Orchestra to play fairy tales and Mozart

Blue Ridge Orchestra begins its 2012-2013 season with a musical visit to Cinderella, Mother Goose and the witch from Hansel and Gretel at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Colonial Theater in Canton.

The lively overture to Rossini’s opera La Cenerentola (Cinderella) opens the concert, followed by four of Maurice Ravel’s tone poems from Mother Goose: Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty, Little Thumb, Conversations of Beauty and the Beast, and The Fairy Garden. The first part of the concert ends with a wild Witch’s Ride from the opera Hansel and Gretel by the German late-Romantic Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921).

Tickets are $15 general admission; $10 for Friends of the Blue Ridge Orchestra and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased at the door or ordered through the website at www.blueridgeorchestra.org.

Ensemble to present ‘British Travelogue’

 Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble will present its first concert of the 2012-13 season with “A British Travelogue” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The 55-member wind ensemble comprises the best musicians in the WCU School of Music and is conducted by director of bands John T. West. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature music by composers inspired by the British Isles. Its’ centerpiece is Percy Grainger’s masterwork “Lincolnshire Posy,” a suite of six movements, each based on folk songs collected by the composer during visits to the Lincolnshire region of England in the early 1900s. Also on the program are “A Manx Overture” by Haydn Wood; Gustav Holst’s “Moorside March,” conducted by graduate student Emily Talley; “Four Scottish Dances” by Malcom Arnold; and “Thames Journey” by Nigel Hess. 828.227.7242.

Frog Level Brewing hosts Toys For Tots fund-raiser

Frog Level Brewing Company will host the USMC Reserve 2012 Toys For Tots kickoff at 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at the brewery on 56 Commerce Street in Waynesville.

A $20 donation or two new, unwrapped toys will get you one free Frog Level Brewing craft beer and a barbeque plate from Blue Ridge BBQ. The Gone Over the Mountain Boys and The Arrington Baker Band will provide the live music. The event is open to the public. All proceeds benefit Haywood County families.

www.FrogLevelBrewing.com or 828.454.5664

STYX to hit the stage at Harrah’s

Legendary group STYX will be performing at 9 p.m. Jan. 18 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

With two Super Bowl appearances, chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon and Bad Company (to name only a few) and two more recent studio albums, STYX continues to conquer the planet with hit singles including “Lady,” “Come Sail Away,” and “Mr. Roboto.” Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Tickets are currently on sale.

www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000.

Big & Rich roll into Cherokee

Big & Rich will be hitting the stage at 10 p.m. Oct. 20 at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.

The duo just released their new album, entitled “Hillbilly Jedi,” co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, on Sept. 18. It’s the duo’s fourth LP and their first since the 2007. Their career hits include “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” “Lost in This Moment” and “That’s Why I Pray,” among others.

www.ticketmaster.com or 800.745.3000. 

Judo club to host ‘brawl’

Waynesville Judo Club will host the 24th annual Fall Brawl at 11 a.m. Oct. 6 at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

There will be a judo tournament inside the center and entertainment outside for everyone. This will include a car show by the Sunset Cruisers, bluegrass and country music, barbecue and a dunking machine. There will also be a 21-foot super ninja slide for children. There is a fee of $3 per person for unlimited slides or dunks on the dunking booth. Also, there will be a $5 per plate for a barbecue sandwich, chips and a drink.

828.506.0327.