'Carole King Musical', recitals, Muttfest among this week's entertainment

Lone Star Ballet hosts Academy Unleashed

The Lone Star Ballet: Academy Unleashed production is scheduled to run May 19-21 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday and feature the ballet's various companies from around the Texas Panhandle area.

For tickets, visit panhandletickets.com.

ALT presenting 'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' through May 21

Amarillo Little Theatre is presenting the Tony and Grammy Award winning hit musical "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" as its final show of the season, through May 21 at the Allen Shankles mainstage located at 2019 Civic Circle.

The story is based on the book by Douglas McGrath, with words and music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, following the inspiring true story of the singer/songwriter's life, including King's journey to fame and the mammoth impact she and her work had on the music industry.

Remaining showtimes for "Beautiful" include Thursday May 18 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20 at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, May 14 and 21 at 2:30 p.m. This production is rated PG.

Tickets for the next season, the theater's 97th, are now available for purchase. Tickets can be reserved by phone at (806) 355-9991 or online at www.amarillolittletheatre.org .

Sculpture exhibition on display in WT’s Fitz Gallery

CANYON — A student sculptor will be featured in the final art exhibition of the school year at West Texas A&M University. “Limbo” by Tiahna-Dawn Brecheisen, a senior studio art major from Amarillo, will be on view through May 20 in the Dord Fitz Formal Gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall. Brecheisen’s exhibition combines ceramics, family memorabilia and recycled objects in a salon-style gallery setting that represents home. She said this semester has been her greatest challenge as an artist.

Also on view in the Northen atrium are posters from graphic design students of all classifications.

Fitz Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment Fridays and Saturdays. Email jrevett@wtamu.edu.

Spring piano recital set

An annual spring piano recital for piano students at Impact Expressions School of the Arts in Amarillo is set for May 21 at West Texas A&M University in Canyon. Instructor is Andreanna Hawbaker.

The recital, featuring performances by 20 young musicians, is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. in WT’s Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall. A reception will follow.

Impact Expressions School of the Arts, 6461 S. Western St., provides a variety of dance classes, from ballet to hop hop, and beginning, intermediate and advanced piano instruction for students of all ages in a Christian environment.

For more information, contact IE at (806) 414-5358.

Muttfest to benefit Amarillo SPCA

Amarillo SPCA presents Muttfest on May 21 at Starlight Ranch, 1415 Sunrise Drive.

Voted one of the top three festivals in Amarillo, this free, fun, themed event will benefit the Amarillo SPCA. Bring your fur babies for a fun afternoon of food, beverage, live music, vendor booths and more. Festivities include a silent auction; shot clinic by Lone Star Veterinary Services; vendors; canine contests.

The family-friendly event also includes miniature golf and food and alcohol for purchase. Participants are asked to be responsible and pick up after their pets. No outside food, beverages or coolers will be allowed. Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas.

For more information, call (806) 290-2883 or (806) 671-6115 or visit www.amarillospcashelter.com.

Foghat to perform at Starlight Ranch on May 26

The blues-rock sounds of the legendary Foghat will be hitting Amarillo at 8 p.m. May 26 at the Starlight Ranch, 1415 Sunrise Drive. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Foghat has been tearing up stages since the 1970s, with hits like "Slow Ride," "Fool for the City," and "I Just Want to Make Love to You," and the band is sure to offer a full night of dancing to their classic rock and roll hits, with Touching Voodoo also performing.

Proceeds benefit the Veteran's Resource Center. For tickets, go to BigTexan.com or StarlightRanch.com.

Summer kickoff set for May 27

Family Fun Festivals of Amarillo is hosting its third annual summer kickoff event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 at Starlight Ranch.

Admission is free and will include Lindsey Lane; bounce houses; miniature golf; axe throwing; pony rides; a petting zoo; face painting; food trucks; vendors; and performances by the Amarillo Little Theatre and Amarillo Performing Arts Center.

All funds raised will be used toward event costs with the remainder being donated to Against All Odds, a new organization in Amarillo that provides housing, support and education for young adults who have aged out of foster care.

Learn more on the Facebook and Instagram pages @againstalloddstx

Vendor registration is available at forms.gle/ZReP6m2MRrh4sAKDA

For sponsor information, email info@familyfunfestivals.org

Diamond tribute benefits Ronald McDonald House

A Diamond and Gold Concert: A Tribute to Neil Diamond, honoring the music of Neil Diamond and featuring Amarillo's own Dean Yates, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 1 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.

