Cultural Calendar
Home page: Metropolitan Opera’s The Magic Flute, at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. Above: Old Crow Medicine Show, at MerleFest, and Are You Ready for It? A Taylor Experience, at the App Theatre.
“The Weather Outside is Frightful,”
But the Arts are so Delightful!
Dozens of Shows, Hundreds of Performances on the Winter Schedule
By Keith Martin
It may be icy cold or snowy over the winter months, but the many cultural offerings on our local stages will warm you up both inside and out. The following is an overview of performing arts offerings on the schedule from January through mid-April 2026, including events at our area colleges and universities, all of which are listed alphabetically. PLEASE REMEMBER that all performances, dates, and times are “subject to change,” especially
in inclement weather for artist and patron safety; you are strongly encouraged to contact the box office for the most current information. See you at the theatre!
The newly rebranded APPALACHIAN ARTS series supports Appalachian State University’s teaching mission by presenting world-class performances that bring classroom learning to life, while contributing in a significant way to quality of life for residents across our region and the cultural landscape of the High Country and beyond. Their four winter/early spring offerings include the Margo Price: Wild at Heart Tour on February 14. Price has created a lane where independent-minded, insurgent country music can exist and thrive alongside the mainstream. Now she’s back with an exquisite, timeless album that reconnects with her roots. At its core, Hardheaded Woman is about that furious instinct to never waver—especially when our values and future are so clearly on the line. Less than a week later, on February 20, Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance takes to the Schaefer stage. For over 50 years, they have merged the spirit and energy of the country’s finest early-career dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding and emerging choreographers. Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1974, this universally renowned company embodies his pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people.
Rhiannon Giddens is guaranteed to sell out on April 18, so get your tickets early. She imbues her brand of folk music with miles-deep historical roots and contemporary sensibilities, pursuing an authentic understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. A two-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer and instrumentalist, MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient, and composer of opera, ballet, and film, Giddens centers her work around the mission of lifting up people whose contributions to American musical history have previously been overlooked or erased. The series concludes on April 24 with Etienne Charles: Earth Tones, presented in partnership with the Pathways to Resilience QEP, a five-year climate literacy initiative at App State. The Trinidadian trumpeter and composer has dedicated his recent works to highlighting the voices of marginalized peoples in the Americas. He broadens his scope with his latest composition, Earth Tones, a multimedia jazz performance featuring original compositions that draw attention to people and regions that are, or soon will be, severely affected by climate change. theschaefercenter.org
Recently named the Carolinas’ “Finest Theatre” by over 4,000 readers of Carolina Country magazine (beating out the Blumenthal PAC in Charlotte and the Durham PAC), the APPALACHIAN THEATRE OF THE HIGH COUNTRY (ATHC) is a non-profit, independent hub for entertainment in downtown Boone. They have the most extensive and diverse programming schedule in our region with 239 unique events last season. One year ago, they announced the creation of their Metropolitan Opera HD Live Series and The Met’s inaugural Boone broadcast season was a major hit. The second season continues December 28 with Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chenier, followed on January 10 and 25 by Vincenzo Bellini’s bel canto opera Puritani and Mozart’s The Magic Flute, then a Valentine’s Day performance of Cinderella by Jules Massenet on February 14, and Wagner’s transcendent meditation on love and death, Tristan und Isolde on March 21.
For the third year in a row, audiences are invited to ring in 2026 during New Year’s Eve @ App Theatre on Wednesday, December 31. The noon family-friendly countdown to the new year features a 75th anniversary screening of Disney’s Cinderella (1950). Following the film, the party continues with a countdown to a mock New Year’s Eve celebration that includes a photo booth, party favors, sparkling cider toast, and a balloon drop. Charlotte’s own Thurston Howell, Your Premier Yacht Rock Spectacular takes to the stage at 8 p.m. to begin a festive evening that includes dancing, party favors, photo booth, a live viewing of the Times Square Ball Drop, and a midnight champagne toast.
