This weekend: Local music stars come together with a purpose at Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville NC

May 5, 2018 - This Saturday at The Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 Pack Square, Asheville NC

Please join this very special evening for a very special cause: supporting DWT children's programming through the theatre's Youth Education Scholarship (Y.E.S.) Fund.

Singer-songwriter Jane Kramer is joined by local favorites Free Planet Radio and Billy Cardine, Saturday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Adding raw and inspiring talent to the program are the winners of the 2018 Y.E.S. Emerging Artists Fund scholarship: Nikki Forbes (vocal and songwriting), Daniel Logan (vocal), Mars Mignon (theatre), and Logan Williams (vocal). These talented high school seniors won $1,250 each to support their pursuit of the performing arts after graduation.

Learn more / Get tickets

Tune in and Listen:

Jane Kramer, with Free Planet Radio and Billy Cardine, will be featured live in Studio B on WNCW 88.7FM, Thursday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m.

Jane's is backed by musicians that she plays with frequently and with whom she recorded her newest album, just last week: all three members of Asheville's Free Planet Radio, who are two-time Grammy winner Eliot Wadopian on bass, River Guerguerian on percussion, and Chris Rosser on guitar and piano; and special guest, virtuoso dobro player, Billy Cardine. Learn more / Get tickets

Sponsors: This performance is made possible by Performance Sponsors John & Marsha Ellis, Ann & Jon Kemske, and Duke Energy; and by Mainstage Music Series Sponsors Henry LaBrun, Dianne & David Worley, Bank of America, JAG Construction, Merrill Lynch, Mosaic Realty, and Signarama; with additional support from Media Sponsors The Laurel of Asheville magazine, Blue Ridge Public Radio, and WNCW 88.7 FM.

Win art, jewelry, entertainment packages, and more, all while supporting children at Diana Wortham Theatre through the Youth Education Scholarship (Y.E.S. Fund)!

The 10th annual Y.E.S. Fund Raffle features Grand Prizes, online raffling, and one full evening of exclusive raffle items.

The Y.E.S. Fund allows thousands of students, regardless of their economic circumstances, to attend shows at DWT for free.

For every $10 you spend at the Raffle, one child will be able to attend a show at Diana Wortham Theatre with their school group.

 

Entrtainment News: New York-based Dance Company, Abraham.In.Motion Comes to Dianna Wortham Theatre

March 24-25, 8 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S Pack Square in downtown Asheville NC - When the Wolves Came In, performed by Kyle Abraham’s New York-based dance company, Abraham.In.Motion.

Timely and relevant to the current national spotlight on race and equality, Abraham.In.Motion’s When the Wolves Came In takes its inspiration from jazz legend Max Roach’s iconic 1960 protest album, We Insist: Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite.

Kyle Abraham began working on When the Wolves Came In after a visit to the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto, South Africa. While there, he became fixated on the power of perception, and the ways that the 13-year-old Pieterson’s death in a 1976 anti-Apartheid protest shines a spotlight on questions of personal choice and collective rights in the struggle for freedom today. For Michael Brown, Tyler Clementi, Eric Garner, Islan Nettles, and countless other faceless and nameless women and men facing violence and discrimination, these questions still have resonance.

In addition to the evening performances, opportunities with Abraham.In.Motion include:

Technique Class with Abraham.In.Motion
A master class for dance students led by Abraham.In.Motion company members will be held Monday, March 23, 3:10-4:20 PM at the UNC-Asheville Dance Studio on campus in the Wilma M. Sherill Center. Free. All skill levels are welcome and no registration is required.

Dance as Identity Ownership with Kyle Abraham
In recognition of Kyle Abraham’s contributions to Dancers Responding to AIDS, Diana Wortham Theatre is partnering with The Western North Carolina Aids Project (WNCAP) to co-present Abraham.In.Motion’s Dance as Identity Ownership workshop which uses dance to explore verbal and movement dialogue about gender and sexuality.  Held Wednesday, March 25, 3:30-5:00 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre. This is an open level class. $10 per person. Reservations are required and space is limited. To reserve a spot, call 828.257.4530.

