission tickets are $18 (plus taxes and fees); and $38 (plus taxes and fees) for VIP tickets.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/

Symphony to perform Rachmaninoff

Amarillo Symphony presents Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto at 7:30 p.m. on April 21 and 22 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.

The symphony's final concert of the season presents Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by award-winning pianist Joyce Yang. A work by a young composer from West Texas A&M University will also be featured, along with Ravel’s Mother Goose Ballet.

Tickets for this concert range from $21 to $21 (plus taxes and fees), depending on seating. They are available online in advance at panhandletickets.com

Ball of the Bash raises funds for kids with diabetes

Amarillo's annual Bacon Bash kicks off this year with a Ball of the Bash event, Night on the Strip, at 5:30 p.m. on April 21 at The Barfield.

Ticketholders will be treated to six chef-crafted bacon dish and signature drink pairings, each dish full of Pederson's Natural Farms bacon, prepared by the Toscana Italian Steak House, Tony Gonzales, and Cowboy Chef Mike Newton.

The evening will include a casino night, entertainment by the Roman Carbajal Band, a pop-up vendor market, and live auction. All proceeds from Night on the Strip benefit children with Type 1 diabetes in the Texas Panhandle.

Tickets are limited. Secure your tickets or table today by calling Callie Lubke at (928) 965-3397, or e-mailing Callie@baconbashtexas.com.

Cocktail attire is requested and tickets for the event are $135. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nightonthestrip.com

Cinemark hosting special flick for Burnett's 90th birthday

Cinemark Hollywood 16 and XD, 9100 Canyon Drive, will screen "Carol Burnett: A Celebration" at 2 p.m. April 22 and 4 and 7 p.m. April 24.

Celebrating Burnett’s 90th birthday, this new film is packed with classic highlights, hilarious clips, and new revelations from Carol herself. It’s the ultimate opportunity for Carol’s fans to gather and enjoy the greatest moments in her career.

Follow Carol’s story from her early breakout performances on Broadway to her hilarious turn on Garry Moore’s variety show, to her own groundbreaking variety series — and her later highly-acclaimed dramatic roles.

Special guests include Carl Reiner, who calls Burnett “the most talented human being in the world,” Tim Conway, in his last interview, plus Vicki Lawrence, Betty White, Cloris Leachman, Phyllis Diller, Tony Orlando, Tina Fey, Jim Nabors, Barbara Eden, Joan Collins and Dick Van Dyke.

Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available online in advance at https://www.fathomevents.com/

Watson returns to Starlight Ranch

Aaron Watson makes his way back to Amarillo at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22, for an outdoor show at Starlight Ranch, 1415 Sunrise Drive.

For more than 20 years, Watson has traveled the land as country’s ultimate underdog troubadour – a truly independent artist with the spirit of the American frontier in his veins, and a self-made empire to match.

Still pushing into the wind, "Unwanted Man" finds a creative renegade continuing to do what he does best, now working at the most “dangerous” level of his career.

Counted out time and time again, the singer-songwriter reaffirms his steadfast commitment to his craft, and takes his go-it-alone spirit to new levels.

General admission tickets are $25 (plus taxes and fees); and $65 (plus taxes and fees) for VIP seating. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit https://www.bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/

ZZ Top to rock Civic Center

ZZ Top returns to Amarillo at 8 p.m. April 23 at the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St.

“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” has been at it for well over a half century, delivering rock, blues and boogie on the road and in the studio to millions of devoted fans. With iconography as distinctive as their sound, ZZ TOP is virtually synonymous with beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.

Tickets for this concert range from $69 to $289 (plus taxes and fees), depending on seating and with three VIP package selections.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit panhandletickets.com

Musical festival set for April 27-29

The Greater Southwest Musical Festival, presented by the Amarillo Symphony, is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, April 27-29, at the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St.

A fixture of the Amarillo community for 50 years, the Greater Southwest Music Festival encourages musical excellence in K-12 students in a tri-state area through competition and performance, drawing between 10,000-12,000 participants annually.

Students compete at the Civic Center and Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Amarillo, as well as at Amarillo College. Emerging from the pandemic, the Amarillo Symphony is honored to continue the tradition of the Festival, immersing directors and students in performance and networking opportunities and receiving feedback from seasoned, prominent educators and adjudicators.

For more information, visit https://amarillosymphony.org/

JAB to perform at Starlight Ranch

Josh Abbott Band takes the stage in Amarillo at 8 p.m. Friday, April 28, for an outdoor show at Starlight Ranch.

A staple in the Texas music scene since forming in 2006 at Texas Tech University, the Josh Abbott Band has become an icon in the Lone Star State thanks to numerous successful singles and albums over the last decade plus.

The group’s relentless on-stage attitude quickly made it a successful touring act, building out from a Texas band to a regional act to a national crew with a devoted following from coast to coast.

General admission tickets to this concert are $30 (plus taxes and fees); and $65 (plus taxes and fees) for VIP seating. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit https://www.bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/

'Fiddler on the Roof' coming to civic center

Civic Amarillo and Celebrity Attractions present "Fiddler on the Roof" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10, at the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium.

Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind "South Pacific" and "The King and I" bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony-winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

The cast features Jonathan Hashmonay as Tevye, Maite Uzal as Golde, Andrew Hendrick as Lazar Wolf, Mary Beth Webber as Yente, Leah Platt as Tzeitel, GraceAnn Kontak as Hodel, Yardén Barr as Chava, Elliot Lazar as Motel, Austin J. Gresham as Perchik, Carson Robinette as Fyedka and Jason Thomas Sofge as Constable. The ensemble includes Morgan Cohen, Max Derderian, Gabriella Green, Christopher Hager, Ansley Grace Hamilton, James Jude Johnson, Remy Laifer, Emelie Latzer, Tyler McCall, Conor McGiffin, Tayler Mettra, Ali Arian Molaei, Jacob Nahor, Adolfo OrtizFeder, Emily Qualmann, Daniel Rabinowitz, Isabel Robin, Jacob Simon, Lauren Blair Smith, Lauren Steinert, Rosie Webber, and Scott Willits.

The original production won 10 Tony Awards, including a special Tony for becoming the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. Be there when the sun rises on this new production, with stunning movement and dance from acclaimed Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins.A wonderful cast and lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.

Featuring the Broadway classics “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and “To Life,” "Fiddler on the Roof" will introduce a new generation to this uplifting celebration.

Tickets for this production are on sale now starting at $30 and are available online at panhandletickets.com, by phone at (806) 378 3096, area United Supermarkets, and in person at the ticket office inside the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

Get social with the Celebrity Attractions' Broadway Spotlight Series by becoming a fan on Facebook.com/BwayAmarillo. Follow them on Instagram.com/AmarilloBroadway or join in the conversation by using #BwayAmarillo.

Gatto bringing comedy show to Amarillo

Joe Gatto, a well-known comedian, actor, and producer, is best known for the hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index" brings his comedy show to the Amarillo Civic Center on June 11, 2023.

Gatto is one of the founding members of The Tenderloins Comedy Troupe who has toured with a live comedy show to sold-out crowds across the world, including legendary arenas, such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London.

Gatto is a co-host of the “Two Cool Moms” Podcast and has also appeared on hit podcasts including This Past Weekend with Theo Von, What A Joke with Papa and Fortune and Life is Short with Justin Long.

Joe loves spending time with his two children and his ever-growing pack of rescue dogs affectionately known as the “Gatto Pups.”

Tickets are now available online at panhandletickets.com, by calling the Amarillo Civic Center box office at (806) 378-3096 or at area United Supermarkets.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo entertainment in brief