"And Then One Day...It Happened" by Charlie Brouwer is one of six new sculptures in Bristol's Art in Public Places exhibit.
 

Attention Dog Lovers - Don't Miss 

BARK IN THE PARK!

 

Cumberland Square Park
Thursday, August 6th

 6:30 PM

CONTESTS
· Best Trick
· Largest & Smallest
· Best Dressed
· Fastest Wagging Tail
· Most Hair
· Most Unusual
· Dog & Owner Look Alike among others
· All pets must be leashed
· Vaccinations must be current
· Pets must be kept under control
· Rights are reserved to refuse a dog from participation if deemed to pose a threat
to others or their pet

 

 

Leapin' Lizards, it's Annie! Theatre Bristol will open its 44th anniversary season when the curtain goes up on Annie.

Straight from the pages of the comics, the familiar story of everyone's favorite orphan promises fun for the entire family. Little Orphan Annie, Daddy Warbucks, Miss Hannigan, all the orphans and a large singing and dancing ensemble will warm your hearts with familiar songs like, "Tomorrow," "It's the Hard Knock Life," "Little Girls," and "Easy Street" just to name a few.

Performances of Annie are Aug. 7, 8, 14 & 15 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 at 2:30 p.m. Reserved seating at the Paramount Center for the Arts. Ticket prices are $15 for Adults, $12 for Seniors (over 62)/Students and $8 for children (under 12). Reservations can be made by calling Theatre Bristol's office 423-968-4977.

BEHIND THE SCENES

For the third time in 12 years, more than 100 people auditioned for Annie at Theatre Bristol. Casting took over four days, with folks singing, dancing and reading in hopes of landing a spot in this production. After the dust settled, a talented group of newcomers and familiar faces make up the cast of Annie.

The coveted role of the red-headed mischief-maker went to Alexandra Eleas of Bluff City, TN. Alexandra most recently appeared in the title role of Pinocchio at TB in May 2008 and several productions at Barter Theatre including Miracle of 34th Street.

Mike Musick, Bristol, TN, will be bringing the role of Daddy Warbucks to life on stage. Mike's last appearance with TB was in The Fantastiks in August 2007.

Miss Hannigan will be played by area-artist Annie Robinette, reprising her role for a second time. Her conniving brother Rooster will be played by Michael Thomas Griffith of Bristol, VA, who was most recently seen as the the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz at TB, November 2008. Bringing the role of ditzy Lily St. Regis to life is Kaitlin Dodi, Lebanon, VA. Randa Blackley, will be portraying the role of Grace Ferrell, Warbuck's efficient secretary.

The orphans are; Makenna Arnold, Charleston Carter, Lily Graybeal, Meta Grayson, McKenna Jordan, Destiny Keene, Rachel Locke, Claire Melton, Maggie Melton, Carson Musick, Aubrey Sobczak, Tessa Valone and Brenna Williams. Others in the cast include; Trevor Adams, Jack Baugus, Brandon Bentley, Colton Brooks, Elizabeth Burns, Emily Glover, Fallon Hale, Michael Locke, Chris McVey, Laura Masters, Will Oliver, Elizabeth Paxton, Bradley Powers, Meghan Robison, Marilyn Tagert and Michael Waterfield. Sandy the dog, will be played by Jaine, owned by Sharon Flake of Bristol, VA.

David Alford is the director, Brian Hodge is the music director, Brandon Bentley is the choreographer, Sarah McCall is the stage manager and Candy Wheat is the costumer.

 

 

 

Mountain Stage to Return to Bristol Featuring Robert Cray Band, The Flatlanders, Robin and Linda Williams and Mike Seeger

 Robert Cray Band, Flatlanders, Robin and Linda Williams and Mike Seeger are featured artists when Mountain Stage returns to historic downtown Bristol on Sunday, August 16 at the Paramount Center for the Arts to record its weekly radio program.

"We are excited about the line-up that Mountain Stage has put together for this show in Bristol," noted Bill Hartley, Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Hartley added that the performers for the August 16 show display a diversity of styles and talents, ranging from contemporary to traditional and points in between, which represent the roots and branches of the region's musical heritage.

This show is sponsored by Alpha Natural Resources, WCYB, and WETS. Additional support is provided by Courtyard Marriott, Bristol, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and National Endowment for the Arts.

