Summer with Appalachian Theatre

BY EMMA SHEW

Grab your popcorn and reserve your tickets, because it’s the busiest summer yet at Appalachian Theatre.

Kicking off the summer with several movie series, the 2016 film “La La Land,” will kick off the “June Jams” series on June 8.

“Those are going to be all music movies,” said Suzanne Livesay, executive director for Appalachian Theatre. “Then, we’ll be doing all summer blockbusters for July and August.”

According to Livesay, “Jaws,” “Men in Black,” and a few Marvel titles are in the works as potential blockbuster films for those months.

In addition to the weekly film screenings the theater is doing, there are also several live music events coming this summer.

“June 23 we’re bringing back a group called ‘Damn Tall Buildings,’” said Livesay. “They’re a bluegrass band, but they’re based out of Brooklyn, New York. They are so good. They blew me away.”

The theater will also be hosting a summer musical theater camp for rising fourth through ninth-graders the weeks of July 10 and July 24.

There are going to be several jazz events taking place at the theater as part of the High Country Jazz Festival the weekend of June 8, including The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Emmet Cohen Group, and Reggie Buie Group.

The Appalachian Theatre, in addition to their regular summer programming, will be collaborating with the Town of Boone for the second annual Boonerang

Festival June 15 through 17.

“We’re hosting a storyteller’s showcase called ‘Story Slam,”” said Livesay. “Then, Shelby Rae Band is coming in and performing in the venue.”

The festival kickoff will also be happening in the theater, and will include performances by the Kruger Brothers, Jeff Little Trio and the Burnett Sisters.

“We’re going to be the insidewith-a-comfortable-chair venue,” said Livesay. “We don’t know if it’s going to work, but we hope we end up with a full house for every single show.”

For more information on the Appalachian Theatre, visit www.apptheatre.org/.