Hill City hopping with autumn arts schedule

With the Hill City’s arts scene as bustling as ever, this fall has a slew of events that’ll keep you hopping through the holidays.

Listed below are our picks for 21 events — everything from art exhibits to plays to one Chili Cook-Off — to consider penciling in on your calendar.

These are by no means everything our local arts scene has to offer; it’s simply a sampling of events to keep an eye out for (and, remember, all dates and times are subject to change, so keep checking back with The News & Advance, The Burg and each organization’s Web site for up-to-date information):

Saturday, Sept. 26
The Academy of Fine Arts kicks off its season with Barrage, a group of high-energy Canadian fiddle players who perform a mix of jazz, classical and rock music backed by a rock band. The show is in the Warehouse Theatre at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $30 for adults, $27 for seniors and $15 for students. For more information, call (434) 528-3256 or (434) 846-TIXX, or visit www.AcademyFineArts.com.

Tuesday, Sept. 29
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, E.C. Glass Theatre is performing a special season of seven plays and musicals — six of which have been previously staged by the school’s program.
First up is “The Real Inspector Hound,” a murder mystery farce by Tom Stoppard, at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Studio Theatre. In it, two theater critics are watching a murder mystery production and wind up involved in the action. Other show dates are Sept. 30 and Oct. 1-3. For more information, call (434) 522-3712 or visit www.ecglasstheatre.org.

Friday, Oct. 2
Local artist Mike Twery will show his work in an exhibit at the Avenue Arts Studio Gallery on Rivermont Avenue. Twery’s “Mikigami” shapes are inspired by folded candy wrappers; he creates objects and forms that vary depending on the viewers’ own imaginations. Avenue Arts will also show Larry Bowden’s paintings, which are devoted to Zen and Modernism. A First Fridays opening reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. For more information, call (434) 841-6831 or visit www.avenueartsstudiogallery.com.

Saturday, Oct. 3
Taking a page from the popular reality show “Dancing With the Stars,” Virginia School of the Arts’ latest fundraiser will put local celebrities’ hoofing to the test.
Mayor Joan Foster, Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick, Ted “Teddy Spaghetti” Kraje and WSET anchor Noreen Turyn are among the Hill City stars who will don their dancing shoes for “Dancing With the Lynchburg Stars,” scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the James River Conference Center. Each pair will perform, and the crowd will vote on a winner. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by calling (434) 847-8688.
The same night, Blues legend Duke Robillard will hit the stage for an 8:30 p.m. concert at The Ellington. Robillard is a guitarist, bandleader, singer, songwriter, producer and session musician, who has shared recording studio space or stage time with greats like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, among many others. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information, call (434) 845-2162 or visit www.theellington.org.

Friday, Oct. 9
Sweet Briar College senior Sandi Prentice wrote and is directing “A Julie Andrews Musical Tribute,” which will focus on how the actress’ home life related to the home she found on stage. The free show is at 7:30 p.m. in the Babcock Fine Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre. Another show is scheduled for Oct. 10. For more information, visit www.theatre.sbc.edu.
Randolph College also has a show that night, the first production in its inaugural Studio Season: Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Seascape” at 7:30 p.m. The play is about a middle-aged couple who encounter a pair of human-size lizards that speak perfect English. Other shows are set for Oct. 10 and 11. For more information, call (434) 947-8562 or visit http://faculty.randolphcollege.edu/theatre.

Thursday, Oct. 15
The Hamner Theater is putting on a production of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winning “Glengarry Glen Ross” at 7:30 p.m. Other show dates are Oct. 16 and 17, and all tickets are $10. For more information, call (434) 361-1999 or visit www.thehamnertheater.com.

Friday, Oct. 16
Heritage High School’s Pioneer Theatre kicks off a new season with “Once on This Island” at 7 p.m. The show is also scheduled for Oct. 17, 18 and Oct. 22-24. For more information, visit (434) 582-1147 or www.hhspioneertheatre.org.

Tuesday, Oct. 20
Lynchburg College’s Daura Gallery is celebrating “Fifty Years of Rock,” an exhibit featuring 20 posters of legends like Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, the Grateful Dead and more, organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. An opening reception is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the exhibit will remain up through Dec. 13. For more information, visit www.lynchburg.edu/daura.xml.
(On Oct. 27, Chip Walton, a sociology professor, will give a related lecture, “Honky Tonk Angels and Riot Grrrls: Exploring the Gendered Spaces of Rock and Roll.”)