Pre-Performance Discussions 
Kyle Abraham and Abraham.In.Motion company members will lead a pre-performance discussion at 7:00 PM prior to the March 24 and 25 performances. The Discussions will be held in The Forum off of the main lobby. These discussions are free to ticket holders. Seating is limited and offered on a first come, first served basis. No one will be admitted after 7:10 PM.

Matinee Series Performances
March 24 at 10:00 AM - Great news for parents, educators and community leaders: Due to a couple of group reservation changes, some seats have become available for these performances,The Matinee Series is open to school groups, homeschoolers, community groups, and families. Individual and group tickets available at 828-257-4530. Recommended for Grades 7-12. 

Mountain Heart Performs at Asheville's Diana Wortham Theatre

November 9 at 8 PM the Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S. Pack Square in Asheville NC - Mountain Heart, winners  or nominees of  Grammys, IBMAs, CMAs, ACMs, performs for one evening in Asheville NC.  Don't miss one of the most highly awarded and virtuosic acts in progressive bluegrass and American roots music in the world as they return to the Diana Wortham stage this week.

Get a link for the Diana Wortham Theatre and other Asheville entertainment attractions on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

 

Asheville's Diana Wortham Theatre Presents Palenque Rojo this Weekend

September 8-9   Palenque Rojo performs at Diana Wortham Theatre   A unique historical and theatrical experience featuring choreography and a cast of 20 actors directed by Hernan Galindo (multiple national prized play writer), elaborately costumed by Javier Alarcon (credits include "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans") and with a musical score based on actual pre-hispanic instruments played live.

Find details on this and other things to do in Asheville this Weekend on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Special puppet Performances at The Diana Wortham Theatre

July 13, 11 AM and 1 PM at the Diana Wortham Theatre  -  Hobey Ford's Golden Rod Puppets present "Animalia",  Special summer performances open to the public.  The magical world of animals comes to life when  award-winning puppeteer Hobey Ford and his Golden Rod Puppets present "Animalia"  in two performances. A few tickets remain for the 11:00 AM show, and 90 seats are currently available for the 1:00 PM show.

The entire theatre becomes the stage as animals swoop over the audience with realistic movement. Children of all ages love the engrossing interaction and playfulness of the animals. $7 per person for individuals and groups of 10 or less;  $6 per person for groups of 11 or more.

Mother's Day Weekend Events: Téada performs tonight at Diana Wortham in Asheville

May 11, 8 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S Pack Square in downtown Asheville NC. Téada (meaning "strings" in the Irish language) returns to the Diana Wortham Theatre to belt out the vibrant, traditional music of Ireland that it so deftly plays. 

The band is delighted to announce its newest member, legendary Irish accordion player, singer, and eager storyteller, Séamus Begley. Experience one of the first opportunities to see the band perform with its brand new line-up, right here in Asheville!  Téada's Asheville performance is presented in partnership with The Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College. 

Keigwin + Company this Week at Diana Wortham Theatre

March 30 - 31, 8 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square in Asheville NC - Keigwin + Company, A knockout fusion of pop culture and high art.   The smart, sexy, and entertaining works of Larry Keigwin gorgeously blend contemporary dance and cabaret flare with the verve of New York Fashion Week and MTV. The New York Times has called this provocative and engaging company “witty, kinetic and musically responsive” and “a parcel of pure explosive energy.”  Get Tickets and Read more...

Sagapool Performs in Asheville at the Diana Wortham Theatre

March 22, 8 PM at the Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S Pack Square in Asheville NC - Sagapool, gypsy / swing world music.   Get ready for a healthy mix of good-natured shenanigans, and striking musical skill.  Sagapool serves up rich and brightly rhythmic gypsy-swing flavors of the world at large.  You;ll enjoy a bit of mischief from this six-piece band of multi-instrumentalists with a playful synch all its own.  The guitarist may jump up to join the bassist for a thumping four-handed riff, or the whole band could switch instruments on stage in this worldscape of tender melodies and joyous, swirling romps on stage.  Get details and tickets HERE.

