By Chip Chandler — Producer
Here's a quick take on your 10 best entertainment bets in the next 10 days.
1. 6th Street Creepy Crawl
Head to Historic Route 66 along Sixth Avenue for this massive party. Check here for a full list of family and adult activities, all kicking off at 4 p.m. Also, check out Amarillo Scaregrounds, 2736 S.W. 10th Ave. on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; 6th Street Massacre, 3015 S.W. Sixth Ave., on Oct. 31; and Van Buren Frightmare, 816 S. Van Buren St., on Oct. 31.
2. Sweeney Todd
What's more seasonally appropriate than a cheery tale of a barber who slits clients' throats and a piemaker who cooks up the corpses? Nothing, that's what. Amarillo Little Theatre's revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical will be staged Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 on the ALT Mainstage, 2019 Civic Circle. Also on stage: West Texas A&M University's Ada and the Engine from Nov. 7 to 16 in the Branding Iron Theatre.
3. Amarillo Bulls
The Bulls will take on Corpus Christi IceRays in games at 7:05 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.
4. Day of the Dead
Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos at this party featuring music, art and food at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 at Bar Z Winery, 19290 Farm-to-Market Road 1541. Other holiday events will include the BSA Hospice of the Southwest's Dia De Los Muertos Fun Run at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Thompson Park, 2401 Dumas Drive, and the Dia de los Muertos Fiesta at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at Vaquero Tacos & Tequila, 2300 Bell St., Suite 9.
5. Bandstand
This musical — about soldiers returning home from World War II and forming their own swing band — was inexplicably under the radar when it opened on Broadway in 2015. Don't miss out when it kicks off Broadway Spotlight Series' 2019-20 season at 7:30 Nov. 2 and 3 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St.
6. Chamber Music Amarillo
The West Texas A&M University Faculty Brass Quintet will be featured at CMA's latest, set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Fibonacci Space, 3306 S.W. Sixth Ave.
7. Ronny Cox
The actor (Total Recall, RoboCop)-turned-musician will give two regional concerts in coming days: 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Pampa Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Ballard St., and at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 at Chalice Abbey, 2717 Stanley St. Other concerts of note:
- Amarillo jazz combo Del Cueto Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31, jazz orchestra The Funky Knuckles at 9 p.m. Nov. 1, singer Lorena Leigh at 9 p.m. Nov. 2 and Amarillo combo Polk Street Jazz at 9 p.m. Nov. 8 at Esquire Jazz Club, 626 S. Polk St.;
- Amarillo indie singer Derek Porterfield and All of His Friends at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Urbana Coffee Works, 5215 S. Coulter St., Suite 100;
- Amarillo country-rock band The Flying Elbows Perspective at 10 p.m. Nov. 1, hip hop band Nappy Roots at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 and Americana singer-songwriter John Baumann at 10 p.m. Nov. 9 at Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road.
- J.D. Pinkus of The Butthole Surfers at 10 p.m. Nov. 2 and singer-songwriter John Calvin Abney with Maggie Burt and Jack Thurmond at 8 p.m. Nov. 4 at Golden Light Cantina, 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.;
- punk band Granny Tweed at 10 p.m. Nov. 5 at Leftwoods, 2511 S.W. Sixth Ave.;
- Mary Lyn Halley and Dean Yates of Insufficient Funds at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at Bar Z Winery, 19290 Farm-to-Market Road 1541
- Amarillo rock band Monarch at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Smokey Joe's, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.;
- the Amarillo College Community Band at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the AC Concert Hall Theatre on the Washington Street campus;
- and the Country Gold Tour featuring classic country acts Leroy Van Dyke, T. Graham Brown, Jimmy Fortune and T.G. Sheppard at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Ritz Theatre, 902 East Ave. in Wellington.
8. Savor the Goods
Chef Tanner Burnam will delight tastebuds with a French-inspired menu in the final installment of this season of Panhandle PBS's award-winning dinner series, set for 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive. Other fundraisers will include Amarillo Museum of Art's Christmas Roundup shopping expo from Nov. 1 to 3 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex North and South Exhibit Halls, 401 S. Buchanan St.; the HeArt of CASA art show and sale at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Rocking OT, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave; Amarillo Branch NAACP's R.W. Jones Freedom Fund Banquet at 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in the Civic Center Grand Plaza; and Panhandle AIDS Support Organization's Turnabout drag show at 8 p.m. Nov. 9 at The Galleries at Sunset Center, 3701 Plains Blvd.
9. WRCA
Some of the fiercest cowpokes around will compete in the 24th annual Working Ranch Cowboys Association World Championship Ranch Rodeo from Nov. 7 to 10 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Coliseum, 401 S. Buchanan St.
10. Doctor Sleep
Return to the Overlook Hotel in this sequel to The Shining starring Ewan McGregor, opening Nov. 8 (previewing Nov. 7). Opening the weekend of Nov. 1 are animated comedy Arctic Dogs, historical biopic Harriet, drama Motherless Brooklyn and sci-fi sequel Terminator: Dark Fate. Also opening the weekend of Nov. 8 are holiday film Last Christmas, war drama Midway and family comedy Playing with Fire. Special engagements will include anime film One Punch: Stampede on Oct. 31; YouTube star DanDTM's The Contest on Nov. 2; holiday film Christmas Jars on Nov. 4; concert film Lynyrd Skynyrd: Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour on Nov. 7; and a Met: Live in HD performances of Puccini's Madama Butterfly on Nov. 9 (encoring Nov. 13 and 16).
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.