While the first part of the week feels more like summer than spring in the Amarillo area, a cold front Thursday night will cool off temperatures a bit for Friday and Saturday outings.
Indoor stages across Amarillo and Canyon will light up for theater, poetry and opera this week — from a renowned storyteller and a local prestigious symphonic group, to a musical tale of the Exodus and the libretto of a notorious womanizer. Then, people will head outdoors and marvel at all the murals downtown while walking, running or taking a stroll with Center City.
Next week promises to bring even more events ahead of Easter Sunday, but in the meantime, here are a few things to mark on the calendars for Thursday through Sunday, March 26-29.
Literary luminary to speak at AC
March 26: Guest lecture by Joy Harjo at Amarillo College — Amarillo College will welcome internationally renowned poet, storyteller, musician and playwright Joy Harjo for a public lecture at 7 p.m. in the AC Concert Hall Theatre at AC’s Washington Street Campus, as part of the Creative Mind Lecture Series, sponsored by the Amarillo College Foundation. The lecture is free and open to the public. Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Nation, is one of the most influential literary voices of her generation. She has penned 11 books of poetry, served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019–2022 and is the recipient of numerous national honors, including the Poetry Society of America’s 2024 Frost Medal, Yale University’s 2023 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry, and a National Humanities Medal. “Her voice challenges us to listen more deeply to one another and to the stories that shape who we are,” said Chris Hudson, professor of English and director of Amarillo College’s Creative Mind Lecture Series. In addition, Harjo has produced seven award-winning albums, including her most recent release, I Pray for My Enemies, and has edited three major anthologies of Native literature. She is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence for the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Miracles to unfold on ALT Academy stage
March 27: ALT Academy “Prince of Eygpt” opens — More than 70 young Amarillo area actors, from ages 5 to 18 with Amarillo Little Theatre Academy, are presenting the epic musical “Prince of Egypt,” on the ALT Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle in Amarillo. The sweeping drama involves Moses and the revelation of his origin, two brothers and their destinies, as told in the book by Philip LaZebnik and the hit Dreamworks animated film, featuring music and lyrics by Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”). Colorful backdrops and costumes and powerful scores and personalities will bring the Biblical tale to life. Voices will soar during songs including “When You Believe” and many others. You can catch the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 29; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 3; and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5. Ticket reservations can be made by calling the ALT Box Office at (806) 355-9991 or online at www.amarillolittletheatre.org.
Mozart’s masterpiece details antics of Don Juan
March 26-28: “Don Giovanni” by West Texas A&M University Opera — A much different tale will unfold on the Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall stage this weekend. A stripped-down production of Mozart’s beloved classic will be staged at 7:30 p.m. March 26-28 and 1 p.m. March 28 on WT’s Canyon campus. Tickets are $15-$30 or free for WT students, faculty and staff with a Buff Gold Card and can be reserved at cur8.com/22281/project/133323. Retelling the story of the legendary lover Don Juan, including his numerous conquests and eventual fall from grace, Mozart crafts a tale filled with both humor and tragedy, which was originally was staged in 1787. “Don Giovanni is not the greatest guy,” said Dr. Sarah Beckham-Turner, WT Opera director and assistant professor of voice in the School of Music in WT’s Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “He’s charming, sure, but he is a womanizer and a murderer.” Beckham-Turner will stage the production with no props, all the better to put the spotlight on the music and the characters. Adding to the atmosphere will be performers from WT Dance.
Instrumental wonders by renowned composers
March 27-28: Amarillo Symphony concerts, Prokofiev’s Hymn to Freedom — Head to the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts at 500 S. Buchanan St. for 7:30 p.m. live orchestral performances featuring Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Drew Petersen, and Sibelius’s Finlandia side-by-side with the ASYO Youth Symphony. George Jackson conducts. In addition, the group recently celebrated the world-class facility’s 20th anniversary. Tickets start at $27. For more, see https://www.amarillosymphony.org/ .
A scenic run like no other
March 28: Center City Mural Run, downtown Amarillo — Get your blood pumping and see large-scale artworks during Center City of Amarillo’s third annual event Saturday morning, which starts at 512 S. Polk St. Choose between a 5K, 10K or the one-mile Fun Run/Walk. Participants can view nearly two dozen different murals in downtown Amarillo’s growing art scene, as part of the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The event will start at 8:30 a.m. with a runners’ warm-up, sponsored by the Downtown Athletic Club. All ages are welcome, and it’s pet-friendly. Participants can also register for the VIP brunch, sponsored by Amarillo National Bank. For more, go to Center City Facebook page or call 372-6744. (For those who would rather sleep in, you can choose the Center City’s sleep-in option for the run and get a cool race shirt.)
Other events of note on the calendar:
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 5 things to do in Amarillo area for March 26-29 weekend
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
