October is LGBTQ+ History Month and at Walton Arts Center we are reflecting on the historic beauty, diversity and progress of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. Since the first march for gay rights in Washington DC in 1979, the month-long celebration has grown to encompass Ally Week, National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and Spirit Day on Oct. 20.  

Walton Arts Center welcomes LGBTQ+ artists, musicians, actors, dancers and comedians year-round, and during LGBTQ+ History Month, we are looking back on the shows and artists who have brought their stories and experiences to our stage.

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots, which performed to sold-out audiences at Walton Arts Center in 2015, is the story of an Englishman who struggles to save his family-run shoe factory from closure. An unexpected call from a woman who runs a shop specializing in drag queen glamour wear convinces him to try a line of women’s shoes in men’s sizes. He develops his line of “kinky boots” under the brand name “Divine Footwear,” and a business partnership flourishes. 

Actor J. Harrison Ghee, who played Lola on the national tour, commented in an interview with BUILD Series that his favorite part of the show was “the feedback from parents and kids. Because of the show, a child decides to come out to their family … now we can have a conversation and can understand where to begin because of Kinky Boots.” Kinky Boots shows audiences that when you change your mind about someone, you can change the whole world. 

"Love Can Tell a Million Stories,” declares Falsettos, the heartwarming and poignant musical about the infinite possibilities of a modern family. The story revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, his lover, about-to-be-Bar-Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist and the lesbians next door.  

Falsettos takes place during the early days of the AIDS crisis. It asks audiences around the country to “think about their actions and have more respect for the battle toward equality that LGBTQ people have had to fight across generations,” said award-winning choreographer Spencer Liff. Falsettos teched and launched their national tour from Walton Arts Center in 2019. 

Other groundbreaking Broadway shows to visit Walton Arts Center include RENT, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. But LGBTQ+ artists go beyond Broadway. This season, we welcome a contemporary dance company and several comedians to our stage to celebrate and recognize the LGBTQ+ experience.

On Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7pm, the famed social commentator, social satirist and self-identifying lesbian, Fran Lebowitz promises to bring an evening of long-awaited, engaging conversation to the Walton Arts Center stage. This show was rescheduled from 2021, so limited tickets remain! 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s STAR DUST: From Bach to Bowie pays homage to queer music icon David Bowie on Thursday, March 16, at 7 pm. Billboard called the glam rock-inspired dance spectacular a “bold and utterly transfixing love letter to Bowie,” whose gender-bending performances and advocacy for gay rights inspired generations of lesbian, gay and transgender people. 

David Sedaris will return for his fourth performance on Tuesday, April 25 at 7pm. The author, comedian and five-time Grammy nominee has captivated audiences for decades, often challenging them to find humor in both the mundane and the eccentric. Many of Sedaris’ writings and anecdotes deal with his experiences growing up and living as a gay man, and his relationships with family members and his husband.  

Later this season, one of Rolling Stone’s best stand-up comics of all time, GLAAD award winner Tig Notaro will share her effortlessly funny storytelling with Northwest Arkansas audiences during PRIDE week. Notaro’s subject matter ranges from worldly observations, her wife and kids, health stories (Notaro is a cancer-survivor) and “general nonsense.” 

When it comes to representation, theater is often at the forefront, and while there is still much to be done to advocate equality and inclusion, many LGBTQ+ artists have found a home on the stage. Vulnerable to censorship and persecution, LGBTQ+ artists have risked everything to exist throughout history. But when LGBTQ+ stories are shared, perspectives are widened. When all people feel included, our Northwest Arkansas community becomes a better place. We are dedicated to sharing these stories here at Walton Arts Center.  

“As we travel on, love is what we will remember.” - A Chorus Line