By Chip Chandler — Producer
Here's a quick take on your 10 best entertainment bets in the next 10 days.
Click here for ALL your April options.
1. Amarillo Sod Poodles
The Soddies close out April's home games with a trio of faceoffs with the Corpus Christi Hooks from April 18 to 20. Other sporting events include the Route 66 Motor Speedway season-opener on April 20, with races on Saturdays through August, and Amarillo Venom's bout against Sioux City Bandits, also on April 20.
2. Other Desert Cities
Old family trauma boils over in this smart, well-performed drama on stage through April 20 in the Amarillo Little Theatre Adventure Space. Other theatrical offerings include the Broadway Spotlight Series production of Finding Neverland on April 18 and, looking ahead, Heathers: The Musical, a stage adaptation of the cult classic movie to be performed by TheatreAC beginning April 26.
3. Easter fun
Kids can take part in several public Easter celebrations on April 20, including Easter Egg-citement at the Amarillo Zoo, EGGstravaganza at Don Harrington Discovery Center, Easter Egg Hunt Carnival at Wolflin Square and the Epic Easter Egg Hunt at Southeast Park in Canyon.
4. Comanche Moon
The Amarillo-based Americana band, now getting statewide attention, will perform April 20 at Golden Light Cantina with Eddie Esler, an Amarillo singer-songwriter now making a go of it down state. Other concerts that should be on your radar: Seckond Chaynce on April 19 at Guitars & Cadillacs, Songwriters in the Round on April 20 at Chalice Abbey, Piles of Potential and The Bastard Sons of David Hasselhoff's 4/20 show at Leftwood's, The Texas Blues Rangers on April 26 at Smokey Joe's and Earth Day and FogelEarth Festival at Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, featuring Friends of Fogelberg-style music at from Danny Freeze & The Earthlings, Jason Hodges, The DustJackets, Johnny Reverb Holston, Young Country, in addition to other activities.
5. Charm City
Join Panhandle PBS and Amarillo Branch NAACP for a screening of the acclaimed documentary about the streets of Baltimore, followed by a discussion of police and neighborhood relations with Melodie Graves, Amarillo College Diversity Team; Amarillo Police Chief Ed Drain; and Amarillo Venom Football Coach Julian Reese. (6:30 p.m. April 23, Amarillo Public Library downtown branch, 413 S.E. Fourth Ave. Free. 806-371-5224)
6. Avengers: Endgame
Snap to it: The remaining heroes (and newly arrived Captain Marvel) must shake off their grief and try to avenge the fallen in this hotly anticipated (and three-hour-long) film opening April 25. New movies the weekend of April 19 include Breakthrough and Penguins. Special engagements include MST3K-shenanigans with RiffTrax Live: Octaman on April 18 and 24; Christian animated film The Pilgrim's Progress on April 18 and 20; and faith-based musical Bright Ones on April 22.
7. Bob Wills Day
Celebrate the King of Western Swing with this three-day festival in Turkey. Activities include an arts & crafts show, dances and pop-up concerts, with the bulk of the fun set for April 27 with a parade at 10 a.m.; the Old Fiddlers Contest at 11:30 a.m.; a barbecue cook-off at noon; Bob Wills Texas Playboys, under the direction of Jason Roberts, at 2:30 p.m.; the South Plains Western Swing Band at 5:30 p.m. and Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys at 8 p.m.
8. Amarillo Symphony
The orchestra will conclude its 94th season with April 26 and 27 concerts featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Johannes Brahms' Tragische Ouvertüre. Guests include soprano Suzanne Ramo, alto Amanda Crider, tenor Dominic Armstrong, bass Jonathan Beyer, the Amarillo Master Chorale and the First Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir.
9. All Things Artful Art Festival
Watch art demos or make your own art at this annual festival for Amarillo Art Institute from 5 to 8 p.m. April 26 adjacent to Arts in the Sunset. The party also will feature Velvet Funk, vendors, food and drinks, and homemade ice cream in a handmade ceramic bowl.
10. Portraits of Dance
West Texas A&M University's dance students will give a spring concert April 26 to 28 in the Branding Iron Theatre featuring a jazz work choreographed by Broadway dancer Bob Boross and Russian folk dances choreographed by Arkaday Orohovsky.
Chip Chandler is a producer for Panhandle PBS and a member of GALECA. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
