Wortham Presents 2024/2025 Playbill

2024 2025

Physician. Classical Music Lover. Philanthropist.

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

Greetings, and welcome to the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts! As you take your seat, get ready to be entertained, inspired and transformed by the vibrant energy that only shared experiences can bring. The talent, novelty and spirit reflected in our 2024/2025 season is a celebration of community. Together, we create something truly special — a place where world-class performances come to life, right here in the heart of Asheville. We’re thrilled to have you join us for this journey, where each show connects us, deepens our sense of community and reminds us of the power of the arts to bring us all together.

On behalf of the Wortham Center’s dedicated staff, Board of Directors and volunteers, we extend our deepest gratitude for your support. Whether you’re a Friend of the Wortham Center, an individual or business sponsor, an Arts for All Kids donor, a ticket-buyer, or a community class-goer, it’s your generosity that makes this season possible and allows us to keep the arts alive in Asheville. So, when the house lights dim and the stage comes to life, know that you’re not only supporting a performance — you’re strengthening the fabric of our local arts community. Thank you for being part of this wonderful bunch.

Enjoy the show!

John Hazlehurst works closely with CFWNC to accomplish his charitable goals. He opened his first CFWNC fund in 2007 and his most recent in 2024. He has a total of 27 funds, a combination of charitable gift annuities and expectancy funds.

“Having the Foundation as the responsible custodian of the funds provides a great sense of comfort. In addition to satisfying my desire to give back, I can easily modify my plans. My loyalty is with CFWNC, and I’m sticking with them.”

Hannah Michalove, President Wortham Center Board of Directors

2024/2025 SEASON SPONSORS

Photo courtesy of CFWNC.

Photo courtesy of

2024/2025 SEASON AT A GLANCE

J2B2 | JOHN JORGENSON

BLUEGRASS

worthamarts.org/education

ongoing classes

Get moving at weekly classes in

and

workshops

Learn from nationally touring artists in pop-up workshops throughout the season.

pre-show discussions

Connect more deeply with the art and artists through complementary pre-show discussions.

summer camps

Play, explore and connect through the arts in week-long summer camps for kids.

2024/2025 SPONSORS

INDIVIDUAL SERIES & PERFORMANCE SPONSORS

Joel & Marla Adams

Myles Alexander

Sherman Alfors & Stewart Kennedy

Craig Allen & Julie Cowden

Mary & Jack Anderson

Michael & Catty Andry

Shiner Antiorio & Kathy Robinson

Rod & Bess Baird

Ashley Sayre Bell

Steve & Joanne Betso

Diana Bilbrey

Deborah Bohan-Berkowitz

Dwight & Norma Bohm

Kirk & Lucy Borland

Steve & Linda Brown

Joe & Janice Brumit

Clarita Burton

Charles Clogston

Don & Nancy Ackermann Cole

Patty & Gary Coleman

Alberto Colonia & George Hunker

Marc & Leslie Connolly

Bill Cosgrove & Margaret Davis

Diana Spangler Crawford

Bob Deutsch

Lynne Courtney Diehl

Maggie & Daniel Durand

Eagle Nest Hospitality

John & Marsha Ellis

Chris Erwin & Sue Hannum

Dr. Alan & Suzanne Escovitz

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Sue Fernbach & Jim Rishebarger

Hedy Fischer & Randy Shull

Craig & Jacqui Friedrich

Bill & Nancy Gettys

Jan & John Getz

James & Jill Gibson

Bret Gorman

Sue & Stan Greenberg

Clair Griffith & Geoffrey Mitchell

Maggie Griner

Judith Hamill

Jerry & Melissa Harrelson

Peter Wortham Hawes

Richard & Francee Healy

George Hellyer & George Wagner

Steve & Rena Hoffman

Hardy Holland & John Moody

Dr. & Mrs. Stace Horine

Nancy Houha

Bill & Marilyn Hubbard

Ed & Vicki Jenest

Karl Katterjohn & Kathryn Liss

Ann & Jon Kemske

MaryAnn Kiefer & David Erwin

James King & Jayne Cleveland

Mark Kleive & Nicki Groves

Drs. Felipe & Betty Ann Korzenny

Henry LaBrun

Peter Laine & Constance Ensner

David & Tricia Lancor

Jill & Joe Lawrence

Stephen & Barbara Lehrer

Rita Lenderman

Joe & Mary Linville

Amy Loether

Janna & Rick Lutovsky

Andy MacPhillimy & Lois Sutton

Jerry McAninch

Gail & Brian McCarthy

Chris & Mick McClung

Hugh & Carol McCollum

Chris & Sharlene McGraw

Tina McGuire

Anne McKenzie

Artie & Esther Miller

Karen & Robert Milnes

Maureen O’Hallaron

Katharine O’Neal

Barbara Phelan & Carol Reed

Jessica Pierce

Joseph Piscotty & Carol Maulhardt

Juliet Rains

Shelia Rains & Marjorie Sullivan

Ronna & Rob Resnick

Carol & Michael Rosenblum

Robin Rutledge & Karen Keeler Rogers

Ken & Betsy Schapira

Joe Scully & Vanessa Salomo

Brad & Margo Searson

Dr. Albert & Judith Siemens

The Stewart/Meredith Trust

Hank & Marita Strauss

Kate Thayer

Lou Ella & Bill Tucker

Dianne & David Worley

Diana Wortham

Alan & Kathleen Young

Hank Young

Lach & Jennifer Zemp

This list reflects sponsors between January 1, 2023 and August 1, 2024.

Wortham Center Bag Policy

Max size = 12” x 12” x 10”

• For the safety and security of all patrons, artists and staff, please travel light when visiting the Wortham Center.

• Small handheld purses, clutches and wallets are recommended.

• Bags larger than 12”x 12”x 10”, including backpacks, oversized bags, large purses and camera bags, are prohibited.

• Guests will be asked to return unapproved bags to their vehicles. Please note that Wortham does not have a bag check.

• Diaper bags are approved when guests are accompanied by a child. Medically necessary bags are also permitted.

KAREN MORGAN

Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

“Comedic gold” — Washington Post

“Hilarious” — Huffpost

“The laughter didn’t stop” — Georgia magazine

Top 10 List of 2023

— Dry Bar Comedy

Laugh out loud with this season-opening stand-up, who proudly hails from an era when rocks were pets, carpets were shag and bicycle seats were bananas. Stealing the spotlight — for once — from the boomers, zoomers and avocado-loving millennials, this Gen X comedian is here to show her “forgotten generation” some laughter and love, delivering wry observational humor through the perceptive eye of a wife and mother, tempered with a dash of Southern charm.

Karen Morgan has been performing clean standup comedy in theaters and performing arts centers for almost two decades. She entertains audiences nationwide with her relatable observations of family and everyday life. Her funny, sentimental stories of growing up in the 1970s and ‘80s are a particularly big hit with Gen Xers, Gen Jonesers and Baby Boomers. Morgan has been featured in The Washington Post, HuffPost and The Insider, and she has two Dry Bar Comedy Specials: Rub Some Dirt On It (2023) — which placed No. 4 in Dry Bar Comedy’s Top 10 Clips of 2023 — and Go Dawgs! (2020). She can be heard on Sirius XM Radio, Gotham Comedy Live and other audio streaming platforms. Her latest audio album, Shiny Happy People Laughing, released in 2024.

Born and raised in Athens, Georgia, Morgan now resides in Cumberland, Maine — where she is cold most of the year. A former lawyer who is still licensed to practice in two states, Karen says her current passion is making people laugh, especially when her travels bring her to places with a Waffle House.

CIRQUE KALABANTÉ

Friday, October 4, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

In bursts of vivid color, acrobats expertly execute gravity-defying moves to the exhilarating beat of live music, somersaulting in sync with the percussive rhythms of Afro-Jazz. Truly a circus experience like no other, this production by company founder Yamoussa Bangoura vibrates with all the strength, agility and energy of daily life in Guinea, Bangoura’s native home and greatest inspiration.

Bangoura first became interested in the circus arts in the 1990s as a young man growing up in Conakry, the capital city of Guinea, a coastal country in West Africa. On Sundays, his district’s only television station would broadcast European circus performances, and everyone would gather in front of the TV, captivated by the performers’ prowess. Once the transmission was over, Bangoura and many others would venture to the beach to replicate the performers’ acrobatic movements in the soft sand — practicing what they’d just seen on TV while learning traditional techniques from more experienced artists and teachers. A standout student of acrobatics, Bangoura began studying the Nyamakala tradition of circus, practiced by the Fula people of West Africa. He eventually joined Guinea’s original circus company, Circus Baobob, with whom he toured Africa and Europe.

In the early 2000s, Bangoura was recruited to Cirque Eloize, a Montreal-based Canadian cirque company. While in Canada, he also performed with Cirque du Soleil and Cavalia (a cirque with horses). In 2007, Bangoura realized his dream and opened his own company, Kalabanté Productions, in Montreal. He recruited many of his extended family members to join the company, including his twin sisters, brothers and cousins.

The company first began touring in Quebec, then expanded across Canada, the U.S. and, eventually, the world. In 2018, Kalabanté opened its own studio and school in Montreal, offering classes in African dance, cirque and drumming. The performers of Kalabanté Productions are proud to be able to share their work, achievements and skills with the global community, both to inspire others and to assist with the humanitarian mission to help the Guinean community from which Bangoura and many of his company members come.

Lightwire Theater presents DINO-LIGHT

Friday, October 11, 2024 at 7 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre

In this visually stunning adventure fit for all ages, a famous scientist with magic powers brings a friendly dinosaur to life. When the dinosaur wanders away from home, he discovers a wonderful world full of creatures that light up the darkness and help him find the true meaning of love.

Praised for its cutting-edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance, Lightwire Theater evokes childlike wonder and whimsy through tender-hearted stories that light up the darkness in every sense. Dino-Light, an original storyline (initially under the name Darwin the Dinosaur), was the recipient of the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant and is the first feature-length theatrical production created and performed by creators Ian Carney and Corbin Popp.

“absolutely incredible” — Rolling Stone

The process of building Lightwire Theater’s electroluminescent characters starts with the creators and the cast. They build everything themselves from the ground up, with each sculpture taking nearly 200 hours of intensive labor. The foundation begins with a base that includes triggers and armatures. They utilize recyclable materials including aluminum rods, election signs, skateboard wheels, dryer ducts, plumbing supplies, PVC pipes, fishing poles, duct tape, zip ties and backpacks to help define peaks and angles. These common household items help create durable and pliable sculptures that can withstand the movement of the dancers and multiple performances. Black fabric is added to the sculpture for dimension and then lined with electroluminescent wire known as “EL wire,” which is soldered everywhere the wire is connected. Unlike black lights, EL wire can be powered by batteries, requires no theatrical lighting, and gives 360-degrees of glowing light. Once the character is “turned on,” it can use up to 16 AA or rechargeable batteries per performance. The result is more than anything your inner-child can dream of, including 16-foot tall birds, dinosaurs, ducks, soldiers, swords and more.

