Onstage at WCU
Galaxy of Stars offers a variety of entertainment
A tribute to a comedic icon, a holiday show featuring the “Redneck Tenors” and a performance by an American country-pop superstar top the lineup for the 2015-16 Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University.
The only professional entertainment series in Jackson County, the Galaxy of Stars starts its 11th season this fall in the 900-seat performance hall of WCU’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.
• “An Evening with Groucho,” 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. Award-winning actor/director/playwright Frank Ferrante recreates his acclaimed portrayal of legendary comedian Groucho Marx in a fast-paced 90 minutes of hilarity commemorating Groucho’s 125th birthday.
• The United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. The audience will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bardo Arts Center with this two-hour show combining music ranging from Mozart to Monty Python, Bach to the Beatles, Chick Corea to Rossini, all punctuated by witty spontaneous humor.
• “3 Redneck Tenors Christmas Spec-tac-yule,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. Wearing mullets on their heads and stomping their feet, these unique vocalists whoop and holler through holiday music, providing head-to-toe fun for the whole family.
• Juice Newton, 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24. American pop and country singer, songwriter and guitarist, Newton has received five Grammy award nominations in the pop and country best female vocalist categories. Her hit songs include “Angel of the Morning,” “Queen of Hearts,” “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known),” “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me,” “Break It to Me Gently,” “You Make Me Want to Make You Mine,” “Hurt” and “Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers).”
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• Galumpha - Acrobatic Dance Trio, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy and inventive choreography, Galumpha brings to life a world of imagination, beauty, muscle and merriment.
• “Parents Night Out,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5. Comedians Karen Morgan and Jim Colliton present a comedy for grownups (recommended for ages 18+), looking at parenting from both sides, as well as examining family, marriage, minivans and minor mayhem.
• Mike Super - Magic & Illusion, 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Winner of NBC’s “Phenomenon” series and finalist in “America’s Got Talent,” Super redefines magic with a production that is more than just illusions — a journey featuring laughter, intrigue, danger, fear and wonder.
The Galaxy of Stars Series is presented by the WCU College of Fine and Performing Arts with support from the WCU Friends of the Arts organization (celebrating its fifth anniversary this year).
Series subscriptions are now available at a substantial savings over individual ticket prices. Patrons can enjoy all seven shows in the season for $120 for adults and $45 for students and children. Subscriptions allow patrons to select and keep preferred seats and also are an affordable way for families to enjoy live entertainment.
Individual performance prices are $21 for adults; $16 for WCU faculty and staff; and $7 for students and children. Ticket prices are $15 per person for groups of 20 or more.
Series tickets and single tickets are available online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or by calling the box office at 828.227.2479.
Mainstage Series
Two plays and two musicals comprise the 2015-16 Mainstage season to be presented by Western Carolina University’s School of Stage and Screen at the Hoey Auditorium.
• The season opens with “Pop! Who Shot Andy Warhol?,” a musical comedy mystery possibly inspired by an actual event and written/composed by Maggie-Kate Coleman and Anna K. Jacobs. Every character is a suspect, including the iconic pop art icon himself and all his “Factory” denizens, as they sort out the answer to the subtitle’s question through a score infused with popular music grooves and punctuated by the sound that a gun makes. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1-3 and at 3 p.m. Oct. 3.
• The classic Noel Coward comedy “Blithe Spirit” describes the conflict when mystery writer Charles Condomine accidently brings his dead wife back into an earthly sphere while researching a new book. Then his ghostly wife attempts to lure him away from his new wife and into the afterlife with her. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18-21 and at 3 p.m. Nov. 22.
• In a women’s juvenile detention center in Tennessee, the inmates are staging a production of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy in “Macbeth is the New Black.” What’s happening in the detention center begins to mirror the secrecy and violence in the play, and the results are vicious. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17-20.
• “Gypsy,” a musical loosely based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, will be presented in the Bardo Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. April 14-16, and at a 3 p.m. April 17.