Friday, Oct. 30
Randolph College’s Wildcat Theatre presents “The Rocky Horror Show,” just in time for Halloween. The cult classic musical is set for 7:30 p.m., with subsequent performances on Oct. 29-31 and Nov. 1, 5, 6 and 7, with two 11:30 p.m. shows on Oct. 30 and Nov. 7. Tickets are $12 general admission, $9 for Randolph faculty and staff, $7 for seniors 60 and older and $5 for all students. For more information, call (434) 947-8562 or visit http://faculty.randolphcollege.edu/theatre.
Renaissance Theatre is also tackling a classic with the rock opera “Rent.” An opening night reception is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., and the show begins at 8. Future dates are Oct. 31 and Nov. 6-8, 13-15 and 19-21. Tickets are $15 for all shows. For more information, call (434) 845-4427 or visit www.renaissancetheatre.info.

Saturday, Oct. 31
The Sedalia Center is holding its annual Chili Cook-Off, in which gourmets and wannabes alike whip up their best recipes for judging from noon to 6 p.m. Tunes will be provided by local band Work Release. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. For more information, call (540) 299-5080 or visit www.sedaliacenter.org.

Friday, Nov. 6
Liberty University will present “Jane Eyre: The Musical,” a retelling of the Charlotte Bronte classic about an orphan who grows up to be a governess, at 7:30 p.m. Other show dates are Nov. 7, 8, 12-15, 17, 19 and 20.
The same night at 8 p.m., the Black Theatre Ensemble is back with “Nu Naybahood II … Here We Go Again,” a musical comedy based on Munyungo Jackson’s book, “Nu Naybahood Funetic Ebonics Dictionary,” in the Academy of Fine Arts’ Warehouse Theatre. Other show dates are Nov. 7 and 8. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the Academy box office at (434) 846-TIXX.
(Jackson will be in town for the show and will lead a drum circle percussion workshop in the Warehouse Theatre from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 7. There is a $5 registration fee for the workshop.)

Saturday, Nov. 7
Dance Theatre of Lynchburg will mark its 10th anniversary with a celebration at 7 p.m. The night will be full of special guests and performances from the Repertory Ensemble, alumni, staff, and regional dancers. Lee will also revive two of his previous pieces, “Mama Rose” and “Us,” which he choreographed for the American Ballet Theatre in the 1970s. Tickets are $50 per person, and tables of eight will be sold for $500. For more information, call (434) 846-6272 or visit www.dancelynchburg.org.

Saturday, Nov. 14
The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra is turning the Academy of Fine Arts’ Warehouse Theatre into a nightclub for “Get Down Tonight — The Best of Motown,” featuring Bill Carroll and the BC Big Rhythm Sound.
The event begins at 9 p.m., and tickets are $25. For more information, call (434) 845-6604 or visit www.lynchburgsymphony.com.

Sunday, Nov. 15
Opera on the James begins its 2009-2010 season with “Hansel & Gretel,” an adaptation of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tale set for 3 p.m. in the E.C. Glass High School auditorium. For more information, call (434) 528-3397 or visit www.operaonthejames.org.

Thursday, Nov. 19
The James River Council for the Arts & Humanities is hosting a Cultural Celebration, a free gala that will feature performances from students from Virginia School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Lynchburg and Liberty University, among others. The event will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20
Riverviews Artspace hosts its annual CINEviews Film Festival, which will focus on the world of animation this year. The festival’s special guest is Tuck Tucker, storyboard director for “SpongeBob SquarePants.” In addition to introducing some of the animated features, he’ll also lead workshops on animation story-boarding and drawing “SpongeBob.” For more information, call (434) 847-7277 or visit www.riverviews.net.

Saturday, Nov. 21
The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats will bring their brand of daring maneuvers and death-defying acrobatics to the Academy of Fine Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $27 for seniors and $15 for students. For more information, call (434) 528-3256 or (434) 846-TIXX, or visit www.AcademyFineArts.com.