January 9 brings Stevie Mac to the App Theatre for a “Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks Experience,” followed on January 23 by the Django Reinhardt Birthday Celebration with Boone’s Page Brothers performing the late “Gypsy Jazz” pioneer’s music. Events the following month include a Broadway in Love concert of memorable tunes from the Great White Way on February 6, the return of Tuba Skinny—the “Big Easy Award” winner for Best Traditional Jazz Band—on February 20, followed by an encore bagpipe performance by the popular The Red Hot Chili Pipers (not Peppers) on February 26. The popular BooneDocs Film Festival is a two-day juried showcase of short-form documentary films celebrating life in Appalachia on February 27 and 28. In March, the contemporary folk duo Rakish takes to the stage on the 15th with the family fun action-packed show Puppy Pals LIVE on March 20 with adopted and rescued dogs “performing spectacular stunts and breathtaking feats.” Finally, the much anticipated Are You Ready for It? A Taylor Experience on March 29 recaps the magic of Swift’s recent Eras Tour.
In addition, dozens of movies will be screened this winter and spring, including the very cleverly titled KnitFlix series (see the “Knitting is Trending” article elsewhere in the magazine). AppTheatre.org
The vibrant ASHE COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL and the picturesque Town of West Jefferson have programmed a wide variety of events across two beautiful venues from now through April… and beyond. Their popular and well-attended Ed Perzel Chamber Music Series has four concerts on the winter schedule beginning on January 25 with the Appalachian State Faculty Ensemble. They are followed by the Galvin Cello Quartet on February 15, the Erinys Quartet on March 29, and the Terra String Quartet on April 19.
At the ASHE CIVIC CENTER, the long-awaited return of The Kruger Brothers takes place on January 31 – February 1. The internationally acclaimed trio continues to captivate audiences with their innovative and heartfelt approach to acoustic music. On February 26, The Tannahill Weavers, one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands, bring their lively Celtic sound back to Ashe County. The Civic Center’s family-friendly highlight arrives on March 12 with Lightwire Theatre’s DinoLight, a glow-in-the-dark adventure that combines puppetry, dance, and technology into a visually stunning performance for all ages. The Ola Belle Reed Songwriters Retreat returns April 10 – 12, offering creative collaborations with celebrated instructors Cathy Fink, Susan Cattaneo, and Matthew Parsons. AsheCountyArts.org
Paul Elliott’s comedy Exit Laughing is the next offering at ASHE COUNTY LITTLE THEATRE in the intimate Ashe Civic Center from March 26 – 29. When the biggest highlight of your life for the past thirty years has been your weekly card night out with the girls, what do you do when one of your foursomes inconveniently dies? If you’re three southern ladies from Birmingham, you do the most daring thing you’ve ever done. You “borrow” the ashes from the funeral home for one last card game, and the wildest, most exciting night of their lives begins with a police raid, a stripper, laughs, and a whole new way of looking at all the fun you can have when you’re truly living. AsheCountyLittleTheatre.org
BARTER THEATRE, “The State Theatre of Virginia,” has announced their entire 2026 season (17 shows!), but let’s focus on the four productions being mounted over the winter and early spring months. Their main theatre, the Gilliam Stage, will premiere resident playwright Catherine Bush’s adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers from March 14 – April 4. This action-packed adventure follows the friendships of young D’Artagnan and his band of swashbuckling Musketeers as they fight to protect the ones they love from the evil Cardinal Richelieu. Bush’s take on J. M. Barrie’s novel Peter Pan opens on March 24 with Wendy and her brothers playing make-believe in their nursery. Then one night, a young boy named Peter Pan and his fairy friend Tinkerbell whisk them away to a Neverland filled with lost boys, pirates, a man-eating crocodile, and adventures you will never forget.