Sponsored by

Nancy Houha

Pierce Tina McGuire Carol & Michael Rosenblum

& David Worley

& John Getz Richard & Francee Healy

LaBrun Kirk & Lucy Borland

& Marsha Ellis Don & Nancy Ackermann Cole

CAPITOL FOOLS

Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Providing much-needed comic relief from election season mania, this cathartic political lampoon leaves no politician safe from its witty antics, with rapid-fire comedy that puts the “mock” in democracy. This season’s hilarious new production stems from the same comedic masterminds that created the pastseason fan-favorite Capitol Steps, founded by a group of Senate staffers to satirize the very people and places that employed them.

The Capitol Fools was created by former members of the wildly popular — but now-defunct — political comedy troupe, the Capitol Steps. The Capitol Fools holds up a mirror to our crazy political culture, providing hilarious song parodies and foolish reflections that continue to inspire belly-laughter. Audiences will see former members of the Capitol Steps performing all the beloved bits, the mind-boggling backward-talking spoonerisms, break-neck costume changes, over-the-top impressions and all-new song parodies reflecting today’s news.

The Capitol Steps was formed in 1981 by staffers in Illinois Senator Charles Percy’s office to provide Christmas party entertainment and to rib the people that employed them. Soon, they were touring the nation chronicling the humor found in current events through clever song parodies. When the Capitol Steps called it quits in 2021 after nearly 40 years, an intrepid group of former Capitol Steps cast members and the co-writer chose not to go quietly into that good night. This band of fools reflected on a world without musical, political satire, and didn’t like what they saw. And just like that the Capitol Fools was born.

While foolish enough to embark on this new journey, they were smart enough to not reinvent the wheel. Fast-paced, laugh out loud show? Check. Equal opportunity offenders? Check. Skewering both sides of the aisle? Check. If a “Steps-style” show is wrong, they don’t want to be right. If only Congress had this much talent!

Sponsored by

Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m.

KEVIN BOZEMAN

October 18 & 19, 2024

ANDY BENINGO

December 6 & 7, 2024

GREG MORTON

January 24 & 25, 2025

COLLIN MOULTON

March 14 & 15, 2025

Tina McGuire Theatre

The nation’s largest comedy club network is back! After a popular run in Tina McGuire Theatre the last two seasons, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for four weekends of side-splitting laughter. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today — seen in specials on late night TV, Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix, Hulu and more — deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that you’ll never forget.

For eight evenings this season, the Wortham Center transforms into downtown’s very own comedy club, bringing new and ingenious comics to the stage each weekend for a back-to-back laughter fest. Each wild and untamed evening, held in the intimate Tina McGuire Theatre, features two hilarious comedians — an opening act and a headliner.

This season’s magnetic lineup includes award-winning comedians Kevin Bozeman (Oct. 18 & 19) and Andy Beningo (Dec. 6 & 7), comedy legend Greg Morton (Jan. 24 & 25) and the hysterical Collin Moulton (March 14 & 15) — among other charismatic and razor-sharp talents.

As the nation’s largest comedy club network, The Comedy Zone rounds up top-notch comedians to perform night after night with unrivaled hilarity. Since 1986, The Comedy Zone has brought side-splitting laughter to communities all over the world — and now with a network of more than 3,000 comedians, 60 dedicated venues and its own worldwide touring production, it’s sure to bring in a lineup that’ll have you laughing, night after night. As the most trusted brand in comedy, The Comedy Zone only books the best names in the game, with a diverse selection of comics, many of whom have been featured on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Last Comic Standing and Saturday Night Live, among others, as well as in sitcoms and feature films. No matter the lineup, laughs are guaranteed. The Comedy Zone performances contain adult content and are for mature audiences only.

BREABACH

Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Securely ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unites Highland and Island traditions with contemporary folk, infusing the old with the new to create a sound that’s fresh and distinctive, yet stays true to its heritage.

Breabach, whose name means “kicking” in Gaelic, formed in 2005 around the desire to create a distinctive sound, centered around two bagpipers and a fiddle, supported by a stand-up bass and acoustic guitar. With a repertoire that spans everything from reels and airs to pibrochs and songs, Breabach possesses the innate ability to energize any crowd. To date, the five-member group has released seven increasingly acclaimed albums, all while fuelling their creative appetites in collaborations with BAFTA award-winning animator Cat Bruce on short film Dùsgadh, indigenous Australasian artists Moana & The Tribe, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, video game composer Big Giant Circles and as artists-in-residence at 2019’s Celtic Colours festival with Cape Bretoners, Beòlach.

The band’s latest album, Fàs — a Gaelic word meaning growth — is heavily inspired by the natural environment of Scotland and sees the band showcase more progressive elements in their music than ever before. Produced by esteemed musician Inge Thomson, engineered and mixed by Iain Hutchison at GloWorm Recording Studios in Glasgow and mastered by Peter Beckmann, the record also features collaborations with analogue synth player Keir Long and Gaelic lyricists and musician Ewen Henderson. The protection, conservation and regeneration of the natural world influenced every part of the album making process, from song composition and sourcing material to the recording process and album production.

Breabach’s core members include Megan Henderson on fiddle and vocals; James Lindsay on double bass, moog and vocals; Calum MacCrimmon on Highland bagpipe, whistle, bouzouki and vocals; Conal McDonagh on Highland bagpipe, uilleann pipes, whistle and vocals; and Ewan Robertson on guitar, cajon and vocals. Stepping in for Megan during the band’s Fall 2024 tour is five-string fiddler and vocalist Jenna Moynihan.

DASAN AHANU

Friday & Saturday, October 25 & 26, 2024

Tina McGuire Theatre

Weaving a spell with emotional, inspirational and expressive poetry, this award-winning writer and spoken-word artist mesmerizes audiences with his unabashed heart, raw energy and profound truths. Poetry can be emotional, inspirational, educational and as creative and expressive as your imagination. It can also be a tool for healing and growth. Join Dasan Ahanu for an evening of dynamic spoken word poetry. Stories will be told. Truths will be shared. Life will be explored.

Fun will be had. This is an exploration of the power of words and what performance can accomplish. Continuing in a long tradition of Southern wordsmiths, Ahanu is a student of craft, a speaker of truth and a griot

Public speaker, organizer, curator, educator, poet, spoken word artist, songwriter, and emcee

Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Christopher Massenburg, better known as Dasan Ahanu, is a public speaker, organizer, curator, educator, poet, spoken word artist, educator, songwriter and emcee — and a loyal hip-hop head. He is co-founder and managing director of Black Poetry Theatre, a Durhambased theater company that creates and produces original poetry and spoken word based productions. As an active participant in poetry slam, Ahanu has competed regionally and nationally as a founding member and coach of Durham, NC’s own Bull City Slam Team. In 2010 and 2014, Ahanu led the Bull City Slam Team in winning the Southern Fried Southeastern Regional Poetry Slam, the largest regional poetry slam in the country. He also led the team to a third place finish at the 2010 National Poetry Slam and a second place finish in Group Piece Finals at the 2012 National Poetry Slam.

While his art has taken him to many places — and he can certainly exist anywhere in the world — home will always be the foundation from which Ahanu’s artistry blooms. Paying it forward is always at the top of his mind, especially in North Carolina. “There’s a creative artistry embedded in the fabric of North Carolina,” he said. “I’m involved in arts and culture because I was in a community that gave me the opportunity. So, my responsibility is home first — to give back to the community that gave to me. I always want to ensure that I can do as much as possible here in case other folks like me need this, whose lives will be changed by it.”

Nancy Houha

Jessica Pierce

Carol & Michael Rosenblum

Diana Wortham

Jan & John Getz

Richard & Francee

Healy

Jerry McAninch

Tech Support with a Smile

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

Friday, November 1, 2024 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Embark on a jazz-fueled journey through Broadway’s greatest hits, from the Golden Age of musical theater to the freshest hits of today. From Hammerstein to Hamilton and everything in between, this multidisciplinary musical mashup — led by Emmy-nominated crooner Benny Benack III and sensational singer Stella Cole, with tap-dancing star Jabu Graybeal — reimagines timeless classics with an added bit of swing, an up-tempo ode to the transcendent power of musicals.

Benny Benack III: By age 31, this Emmy-nominated trumpeter and singer has proven to be that rarest of talents: a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the post-bop vernacular and a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship. In 2022, his dual talents were recognized by Downbeat magazine, where he appeared as not only the No. 2 Rising Star Male Vocalist but also a top Rising Star Trumpeter in the magazine’s critics’ poll. In 2024, Benack was voted the No. 1 Rising Star Male Jazz Vocalist.

Stella Cole has become a global viral sensation for simply doing what she has been passionate about her whole life — singing songs from the Great American Songbook. Her most viral singing video has a whopping 27 million views, and with a combined social media following of over 1.6 million, Cole has caught the attention of superstars David Foster, James Taylor, Michael Buble, John Mayer and Meghan Trainor. Cole’s musical story began when, at three years old, she first heard Judy Garland belt “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz. “I’ve been singing since I could talk,” she said.

Jabu Graybeal is an award-winning tap dancer from Pittsboro, North Carolina. For nine years, he was a member of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, one of the most renowned youth tap companies in the world. Graybeal is a Jacob’s Pillow and YoungArts Foundation alumni who has worked and performed with a diverse group of companies, such as Caleb Teicher & Company, Emmy Nominee Chloe Arnold’s Apartment 33, Michelle Dorrance, Riverdance and American choreographer Justin Peck. He is featured in Apple TV’s movie musical Spirited with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, and he will appear in the next season of America’s Got Talent

“Our concert is the perfect marriage between the majesty of musical theater, with the spontaneity of swing! Get your popcorn ready!” — Benny Benack

J2B2 | John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band

Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 7 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre

Four legendary musicians unite to deliver bluegrass as it’s never been heard before, with impeccable musicianship, incomparable songwriting, incredible harmonies and seasoned showmanship. Praised as a “brilliant guitarist” by Elton John and a “guitarist’s guitarist” possessing “amazing technique” by Peter Frampton, John Jorgenson leads this all-star band to deliver the high lonesome sound of American roots music at its finest.

Jorgenson (guitar, mandolin, vocals) and fellow J2B2 bandmate Herb Pedersen (banjo, guitar, vocals) previously performed together in country-rock group The Desert Rose Band, formed in 1985 by former bassist of The Byrds, Chris Hillman. In 1990, Jorgenson went on to found the Hellecasters and toured with Elton John’s band for six years. Artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Bonnie Raitt to Earl Scruggs have sought out Jorgenson’s guitar work — and he even portrayed Django Reinhardt in the Hollywood feature film Head in the Clouds. In 2008, Jorgenson won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental with Brad Paisley and was nominated for Best Bluegrass Album with Earl Scruggs.

Pedersen was a member of legendary bluegrass band The Dillards, as well as bluegrass supergroup Old and In the Way. A sought-after singer and musician, he has worked with such music legends as Earl Scruggs, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Tony Rice, Dan Fogelberg, Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Jackson Browne and John Denver.