Diavolo Dance Theater Performs at the Diana Wortham Theatre

March 13 - 14,  8:00 PM at the Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 s Park Square in Asheville. Diavolo Dance Theater performs its spectacular wizardry.  This renowned company’s dancers, gymnasts, and actors deliver a magnificent cinematic experience, thrilling audiences with one powerful image after another. By employing oversized, surrealistic sets and props, Diavolo creates a sense of daring and risk-taking that juxtaposes human fragility and survival, and,  accomplishes its metaphors of the challenges of relationships, the absurdities of life, and the struggle to maintain our humanity in the shadow of an increasingly technological world. 

Get a link for Diavolo at Diana Wortham and other Asheville NC events HERE

 

Diana Wortham Theatre Celebrates African American History Month with Rennie Harris Puremovement

February 23-24 Meet the Women of Rennieo Harris Puremovement at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville NC.   The national theme for this year's celebration of African American History Month is "Black Women in American Culture and History" -- so how fitting that Rennie Harris Puremovement's tour includes three incredible women hip-hop dancers (it was all men for the company's stop here in 2005). Be on the lookout for these inspirational women, and the company's seven male dancers:

 

Dinita Askew was only 16 years old when she joined Eleone Dance Theatre's second company in 1999 for two years. She earned her degree in Dance at University of the Arts in Philadelphia studying Modern, Ballet, and Jazz, and later expanded her knowledge into hip-hop and funk styles. "Princess Di" continues to motivate, inspire, and educate as a choreographer and a dance teacher to all levels and age groups. Click here to check out a video of Dinita freestyling hip-hop and funk styles.

 

As a California native, Nina Flagg attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and received her B.A. in Sociology from University of California, Los Angeles. In addition to being a principal dancer for RHPM, she is often a guest choreographer and on faculty for universities all over the United States. Nina has worked with such artists as Prince, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, Chris Brown, and Will Smith. Nina's mission is to be a part of a supportive network that promotes and enhances artists, dancers, choreographers, and directors, with "the optimum result being a world of opportunity in which we are fully self-expressed and recognized for our creative endeavors." Check out Nina's website for video, photos, and more info.

 

Crystal Frazier is a native of New Jersey. She began training in dance and gymnastics at the age of six, and went on to earn a degree in Dance from University of the Arts in Philadelphia. "CryStylz" now teaches hip-hop, tap, jazz, lyrical, and afro-funk to all ages, children to adults, throughout the world. As the new tap/hip-hop instructor at Hope College in Michigan, Crystal has arranged a weekly "Skype with Crystal" communication with her students while she tours with RHPM this spring in a State Department-organized international cultural exchange to the Middle East. Click here to read more about this amazing opportunity.

Free Pre-Show Discussions for ticket holders take place in The Forum at Pack Place at 7:00pm each evening prior to the 8:00pm performances. Come early and enjoy an intimate discussion with Puremovement's Company Manager Rodney Hill.

 

The 10:00am School Show Performance of Rennie Harris Puremovement on Friday, February 24 is sold out. Student Rush tickets ($10 for students with valid I.D.) for evening performances are sold beginning at 12-noon on the day of the show, based on availability.

 

Rennie Harris Puremovement's Asheville performances are funded in part by South Arts; and are made possible by Performance Sponsors Michael & Catty Andry; and by Mainstage Dance Series Sponsors BMW of Asheville, Hedy Fischer & Randy Shull, Tina & John McGuire, and Michael Witaszek; with additional support from Media Sponsor WNC magazine.

 

Special Offer for Mainstage Dance Series Tickets

Buy tickets for all three Mainstage Dance Series Performances - Rennie Harris Puremovement, Diavolo Dance Theater, and Keigwin + Company - and save 10% off Regular ticket prices. Call the box office at 828.257.4530 for details.