Across the street in Barter’s Smith Theatre, Quinton Cockrell’s Trains runs from February 13 – 28. It takes place in 1919 when an angry mob in Corbin, Kentucky, drove 200 Black citizens from town on railcars. This world premiere is the first work to be fully developed through Barter’s Black Stories Black Voices initiative. Opening on March 21 is Pickleball by actor/playwright Jeff Daniels. In America’s fastest-growing game, there’s no place for apologies or excuses, but there is a lot of room for comedy. When four below-average players have an opportunity to compete in a local tournament, they must learn to overcome their limitations and dig deep to find the greatness that lies within. BarterTheatre.com
The next show by BEANSTALK COMMUNITY THEATRE will be the laugh-out-loud farce Southern Hospitality by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, a trio of writers collectively known as Jones Hope Wooten. The Futrelle Sisters are in trouble again. This time, their beloved hometown of Fayro, Texas, is in danger of disappearing and it’s up to the sisters to save it from extinction but, as usual, their plans to do so quickly go haywire. The story is a testament to Southern strength and ingenuity… and a recipe for total hilarity. Performances run March 12 – 14 at the Appalachian Theatre. For info, visit BeanStalkNC.com, but for tickets go to AppTheatre.org
The many offerings by the CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM (CoMMA) include Georgette Jones and a tribute to her parents, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, as she relives the golden era of country music on January 23, followed on February 7 when Drum Tao: The Best explodes on stage with powerful and athletic drumming that blends traditional “wadaiko” (Japanese drums) with modern energy and theatrical flair. On February 20, Cirque Flip Fabrique performs their newest work, Blizzard, which takes audiences on a crazy, poetic and gentle journey in the dead of winter, performed by a talented cast of Canadian acrobats.
A sequel titled Menopause the Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’ brings hot flashes, mood swings, and memory lapses to CoMMA on February 24. Five years after their chance encounter in a department store, we set sail for high jinks on the high seas in a hilarious and heartfelt look at the joys of menopause… and friendship. Direct from Rome, Italy: The Three Italian Tenors is a unique musical event on March 6 featuring original arrangements to universally loved Italian songs and tenor arias, presenting memorable melodies and themes performed by a trio of Italian tenors.
The national tour of Broadway’s Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Kinky Boots stops in Morganton for one night only on March 30. Based on actual events, it chronicles the journey of an unlikely pair who discover that you can change the world when you change your mind. The show features a score by Cyndi Lauper, book by Harvey Fierstein, and original direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell. On April 17, the Jazz Legacy Project presents Billie Holiday: God Bless the Child. Her unique vocal approach and advanced sense of rhythm made Holiday one of the most important and influential vocalists in music history, blazing a trail for women and African Americans that paved the way for future generations. CommaOnline.org
The DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE AT APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY continues its 2025-26 season with three productions in the Valborg Theatre on their Boone campus, beginning with oh to be pure again by Kira Rockwell from February 25 – March 1. During one hot Texas summer at a charismatic Christian camp, an idealistic counselor works to shepherd the senior girls’ cabin along their journey to make an authentic connection with something bigger than themselves, only to be confronted with disillusionment of her own faith. From March 25 – 29 is the Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble, a popular semi-annual concert featuring faculty and students showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. The lineup includes original choreography by faculty members Emily Daughtridge, Regina Gulick, Sherone Price, and Chris Yon, along with four student choreographers creating new works with eight different pieces being performed every night.
Their mainstage season concludes April 15 – 19 in a rare collaboration with the Hayes School of Music on Once Upon a Mattress with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1835 fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea,” it tells the story of Princess Winnifred, who must prove her sensitivity by sleeping on twenty mattresses with a pea hidden underneath. The beloved musical is well known for its catchy tunes and comedic and family-friendly nature. TheatreAndDance.AppState.edu
There are two productions onstage in the DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DANCE AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY in Johnson City. From March 5 – 8, Christopher Chen’s Passage examines colonialism and how power and societal imbalances affect personal and impersonal dynamics. The cult classic CARRIE: The Musical examines bullying, social isolation, consequences of religious extremism, parental abuse, and the struggle for acceptance in a society that ostracizes those who are different. Based on the Stephen King novel with music by Michael Gore, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and book by Lawrence D. Cohen, it runs April 15 – 19 in the Martin Center for the Arts Bert C. Bach Theatre. ETSU.edu/cas/theatre
LEES-MCRAE COLLEGE in Banner Elk and their Performing Arts Department are producing the classic Southern comedy-drama Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, based on his experience with his sister’s death. Running from February 12 – 15, this comedy-drama takes place in the late 1980s at an in-home beauty parlor where a group of women regularly gather. The bond among a group of Southern women in Louisiana is just as the title suggests: “female characters are as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel.” Next up is a whimsical, musical tale for all ages titled A Year with Frog and Toad with book, music, and lyrics by Willie Reale, based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s books. The plot follows two great friends—the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad—through four fun-filled seasons with performances from April 23 – 26 in Hayes Auditorium. www.lmc.edu/theatreshows
The MARTIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS AT ETSU is bringing three national tours to campus beginning with Meredith Willson’s The Music Man from January 26 – 28. There’s trouble in River City when a fast–talking salesman gets his heart stolen by the town librarian in this six–time Tony Award–winning musical. Riverdance 30: The New Generation will follow on February 17 – 18 with its fusion of Irish and international dance and music. Its Grammy award-winning music and infectious energy has made Riverdance a global cultural sensation. Next up is TINA – The Tina Turner Musical on February 28 – March 1, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall. The show captures the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the “Queen of Rock n’ Roll” and is set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, including her 12 Grammy Award-winning chart toppers. ETSUMartinCenter.org
MERLEFEST honors the legacy of NC music legend Doc Watson while celebrating and uplifting the next generation of talent. It takes place from April 23 – 26 on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Their line-up includes 14-time Grammy winners Alison Krauss & Union Station and the Old Crow Medicine Show; “The Show” is a longtime festival favorite whose ties to its founding legend Doc Watson trace back to the turn of the millennium. Also on the bill are West Virginia singer/songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin, hard-driving Southern rock stalwarts Blackberry Smoke, decorated flat picker and vocalist Molly Tuttle, the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Creekers, Trey Hensley, and many, many more. MerleFest.org
The multiple award-winning PIONEER PLAYMAKERS AT WATAUGA HIGH SCHOOL in Boone have announced their 2025 spring production: Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical with shows from March 26 – 28. This Tony Award-winning version of his whimsical fantasy story is “a captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life.” With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world. onthestage.tickets/watauga-high-school-theatre-department
The WILKES PLAYMAKERS at Benton Hall Community Arts Center in North Wilkesboro open their 2026 season with an ‘80s themed Bingo production on January 24 followed by a dramatic Murder Mystery event from February 12 – 15. They mark the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth with a streamlined theatrical version of her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice and its themes of manners, courtship, and relationships. The story revolves around Elizabeth Bennett, who navigates societal pressures and her own prejudices while dealing with the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. The play captures the essence of the original novel, highlighting the characters’ struggles and growth as they confront their feelings and societal expectations. Performances run from March 13 – 15, and 20 – 22. WilkesPlaymakers.com
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In closing, grateful thanks to SCOUTING AMERICA, the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared for Life.” They recently announced the creation of a Dance Merit Badge (joining the existing art, music, and theatre badges) while stating, “Dancing is a fun and exciting way to express yourself, stay active, and connect with others. Every style of dance—from hip hop and ballet to cultural and partner dances—has its own rhythm, history, and story to tell. You’ll learn how to move safely, warm up properly, and understand what makes every dance unique. You’ll explore different styles of dance, learn about famous dancers, and even perform your own routine. Whether you’re new to dancing or already love it, this badge will help you build confidence, creativity, and coordination while having a great time moving to the beat.” Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in Scouting America’s youth programs, led by more than 35 million adult volunteers. Bravo, scouts… we salute you!
Alleghany Community Theatre | www.alleghanycommunitytheatre.org
Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance | www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu
Appalachian Theatre of the High Country | www.apptheatre.org
Ashe Civic Center | www.ashecivic.com
Ashe County Little Theatre | www.ashecountylittletheatre.org
Barter Theatre | www.BarterTheatre.com
Beanstalk Community Theatre | BeanStalkNC.com
Blue Ridge Community Theatre | www.blueridgecommunitytheatrenc.com
City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium | www.commaonline.org
Ensemble Stage | www.ensemblestage.com
Hayes School of Music| www.music.appstate.edu
In/Visible Theatre | www.invisibletheatrenc.org.
Jones House Cultural & Community Center | www.joneshouse.org
Lees-McRae College Performing Arts | lmc.edu/pashows | Instagram @lmctheatre
Parkway Playhouse | www.parkwayplayhouse.com
Schaefer Center Presents | www.theschaefercenter.org
Wilkes Playmakers | www.wilkesplaymakers.com