 

The radio show taping will be held on Sunday, August 16 at the Paramount Theatre at 7:00 pm. Ticket prices for the evening are $25 and are available at the Paramount Center for the Arts box office at 423.274.8920 or visit www.theparamountcenter.com or www.e-tix.com The $25 ticket is a reduction over past Mountain Stage tapings in consideration of today's economic climate.

Now in its 26th year, this will be the 700th show produced by Mountain Stage, a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. A two-hour radio show recorded before a live audience, Mountain Stage has established a long tradition of featuring national and international acts in almost every style of music. Mountain Stage can be heard weekly on over 100 National Public Radio affiliates throughout the United States, Voice of America, and XM satellite radio. The television program has been carried on over 200 PBS stations nationwide. Since coming to Bristol - just 3 years ago - Mountain Stage has produced 4 radio shows and 6 HDTV releases that originated from Bristol and the Paramount Theatre, reaching millions of listeners and viewers across the nation and throughout the world.

Artists include:

·Robert Cray Band - For thirty-plus years Robert Cray has laid down track after track of good-time, uptown, low-down blues. He's won five Grammys and been nominated for 11 more, inspired critics to praise his soulful vocal and instrumental artistry, earned respect from his peers, and sent young guitarists running back to the woodshed. He played the bassist in the fictional band Otis Day and the Knights in 1998's movie Animal House. His latest album, The Robert Cray Band: Live From Across The Pond, is his first full-length concert CD.

·Flatlanders - Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock have been friends for almost 40 years, and members of that not-really-a-band, life-of-its-own musical entity known as The Flatlanders for nearly as long. Thirty-seven years after their first recording project together The Flatlanders have released Hills And Valleys. Blending their own unique styles, the album's general theme is "the ups and downs, emotionally, of peoples' lives these days."

·Robin & Linda Williams -Robin and Linda Williams are like your next-door neighbors - assuming your neighbors are the salt-of-the-earth and top-flight performers to boot. You feel right at home at a Robin and Linda concert, and their music stays with you like an old friend. Favorites of fans and promoters alike, they have crisscrossed the continent (and beyond) for more than three decades, performing the tunes they love and a hearty blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country. They are first-class instrumentalists and superb songwriters, able to, as The Washington Post put it, "sum up a life in a few details with moving completeness."

·Mike Seeger - the 2009 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes NEA National Heritage Fellowship, Mike Seeger stands out in a family of prominent scholars and musical performers as an advocate, a documenter, a teacher, and an artist. Recognized widely for his mastery of the guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and autoharp, Seeger has recorded musicians who were not known except in their own communities, and thanks to his work, artists such as Dock Boggs, Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, Sam and Kirk McGee, and Hazel Dickens reached a broad public audience. Seeger has produced more than 30 documentary recordings and has performed on another 40 recordings.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. The BCMA is funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. For more information, call (276) 645-0111 or visit online at www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

 

 

 

In June, about 150 young musicians from across the country traveled to the White House for classes and performances of jazz, during the first event in the series. The program invites middle and high school-age students from across the United States to participate in a one-day program. About 120 are expected to attend Tuesday's event, which includes workshops and performances by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss & Union Station, according to a White House news statement. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the evening event.
During their visit, local musicians and their families will tour the White House, meet with Tennessee U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Johnson City, and Virginia U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, and participate in music education activities. Katie, who also plays the guitar, began singing in church at the age of 7 and currently performs with duo partner Breanna Lester in their Tymes 2 Band.
While Katie and her family plan to leave Sunday, Breanna and her parents left Wednesday to spend a week in the nation's capital.
"It's a great opportunity. It's a much bigger step than what I thought I would be able to do," Breanna said, adding she's looking forward to her first visit to Washington, D.C. The youngsters, who range in age from 11 to 17, were chosen because of their interest and involvement in music, said Leah Ross, the music festival's executive director. "We're really excited to be involved and have our area represented," Ross said. "There were a lot of worthy kids, but we tried to contact kids who had performed in our festival or were involved in music programs like the Mountain Heritage music program in Dickenson County and the Mountain Music School at Mountain Empire Community College. "The choices were made quickly, said Kevin Triplett, chairman of the BCMA's fundraising campaign. "We had a day and a half to make this happen. But when the White House calls and says you have 36 hours, you say OK," Triplett said. "But this is exactly what we're trying to do with our mission at BCMA - to promote our heritage and its future. And that future is children like this, who are extra talented."