18 • Thursday, September 5, 2019
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
CELEBRATING THE ARTS
Samford’s Wright Center Announces Event and Performance Schedule
CALENDAR from page 15 BIRMINGHAM ART CRAWL
Art Crawl, Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 Local artists and performers will present exhibitions along 2nd Ave. N. surrounding the Pizitz building the first Thurs. of every month. BIRMINGHAM ART MUSIC ALLIANCE
BIRMINGHAM BOYS CHOIR
Collaborative Concert, Sept. 12 Act of Congress Collaborative Concert, Metro Chruch of God. Fiesta!, Sept. 28 The choir will perform in Linn Park at this annual festival. Christmas Concert, Dec. 19 The choir performs its 42nd annual Christmas Concert at Briarwood Presbyterian Church. BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S THEATRE
The Watsons go to Birmingham Sept. 28 and 29, Oct 12 and 13 Christopher Paul Curtis’s Newberry Medal and Coretta Scott King Awardwinning book comes to life with the beloved story of a family’s bond and endurance amidst one of the darkest periods in American history. Mainstage.
A Year with Frog and Toad, Dec. 7, 14, 15 and 21 Based on the books by Arnold Lobel, this performance tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout every season. Part vaudeville, part make believe and all charm. Mainstage. The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, Sept. 14, 21 and 28 Aesop’s traditional story of two mice from different worlds comes to the stage in this classic written by Jean Pierce. Wee Folks Theatre. Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Dec. 7, 14 and 21 An unforgettable musical adventure based on the 1938 classic by Richard and Florence Atwater. Written by Robert Kauzlaric, music by George Howe. Wee Folks Theatre. BIRMINGHAM IMPROV THEATRE
Ugly Baby Improv!, Sept. 6 Birmingham’s disturbingly good, rough improv comedy.
Mystery at the PTA! A Who Dun’It Show, Sept.7 PTA meetings have always been a bore but this one is a killer. There is a killer among you and it is up to you to help bring them to justice. Which Way Do We Go?, Sept. 21 ETC Birmingham presents an improv show that is like a livelier version of “Choose Your Own Adventure.”
Logan Ledger BIT’s Mystery Playhouse Episode 3, Tales of Ernie Nesbit, P.I., Oct. 5 Live in front of a studio audience, this fully improvised 1940’s style radio show is made-up from the audience suggestions. Birmingham Improv Theatre. Unscripted! Starring Postively Funny Improv Oct. 26, Nov. 2 PFI’s premier show on the stage at the new Birmingham Improv Theatre, “Cleanup Aisle 1,” is the show audiences have loved since PFI’s beginning. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street, Oct. 27 A musical thriller, set in Victorian England, about an infamous murderous barber who kills unsuspecting people in London. Birmingham Improv Theatre.
Holiday Spectacular no introduction, Skaggs is a 15-time Grammy and 15-time IBMA Award winner. Holiday Memories, Dec. 5 and 6 Adapted from two of Truman Capote’s most famous stories, “The Thanksgiving Visitor” and “A Christmas Memory.” HOMEWOOD THEATRE
Girls Weekend, Oct. 24-Nov. 3 Four women travel to a cabin to consume copious amounts of wine, laugh at their lives, and chat about their book club’s latest selection. Inspecting Carol, Dec. 5-8 and 12-15 A hilarious behind-the-scenes look when all goes wrong in a slapdash production of “A Christmas Carol.”
Doesn’t Matter the Size of Your Caucus… If You Can’t Keep an Election, Nov. 7-10 Kick off the political election season with the BIT’s original comedy musical comedy. This show is rated PG13 and is an equal opportunity political party offender. Birmingham Improv Theatre.
MOSS ROCK FESTIVAL
It’s a Wonderful Laugh! A PFI Holiday Show, Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5, 6, 12,13, 19 and 20 Join Positively Funny Improv in celebrating the holidays in this fully-improvised comedy show. Birmingham Improv Theatre.
OPERA BIRMINGHAM
BLUFF PARK ART ASSOCIATION
Sounds of the Season, Dec. 15 Drawing on the talent of The Opera Birmingham Chorus, this concert will feature a variety of ensemble performances by native Birmingham artists both sacred and secular. Brock Recital Hall, Samford University.
Bluff Park Art Show Oct. 5 The 56th annual show features more than 150 artists, food vendors and hands-on art activities for children 3-8. In front of the Bluff Park Community Center. CENTRAL ALABAMA THEATER
Amy Johnson, Nov. 2 Local vocal powerhouse Amy Johnson kicks off the sixth season of the wildly popular Cat Cabaret Series, which features an array of singers and musical genres. Central Alabama Theater at Steeple Arts in Mountain Brook. HOOVER LIBRARY THEATRE
Eco-Creative Festival and Beer Garden, Nov. 2 and 3 This festival features art design, a SmartLIVING Market, live music from local talent, baked goods to sample and purchase, beer sampling, a kids studio, local food trucks and more. The Preserve, Hoover. Catch a Rising Star, Oct. 20 This production features the winner of the 2019 Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition in an intimate recital. Brock Recital Hall, Samford University.