Season tickets are $50 for adults; $40 for senior citizens, faculty and staff; and $20 for students. Single event tickets for the musicals are $21 for adults; $16 for senior citizens, faculty and staff; and for students, $10 day of show or $7 in advance. Single event tickets for “Blithe Spirit” and “Macbeth is the New Black” will be $16 for adults; $11 for senior citizens, faculty and staff; and for students, $10 day of show or $7 in advance.
828.227.7491 or 828.227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.
Arts and Cultural Events Series
Comedy, drama, dance and free thought-provoking films highlight the offerings of the 2015-16 Arts and Cultural Events Performance Series at Western Carolina University.
The ACE series opens with the Golden Dragon Acrobats at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. The performance brings the 2,000-year tradition of Chinese acrobatics to western audiences. Ticket prices are $5 for students and $10 for all others.
• The Southern Circuit Film Series presents its first film of the season, “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the University Center theater. The documentary resurrects the buried history of the outrageous and brilliant women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971. Filmmaker Mary Dore is touring with the film’s showings. www.shesbeautifulwhenshesangry.com.
• A Homecoming Comedy Show hosted by comedian Jose Barrientos at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Bardo Arts Center. The show will feature headliner Iliza Shlesinger with Chloe Hilliard and Kevin Yee. Poking fun at first date attire and fantasy break-ups, Shlesinger delivers a fast-paced, in-your-face hour of gender-based “logic.” Tickets will be $5 for students and $10 general admission.
• The second offering in the Southern Circuit Film Series, “Shield and Spear,” screens at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the University Center theater. This film explores stories about identity, art, race and freedom of expression in South Africa, 20 years into democracy, after an artist paints a caricature of South African president Jacob Zuma that provokes a lawsuit, death threats and a massive street protest. www.shieldspear.com.
• “Frame by Frame,” screens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the University Center theater. The film follows four Afghan photojournalists as they navigate an emerging and dangerous media landscape in post-Taliban Afghanistan after photography is no longer illegal. Interviews and archival footage shot in secret during the Taliban regime help connect audiences with these four people in pursuit of the truth. www.framebyframethefilm.com.
• The one-man play “Mercy Killers” will be presented by its author Michael Milligan at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Bardo Arts Center. Milligan portrays blue-collar worker Joe, grappling with his red state ideals when he realizes the measures he must take to care for his beloved wife. A surprisingly tender love story, “Mercy Killers” is an unblinking look at health care in America. Admission will be free for students with ID; $10 general admission. www.mercykillerstheplay.com.
• “Art and Craft” will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the University Center theater. The documentary details how one of the most prolific art forgers in United States history, Mark Landis, was finally exposed — and how he must confront the legacy of his 30-year con. Landis will be present to answer questions and talk about the film. www.artandcraftfilm.com.
• Darrah Carr Dance will bring mixed-style modern, basic ballet and a touch of tap – all with an Irish step dance brogue – at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Bardo Arts Center. Tickets will be $5 for students with ID and $10 for all others.
• The Fine Art Museum will host “MAKE!: Paint Edition” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. MAKE! is a new series; its paint edition will give participants the opportunity to paint their own pieces of art with assistance from members of the art department — as well as enjoy a variety of hors d’oeuvres and live music. Tickets are $15 for one or $25 for two (limit 10).
• The film “Embers” will be screened at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at the University Center theater. Its science fiction premise posits how survivors of a global neurological epidemic search for meaning and connection in a world without memory — how to learn, love and communicate in a future that has no past.
• Also as part of the ACE series, as many as 30 students will have the opportunity to participate in the Catamount Art Tour of Washington, D.C., March 19-25, including workshops at selected museums and visits to other landmarks in the area of the nation’s capital. Tickets will be $300.
• The film “Kings, Queens & In-Betweens,” a documentary about gender, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the University Center theater. Through the personal stories of eight drag performers and their troupes, the film seeks to make a complex subject approachable for mainstream audiences, inviting viewers into a conversation about the distinct and important differences between gender, sex and sexuality. www.kingsqueensandinbetweens.wordpress.com.
Tickets for presentations taking place at the Bardo Arts Center will be available at the box office and can be purchased online at bardoartscenter.wcu.edu or by calling 828.227.2479.
