Calendar of Events

6:30-10 PM
Location: Cherokee Country Club, 5138 Lyons View Pike Knoxville, TN, 37919

Experience an evening of unparalleled elegance at Knoxville Opera's annual opera ball, Le Bal de Paris. Journey to the City of Lights for one night as the event transforms into a Parisian dreamscape. This fundraiser promises not only a sumptuous dinner and the soulful strains of live music but also the thrill of a curated auction. As guests dine and dance beneath the Parisian-inspired ambiance, every moment, bid, and note goes towards supporting the future of Knoxville Opera. Revel in the magic of a night in Paris while championing the timeless beauty of opera.
Ticketing: https://www.knoxvilleopera.org/events/le-bal-de-paris

Knoxville Opera: 865-524-0795

With special guests Geoff Trabalka and Bluegill

Presented by Bluegill Productions and The Concourse
5:30 PM Doors | 6:30 PM Show

Admission: advance tickets at www.concourseknox.com
Tickets: $10 + fees Advance | $15 At The Door
Children 12 & under are free
Limited seating available

Information: bluegill.mg8@gmail.com

Jubilee Community Arts presents at the Laurel Theater, April 19 at 8 pm.

Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia, Ashlee Watkins & Andrew Small range from heartbreaking country duets to foot stomping breakdowns. Ashlee and Andrew have won many awards from fiddlers conventions throughout the region including first place with their string band The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee at the 85th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention.

As songwriters, Ashlee and Andrew were featured in the 2022 IBMA Songwriter Showcase and won first prize in the 29th Annual MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The duo has been featured on the PBS television show Song Of The Mountains, played on the Cabin Stage at MerleFest, and performed for the inauguration of the 74th Governor of Virginia. In 2021-22, they hosted the 10th season of The Floyd Radio Show and their music is also featured on the soundtracks of The Green Tunnel podcast and the PBS documentary Rock Castle Home.

Having grown up in a musical family in New South Wales, Australia, Ashlee Watkins is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter whose powerfully unadorned vocals exhibit a refreshing directness of expression reminiscent of Maybelle Carter, Molly O’Day, and Hazel Dickens. She has been awarded a number of blue ribbons from fiddlers’ conventions around the Southeast for her folk singing and old-time banjo and guitar playing, and in 2021, her string band The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee won first place at the 85th Annual Old Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, VA. In 2022, she completed a Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship with Floyd County master musician Mac Traynham. Ashlee also performs with Larry Sigmon and string bands including the Mustard Cutters and Nobody’s Business.

Andrew Small is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and composer who currently serves as Artist-In-Residence for The Crooked Road - Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Originally from Eastern North Carolina, Andrew holds a master’s degree in music performance from Yale University and has performed around the world with artists including Sierra Hull, Mandolin Orange, and the North Carolina Symphony. He performs in the house band for the PBS television show Farm and Fun Time and tours internationally as bassist for Bill and the Belles. A former Bluegrass Mandolin Champion of Australia, Andrew was awarded first prize in the bluegrass category at the 29th Annual MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. In 2022, he completed a Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship with National Heritage Award-winning fiddler Eddie Bond of Fries, VA. Andrew is a member of the teaching faculty for the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music program at East Tennessee State University.

Tickets available at TicketLeap (jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com), by mail or at the door 30 minutes prior to show
$20 at the door, $15 General Audience Advance, $14 JCA members, students & seniors 65+

Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. Tickets: https://jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com. Information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org

The Taylor Swift Silent Disco, Friday, April 19th at Yee Haw Knoxville.

The Taylor Swift Silent Disco is back!
And just in time to celebrate the release of her new record, The Tortured Poets Department. There will be three channels of music. One of them will be all Taylor, including songs from the new record and all the old favorites from each era. The other two channels will be a mix of all the music you love to hear at silent discos.

This event is open to ages 18+.

Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taylor-swift-silent-disco-tortured-poets-department-party-at-yee-haw-tickets

Yee-Haw Brewing (Knoxville)
745 North Broadway

The streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker. Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance amongst a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft that he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sikes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver’s chances of discovering the true love of a family.

Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:00 PM
Friday, April 19, 2024 8:00 PM
Saturday, April 20, 2024 8:00 PM
Sunday, April 21, 2024 2:00 PM

$20.00 General Admission
$15.00 Seniors, Students (under 18), MC Theatre Alumni and College Students with ID
Free for MC Students, Faculty and Staff – Must get ticket from Clayton Center Box Office

Join the Maryville College Theatre Department and Broadway Center for the Arts for a theatrical event that will not be forgotten! https://claytonartscenter.com/event/maryville-college-theatre-presents-the-musical-lionel-barts-oliver/

Full length with live orchestra
At South Doyle High School Auditorium, 2020 Tipton Station Rd, Knoxville, TN
Dates / Times: Thu 4/18/24 7:00 pm
Fri 4/19/24 7:00 pm
Sat 4/20/24 1:00 pm
Sat 4/20/24 7:00 pm

Price: $15 for adults and $10 for students.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at: https://app.memberhub.gives/sdhsmammamia/Campaign/Details
Questions please contact: South Doyle High School Booster Club at sdhschorusboosterclub@gmail.com

This sunny, funny, international smash hit sensation unfolds on a Greek island paradise when on the eve of her wedding, a young woman’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited twenty years ago. Non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers, along with the magic of ABBA's hit songs that include “Super Trouper," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Take a Chance on Me," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes It All," and "SOS," combine to make this enchanting show a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!

Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series
Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
At Tennessee Theatre

In April, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra celebrates the cosmos with a stellar program featuring four pieces inspired by different aspects of the celestial. Joyce Yang returns performing Jonathan Leshnoff’s KSO co-commissioned Piano Concerto, hailed as “a soulful piano concerto [that] enthralls” (BBC Music Magazine). The evening culminates with Gustav Holst’s evocative and awe-inspiring The Planets.

Cosmos Festival is aptly named for the KSO’s April Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series and Chamber Classics Series concerts happening within five days of one another. The KSO celebrates how humans relate to their place in the universe – spiritually and physically – through specially programmed works inspired by the cosmos.

Aram Demirjian, conductor
Joyce Yang, piano

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Overture to The Magic Flute
NOKUTHULA NGWENYAMA: Primal Message
JONATHAN LESHNOFF: Piano Concerto (KSO co-commission)
GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets

Information/tickets: 865-291-3310 or https://knoxvillesymphony.com

Kinky Boots
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Clarence Brown Theatre
April 17 – May 5, 2024

A Tony-winning Broadway sensation packed with fun and a kick of pure joy! Looking to save the family shoe business, Charlie turns to his new friend Lola -- a cabaret performer and drag queen-- who gives him an outrageous idea that could change both of their destinies. Soon, this unlikely duo creates the most sensational footwear that’s ever rocked the runways of Milan… giving the factory and its hard-working family a sparkling new future.

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera