Dance, Drama and Music Coming to Boone
in 2009
Appalachian State’s Performing Arts Series presents four acts during the spring semester

Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs begins the Spring  2009 season of its Performing Arts Series on Tuesday, January 27 with an inspiring performance by the African Children’s Choir.  The spring season will feature four events representing a wide variety of arts and entertainment.  In addition to the African Children’s Choir, the season’s remarkable performances include LA Theatre Works: The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials featuring Ed Asner in the starring role, Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour, and North Carolina Dance Theatre’s stunning American Masterpieces.  

Give the gift of entertainment this holiday season with a convenient Flex 4 Pass, valid for four tickets to any combination of Performing Arts Events.  Why deal with traffic and over-crowded stores when you can purchase Flex 4 Passes by phone and have them mailed to the recipients of your choice, who can then choose their shows and their seats at their convenience— it’s hassle-free for everyone!  Or, keep the Flex 4 Pass for yourself and see every show this spring season!  Tickets are on sale now at the Farthing Auditorium Box Office, Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm.

African Children’s Choir:  “Journey of Hope”

Tuesday, January 27

8pm, Farthing Auditorium

Following the brutal reign of Uganda’s Idi Amin, during which thousands of children were orphaned and left starving, the African Children’s Choir was founded by human rights activist Ray Barnett, and is comprised of children ages seven to eleven, each of whom have lost one or both of their parents to poverty or diseases such as AIDS. Blending traditional song and dance inspired by the entire continent of Africa, the choir delights audiences all over the world with their moving and motivating message of hope. They have performed at many prestigious events, including for Kofi Annan at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York, with Mariah Carey and Sir Paul McCartney at Live 8 in London and at Nelson Mandela’s AIDS awareness concert in South Africa.  They have also been featured on top-rated shows Good Morning America, Ellen and American Idol.  Experience for yourself this unforgettable “Journey of Hope” that tells of the Choir’s inspirational passage out of war-torn Uganda.

LA Theatre Works: “The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials”

Wednesday, February 11

8pm, Farthing Auditorium

Based on the original transcripts of the 1925 Scopes Trial, and starring Ed Asner and an all-star cast drawn from the ranks of L.A. Theatre Works Radio Theater, the characters at the center of one of the greatest debates of American society come to life in this magnificent, semi-staged production of The Great Tennessee Monkey Trials.  Broadcast in America on NPR and internationally on BBC, CBC and Voice of America, L.A. Theatre Works has been the leading radio theater company in the United States, and has single-handedly brought the finest recorded dramatic literature into the homes of millions for the past two decades.  In this thought-provoking performance, unlikely heroes Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, H.L. Mencken and John Scopes set the stage for an ongoing national debate over the freedom of inquiry and the separation of church and state.  This semi-staged performance will revisit the groundbreaking court case that enraged some and enlightened others, changed ideals and set standards.  Even though the collision of social and intellectual values played out in a rural Tennessee courthouse nearly eighty years ago, the core issues of this noteworthy story remain unresolved even today.  

Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary On Tour

Tuesday, February 17

8pm, Farthing Auditorium

To mark the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records- the premier label in jazz- an all-star band featuring some of the finest musicians today will bring their celebration of this rich catalog of jazz music to the stage of Farthing Auditorium.  Led by Blue Note Records artist and pianist Bill Charlap, the group will explore classic tunes by Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter, among many others.  This Blue Note Records performance will feature Peter Bernstein, Bill Charlap, Ravi Coltrane, Lewis Nash, Nicholas Payton, Peter Washington & Steve Wilson, and is produced by Dan Melnick for Absolutely Live Entertainment.  This will be an evening of jazz celebration that you won’t want to miss.

North Carolina Dance Theatre: “American Masterpieces”

Thursday, April 2

8pm, Farthing Auditorium

Internationally lauded North Carolina Dance Theatre brings some of the best American choreography to the stage of Farthing Auditorium in their performance of American Masterpieces.  This three-part production includes Alvin Ailey’s classic Night Creature, George Balanchine’s wildly popular ballet, Who Cares? and Tony Award-winning Twyla Tharp’s classic Nine Sinatra Songs.

Founded in 1970, North Carolina Dance Theatre is the oldest professional ballet company in North Carolina.  With an established national reputation for artistic excellence, the company is among the finest mid-sized dance companies in the United States, touring extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe.  The company’s excellence has long been recognized in its home city of Charlotte and in the many communities that form the Dance Theatre’s touring roster.  This excellence has fostered performances at major dance festivals including Spoleto Festival, the American Dance Festival and DanceAspen.

The 2008-09 Performing Arts Series is a presentation of Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs.  The mission of the series is to support the teaching mission of Appalachian State University by presenting a diverse array of music, dance, and theatre events designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding region. By creating memorable performance experiences and related educational and outreach activities, the series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a “window on the world” through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists; and showcases some of the finest artists of Appalachian State University’s campus community and the surrounding region.

The Performing Arts Series would be unable to present and publicize its wide range of extraordinary programming programming without critical private funding sources, including a group of outstanding sponsors that are dedicated to promoting the  arts in our region, including: McDonald’s of Boone, Charter Communications, The Mountain Times, the Winston-Salem Journal, 100.7 MacFM, Mix 102.3, Mountain Television Network, WFDD 88.5, WDAV 89.9, WETS 89.5, WNCW 88.7 and WASURocks 90.5FM.

Hotel and restaurant sponsors include Westglow Resort and Spa and Rowland’s Restaurant, Chetola Resort, the Bob Timberlake Inn and the Manor House at Chetola, The Broyhill Inn and Appalachian Conference Center and the Jackson Dining Room, Best Western – Blue Ridge Plaza, the Inn at Crestwood and the Table at Crestwood, The Best Cellar, the Bistro, the Gamekeeper restaurant, Louisiana Purchase, Makoto’s Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, Pepper’s and the Red Onion Café.

Advance tickets for Performing Arts Series events range from $10 - $18; ticket prices increase at the door on show nights. Flexible subscription packages are available, offering discounts as well as priority seating. For tickets or information, call the Farthing Auditorium Box Office at 800-841-ARTS(2787) or 828-262-4046, or visit www.pas.appstate.edu.