Yates has been a consummate performer in the Amarillo area for many years. Upon graduation from college, he passed the audition and was selected to perform as a lead guitarist for Dennis Yost of Classics IV fame.

Yates traveled across the country performing the million-selling hits "Spooky", "Stormy", "Everyday with You Girl", and "Traces of Love" at concerts, club dates and even at the White House. He has also performed in plays for theater and improv shows as part of the acting troupe, Merely Players.

Currently, Dean can be seen in the Amarillo area as a solo artist, and as a founding member of the band,Insufficient Funds.

Ticket sales for this show benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Amarillo and are $20 each (including fees). Tickets are available online at panhandletickets.com, by phone (806) 378-3096, in person at the Amarillo Civic Center box office and at participating United Supermarkets; Participating stores in Amarillo, Canyon, Borger, Dumas, Dalhart, Hereford and Pampa.

Music in the Gardens concert series returns for the summer

Music in the Gardens returns June 1 to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens. The summer concert series takes place on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $10, or $5 for members.

The concert lineup kicks off with Jack Cryver on June 1, followed by Big G and The Trade Winds on June 8.

Other performers in the lineup include Insufficient Funds (June 15), RAK-45 (June 22), Solano Project (June 29), Lindsey Lane (July 6), Sadie's Rangers (July 13), Cameron James Smith (July 20), Buster Bledsoe (July 27), Texas Junction (Aug. 3), Kayla Richardson and Byron Roberts (Aug. 10), Touching Voodoo (Aug. 17), Tennessee Tuckness (Aug. 24) and Geezers Gone Wild (Aug. 31).

For more information about these and over happenings at the gardens, visit https://amarillobotanicalgardens.org/events/ or call (806) 352-6513.

June Jazz returning to AC campus

The 2023 Jim Laughlin AC June Jazz Series offers free concerts that start at 7:30 p.m. each Tuesday during the month. Concerts this summer will be on the Washington Street Campus Ware Building Patio, due to construction areas on campus.

This year's lineup is The Martinis on June 6, Jim Laughlin's Big Band on June 13, Esquire Jazz on June 20 and Austin Brazille on June 27.

June Jazz can also be found at 89.9MHz on the dial or streamed online by logging on to kacvfm.org.

Center City of Amarillo presenting High Noon on the Square concerts in June, July

Center City of Amarillo will present its 2023 High Noon on the Square series, from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays on the Potter County Courthouse lawn, located at 501 S. Fillmore in Amarillo. Lunch will be available for $10. The full lineup includes:

• June 7 – Performance by Ed Montana – hamburgers by Coors Cowboy Club Cook Team;

• June 14 – Performance by Andy Chase – BBQ sandwiches by Mitch’s BBQ;

• June 21 – Performance by ALT Academy – lunch by Chick-Fil-A;

• June 28 – Entertainment by TEXAS – sandwiches by Crush;

• July 5 – Entertainment by Amarillo Opera – sandwiches by Schlotzsky’s;

• July 12 – Entertainment by Buster Bledsoe – sausage wraps by AQHA Cook Team;

• July 19 – Entertainment by The Prairie Dogs – hamburgers by Bubba’s 33; and

• July 26 – Entertainment by Insufficient Funds – fajitas by Joe Taco

For more, visit https://centercity.org/high-noon-on-the-square/.

Young to perform at Starlight Ranch

Brett Young takes the stage at Starlight Ranch in Amarillo on Friday, June 2, at 8 p.m. on the Starlight Ranch main stage.

Young has captured the hearts of fans everywhere through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound, aptly dubbed "Caliville" style. With an undeniable string of seven No. 1s - "In Case You Didn't Know,” and “Mercy” being 2 of them - and two albums defined by a transcendent romantic spark, he has cemented his status as Country's master over matters of the heart.

Tickets for this show are $35 to $125 (plus taxes and fees) depending on on seating and VIP features.

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

Starlight Ranch hosts crawfish festival

Pinch, peel, eat, repeat.

Amarillo’s annual crawfish festival is set for Saturday, June 3 at Starlight Ranch. Come on out and chow down on some freshly boiled Louisiana crawfish, food trucks from around the panhandle, and cold beer. There will be music by John D. Williams, along with a bounce house park and face painting for the kids.