In this sensational supergroup, Jorgenson and Pedersen are joined by Mark Fain on bass and Patrick Sauber on acoustic guitar and vocals. Fain toured and recorded as bass player for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for 13 years. He’s toured and recorded with The Chicks, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Dwight Yoakam, Allison Krauss and Dolly Parton. Sauber is a multi-instrumentalist who has quickly made a name for himself in the world of bluegrass and old-time music. Equally adept on guitar, mandolin and banjo, Sauber has toured with Peter Rowan and Laurie Lewis and appeared on screen in The Mighty Wind. Together, these incredible musicians combine forces to form a spot-on union of bluegrass with elements of West Coast folk-rock.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE STUDIO COMPANY

Thursday & Friday, November 14 & 15, 2024 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Performing a dynamic blend of favorites, from classical and neoclassical canons to thrilling contemporary works, these vibrant young dancers share all of the talent, artistry and innovation of their parent company counterparts.

Since its founding more than 85 years

“These performers are the next generation of ballet dancers, blossoming before our eyes.” –Broadway World

ago, American Ballet Theatre has become a living national treasure and major cultural institution — and the Studio Company, seeking out the nation’s most exceptionally promising dancers, serves as the crucial vehicle for transforming students into professional performers.

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company is made up of 12-18 rising stars of the ballet world between the ages of 17 and 21. ABT Studio Company prepares these outstanding young dancers, who hail from all over the globe, to enter American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. Nearly 80% of current dancers in American Ballet Theatre are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including eight soloists and 14 principal dancers, among them Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston and Calvin Royal III.

ABT Studio Company dancers perform masterworks of the classical and neoclassical canons alongside contemporary works. The group commissions a wide variety of choreographers to create new, custom ballets for the dancers each season, with a special focus on female choreographers.

The highly mobile ABT Studio Company serves as an ambassador for American Ballet Theatre by touring to venues around the globe. In recent years, ABT Studio Company has performed in such international cities as London, Athens, Manila, Hong Kong and St. Petersburg, and in a wide variety of U.S. performing arts centers, college campuses, festivals and galas.

DUO BALDO

Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Virtuosic performance, theatrical humor and pop culture meet in the heart of this dynamic musical comedy team discovered by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Comprising renowned violinist

Brad Repp and pianist-actor

“Duo Baldo’s performance has to be seen … words are not enough to convey the subtle irony that pervades it.” — Grapevine magazine

Aldo Gentileschi, Duo Baldo modernizes the centuries-old European theatre tradition of Commedia dell’arte, combining clownish characters and physical comedy with impeccably played chamber music. In 2002, in a small town on the outskirts of Florence, Italy, Repp — an American violinist studying in Lucca — and Gentileschi — a pianist and aspiring actor — met casually in a quaint coffee shop and discovered their unique musical rapport. They began experimenting with new performance ideas that would eventually, and unknowingly, blossom into a musical comedy act that captivated the town — and the idea of Duo Baldo was born. Week after week people would flock from all around to see what this popular local attraction had invented, until 2004, when they were invited to perform as a trio with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Additional distinguished engagements around Italy soon followed.

In February 2006, Duo Baldo won first prize at the National Short Theater Competition in Florence. After winning first prize at the 2009 Musicomicontest, they performed at the opening of the 2010 Salzburg Festival. Other invitations included Tokyo’s Musashino Cultural Foundation, the Shanghai Concert Hall, the Mozaic Festival, the Beijing Concert Hall and the Chamber Music Society of Trieste, as well as appearances in Brescia, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Lugano (Switzerland), Mexico City and Stockholm.

In 2016, the duo was highly praised for a successful television appearance on Italy’s popular talent show, “Tu Sí Que Vales.” In 2018, the duo made their first successful U.S. tour, which included 36 cities. And in 2019, the duo appeared in the TV series, “Now Hear This” on PBS’s Great Performances — the first classical music television series broadcast in primetime since 1967.

Brad Repp performs on a 1736 Testore violin. Aldo Gentileschi performs on whatever piano he can find.

Over a thousand performances and tens of thousands of delighted audience members in major concert halls, recital halls and theaters around the world — all from a casual meeting of two very different people from two very diverse cultural backgrounds.

MIGUEL ZENÓN

Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Grammy winner and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón headlines this special, exclusive black tie event to support Wortham’s Arts for All Kids program.

Winner and MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow

Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, Zenón has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Jazz and his many musical influences.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released fifteen recordings as a leader, including his latest, Música De Las Américas and the Grammy Nominated El Arte Del Bolero (2021). As a composer, Zenón has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council for the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, The Hewlett Foundation, PRISM Quartet and many of his peers. As a sideman he has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Guillermo Klein & Los Guachos, The Jeff Ballard Trio, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.

In April 2008 Zenón received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” Zenón has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. He topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist categories on the 2014 Jazz Times Critics Poll, and was selected as the Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of The Year).

Zenón is a permanent faculty member at New England Conservatory and The Manhattan School of Music. In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution.

A SWANNANOA SOLSTICE

Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre

For more than two decades and counting, this beloved local holiday tradition has brought warmth and light to winter’s darkest days, offering a comforting blend of global folk traditions from diverse, multidisciplinary artists for a variety show filled with music, storytelling and wholesome holiday cheer.

Returning in 2024 is the innovative folk duo Zoe & Cloyd, renowned fiddler Josh Goforth, beloved highland bagpiper EJ Jones & The Piper Jones Band, and seasoned storyteller Becky Stone, who doubles as the emcee.

Zoe & Cloyd is a local sensation and husband-and-wife duo, comprising renowned fiddler and vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Their soaring harmonies, heartfelt songwriting and rousing instrumentals seamlessly combine original bluegrass, klezmer and folk music. Grammy nominee Josh Goforth has been playing music and performing for nearly his entire life. As the great-great-great-grandson of Madison County fiddler Asbury McDevitt, music is in his DNA.

EJ Jones has been performing traditional Highland bagpipe and folk music since he first picked up the pipes in 1987. As The Piper Jones Band, he and bouzouki player Frances Cunningham bring authentic, traditional tunes from Ireland, Scotland and Appalachia to the stage. Professional storyteller Becky Stone joined the lineup in 2022, amazing audiences with her inspiring tales and conjuring vivid imagery through spoken word. She returns this season with stories to uplift and inspire.

Also returning is the A.C. Reynolds Chorale and M A R. Under the direction of Phillip Haynie, the A.C. Reynolds Chorale is a year-round, audition-only honors class and ensemble that focuses on music literacy and literature at the proficient and advanced levels as identified by the state. Peruvian born, U.S.-based M A R is a non-binary/trans artist and advocate who first played the Solstice line-up in 2022. As an artist, songwriter and producer, M A R draws from his Latin American folk roots, as well as his influence of indie-folk, pop and electronic from his journey through North America.

New to the celebration this year is acclaimed duo Newberry & Verch. Joe Newberry and April Verch exemplify traditions of home and hearth – from his Missouri Ozarks and her Ottawa Valley of Canada. In a Newberry & Verch show, delighted audiences see first-hand the roots of their music, their love of performing and their strong musical connection.

THE STAKEOUT

by Martin Dockery

Performed by Martin Dockery and Andrew Broaddus

Directed by Vanessa Quesnelle

Thursday–Saturday, January 9–11, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Tina McGuire Theatre

This two-man play is one part comedy, one part drama and fully Fringe-fest approved. A moving parable about dysfunctional relationships between fathers and sons — following two FBI agents on a stakeout of two FBI agents who may be on a stakeout of them — The Stakeout is a wild and dramatically ambitious performance.

“one of the best performances of the year” — Edmonton Journal

Martin Dockery (Playwright/Actor/Storyteller) is based in New York City and has been touring the fringe festival circuit full-time since 2009, garnering 50 “Best of Fest” awards. Most recently, his play The Stakeout was chosen as one of the best shows on the 2022 festival circuit and given a limited Off-Broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse. He writes, acts in and produces all his own work, except for his role as the Mayor of New York City in 2021’s Off-Broadway immersive show, Tammany Hall. Past plays he has written and toured include Moonlight After Midnight, Inescapable, Love Is a Battlefield, The Pit and Oh, That Wily Snake! Past solo shows include Every Good Story Ends With One, The Sex Life of Butterflies, Forbidden City!, One Easy Lie, Delirium, The Exclusion Zone, The Surprise and Wanderlust: From Here to Timbuktu, which Dockery performed on the Diana Wortham Theatre stage in 2015. Dockery has a BA in English from Kenyon College (where he won the Paul Newman Award for acting) and an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University.

Andrew Broaddus (Actor) graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in dance and has been performing in New York for the past 15 years. He toured the fringe circuit in 2022 with The Stakeout before reprising the role at Off-Broadway’s The SoHo Playhouse. He’s played several roles in the immersive shows Then She Fell, Ikaros, and other works by Third Rail Projects, as well as SoHo Playhouse’s Tammany Hall. In his spare time Broaddus enjoys brushing up on his Mandarin, singing Georgian folk music, and writing Dungeons and Dragons adventures.

Vanessa Quesnelle (Director) is from Ontario, but is now based in Brooklyn, NY. With Martin Dockery she founded Concrete Drops Theater Company and has acted and directed in seven of their productions, including two solo shows, The Abyss Burrow and Luna. She also performed in and dramaturged Moonlight After Midnight, Love Is a Battlefield, The Pit, and Oh, That Wily Snake! Quesnelle directed The Stakeout, Inescapable and Jon Paterson’s How I Met My Mother

RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT

“Nuttin’ But A Word”

Friday & Saturday, January 17 & 18, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Leave what you think you know about hip-hop at the door: This suite of works is designed to challenge popular perceptions of street dance, shaking the art form at its foundations to reveal the complex narratives and artistic ingenuity at its core.

Harris’s latest work, “Nuttin’ But A Word,” challenges the structural integrity of various street dance styles such as Campbell locking, house, hip-hop and B-boying. “The title of the work…was taken from a cultural phrase used amongst many Blacks in the United States,” says Harris. “The full saying is, ‘You ain’t said nothing but a word’; loosely translated, it means, ‘Your words mean nothing — pay close attention, because what I do next will trump anything you have to say.’ It serves as a reminder that without individuality, creativity, and innovation, there cannot be progression of life as we know it.”

One of the most respected hip-hop choreographers in the country, Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris grew up entrenched in hip-hop culture and was immersed in all its forms — music, dance and language. Throughout his career, he has embraced the culture and sought to honor its legacy, recognizing its heritage as one of the purest forms of movement from African and African American-Latino cultures.

Harris has been awarded three Bessie Awards, four Alvin Ailey Black Choreographers Awards and the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts for choreography. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award (UK) for his work, Rome & Jewels, and nominated for best choreography in 2006 for Love Stories (Alvin Ailey Dance Theater). Harris is a Guggenheim Fellowship, PEW Fellowship and USA Artist of the Year Fellowship recipient.

As the leading street dance theater company in the U.S., Rennie Harris Puremovement is dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip-hop aesthetics and street dance culture through workshops and classes, long-term residencies, mentoring programs and public performances. The company has toured the globe extensively, including throughout Europe, South and West Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Congo, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, and Monaco. In 2012, Rennie Harris Puremovement company members were ambassadors for the U.S. and traveled to Egypt, Israel and Palestine as part of President Obama’s cultural exchange program, Dance Motion USA.

