Calendar of Events

Free admission. These two staged readings will also be followed by a discussion session with the actors, audience, director and playwrights.

The Third Proposal by Dennis Duff (Sevierville, TN) – Struggling against his feelings for neighbor Anna Wagner, Helmut can only watch as his two brothers vie for her hand, then fall as victims of WWII.
3/12/16 2:00 pm at Theatre Knoxville Downtown

The Nearly Final Almost Posthumous Play of the Not-Quite-Dead Sutton McAllister by Kris Bauske (Ocoee, FL) – When world-renown playwright Sutton McAllister suffers a major stroke and nearly dies, his plastic surgery-addicted niece leads the mad hunt to find his final script.
3/19/16 2:00 pm at Theatre Knoxville Downtown

The New Play Festival presents un-published, un-produced plays for their worldwide premiere. Tennessee Stage Company accepts new play submissions throughout the year from all over the United States. In October, the company selects which plays it will produce from the submitted works. Info: 865-546-4280 or www.tennesseestage.com

"RAW MATERIAL" – Living Art workshop
with Claire Elizabeth Barratt
(co-founder of Circle Modern Dance / founding director of Cilla Vee Life Arts)

Saturday & Sunday, March 12 & 13 from 3:00–5:00 PM
Emporium Annex Studio, 100 S Gay St.
The Raw Material of the performing artist is the Self. This workshop is for anybody who has a body – to investigate the body as a medium for art: Dancers, Choreographers & Actors exploring a unique personal movement vocabulary; Visual Artists pursuing concepts in Performance Art; Yoga & Body Work practitioners expanding a creative practice – or any body who is just plain curious!

Claire has developed a "practical pedagogy" for performance art – a teaching method that allows each individual to research the Self as raw material with which to create.

The workshop sessions will employ three avenues of inquiry:
1. Body Tuning

– using the analogy of "tuning" an instrument or an engine in order to realize its capacities & prepare for action

2. Creative Response
– interactive play in response to other entities

3. Environmental Interaction
– engaging the raw materials of Self with the raw materials of environment

Come prepared with layers of warm, comfortable clothing.
The two workshop sessions are designed as a cohesive unit – however, it is possible to just attend one in the case of insurmountable schedule conflicts!

Saturday & Sunday, March 12 & 13 from 3:00–5:00 PM
Emporium Annex Studio, 100 S Gay St.
Circle Modern Dance: 865-524-7615, www.circlemoderndance.com

In 1967, a little-known vocal group called The 5th Dimension recorded a song called "Up, Up and Away” which turned out to be one of the biggest smash hits in musical history. Join The 5th Dimension as they perform dozens of hits with the Knoxville Symphony including "Wedding Bell Blues," "Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep," and "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In."

The News Sentinel Pops Series began in 1986 to fulfill a community need for a high-quality evening of classical pop entertainment. Since then, hundreds of guest artists have traveled to Knoxville to perform in this series. The News Sentinel Pops Series has produced record ticket sales and has introduced thousands of people in East Tennessee to the KSO.

At the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37915. Tickets and information: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

The Freight Hoppers concert originally scheduled for the snowy night of January 23 has been moved to March 12.

The Freight Hoppers have been presenting old-time string band music for more than 20 years. The band started presenting their energetic take on fiddle band music 4 times a day, 7 days a week at the Great Smoky Mountains Railway shortly after forming back in 1992. This afforded the group plenty of paid rehearsal time to hone a sound that has proven entertaining and distinctively theirs. Their repertoire includes music that was first recorded in the late 1920's and early 1930's, and spans geographically from Mississippi to West Virginia. The Freight Hoppers play hard driving old time music with an emotional, raw excitement that keeps one foot planted in the past and the other in the present. Of course that's only when they keep their feet still, for this is high energy dance music of an older day played like there's no tomorrow. Finding their passion from a love of stringband music of the 1920's and 30's, The Freight Hoppers have been entertaining crowds of fans at festivals and music halls alike as they travel around the country, and beyond. The heart of the band is held together by the fiddle and banjo combo of Barry Benjamin and Frank Lee, while the rhythm section of Mclean Bissell on guitar and Bradley Adams on string bass hold down the ensemble. Based out of the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, The Freight Hoppers draw from a deep source of rural southern music for their inspiration, and are proud to present this music that is still meaningful today.

The Freight Hoppers are:
Barry Benjamin, fiddle
Frank Lee banjo, bottleneck guitar, vocals
Mclean Bissell guitar, vocals
Bradley Adams string bass

Tickets: $14 (discounts apply to advance purchase, JCA members, students & seniors)
At Jubilee Community Arts, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. For information/tickets: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org.