Williams recently appeared on ESPN’s halftime show for The Liberty Bowl and is the official performer for the Dallas Cowboys. No two shows are the same. Playing Americana that’s the perfect mixture of country, rock, blues, soul, and boogie.

General admission tickets are $10; general admission with 2 pounds of crawfish are $30; VIP tickets are $65; and raffle tickets are $5 (plus taxes and fees). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bigtexan.com/starlight-ranch-event-center/

Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition coming to Amarillo

The internationally acclaimed Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition is coming to Amarillo on June 9 and runs through July 23. It will be the inaugural exhibit at the newly renovated Sunset Center in Amarillo, now called Arts in the Sunset.

This globally successful exhibit has been all around the world from Shanghai to Chicago, Phoenix, Berlin, Vienna and more. Tickets are on sale today and can be purchased online at artsinthesunset.org.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition is a collection of the artist’s renowned ceiling frescoes from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, reproduced in a format allowing viewers to be faceto-face with the masterpieces. Through artfully displayed reproductions, this innovative presentation brings the audience just a few feet away from world-renowned pieces like The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment.

Arts in the Sunset is located at 3701 Plains Blvd. The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 7:30 p.m., with the last entry at 6 p.m. On Sundays, the exhibit will be open from 1-5:30 p.m., with the last entry at 4 p.m. The exhibit is wheelchair accessible. Viewing time is estimated between 60 and 90 minutes. Tickets rangefrom $19 to $26.50, based on age and time of day.

Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle (CCTXP), the Amarillo Art Institute and the Amarillo Cultural District of the Texas Commission on the Arts.

AMoA hosting Art After Hours on June 9

Amarillo Museum of Modern Art, 2200 S. Van Buren St., is hosting an Art After Hours event from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, June 9.

This after-hours celebratory event is designed to attract an audience interested in broadening their understanding and appreciation of art. Now in its eighth year, artafterdark is a unique event that incorporates art + music + food + drinks as a fresh way to explore all facets of the exhibitions on view. Hands on art activities and gallery hunts further enhance the evening experience. Exhibitions include Jun Kaneko; Terry Allen; ArtSpace: Pop Imagery; and selections from the Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price Collection of Asian Art.

Food will be provided by Reagan's Brick Oven Pizza and there will be a full bar with a Signature Cocktail and giveaways by Still Austin Whiskey Co. Dessert will be provided by SheSheCakes with music by Charlie Shafter & Matt Martindale. There will also be games, art activities, and a Clue Gallery Hunt with prizes.

Cost is $30 per person with AMoA members admitted for free. Memberships and tickets will be available at the door.

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.

HPPR Ambassador Tour concerts include Pampa, Amarillo

High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) is taking HPPR's Living Room Concert Series on the road across the High Plains. "By rekindling the HPPR Ambassador Tours, we're welcoming fabulous folk, Americana, country, jazz and acoustic artists to venues in our wide listener region," the website states.

An HPPR Ambassador Tour with Ruth Ellen Lynch & Jazz Plus includes shows in Kansas, as well as Pampa on June 22 at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center at 6 p.m.

Other upcoming concerts include Goldpine on Tuesday, May 30 in Pampa at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center (6 p.m.); Thursday, June 1 in Panhandle at the Buffalo Grass Music Hall (time TBD); and Friday, June 2 in Amarillo at the Starlight Canyon Bed & Breakfast (doors open at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.).

Acoustic guitarist Beppe Gambetta performs Friday, Sept. 29 in Amarillo at the OT Brewing Company at 7 p.m., followed by Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Buffalo Grass Music Hall in Panhandle and Thursday, Oct. 12 at the Woody Guthrie Folk Music Center in Pampa at 6 p.m.

In addition, Everhart's The Church at Austin Park Concert Series has announced spring and fall concert dates. The series opened with the Randy Boys on March 25. On April 29, Bob Livingston will perform, followed by Susan Gibson on May 27, The Limeliters on June 24, Michael Hearne on Sept. 30, Panhandle Songwriters hosted by Mike Fuller on Oct. 28, and Mike Blakely on Dec. 2. Shows take place at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., at Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 2525 Wimberly Road in Amarillo.

For more information, visit hppr.org.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo entertainment in brief for the week of May 14, 2023