8 minute read
Cultural Calendar with Keith Martin
The Other Mozart at CoMMA
THE LITTLE PRINCE at Schaefer Center Presents Everett McCorvey and the American Spiritual Ensemble at ATHC
A Winter Wonderland In The Performing Arts:
Regional Groups Return To Their Venues With A Flurry Of Productions By Keith Martin
The joy of audience members attending live, in-person productions is palpable Following soon after is the American Spiritual Ensemble on January 28. This Their clever phone number is 336-838-PLAY (7529). You gotta’ love them, as I do. as loyal patrons of our region’s performing arts organizations eagerly return to theatrical productions for the first time in a very long year and a half, or even longer for most patrons. While a few groups cautiously resumed operations in the late summer or early fall, most are now taking to stage with a wide array of eagerly awaited events.
“The success of recent in-person performances has clearly demonstrated that High Country audiences are ready to resume attending events,” said Appalachian Theatre Executive Director Laura Kratt, who noted that attendance has been building steadily since the venue resumed live programming last September.
Indeed, the cultural calendar has quickly filled up with even more concerts, festivals, plays, musicals, and dance events over the winter months and in the new year that will welcome local residents and visitors alike.
Here are but a few of the events that have been announced from now through mid-April, listed alphabetically by producing company, with many more to be announced shortly. PLEASE NOTE that all of theatre! the performances, dates, and times are subject to change; readers are strongly encouraged to check individual websites and/or the theatre box offices for the most current information. See you at the theatre! The APPALACHIAN THEATRE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY (ATHC) rings in the New Year on January 22 with acclaimed artist Dan Tyminski. Honored with 14 Grammy award wins and the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) “Male Vocalist of the Year” award, this modern Bluegrass musician is most famous for his performance of “I’m a Man of Constant Sorrow” in the film, “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” choral group is comprised of some of the finest classically-trained singers in the U.S. and preserves the traditions of the American Negro spiritual. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Everett McCorvey, this vocal ensemble has thrilled audiences around the world with their dynamic repertoire ranging from spirituals to classical to jazz, with Broadway showtunes that highlight the Black experience. On February 8, ATHC presents the acclaimed Aquila Theatre Company and their production of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Founded in London in 1991, Aquila Theatre is one of the foremost producers of classical theatre in the U.S., visiting fifty to sixty American cities each year. For more info, go to AppTheatre.org. Soapbox Time: The BENTON HALL COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER in North Wilkesboro is perhaps the best kept secret in our region. This 1913 architectural gem was a school for over half a century until its closing in 1979, when the venue was abandoned by the local school board and left in disrepair. Civic businessman Clarence Benton (“bless his heart,” as my mother would say) acquired the building in hopes of salvaging the historic structure and restoring it to its former glory. Fortunately for all of us, it is now home to the dynamic Wilkes Playmakers, an avocational theatre that is the pride of its community, and rightfully so. Their next production is Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a stage musical based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Performances run March 4 – 6 and 11 – 13 with ticket information available at www.wilkesplaymakers.com. A double-handful of offerings are on the winter season schedule at the CITY OF
MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
(CoMMA). Here are just a few that I’m looking forward to seeing. On February 18, The Other Mozart is the true, untold story of Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She, too, was a prodigy, a keyboard virtuoso, and prolific composer, who performed with her brother throughout Europe to equal acclaim, but Nannerl’s work and her story faded away, lost to history. Written and performed by Sylvia Milo, the play is based on facts, stories, and lines pulled directly from the Mozart family’s humorous and heartbreaking letters. On February 22, the Russian Ballet Theatre presents their production of Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic, with new choreography, hand-painted sets, and 150 new hand-sewn costumes. On February 26, “a modern day Mr. Rogers with hipster appeal” takes the stage in The Joshua Show, with live music, puppetry, physical comedy, and tap dancing by the multitalented Joshua Holden and friends. It is followed on March 21 by the Tony Awardwinning musical comedy Hairspray, about 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. “Can a girl with big dreams, and even bigger hair, change the world?” This all-new touring production will reunite Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Additional information and tickets are available at www.commaonline.org or at yet another ingenious phone number, 800-939-SHOW (7469). Continued on next page
ROSANNE CASH Schaefer Center Presents
NOBUNTU / Schaefer Center Presents / Photo by Werner Puntigam
There are several anniversaries being celebrated this spring in the DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE (T&D) at Appalachian State University, including the 50th year of the Appalachian Young People’s Theatre, highlighted elsewhere in this issue. From February 23 through 27, the quadricentennial of the 1622 birth of renowned French playwright Molière will be commemorated with a production of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. This beloved comedy features a rising member of the middle class who lusts for social status and higher learning. The strength of the play lies in its rich comic invention and its sure delineation of character. Its underlying themes of social striving, financial greed, and love’s ingenuity still resonate.
The Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble (SADE) from March 23 through 27 features Appalachian faculty and students showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. New works featuring original choreography are a hallmark of this creative laboratory which includes eight different premieres with movement ranging from abstract to expressionistic, and rhythmic works of sheer physical energy, each exuding the joy of dance. The T&D season closes April 20 through 24 with Everybody, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ modern riff on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman. The story follows Everybody (chosen from amongst the cast by lottery at each performance) as they journey through life’s greatest mystery: the meaning of living. It was a Finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Info at www.theatreanddance.appstate. edu or 800-841-ARTS (2787). Are you seeing a trend with these astute box office phone numbers?
The good news outshines the bad in the PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT AT LEES-McRAE COLLEGE, housed in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Education. While the pandemic forced the rescheduling of two fall productions, we still have opportunities to attend shows staged under the overarching theme that “women’s stories take center stage.” This includes a popular Broadway musical based on a muchloved movie, and a script that won both the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.
From February 9 through 12, David Auburn’s play Proof is a quiet, intimate drama that meditates on both grief and mental illness. The main character is Catherine, a young woman who gave up her own dreams to care for her sick but brilliant father. After his death, she is faced with her own lack of demonstrated success compared to her father’s legacy, her fear that she has inherited his mental illness, and the question of authorship of a groundbreaking, mathematical proof found in her father’s possessions. 9 to 5: The Musical, with book by Patricia Resnick and both music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, centers on three women employed by a chauvinistic male boss whose behavior and policies make life miserable for his employees. Through a series of mishaps, the women end up essentially in charge of the company and start making changes that benefit everyone. Performances take place April 6 through 9 in the Broyhill Theatre of Hayes Auditorium on their idyllic campus in Banner Elk, NC. For more information, visit www.lmc.edu/ theatreshows.
Over at SCHAEFER CENTER PRESENTS, Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs has an outstanding lineup over the winter months. First up is BalletX, a contemporary-ballet company from Philadelphia performing The Little Prince on March 19. This full-length ballet is choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and performed to the original music of composer Peter Salem. This family-friendly event is inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s timeless novella of adventure and enlightenment.
Nobuntu, an all-female acapella quintet from Zimbabwe, takes centerstage on March 22. The group has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.
On April 9 the Schaefer Center welcomes Americana-country singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash. One of the country’s pre-eminent singer-songwriters, she has released 15 albums of extraordinary songs that have earned four Grammy Awards and 12 nominations, as well as 21 Top 40 hits, including 11 chart-topping singles.
The season also includes two special family matinees designed for young audiences, part of the APPlause! Family Series: an interactive concert with the Western Piedmont Symphony and excerpts from The Little Prince. Info at 800-841-ARTS (2787) or www.theschaefercenter.org.