Jazzspirations Live, one of Knoxville’s best-kept secrets, begins its third year of existence. This live smooth jazz concert series has featured regional and national artists, including Grammy award winning talent, from around the country. Knoxville resident, syndicated radio host and jazz recording artist BRIAN CLAY is the creator and host of the monthly series. Brian performs and invites regional and national artists to join him on the Jazzspirations LIVE stage. He balances marquee headliners and incredibly talented up and coming artists to create one-of-a-kind musical experiences every month in Knoxville.

The newly reopened Red Piano Lounge, 4620 Kingston Pike in Bearden, is the venue for the series this year. The Red Piano offers a comfortable and intimate setting for jazz, with a state of the art sound system designed by the resident sound designer and engineer for UT’s Theater department, Mike Ponder. Red Piano also offers an eclectic tapas menu and your favorite beer, wine and signature cocktails.

The 2016 also lineup includes:
Julian Vaughn (Billboard Jazz chart topper) March 12.
Angelina Sherie (violin virtuoso and vocalist extraordinaire) April 9.
Jeanette Harris (Berklee graduate & touring saxophonist for the late Teena Marie)
May 14
Darren Rahn (Over 25 #1 singles & multiple Grammy nominations as a artist, producer and engineer) June 11
VENUS (2014 Best Female Band – Black Women in Jazz Awards) July 2

For the full lineup, dates, showtimes, tickets and other information, log onto www.smoothjazzknoxville.com.

Presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association. ORCMA is pleased to present a joint concert featuring the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the Oak Ridge Chorus, and special guests, Sound Company Children's Choir. This family friendly concert will feature song and dance from the members of Sound Company, performing excerpts of music from American composers Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. The American Salute will conclude with Dvorak's popular Symphony No. 9, "From the New World", based on African-American and Native American melodies.

Tickets may be purchased at the door. Admission is always free for students age 18 and under.

At the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center, 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, 37830. Info: (865) 483-5569 or www.ORCMA.org

Jessica Rodocker: “Tips on Selling & Buying a Historic House”
FREE

Knox Heritage, at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

Five Points Up, a community-led organization facilitated by the Knox County Health Department, is helping host the East Knoxville Communitywide Clean-Up. The event will kick off at the Harvest Center Plaza parking lot (2410 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue). Participating community members will meet at the kickoff event and then disperse into their own particular neighborhoods to pick up litter. Snacks and beverages will be available, as will the use of clean-up tools, gloves and supplies, for no cost to the participants.

The event is organized by partners from East Knoxville neighborhood groups, community-based organizations, and government institutions and programs.

Please contact CAC East Neighborhood Center (546-5125) or the Knox County Health Department (215-5187) for more information. We want all those who live, work, worship and play in the East Knoxville community to come out and lend a hand for the clean-up!

Irish food, silent auction, family entertainment! Proceeds benefit the Sister Jolita fund for students in need. $5 per child, $7.50 per adult, $20 for the whole family.

At St. Joseph School, 1810 Howard Dr, Knoxville, TN 37918. Info: 865-689-3424

Kidstuff is a show for kids and the kid at heart. On most Saturdays, host Sean McCollough delivers an eclectic mix of children's music. But on the second Saturday of every month, he hosts a special free live show in the Knoxville Visitor Center with great musical acts.

Kidstuff with Sean McCollough presents Miss Lillian the Chicken Spirit Lady, 10:00 AM, Visitor Center, Free Bring the kids - both big and small - to Kidstuff Live!

WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-544-1029, www.wdvx.com

With Dragonfly Aerial Arts and One World Circus - Benefits circus classes for at-risk youth. Daring acts of aerial skill, unicycling, acrobatics, tightwire, comedy and more. Find yourself amazed, amused and inspired by this full-length circus production for all ages.

Fri Mar 11, 7:30 PM
Sat Mar 12, 2 PM & 7:30 PM
Sun Mar 13, 2 PM

Admission: $12 for adults, $10 for children & seniors

At the Clayton Performing Arts Center at Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Tickets/info: 865-609-2012, www.dragonflyaerialartsstudio.com

Come fly with us to Neverland! Disney Peter Pan, Jr. is coming to the Clayton Center for the Arts in March. Maryville Christian School brings a classic childhood story to life in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre March 11-12. A cast of over 75 actors sing and dance their way through this Disney favorite. Any area school groups wanting to attend the production for our school show on March 11, please contact Julie DeBusk at jdebusk@maryvillechristianschool.org. Disney Peter Pan, Jr. is presented through special arrangement with MTI of NY, NY.

Adults $15, Children 12 and under $5

March 11, 7 PM; March 12, 1 PM & 7 PM

Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre at Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com