The Kingston Trio
By Natasha Anderson
Diana Wortham Theatre (DWT) begins the 2017–2018 Mainstage Series season with a performance by The Suffers on Friday, September 22, at 8 p.m. and The Kingston Trio on Saturday, September 23, at 8 p.m. The two concerts set the tone for a season full of diverse acts with broad appeal to both current and new audiences.
“Presenting these two artists back to back on opening weekend illustrates the wide diversity of performances at DWT,” says the theatre’s managing director Rae Geoffrey. “The Suffers, who have a soulful, celebratory sound, are on the rise, garnering national attention through their work on television and radio. Conversely, The Kingston Trio, who launched the folk movement of the 1950s and ‘60s, is a legendary household name.”
An expanded selection of world music acts is also featured this year, including concerts by Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas, Irish band Socks in the Frying Pan and ten-time Grammy winning pianist Eddie Palmieri. The season also brings plenty of family-friendly performances, with illusionist Joshua Lozoff presenting Life is Magic, Peter Gros from the Original Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom sharing the world of animals, and Pinkalicious: The Musical, a show based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann.
A wide variety of theatre selections includes The Reduced Shakespeare Company in All The Great Books, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility presented by Aquilla Theatre and Montana Repertory Theatre’s production of On Golden Pond. Some of the country’s top dance companies will perform as well, including DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion with their production, L.O.S.T., Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE: A Dance Company.
“I am particularly excited about bringing back Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE,” says Geoffrey. “On September 14, Brown will be in town for residency work in our community, which will include a panel discussion with local religious leaders about the connection between art and spirituality.”
DWT’s mission is to present entertaining, enlightening and enriching programs to neighbors and visitors in Asheville, Buncombe County and WNC. The theatre is committed to reaching new audiences as well as continuing to provide acts that are popular with current patrons. “We pay special attention to the latest acts that are shaping the arts in our society and those that create opportunities for community conversation,” says Geoffrey.
Diana Wortham Theatre is located at 18 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville. The theatre offers flexible multi-show discount packages starting with as few as three performances, with savings from 10 percent to 20 percent off regular prices depending on the number of performances. For more information, including the full 2017–2018 line-up, or to purchase tickets, visit dwtheatre.com. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the box office at 828.257.4530.