Sponsored by

CHANTICLEER

Friday, January 31, 2025 at 8 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre

Witness the magic of music in pitch-perfect precision with this Grammy-winning a capella ensemble. In mesmerizing harmony, the singers blend their talents to create an orchestra of voices over a wide-ranging repertoire — rooted in the Renaissance but covering everything from classical to gospel and jazz to pop.

Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto — and named after the clearsinging rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales — Chanticleer puts the unparalleled potential of the human voice on full, breathtaking display. Hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker and frequently referred to as “an orchestra of voices,” Chanticleer’s repertoire spans 10 centuries from Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony and Romantic art song to contemporary music, jazz, spirituals and world music. In the years since its founding, Chanticleer has become one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling over one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the world.

In addition to performing around the world, the ensemble shows a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements, including their Grammy Award-winning Best Small Ensemble Performance of Sir John Tavener’s “Lamentations & Praises,” and their ambitious collection of works entitled Colors of Love. Chanticleer is the recipient of the Dale Warland/Chorus America Commissioning Award and the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming; and Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African-American choral tradition during his tenure with Chanticleer.

Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program that has reached more than 8,000 people, and an annual concert series that includes its legendary holiday tradition, A Chanticleer Christmas.

COMPANIES IN RESIDENCE

Stewart/Owen Dance is a professional company committed to furthering contemporary dance through classes, community education, and innovative performances and events. Stewart/ Owen Dance unveils its newest creation in the Diana Wortham Theatre, April 10–12, 2025. stewartowendance.com

Photo by Anthony Bellemare

Different Strokes!

Performing Arts Collective presents a full season of thoughtprovoking performances in the Tina McGuire Theatre— amplifying marginalized voices and sharing underrepresented stories through engaging works of theatre. differentstrokespac.org

YAMATO THE DRUMMERS OF JAPAN

Wednesday & Thursday, February 12 & 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

In this returning favorite artist’s new production, take a thrilling, high-energy ride through centuries of Japanese tradition, where heart-thumping rhythms explode from a dizzying display of Taiko drums. The power of human strength, tenacity and sheer endurance lie at the heart of this program, “人の力 Hito no Chikara,” which challenges the influence of artificial intelligence on art. Back by popular demand, this troupe’s explosively percussive performances evoke “the pulse of the gods” (Neue Presse, Hanover, Germany) to prove there’s no substitute for the fire of the human spirit.

Formed in 1993, YAMATO is a Japanese Taiko drumming group based in Asuka-mura Nara Prefecture, which is well known by Japanese people as “the hometown of Japan.” In the three decades since, the troupe has performed more than 4,500 shows across 54 countries around the world.

2024/2025 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Otto Vazquez is a prolific street dancer, choreographer, filmmaker and educator. This season, Otto partners with the Wortham Center to offer education and community engagement programs and to present events through his production company, Nu Paradigm. ovazquez.net

Asheville Creative Arts provides high-quality arts experiences to audiences of all ages. This season, ACA presents Petit Mondrian, an immersive theatrical experience for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers. ashevillecreativearts.org

Photo by Stephan Pruitt

On stage, they stand with more than 40 Taiko drums — each with their own distinct character and sound. YAMATO’s largest drum, called “Odaiko,” was produced with the wood of a more than 400-year-old tree, is approximately two meters in diameter and weighs 500 kilograms (or more than 1,100 pounds). The members of the group have trained their bodies to the limit to beat these massive Taiko drums. YAMATO’s performances require an unimaginable amount of energy, and the drummers must train extremely hard all year round, from morning to night, developing strong muscles, building strength and maintaining their bodies in top condition — all to sustain the hard work required for the performances.

They do not simply make their Taiko drums explode with sound: they produce delicate music that provides the listener with a palette of meticulously crafted sound. This is why YAMATO’s original performances are known to many as “physical music” and continue to receive high acclaim all over the world.

In the group’s latest program, which translates to “The Power of Human Strength,” the drummers ask: What will happen to art and artists with artificial intelligence on the rise? Will there ever be a machine that can replicate human intensity and accuracy on Taiko drums? While we may not know what the future holds, the drummers say this: “We do not know when the end of humanity is, but we will strike until that moment. Like the beating of the heart that will continue to beat as long as we live.”

Sponsored by

Nancy Houha

Carol & Michael Rosenblum Jill & Joe Lawrence

Loether Dianne & David Worley Diana Wortham

Thayer Jessica Pierce Jerry McAninch

Dr. Alan & Suzanne Escovitz

Hedy Fischer & Randy Shull Jan & John Getz Richard & Francee

THE ACTING COMPANY

Friday & Saturday, February 28 & March 1, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley with the first graduating class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School, The Acting Company has launched the careers of some 400 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson and Lorraine Toussaint — all while bringing sophisticated theater to hundreds of communities from coast to coast. Returning to the Wortham for a second consecutive year, the company brings two more superbly directed plays for local audiences.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

In the Mediterranean city of Ephesus, two sets of identical twins — both separated from their other halves at birth — unknowingly cross paths, and chaos, mishaps and misunderstandings abound. Experience the joy and hilarity of one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays: a slapstick comedy about mistaken identities, told through a new and contemporary lens that reinterprets antiquated slang, metaphor and double entendre with updated jokes and clever, modern wordplay.

AUGUST WILSON’S TWO TRAINS RUNNING

From the mind of acclaimed playwright August Wilson comes the story of Memphis Lee — a diner owner in a historically black neighborhood in Pittsburgh at the height of the civil rights movement — who must decide if he should allow the government to take over his building or sell the property to a ruthless businessman. Full of vivid characters, joy, hope, love and perseverance, this Tony-nominated play celebrates the spirit, laughter, heart and resilience of the people who make our country great even when faced with overwhelming odds.

FEED

Set the stage for an extraordinary evening with Posana’s Pre-Theater Menu.

3-Course Prix Fixe | 50 with Wine Pairings | 75

DOKTOR KABOOM! LOOK OUT!

SCIENCE IS COMING!

Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

While this mad inventor certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve, his hilarious show uses no magic or illusions — just 100% pure science. Through the character of Doktor Kaboom!, star and creator David Epley performs original interactive science-comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Creatively blending theater arts with the wonders of scientific exploration, Doktor Kaboom! keeps his crowds riveted with interest and rolling with laughter.

Doktor Kaboom! is a captivating chemist whose character falls somewhere between Mr. Wizard and Mister Rogers. Creatively blending theater arts with the wonders of scientific exploration, his highly interactive, educational and entertaining experiments take audiences on a tour of the modern scientific method, including demonstrations on safety; pressure and force; simple machines; velocity; application of science to everyday life; hypothesis and experimentation; multiple experimentation; constant discovery of new information and data; chemical reactions; exothermic, external and chemical formula; mass; air pressure and demonstration versus experimentation.

David Epley is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina and has been fortunate enough to discover two passions in his life: Science, his first, took him to study at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. His second, performing, became his career, and for 20 years, Epley has made his living writing, performing and directing original interactive theater around the world. Epley says he is thrilled to be able to bring his passions together, and he is even more honored to share them with you. He considers himself quite fortunate to have found his calling in life and blessed to be allowed to make a living doing what he loves. Epley, who now lives in Seattle, Washington, is eternally grateful for his mother, Barbara, his father, Paul, and Annie, the love of his life, for their unyielding faith and loving support.

With Merrill, the bull always has your back

RUNAWAY PRINCESS

Thursday–Saturday, March 6–8, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Tina McGuire Theatre

“Always riveting, often funny, and ultimately deeply moving.” – Galway Advertiser

Former New York City call girl Mary Goggin shares the true, award-winning story of her upbringing in the Bronx, from alcoholism and drug addiction to prostitution — a journey from utter darkness to joy told with humor and unflinching honesty. Fortunately, like all fables, there is a happy ending. As critics at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival put it: “As we peel away the last layer of a broken woman who never felt she fit in, we find the princess, reunited at last with her most precious treasures. A tale of hope that deserved to be shared.”

Six months after the death of her mother, Goggin wrote “Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness.” Workshopped in early 2017 at Matt Hoverman’s “Go Solo,” the show premiered — and sold out — later that year at Solocom at The PIT. Under the direction of Dan Ruth, “Runaway Princess” moved Off Broadway to United Solo (Theater Row) in September 2018, where it won “Best Storyteller” and “Critics Choice.” From there, the performance took off around the world, landing in the coveted Edinburgh Fringe in 2022.

Goggin’s parents emigrated from Ireland to the Bronx, New York, where Mary was born in the 1950s. After becoming a successful actor on stage and in film, Goggin decided to share her true life story “to shock people into humanity,” she says. Sharing her secrets gives others permission to share theirs, resulting in true connections. It is a mission to promote healing from the stigma of addiction, from violence against women — addressing bullying, overeating, generational differences, prostitution and the shame of being an alcoholic mother.

JANE MONHEIT

Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

With a voice that exudes warmth and sophistication, this dazzling jazz vocalist is renowned for her innovative interpretations of Great American Songbook standards, from ballads to blues. Catapulted to stardom at age 20 for her immense musical talent, Monheit has spent the last two decades touring the globe, collaborating with jazz luminaries and legends, and appearing in guest performances on Late Night with David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show and more.

During her childhood, Monheit studied woodwinds and piano, spent a decade performing in award-winning choirs and participated in community theater on Long Island. Throughout her performing arts education, her focus remained on jazz, with special attention given to her innovative interpretation of the Songbook. During her senior year at the prestigious Manhattan School Of Music, she placed second in the Thelonious Monk Competition, now known as the Hancock Competition. This led to an incredible career trajectory, launching Monheit into the jazz stratosphere nearly overnight.

By 22, Monheit was working with legends such as Tommy Flanagan, Ron Carter and Kenny Barron, recording her first albums, and touring the globe. This led to collaborations with jazz luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Ivan Lins, Tom Harrell, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza, Jorge Calandrelli and many more. Countless television appearances followed, and several successful film soundtracks have also included Monheit’s music, including Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow and Never Let Me Go.

After more than 20 years and 12 studio albums, Monheit has continued to tour the world nearly nonstop, headlining at nearly every legendary jazz club on the planet, most notably New York stalwarts such as the Village Vanguard and Birdland. In addition to touring, she also writes English lyrics for Brazilian musician and Latin Grammy-winner Ivan Lins, and she continues to use the knowledge and experience she has gained both at Manhattan School Of Music and on the legendary bandstand circuit to educate and uplift students worldwide. Monheit resides in Los Angeles with her husband of more than 20 years, drummer Rick Montalbano, and their son.

Sponsored by

Care isn’t just what we do at Truist—it’s who we are. We make sure people around us feel supported and more in control. We find out what’s important to our clients, and make it important to us. We get involved in meaningful ways with our communities. Why? Because real connections and real care create better outcomes. Now that’s powerful.

KORESH DANCE COMPANY

Friday & Saturday, March 21 & 22, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Immerse yourself in the space where reality and fiction intertwine in Masquerade, an intra-active, contemporary, operatic dance performance set to electronic symphonic music, sung live. A fan-favorite of seasons past, this internationally acclaimed, Philadelphia-based troupe artfully finds the line between beauty and innovation — then boldly dances on it — and this truly unique theatrical work is no exception, creating a world where truth belongs to the imagination of the beholder.

