Review: THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY FLURFFY at Arkansas Museum Of Fine Arts

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, 501 E 9th St, in Little Rock, is one of my favorite places to visit, because they showcase all disciplines of art. For my visit on Saturday, Oct. 26, I was treated to THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY FLURFFY, a free children’s show thanks to the Alice L. Walton Foundation. Created by the remarkably talented Chad Bradford, it has singing and dancing and interactive play that even involve the designated adults in the audience. There are two shows left this coming Saturday, Nov. 2, so grab your favorite littles and go play with Flurffy and friends.  

While I was waiting for the show to start, I sat near the theatre wondering if there were actually going to be any kids showing up. That area of the museum was pretty vacant, so I got a little nervous for them. Then, bouncing out the theatre door, Emily and Flurffy head to the crafting room and disappear. That makes sense. That’s where all the kids are making their artwork. After a moment, they come back out and children magically begin to appear from seemingly nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It was as if Emily and Flurffy were the museum’s pied piper. I was impressed. Shortly thereafter, the theatre doors open and a legion of children filed into the theatre. 

To deepen the experience, when you enter, there is this lengthy semi dark hallway that made me feel like I was on a journey to another place. Emily approaches and asks us how we feel about middle school. To be honest, I told her straight up that middle school was a tough time and I preferred first grade. Undeterred, she announced that she was going into the seventh grade and was super excited about the new school year. Eh, seventh grade wasn’t so bad. Before we entered the actual theatrical space, we got to see Flurffy with Aaron, along with friends Miki and Brandon (If they had different names in the play, I didn’t catch it). 

So, the gang gets together to talk about the new things that are going to happen. Brandon is super excited about science, and Emily is eager to meet their new theatre teacher, Mr. Crane. Dramatically entering, Mr. Crane announces that they are putting on the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Everyone has to memorize it and have it down perfectly or there will be no play. Somewhere in there, he sets his drink down, Flurffy drinks Mr. Crane’s drink, and falls asleep. Oh no! What are they going to do? Well, Emily and her friends figure out that Mr. Crane is THE Ichabad Crane, they make up their own adaptation which includes the audience, and Flurffy eventually wakes up. 

So much is filled into this 30-minute show. This cast has so much energy, and they are so animated. I love watching them interact with the crowd. It is obvious that they enjoy what they do.  

Puppeteer Aaron makes Flurffy come to life. It is so easy to believe that Flurffy is real. The attention to detail and emotion put into it really shows—it's no longer just a puppet but a living being in the eyes of the audience. Emily, Brandon and Miki treat Flurffy as such, which makes the whole show magical. Their dedication to the authenticity of the characters makes this immersive art a joy to experience.  

Before the show, I perused the art gallery to see what was new. Currently, the collection is called “The Triumph of Nature” -- Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art, which is presented by Terri and Chuck Erwin. For this exhibit, they have artistic furniture, lamps, bureaus, genie bottles, and various paintings amongst other artistic pieces. This exhibit is for a limited time, so go check it out before they change it up again.  

Theatrically, up next is MADELINE’S CHRISTMAS, which is supported by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Stephanie and Kenny Gunderman, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Hodge Orthodontics, Rebsamen Fund, and Dr. Loren Bartole, 'Family Foot Care.' 

Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts programs are supported by The Shubert Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation. 

For more information about what is all happening at AMFA, visit their website at https://arkmfa.org. 

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