RED MOUNTAIN THEATRE COMPANY
Disney’s Frozen Jr., Nov. 1-3 Based on the 2018 Broadway musical, the show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film plus five new songs written for the Broadway production. RMTC Cabaret Theatre.
Deana Carter, Sept. 12 and 13 CMA Award winner and six-time Grammy nominee showcases her own blend of country and retro-rock sprinkled with folksy qualities.
Holiday Spectacular, Dec. 6-22 All your favorite music of the season as RMTC Conservatory students perform alongside Birmingham’s best local artists. RMTC Cabaret Theatre.
PUSH presents Dracula , Oct 17 and 18 National Tour of PUSH Physical Theatre’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror novel.
Holiday Homecoming, Dec. 23 RMTC welcomes back past members of the Conservatory for an evening of memories, songs and celebrations. RMTC Cabaret Theatre.
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Nov. 10 A man who needs
Catch a Rising Star TERRIFIC NEW THEATRE
The Story of My Life, Oct. 3-19 Based on the book by Brian Hill this musical follows a lifelong friendship between two men whose childhood bond continues throughout their adult years. Paper Thin, Nov. 14-24 For the fourth installment of the theatre’s Written in the South series, this southern piece set on a dairy farm in North Mississippi was writeen by TK Lee and directed by Barry Austin. It’s a Wonderful Life Live, Dec.12-29 Be a part of the studio audience as the theatre takes you back in time to the 1946 radio broadcast of this beloved story, original music and live Foley sound effects bring the entire town of Bedford Falls to life. VIRGINIA SAMFORD THEATRE
Legally Blonde: The Musical, Sept. 19-Oct. 6 Based on the novel and hit-movie this musical chronicles the journey of the famously perky Elle Woods, a fashion-savvy, UCLA sorority girl who finds her life turned upside down after she is dumped by her boyfriend. You Can’t Take It with You, Nov. 1-10 Grandpa Vanderhof and his wacky family, the Sycamores, a madcap group of eccentrics, marching to the beat of their own drum have to straighten up, when one of their own becomes engaged, to meet the new in-laws. Martha Moore Sykes Studio. STARS Presents: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical, Nov. 21-24 Watch in surprise as the same old Christmas story is rejuvenated by the creativity, energy and unexpected sincerity of a misunderstood young family. VST Mainstage. VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM
Vulcan Aftertunes, Sept 22 Logan Ledger, considered one of “country music’s best up-and-coming traditionalist. Enjoy cool tunes, craft brews and sweet views. Vulcan Aftertunes, Sept. 29 Griffin House, an alternative/rock singer and songwriter known for captivating listeners with vulnerable and authentic lyrics. Vulcan Aftertunes, Oct. 6 Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, a popular blues artist from the Mississippi Delta with blistering guitar skills and vocals.
Photos courtesyw
Arias and Art Songs, Nov. 12 A group of Birmingham’s best musicians will perform a program of arias and art songs written by Birmingham Art Music Alliance composers. ReynoldsKirshbaum Recital Hall, Alys Stephens Center.
Samford’s Tonight at the Wright 2019-20 season will feature the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Opera Birmingham, Alabama Ballet, Birmingham Ballet and nationally and internationally acclaimed guest artists. Additionally, New Testament theologian N.T. Wright will kick off the inaugural Samford Provost Distinguished Lecture Series with a lecture on Sept. 9, followed by a debate on Sept. 11 with Mark Kinzer about the meaning of Israel. Samford alumnus and magician David Garrard, along with his daughter Claire, will perform for audiences Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. This is a free event. Sammy Miller and the Congregation will entertain the audience Oct. 1 in Brock Recital Hall in a performance co-presented by the Wright Center and Davis Architects Series. Celebrate Christmas with Samford Arts, which has become a holiday tradition for many families, will be held Dec. 6 this year. Over the winter, the ever-popular Step Sing will be Feb. 6-8, Melissa Manchester will be Feb. 14 and Destination Motown will be March 26. Additionally, the Wright Center will show family movies on its big screen. “Hocus Pocus” will be screened Oct. 29, “Karate Kid” on Jan. 16 and “Fantastic Beasts” on April 2. Samford will team up with a local charity for each showing. The movies will be free to the Samford community and $5 for the general public. “The hope for our movie series and our regular season is to showcase the Wright Center as a place for familyoriented entertainment and as a good community partner for Samford and beyond,” said Samford Patron Services Manager Ian Philips. Among other presentations will be Opera Birmingham’s “Cinderella, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in concert with the ASO, Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” by the Alabama Ballet and “Sleeping Beauty” performed by the Birmingham Ballet. Visit the Wright Center events page, at samford.edu/wrightcenter/, for a full schedule. Tickets for most shows can be purchased at tickets.samford.edu.
Samford alumnus and magician David Garrard, along with his daughter Claire, will perform for audiences Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.