Company founder Ronen “Roni” Koresh was born and raised in Israel. He received early dance training from his mother, a folk dancer in the Yemenite tradition, and from teachers Alida Gera, Micha Deri, Nira Paz and Moshe Romano. Koresh joined Martha Graham’s Batsheva 2 Dance Company before enlisting for three years in the Israeli army. In 1983, he moved to New York to study with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He began performing with Shimon Braun’s Waves Jazz Dance Company in Philadelphia, and in 1991, he founded Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, followed by the Koresh School of Dance in 1993.

Known for its engaging performance and technically superb dancers, the company performs critically acclaimed works at its biannual Philadelphia seasons, as well as in touring performances around the country. Koresh has been hailed internationally, touring to destinations including Spain, Turkey, Israel, South Korea, Mexico and Guatemala. Over the years, the company has developed a vast repertoire of work that ranges from explosive and passionate to intimate and restrained. Its captivating programs feature a vibrant collage of rhythmic, tender, passionate, humorous works that take audiences on a journey to discover our true sense of humanity.

was produced in 2023 and is among the company’s newest works — featuring live vocals from American soprano Sage DeAgro-Ruopp. Alongside traditional operatic practices, the singer composes and produces electronic music that defies genre and integrates different rhythms, harmonies and cultural influences to create imaginative and contrasting worlds of sound, intended to be brought to life by dance.

Come to Mama’s

LARRY & JOE

Friday, March 28, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela, and is a legend of Llanera music. By age 6, Bellorín became a shoe shiner and built a faithful clientele by singing as he polished, taking requests for the popular Vallenatos of the day. He eventually caught the attention of a local music educator who invited him to study at the city’s premiere music school. His first instrument was the cuatro, a four-string guitar with Spanish roots central to the Venezuelan identity and typically the first instrument a folk musician is taught there. By age 11, Bellorín was supporting himself through music alone, and by age 13, he was honored as first cuatrista for the local Casa de Cultura — becoming proficient on many other instruments during this time. “I played so much, I would wake up hunched over my harp,” he recalls.

In 1999, Bellorín was invited to perform alongside Venezuelan cultural treasure Renaldo Armas at the Punta de Mata’s Parque Ferial — where he was introduced to the crowd of more than 8,000 people as “el maestro Larry Bellorín.” He went on to accompany countless Venezuelan musical luminaries, including Cristina Maica, Teo Galindez and Rumi Olivo. While touring the country as a performer, he and his wife opened Casa Vieja, a school dedicated to teaching Música Llanera. In three years, he taught nearly 500 students and launched Monagas’ first Musicá Llanera festival. In 2012, Venezuela began to collapse, and Bellorín was forced to seek asylum in the United States. He immigrated to North Carolina with only $30 in his pocket and worked in construction to make ends meet.

Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Grammy-nominated bluegrass and old-time musician Joe Troop spent a decade living and working in Buenos Aires, Argentina — touring across South and Central America with his acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache. When the pandemic unexpectedly stranded him back in his home state, Troop was forced into musical hiatus, shifting instead into working with asylumseeking migrants. That’s when Larry met Joe.

Born continents and cultures apart, this dynamic duo delivers a captivating fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas and more. Together, their stories converge through a unique blend of musical traditions — demonstrating that music truly knows no borders.

QUARTETTO GELATO

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

From passionate tango to jubilant klezmer melodies, virtuosic showpieces to blazing Romani tunes, this unique and delightful classical quartet spans the globe through its repertoire, serving musical mastery and artistic passion with a side of sizzling energy and a dash of endearing humor. Each of the ensemble’s performances are a celebration of musical diversity — simultaneously showcasing classical elegance, folk tradition and contemporary flair. With sold-out performances in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and elsewhere, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with its exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and humor.

“All of the members of Quartetto Gelato are clearly virtuosos in their own right.”

Fanfare Magazine

Quartetto Gelato was founded in 1990 by tenor and violinist Peter de Sotto, who, for three decades, directed the group as it achieved the global success and recognition it has today. Quartetto Gelato first made a mark on the international music scene when it won the coveted title of NPR Performance Today’s Debut Artist of the Year. The group’s first DVD, Quartetto Gelato: A Concert in Wine Country, was picked up by PBS throughout the U.S. in 2007 and is still broadcast regularly. The group can be heard on the soundtrack of the film Only You, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei. At the 2010 INDIE Awards, Quartetto Gelato was honored as Best Classical Ensemble — and achieved unique cosmic reach when Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk chose to bring the quartet’s first two CDs into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The quartet recorded a Christmas CD in 2010 and their 9th disc, All Original – 100% Canadian, featuring works written by Canadian composers that highlight the group’s signature style. QG released their 10th album in 2021, Tasty Tunes, which features a blend of fun, eclecticism, international flavors, multi-instrumentation, vocals and superb musicianship.

Quartetto Gelato is:

Colin Maier, oboe

Kirk Starkey, cello

Konstantin Popović, violin

Matti Pulkki, accordion

THE MAGIC OF JEKI YOO

Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

“What a great act! Just a powerhouse” — Penn and Teller

“Must see — incredibly talented magician!” — Steve Harvey

“It was incredible. Congratulations” — Simon Cowell

“I love you; you are a great magician” — Howie Mandel

South Korean magician Jeki Yoo first made his mark in the world of magic as a high school student, when he won Asia’s greatest magic contest, The Busan International Magic Festival, in 2006. From there, Jeki’s magic career took off as he began entering and winning additional international magic contests, inspiring audiences and other magicians alike with his originality.

In 2009, Jeki won a close-up magic award from the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world’s largest organization of magicians. Jeki and his magic went on to wow audiences in England, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, China and Scotland, where, as a member of SNAP Contemporary Mystery Performance — one of Korea’s biggest magic shows — he was invited to perform at the famed Edinburgh Festival.

In 2017, Jeki grabbed the attention of American audiences when he graced the stage during Season 12 of the popular hit show, America’s Got Talent. Over 13 million people watched him perform his own unique style of close-up magic before an impressed panel of celebrity judges, including the infamously hard-toimpress Simon Cowell, who was left stunned by what he witnessed. Though Jeki didn’t continue on in the competition, he left the stage having won the hearts of a nation. “Love your laugh,” “freaking awesome,” “I love his giggle,” and “Jeki is so cool” are just a few of the comments that hit social media afterward. Not only was Jeki able to leave with his head held high, but he was also crowned with the unofficial title of “cutest magician of all time,” courtesy of America’s Got Talent by way of Twitter.

THE TANNAHILL WEAVERS

Friday, April 25, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

“…the group has found an especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new.”

The New York Times

As one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands, The Tannahill Weavers’ diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better, yet continue to do just that.

Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town’s historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. The Tannahill Weavers began to attract attention when founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, the first professional Scottish folk group to successfully do so. The combination of the powerful pipe solos, Gullane’s driving guitar backing and lead vocals, and Smillie’s ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland’s vast repertoire of traditional melodies and songs.

Over the years, the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes. The band won the Scotstar Award for Folk Record of the Year with their third album, The Tannahill Weavers. In 2011 the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, and in 2018 they released their highly acclaimed 50th Anniversary album, Òrach (“Golden” in Gaelic) on award-winning label Compass Records. In 2019 they were nominated for Folk Band of the Year at the Trad Awards, and in 2021 they were joined by Iain MacGillivray, Scotland’s youngest Clan leader, on pipes and fiddle. As they return to the world of touring, The Tannahill Weavers are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage.

The Tannahill Weavers are:

Roy Gullane – guitar, lead vocals

Phil Smillie – flute, whistles, bodhrán, harmony vocals

Ian MacGillivray – highland bagpipes, fiddle, whistles

Malcolm Bushby – fiddle, bouzouki, harmony vocals

GASPARD&DANCERS

Friday & Saturday, May 2 & 3, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre

Marrying playful physicality with lyrical, athletic partnering, Durham, North Carolina-based Gaspard&Dancers is a group of artistically and athletically gifted dancers who consistently produce works of haunting beauty and emotional force, with fluidity of motion that critics have praised as “exuberant,” “organic,” “buoyant” and “floating with natural ease.”

The company’s founder and artistic director, Haitian-born former Pilobolus dancer Gaspard Louis, has earned international acclaim for his diverse and inclusive company, built upon a shared passion for versatile, inventive and inspiring movement. Louis collaborates closely with his dancers to create works that “burst the bonds of habit with its heartfelt force … a beautiful example of art expressing feelings for which words are inadequate” (The Five Points Star).

“The depth and breadth of Gaspard Louis’ choreography, the number of accomplished dancers and collaborations with artists in other fields reaches a new level.”

Louis received a BFA in dance from Montclair State University and continued his dance studies on scholarship at Gus Giordano’s in Chicago and Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York. Following his studies, he joined the New York-based company AllNations, where he performed traditional dances from around the globe. Subsequently, he performed and traveled worldwide with Pilobolus. He collaborated on the choreography of nine major dance works with Pilobolus and taught master dance classes both nationally and internationally.

After receiving an MFA in dance from the Hollins University / American Dance Festival Program, Louis later became the director of the venerable ADF’s year-round creative movement outreach program, which provides free dance classes to youth in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill communities. He has also been a guest teacher at Duke, Elon and North Carolina Central Universities.

YOUR FRIENDSHIP MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Your Friends membership is crucial in bringing world-class artists to Wortham’s stages, introducing children to the arts, and providing a home for local artists to grow.

When you become a Friend –YOU ENJOY

• An invitation to the Wortham’s Preview Party

• Advance ticket ordering privileges

• Priority seating

• AND, NEW THIS YEAR, early access to performances in addition to the annual Wortham Presents season, such as David Sedaris, Graham Nash, and Stewart/Owen Dance.

When you become an individual performance sponsor – YOU RECEIVE

• VIP advance ticket order privileges before the Preview Party

• An invitation to meet-and-greet the artist

• Curtain speech recognition

When you join the Young Professional Giving Circle –YOU EXPERIENCE

• Pre-show socials and networking events

• Meeting other young professionals who share a common love of the arts

• All benefits of being a Friend

Join us in celebrating the wonderful diversity of the arts and contribute to the vibrancy of our community. Become a Friend today at worthamarts.org/friends.

For more information: Jennifer Zemp 828-210-9849 • jennifer@worthamarts.org

SUPPORTERS OF THE WORTHAM

Thank you to the following Friends of Wortham, Individual Performance Sponsors, Corporate Sponsors, End-of-Year donors, Arts for All Kids (Youth Education Scholarship Fund) donors and Foundations for their generous support to the Wortham Center.

Accumulated donations listed below are from January 1, 2023, through August 1, 2024. Donations received after August 1, 2024, will be included in next year’s playbill.

$20,000+

Arthur J. Fryar Charitable Remainder Trust

Kirk and Lucy Borland

Buncombe County Tourism and Development Authority

Richard and Francee Healy

Henry A. LaBrun

North Carolina Arts Council

Dianne and David Worley

$15,000-$19,999

The Beattie Foundation

Amy Loether

$10,000-$14,999

Bank of America

Bray Creech & Chad Storck with Joel Adams & Associates, Inc.

Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation

Epsilon

Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull

Jan and John Getz

Nancy Houha

Huisking Foundation

Jill and Joe Lawrence

Jerry McAninch

Tina McGuire

Jessica Pierce

PBI Commercial Interiors

Carol and Michael Rosenblum

The Stewart/Meredith Trust

Diana Wortham

$7,500-$9,999

ArtsAVL

Joe and Janice Brumit

Buncombe County

John and Marsha Ellis

Bill and Marilyn Hubbard

James King and Jayne Cleveland

Mast General Store

National Endowment for the Arts

South Arts

$5,000-$7,499

67 Biltmore

Joel and Marla Adams

Michael and Catty Andry

Diana Bilbrey

Deborah Bohan-Berkowitz

Chestnut

Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole

Corner Kitchen

Elly Wells Marketing + Project Management

Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Four Points by Sheraton

Hatchworks Coworking

George Hellyer and George Wagner

Steve and Rena Hoffman

Peter Laine and Constance Ensner

Stephen and Barbara Lehrer

Hugh and Carol McCollum

Karen and Robert Milnes

Omni Grove Park Inn

Shelia Rains and Marjorie Sullivan

Juliet Rains

Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel

Ronna and Rob Resnick

Lou Ella and Bill Tucker

$2,500-$4,999

Myles Alexander

Sherman Alfors and Stewart Kennedy

Craig Allen and Julie Cowden

Mary and Jack Anderson

Ballet Conservatory of Asheville

Dwight and Norma Bohm

Clarita Burton

Charles Clogston

Patty and Gary Coleman

Alberto Colonia and George Hunker

Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown Forge & Foundry Strategic

Craig and Jacqui Friedrich

Bill and Nancy Gettys

James and Jill Gibson

Maggie Griner

Peter Wortham Hawes

Karl Katterjohn and Kathryn Liss

Ann and Jon Kemske

MaryAnn Kiefer and David Erwin

Drs. Felipe and Betty Ann Korzenny

Gail and Brian McCarthy

Chris and Sharlene McGraw

Preserve Wealth Management

Photos of Wortham Friends by Studio Misha Photography.

Rockefeller Capital Management

Dr. Albert and Judith Siemens

Hank and Marita Strauss

Truist

Alan and Kathleen Young

$1,000-$2,499

Cathy Adelman

Shiner Antiorio and Kathy Robinson

Brad and Diane Arnold

Atelier Maison & Co

Rod and Bess Baird

Beacon Pointe Advisors

Ashley Sayre Bell

Steve and Joanne Betso

Blue Moon Water

Steve and Linda Brown

Otis Brown and Clara Ferguson

Bill and Meg Clontz

Marc and Leslie Connolly

Bill Cosgrove and Margaret Davis

Diana Spangler Crawford

Bob Deutsch

Lynne Courtney Diehl

Paul and Christine Dismukes

DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville Downtown

Maggie and Daniel Durand

Eagle Nest Hospitality

Chris Erwin and Sue Hannum

Lina Evans and Ira Sloan

Leslie Fay

Sue Fernbach and Jim Rishebarger

Bret Gorman

Sue and Stan Greenberg

Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell

Judith Hamill

Maureen and Frank Hantke

Jerry and Melissa Harrelson

Terry and Joanne Hess

Susan Hill and TJ Stiers

Hofman Studios

Hardy Holland and John Moody

HomeTrust Bank

Dr. and Mrs. Stace Horine

Stanley Ingber and Laura Robbins

Vicki Jenest

Mark Kleive and Nicki Groves

David and Tricia Lancor

Rita Lenderman

Joe and Mary Linville

James Losse and Ellen Haack

Janna and Rick Lutovsky

Mamacita’s Taqueira

Andy MacPhillimy and Lois Sutton

Chris and Mick McClung

Anne McKenzie

Hannah Michalove

Artie and Esther Miller

Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management

Maureen O’Hallaron

Katharine O’Neal

Patti and Cal Oppenheim

Doug and Darcy Orr

Barbara Phelan and Carol Reed

Joseph Piscotty and Carol Maulhardt

Holly and Greg Pollock

Nancy and Robert Rietz

Shearon Roberts

Robin Rutledge and Karen Keeler Rogers

Ken and Betsy Schapira

Joe Scully and Vanessa Salomo

Brad and Margo Searson

Brad Shelton

Marsha and Michael Shlaer

Mr. and Mrs. William Schulz

Ann G. and Michael Smith

Mara Sprain and John Bates

Tami and John Summerour

TD Bank

Kate Thayer

Cathey and Philip Turbyfill

Sarah Van Gunten

Van Winkle Law Firm

Pamela Winkler

Frank Wolf and Sandra Lance

Joe and Shellie Yanik

Hank Young

Lach and Jennifer Zemp

$500-$999

Anonymous

Charles and Stephanie Baer

Ann and Iain Baird

Charles Baker

David Bate

Gretchen Batra

Karen Bencke

Janet Bertinuson and Bridget Dunford

Frank and Jean Bourassa

Central Asheville Association, Inc.

Allan and Jean Brown

David and Lin Brown

Clinton J. Bugg and Jeffrey B. Nucey

Bill and Lee Burdett

Walter and Durema Bussells

Tom and Linda Cannon

Leslie and Jurgen Dierks

Harry and Mary Jo Eskritt

Wendy Feinberg

Carol Fisk

Priestley and Brent Ford

Linda and Jeffrey Fromson

Bill and Mary Alice Fryar

Judy Futch and Paul Smith

Robin Garrison

Peter and Jasmin Gentling

Georgakis-Zamrazil Trust

Brian and Leah Gillespie

Lisa Green

Larry and Barbara Griswold

Al and Betsy Gumpert

Pam Harting

Dan and Linda Hinchliffe; Abbey Hinchliffe

Melissa and Guy Hoagland

Sandra Holden

Robert and Linda Hollis

InterPlay Asheville

Wayne Juhnke and Alice Ireland

Jean and Joe Karpen

Keith Keener

David and Angela Kemper

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Killian

Stuart and Cece Kirsner

Anna and Bruce Koloseike

Drs. Marilyn S. Kolton and Louis Dwarshius

Bruce Koran

Theresa and Gary Landwirth

Eleanor and Robert Lane

Elaine Lang and Michael Ferguson

Stephen LaPointe and Claudia Jimenez

Becky Lewis

Morris Letsinger and Liz Preyer

Alice Madura

Suzanne and Jay Mahler

Judy Major

Mr. and Mrs. William W. Mance

Gail and Ron Manheimer

Susan and Michael Maxwell

Todd and Renita McDougal

Terry and Alexandra McPherson

Susan Minkler

Joni and Gary Mitchell

Jean Moburg

Judy Mosley and Steve Botts

Dave Nelson and Margo White

Kent Nordvig and Mark Smith

John K. Orr

Phil and Katie Osborn

Drs. Robert and Danna Park

Jim and Carolyn Payton

Kaye and Todd Phillips

Larry and Kelly Pierce

Bobbi Powers

Joy Putnam

Gail Rhodes and Roger Gauthier

Patricia Robertson and Curry First

Susan and Lewis Rothlein

Marcie and Joel Rudell

Ilona and Michael Sena

Betty Sharpless

Diana Soll

J. Howard and Honey Solomon

Pat and Becky Stone

Strauss Attorneys, PLLC

Cathy Stryker

Kathy and John Tempelaar-Lietz

Fran and Doug Thigpen

Patrick Thompson

Katherine Triplett

Dari Tritt

Linda Walker

Ann Ward

Dr. and Mrs. John and Heather Whitmire

George Wilds and Steve Connell

Chris Williams

Sherrill and Ted Zoller

$250-$499

William Abbuehl & Rose Levering

David and Heather Abernathy

Carl and Sandra Alguire

Mary Alm and Darrell Russell

Elke Amenda-Spirakis

Diane Amos and Dee Lawrence

Lorna and Michael Anderberg

Bobbie Anderson

Anonymous (3)

Fred Baker

Viva Banzon and Robert Evans

Lucy Barker

Michael Bashaw

Alan Baumgarten and Judy Hoffman

Tom and Kay Beardsley

Michael and Barbara Bednarz

Sandra and John Bell

Anne and Todd Bellizio

Susan Bicknell and Hardy LeGwin

Don and Judith Bliss

Dr. Ronna Bloom and Merrill Gilfillan

Bloomin’ Art

David Bock

Richard Bogner

Denise and John Bougae

Bill Boughton

Keith Bramlett and Philip Weast

Jo Brown

Jenna Brown

Karen Bryant

Douglas Buchalter

Bonnie and Bob Busby

Robin Byrne and Adam Thanz

James Cahill

Peggy Carson

Greg Caspers

John Chapman

Peter and Lucille Chaveas

Leslie and Ken Chepenik

Jean Clayton and Bill Barkley

Elaine Cole

Michael and Helen Conley

Susan Connor and Steven Taksa

Kat Conour and Kirk Larsen

Sarah Corley and Neil Peterson

Michael Cortes

Susan L. Coyle

Sherri and Robert Daniels

Bob and Dottie Davis

Al and Jamye Davis

Chris and Meredith Decker

Roz Dever

Betty Dickson

Richard and Cheri Dinsmore

Hal and Constance Hemme

Marilynne Herbert

Carol Hogue

Samantha and Eric Holcombe

Debra and Richard Howell

Jennifer Humphreys & Linda Stitzinger

Michael Hurd

Diane and Jeffrey Hutchins

Trip and Lisa Huxley

Kathy and Gary Jackson

David Janson

Jeanne Jeffrey

Susan Jensen and Lew Gelfond

Randy and Mary Johnson

George Johnson

Paul and Mecheal Johnson

Ruth Johnson

Sally Jones

Charis and Bruce Kabat

Joanne Kalp and Ken Kahn

Katherine Karraker

Jess and Phyllis Key

John King and Peggy Clark

Doris Kistler and Fred Wightman

Julie Klement and William Pope

Rodney Douglas

Dreamwind Flutes

Laurie and Rudolf Ekstein

Shelia Elingburg

Mark Evans and Ellen Glenn

Judith Fain and Kay Kuczynski

Gail Ferguson

Jim and Annie Flagg

David and Ellen Feingold

Patti and Rich Fertel

Hugh Fojut

Susan Koenig

The Kramer Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Krimmelbein

Diane Kyker

Ginger Lang

Lynn Lederer and Leslie Long

Anita and Jerry Leger

Nan Leininger

John Leonard and Ky Li

Joy Letsinger and Bob Damiani

Gary Forell and Linda Wallace

Charles and Tricia Franck

Susan Freeman

Stephen Frost

Jane Gabriel and Jerry Cooper

Marty and Carol Gillen

Janalyn and Randolph Glymph

Ellen Golden

Ellie and Marv Goldstein

Mary Goodkind

Joen and William Goodman

Fern Leventhal and Augustine Cardeli

MaryPaul Lewis

Jim and Beth Magill

Vernon Marchal

Millie Massey

Kate Mathews

Julie Mayfield and Dr. Allen Lalor

Ann McCutchan and Ken Gerow

Lisa and Andrew McDougald

Kelly McEnany

Jan and Rich McLean

Barbara and Jeffrey Gould

Betsy Gray and Ed Lunow

Ron and Jane Greene

Susan Gretchko

Dawn Hardin

Mary Beth Hayes

Cynthia Heitger and Jim Gannam

Roger Helm and Deborah Freeman

Mike and Deb McManus

Roger Meade

Bob and Ulana Mellor

Donna and Fred Meyer

Dennis and Judy Michele

Glen and Hanne Miska

Joanne Neary and Les Dunne

Steve and Wendy Newman

Darrah Noble

Julie and Fred Northup

Judy and Rick Ott

Cindy Page

Painters Greenhouse

Dee Patton

Gloria Pincu

Elizabeth Lynne Pou

Lindsey Prather

Jeannie Regan

Barbara Rice

Jennifer Rish and Constance Lofton

Paul Rollins

Judy Rose

Frank Rutland

David and Meribeth Sabo

Judith and Dan Sanford

Karen Sattinger

Betsy and Jimmy Savely

William Scarborough

Charlene Scharf and Sophie Steinberg

Elizabeth and Gary Schenk

Pat Scherer and Sylvia Pardo

Wade and Laurie Scheuritzel

Donald and Jonel Schuster

Jennifer Schweizer

Kellie and Jeff Scott

Babbie and Waid Shelton

Barbara Shepard

Deborah Silverstein and Jim Neely

Todd and Leesa Sluder

Mary Kay and Jim Smith

Robert and Patricia Stackman

Peter and Melissa Stanz

Adam Stepansky

Marty and Barbara Stickle

Shelley and Fleur Stone

Joe and Angie Stritch

Darrell and Caroline Strong

William Swarts and Susan Waldman

Susan Swiger

Bob and Christine Swoap

Claire Tiernan

Connie and Steve Tobolsky

Terry Van Buren

Charles and JoAnna Vanderkolk

Mark and Linda Walsh

Debbie Ward

Timothy Warner and Barb McCampbell

Hope Warshaw and Don Kraus

John and Kitty Webster

Cliff and Lisa Whitfield

Kent and Gail Wilcox

Karen Wilkinson

Carole Williams

Dr. Kathryn Williams and Alan Davis

Beth and David Wilson

Christy and Joshua Wilson

Anne Wolf

Drs. Emily and Jonathan Wood

Colleen and Duke Woodson

$125-$249

Clyde Allen

Dr. Sheldon and Juli Altschul

Kay Anderson

Anonymous (4)

Karen and Robert Anoff

Michael Arbuckle

Mary Alice Arre

Laura Austin

Michelle Austin

Kathleen Ayres

Karen Bain

Linda Bair

Charles Baker

Ann Batchelder and Henri Kieffer

Howard and Sandra Belfor

Laura Bell

Maria Belluccio and Christopher Pantzis

Barbara Benisch and Jacque Allen

Peter Bergmann and Maria Lourdes Solares

Steve and Chris Bergner

Stephanie Biziewski

Susana Blanchard

Mark Blizard

Buck and Nancy Bragg

Hal and Penny Branch

Carl Bredahl

Ron Browne

Martha Burrows

Bunny and Ned Cabaniss

Susan Campbell

Robert Campbell

James and Kay Cannon

N. Helene Carlson

Dr. Alicia Carroll

Michael Carroll and Glenda Overbeck

Donald and Cynthia Carson

Georgia Case

Phil and Laura Casey

Jay and Linda Casselberry

Louise Cate

Gene and Maggie Charleton

Chef Michael’s Catering

Mary Scott Christfield

Michael and Amy Clarke

Michael Cleveland

Timothy Collins

Julie Considine

Linda Cooper

Gigi Cooperman

Brent Coyle

Stan Cross and Jayne Abbot

Beverly Cutter and Doug Hibshman

Paula Denton

Erin Dickinson

Rebecca Donnelly

Jeremy Duffer

Randi Dunnuck

Virginia Duquet

Dianne Fecteau

Ernest and Shirley Ferguson

MaryJane Findley

Gary Fink

Bruce Frank

Robert Freet

John Fuchs

Elyse and Bob Furlong

Julie Gamble

Dan Garrett

Ray Glass

Michael Goodman

Tom and Linda Goodwin

Ted Graczyk and Paul Gusmerotti

Mike Griffin

Drs. Mary Ellen Griffin and Wendy Coin

Lori Grifo

Linda Hamilton

Charlotte Hankin

Gigi Hankins

Steve Harrison

Lorraine Harrison

Nancy Headley

Alice Helms

Tommy and Jean Hiller

Suzanne and Jim Hrytzik

Cristina Hull

David and Ronda Ihrig

Blake Jennelle

Richard Mark

Barb and Rob Masecar

David Maxwell

Whitney Mayer

Jared McEntire and Lily Barham

Dona Menz

Lynn Michelson

Donna Milam

Jay Mixter and Priscilla Wilcox

David Modaff

Betty Morrow

Margaret Newell

Thomas Nowatka

Paula O’Hara and Joe Luna

Daisy Paige

Travis and Jennifer Parker

Rose Patz

Nick Peters and Sandi DiBlasi

Fredrick Pfeiffer

Peter Phillips

Elizabeth and William Phoenix

Robyn Pichler

Jack A. Pierce

Ruth Planey

Wadi and Brenda Rahim

Ronya Robinson

Akira Satake

Elizabeth Saylor

Amy Schaberg

Hilary Schroeder

Herschel Schwartz

Vally Sharpe

Leslie Shaw

Mary Shaw

Mark and Barbara Shevory

Anita Shields

Barbara Siebert

Teri and Greg Siegel

Jeffrey Slater

Sarah Slechta

Colleen Smeekens

Eugene and Carol Katz

Bob and Maud Kehrer

Erin Kellem

Peter Kennedy

James Kennedy

Laurie Kerge

Walter Leginski

Ken Lenington

Sherry Lundquist

Sue and George Luther

Mary Lyth

M. Cissy Majebe

Martin and Kathryn Mann

Donna Smith

Lisa Smyth

Jason Solinas and Alyssa Augustine

Kathleen and David Stern

Leaneau Stoll

Randy and Claudia Sullivan

Margery Tabankin

Katie Tester

Scott and Kathy Thornton

Linda Topp

Laura and Robert Uherka

Jennifer Vogel

Ellen Vontillius

Marc Voorhees

Dede Walton

Jennifer Werner

Steve and Mary Ann West

John Whitener

Kelly and Adam Wilensky

Gail and Bud Wiley

Barbara Woolmington

Michael and Laura Wrenn

Matt Yetter

Rebecca York

Gregory and Marjorie Zack

In Gratitude of Trey McLaughlin

John and Marsha Ellis

In Honor of Rae Geoffrey

Joel and Marla Adams

Michael and Catty Andry

Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole

Joe and Janice Brumit

John and Marsha Ellis

Bill and Nancy Gettys

Steve and Rena Hoffman

Hardy Holland and John Moody

Nancy Houha

Bill and Marilyn Hubbard

Angela Kemper

Henry LaBrun

Jerry McAninch

Tina McGuire

Dianne and David Worley

Lach and Jennifer Zemp

In Honor of Nancy Houha

Linda Cooper

In Honor of Jennifer Zemp

Chef Michael’s Catering

In Memory of Ed Jenest

John and Marsha Ellis

In Memory of Susan Lemmon

John and Marsha Ellis

In Memory of Fred Patz

Rose Patz

In Memory of Al Petteway

John and Marsha Ellis

leave a Legacy

Emma grew up in a small town with a big dream of becoming a dancer. Every week, she would attend performances at the local theater, marveling at the grace and talent on stage. To her, the theater was more than just a place; it was where she felt a deep connection to the arts, where her creativity thrived — and where she sensed the possibilities for her future.

Leaving a legacy to Wortham is a powerful way to invest in Emma and in our community. The arts can inspire, unite, and enrich lives. Your legacy ensures that future generations will have access to world-class performances, educational programs, and a vibrant space for artistic expression.

A legacy at Wortham is more than a financial gift. It’s a commitment to the cultural heartbeat of the community, ensuring that the magic of live performance remains a vital part of people’s lives for years to come.

Elevate Your Business with Proven IT Solutions

Thank you to the following Legacy Society Founding Members, who have provided support to sustain the future of the Wortham Center.

Legacy Society Members as of August 8, 2024

Michael and Catty Andry

Anonymous

Barrie Barton

John Ellis

Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Bob Evans and Viva Banzon

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Sue Fernbach and Jim Rishebarger

Hedy Fischer

Francee Healy

Hardy Holland and John Moody

Bill and Marilyn Hubbard

Jerry McAninch

Tina McGuire

Philip Rushlow

For more information, please contact Jennifer Zemp at 828-210-9849 or jennifer@worthamarts.org.

WHY CHOOSE US

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2024/2025 ARTS FOR ALL KIDS SUPPORTERS

The generosity of the following donors made it possible for thousands of children, regardless of their economic status, to laugh at Student Series performances, explore at Creative Arts Summer Camps, learn from visiting artists in their classrooms, and enjoy Free Play Days at Wortham. Thank you for supporting the Arts for All Kids program (Youth Education Scholarship Fund).

Accumulated donations listed below are from January 1, 2023 through August 1, 2024. Donations received after August 1, 2024 will be included in next year’s playbill.

$15,000+

Kirk and Lucy Borland

North Carolina Arts Council

$10,000+

Huisking Foundation

The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation

Diana Wortham

$5,000+

ArtsAVL

Bray Creech and Chad Storck of Joel Adams & Associates, Inc.

Buncombe County

Richard and Francee Healy

Juliet Rains

$2,500 - $4,999

Carol and Michael Rosenblum

$1,000 - $2,499

Joel and Marla Adams

Diana Bilbrey

Paul and Christine Dismukes

Dr. Alan and Suzanne Escovitz

Bill and Marilyn Hubbard

Ann and Jon Kemske

Henry LaBrun

Jill and Joe Lawrence

Hannah Michalove

Holly and Greg Pollock

Shelia Rains and Marjorie Sullivan

Dianne and David Worley

$500 - $999

Jack and Mary Anderson

Michael and Catty Andry

Don and Nancy Ackermann Cole

Alberto Colonia and George Hunker

Tina McGuire

Betty Sharpless

Ann and Michael Smith

Mara Sprain and John Bates

Patrick Thompson

$250 - $499

Cathy Adelman

Rod and Bess Baird

Charles Clogston

Elaine Cole

John and Marsha Ellis

Elly Wells Marketing + Project Management

Hugh Fojut

Jan and John Getz

Clair Griffith and Geoffrey Mitchell

Al and Betsy Gumpert

Maureen and Frank Hantke

Steve and Rena Hoffman

Sandra Holden

Jean and Joe Karpen

James King and Jayne Cleveland

Morris Letsinger and Liz Preyer

Alice Madura

Jerry McAninch

Susan Minkler

Patti and Cal Oppenheim

Susan and Lewis Rothlein

William Scarborough

Ken and Betsy Schapira

Tami and John Summerour

$125 - $249

Sherman Alfors and Stewart Kennedy

Carl and Sandra Alguire

Anonymous

Kathleen Ayres

Gretchen Batra

Leslie Fay

Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull

Robin Garrison

Terry and Joanne Hess

Nancy Houha

Vicki Jenest

Theresa and Gary Landwirth

Becky Lewis

Peter Bergmann and Maria Lourdes Solares

Hal and Penny Branch

Linda Cooper

Bill Cosgrove and Margaret Davis

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Carol Fisk

Dan Garrett

Bill and Nancy Gettys

STUDENT SERIES

TheaterWorksUSA presents CHARLOTTE’S WEB

September 24 & 25 • 10 AM & 12 PM

CIRQUE KALABANTÉ

October 4 • 10 AM

Lightwire Theater presents DINO-LIGHT

October 11 • 10 AM & 12 PM

RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT

January 17 • 10 AM

YAMATO

The Drummers of Japan

February 13 • 10 AM

The Acting Company presents THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

February 28 • 10 AM

DOKTOR KABOOM!

Look Out! Science is Coming!

March 6 • 10 AM & 12 PM

TheaterWorksUSA presents THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS

March 18 • 10 AM & 12 PM

KORESH DANCE COMPANY

March 21 • 10 AM

TheaterWorksUSA presents DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! THE MUSICAL!

April 3 • 10 AM & 12 PM

STEWART/OWEN DANCE

April 10 • 11 AM

THE MAGIC OF JEKI YOO

April 24 • 10 AM

GASPARD&DANCERS

May 2 • 10 AM

Sponsored by

Kirk and Lucy Borland

Huisking Foundation

Robert & Mercedes

Eichholz Foundation

Joen and William Goodman

Michael Goodman

Lisa Green

Mike Griffin

George Hellyer and George Wagner

Dan and Linda Hinchliffe; Abbey Hinchliffe

John King and Peggy Clark

Joe and Mary Linville

Meg MacLeod

Judy Major

Mr. and Mrs. William W. Mance

Whitney Mayer

Karen and Robert Milnes

Glen and Hanne Miska

Jim and Carolyn Payton

Ruth Planey

Bobbie Powers

Judith and Dan Sanford

Hilary Schroeder

Diana Soll

Howard and Honey Solomon

Pat and Becky Stone

Kathy and John Tempelaar-Lietz

Sarah Van Gunten

Ann Ward

Frank Wolf and Sandra Lance

Matt Yetter

Up to $124

Clyde Allen

Heather and David Abernathy

Anonymous

Shiner Antiorio and Kathy Robinson

Michael Arbuckle

Spencer Arscott

Avila Ashland

Charles and Stephanie Baer

Anne Baier

Karen Bain

Charles Baker

Peggy Baker

David Bate

Anne and Todd Bellizio

Paul Bellows

Audrey Bergee

Janet Bertinuson and Bridget Dunford

Dr. Ronna Bloom and Merrill Gilfillan

Jeff Bloomer

Steve Bohner

David and Lin Brown

Pamela Brown

Robert Buchan

Robert Campbell

James and Kay Cannon

Tamara Carless

Dr. Alicia Carroll

Nadia Chahid

Ken and Leslie Chepenik

Michael and Amy Clarke

Patty and Gary Coleman

Timothy Collins

Gina Colombatto

Kelly Connolly

Walter Conradson

Sarah Corley

Mary Counihan

Brent Coyle

Ingrid Dan

Shruthi Dhoopati

Carol Diamond

Jeanne DiCapua

Susan Dillard

Richard and Cheri Dinsmore

Lori Doctrow

Rebecca Donnelly

Dreamwind Flutes

Steve Dunnington

Randi Dunnuck

Virginia Duquet

Travis Elliott

Chris Erwin and Sue Hannum

Lina Evans and Ira Sloan

Kathryn Farlow

Gail Ferguson

Patti and Rich Fertel

Erik Field

MaryJane Findley

JoAnna Fireman

Forge & Foundry Strategic

Lauren Fortuna

John Fox

Deborah Francis

Linda and Jeffrey Fromson

William Fryar

Audette Fulson

Victor Garlock

Ray Glass

Patti Glazer

Ellen Golden

Susan Gretchko

Mary Ellen Griffin

Timothy Griffin

Marque Gritta

Stanley Grygiel

Julie Guy

Sherri Hall

Linda Hamilton

Anna Harris

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Craig Allen

Jack Benton

Kirk Borland

Michael Cortes, Vice President

Suzanne Escovitz

Dr. Bolling Farmer

Leslie Fay

Brian Gillespie, Treasurer

Nancy Houha, Secretary

David Lancor

Jerry McAninch

Hannah Michalove, President

Artie Miller

Joe Scully

Dr. John Whitmire

Steve Harrison

Pam Harting

Peter Wortham Hawes

Marilynne Herbert

Karl Hinterkopf

Judith Hoffman

Randa Holland-Jobe

LeRoy House

Jeffrey Howard

Cristina Hull

Trip and Lisa Huxley

Kathy and Gary Jackson

Susan Jensen and Lew Gelfond

Laurel Jernigan

Elizabeth Johns

Mary and Randy Johnson

Charis and Bruce Kabat

Judith Kaplan

Katie Kasben

Peter Kennedy

James Kennedy

Jess and Phyllis Key

MaryAnn Kiefer and David Erwin

Susan Koenig

Anna and Bruce Koloseike

Mike and Cynthia Krimmelbein

Robert and Eleanor Lane

Jessica Lauer

Lynn Lederer

Rita Lenderman

William Abbuehl and Rose Levering

Elizabeth Likis

Patricia Liming

Francisco Linares

David Logan

Agustina Lotts

Sherry Lundquist

Suzanne and Jay Mahler

Ron and Gail Manheimer

Richard Mark

Julie Mayfield and Dr. Allen Lalor

Robert McCartha

Hugh and Carol McCollum

Chris and Sharlene McGraw

Jordan Miller

David Modaff

William Mooney

Anthony Morrow

Jess Myer

Dave Nelson and Margo White

Marianne Newman

Kent Nordvig and Mark Smith

Thomas Nowatka

Ellen and David Nutter

Paula O’Hara and Joe Luna

Judy and Rick Ott

Painters Greenhouse

Drs. Robert and Danna Park

Rose Patz

David Pheil

Kaye and Todd Phillips

Elizabeth and William Phoenix

Robyn Pichler

Jack A. Pierce

Gloria Pincu

Ruth Planey

James Pritchard

Katy Ramsey

Sally Ray

Gail Rhodes and Roger Gauthier

Anna Rhodes

Georgia Richardson

Jennifer Rish and Constance Lofton

Shearon Roberts

Paul Rollins

Regan Roos

Karen Rowlett

Theresa Ruggiero

Frank Rutland

Akira Satake

Karen Sattinger

Betsy and Jimmy Savely

Jessica Schaeffer

Bob Seymour

Kathy Shaver

Jeffrey Slater

Barbara Sloss

Colleen Smeekens

Janet Smith

Lindsey Smith

Mary Ann Stein

Debbie Stierwalt

Leaneau Stoll

Hank and Marita Strauss

Joe and Angie Stritch

Darrell and Caroline Strong

Cathy Stryker

Jan Sturgis

Bob and Christine Swoap

Margery Tabankin

Katie Tester

Charles Thompson

Paola Tinoco

Helen Toms

Donna Toth

Dari Tritt

Jennifer Utley

Jennifer Vogel

Timothy Warner and Barb McCampbell

Richard Weaver

John and Kitty Webster

Jan Weintraub

Terri Wells

Mary Ann West

John Whitener

John and Heather Whitmire

Dr. Kathryn Williams and Alan Davis

Christy and Joshua Wilson

David Winston

Think

Anne Wolf

Ann Wood

Mary Bruce Woody

Meg Word-Sims

Joe and Shellie Yanik

Doug Yorke

Hank Young

Alan and Kathleen Young

John Zellers

Lach and Jennifer Zemp

Sherrill and Ted Zoller

Official Spring Water of the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts BlueMoonWater.com 828-253-6060

ONE CENTER: MANY POSSIBILITIES

The Wortham Center is a three-venue performing arts complex, available for both community and private rental uses, and suitable for events such as music, theater and dance performances, workshops and conferences, or weddings and receptions.

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE

Enjoy state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, hearing assistance technology, a high-definition laser projector, and a professional support staff in this beautiful 500-seat theatre in the heart of downtown Asheville.

TINA McGUIRE THEATRE

With capacity for up to 100 patrons, the Tina McGuire Theatre is a versatile and intimate space equipped with a professional dance floor, adjustable stage and seating platforms, and high-quality lighting and sound systems.

HENRY LaBRUN STUDIO

With a professional dance floor, portable ballet barres, mirrors, a piano, and convertible seating options for 65-85 people, the Henry LaBrun Studio is ideal for small gatherings, lectures, classes, youth events, and workshops.

COURTYARDS

The Explore Asheville Courtyard and the Market Street Courtyard are perfect for outdoor events and receptions, with optional acoustic stage and seating configurations.

NANCY & DON ACKERMANN COLE LOUNGE

For VIP receptions and events, take advantage of this lounge space connected to the Henry LaBrun Studio. Includes a coat check room and catering kitchen.

BILL & JERRY McANINCH THEATRE CAFE

Located in Wortham’s central lobby, the café offers locally sourced snack and beverage selections such as beer and wine, fine chocolates, and gourmet popcorn.

For more information on renting one or more of these spaces, visit worthamarts.org.

Wortham Center lobby photo by Nick King Photography

Parker Concert Hall 2024-25 Series

OCTOBER 11, 2024

OPENING NIGHT with The Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Raphaël Feuillâtre–Virtuoso Guitar

DECEMBER 5, 2024

Handel’s Messiah

DECEMBER 14, 2024

Kruger Brothers–In The Holiday Spirit

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Soprano Larisa Martínez in Concert

MARCH 13, 2025

A ST. PATRICK’S DAY

CELEBRATION with Dervish

APRIL 8, 2025

Pianist Zlata Chochieva in Recital

MAY 13, 2025

SEASON FINALE with Roberto Díaz, Peter Wiley, and The Erinys Quartet

LarisaMartínez

WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

2024/2025 STAFF

Managing Director

Rae Geoffrey

Development Director

Jennifer Zemp

Development Associate

Jaime Graeber

Finance Director

Tamara Sparacino

Education and Engagement Director

Sharvis Smith

Technical Director

Jeff Zielinski

Production Manager

Mark Scearce

Lead Technician

Maddie Anderson

Technical Manager, Tina McGuire Theatre

Ean Moran

Patron Services Manager

Coco Palmer Dolce

Assistant

Patron Services Manager

Nick Delgado

Administration and

Operations Associate

Connor Nelson

Ticket Associate

Ashley Fuhrmeister

Operations Manager

Steven Hunt

Front of House Manager

Suzie Rogerson

Facilities Manager

Jeanette Houston

Marketing Director

Elly Wells

Marketing Project Manager

Kate Justus

Creative Services

Leslie Shaw

Proud to support the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, and grateful for the work they do in our community.

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